Indian University Honors WIPO Director General

Geneva, March 9, 2005
Press Updates UPD/2005/245

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), presented on March 5, 2005 the degree of Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) to the Director General of World Intellectual Property Organization, Dr. Kamil Idris, for his contribution to the promotion of intellectual property as a tool for economic, social and cultural development. President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam of India was the chief guest at the function.

At a ceremony attended by some 3,000 students and top officials and transmitted live to 22 regional centers of the University, Dr. Idris thanked President Abdul Kalam and University officials for the honor conferred upon him. In his acceptance speech, the Director General praised the Government of India for the importance it has given intellectual property as a policy tool aimed at promoting economic development and applauded IGNOU's success in promoting distance education. IGNOU is a pioneer in distance education and considered one of the largest universities in the world with a student population of 1.30 million.

Dr. Idris said that the intellectual property system is a critical tool for social development, economic growth and wealth creation. Highlighting the universal importance of intellectual property, Dr. Idris, said all nations can capitalize on the tools of the intellectual property system for development and wealth creation. The Director General said the intellectual property system is a driver of technological development and ensures a force for the enrichment of global cultural heritage. He said that today, universal acceptance and the strategic use of intellectual property offers an opportunity for individuals, businesses and countries to convert their creative resources into economic assets capable of generating wealth and contributing to a more secure future.

A strong national commitment to the intellectual property system ensures the establishment of an environment within which the creative and innovative potential of a country may flourish. Dr. Idris said creativity is an infinite resource, native to all peoples and relevant to all times and cultures.

In the citation (full text below), the Pro-Vice Chancellor of IGNOU, Professor S.C. Garg, said Dr. Idris has led WIPO "with a visionary zeal" and has aimed "to highlight the central role of intellectual property as an important tool for social development, economic growth and wealth creation. His vision for WIPO has had an outward focus based on relevance, empowerment and inclusion and an inward focus based on clarity, efficiency and transparency." The Pro-Vice Chancellor said Dr. Idris "is committed to build on his achievements of the past and to ensure that intellectual property gains its rightful place on the agenda of policy-makers at the highest level and is recognized as a powerful tool for social and cultural development in the global economy."

Over 71,000 students were awarded degrees, diplomas and certificates at the convocation held at the IGNOU campus in south Delhi and 22 regional centers of the University across the country through teleconferencing link ups.

During his visit to New Delhi, the Director General also held talks with top officials, including Mr Kapil Sibal, Minister, Science and Technology. They discussed relations between the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology and WIPO and the possible co-organization of a ministerial level inter-regional meeting in India on global issues of concern to developing countries. The meeting would take stock of developments in various fields and establish strategies for making effective use of the intellectual property system to promote economic development. The meeting would be held in 2006.

In a meeting with H.E. Mr. Arjun Singh, Minister Human Resource Development, efforts to modernize India's copyright registry were discussed as well as strengthening of cooperation between WIPO and the Ministry. Talks also covered negotiations under WIPO's auspices on the protection of traditional knowledge and folklore.

The Director General also met with Dr. R.A. Mashelkar, Director General, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Mr. B.S. Baswan, Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource Development and Mr. Ashok Jha, Secretary, Ministry of Industry and Commerce. In these meetings, the Director General reviewed the program of cooperation between WIPO and these Ministries and discussed measures for expanding them in the future.

For further information, please contact the Media Relations and Public Affairs Section at WIPO:

• Tel: (+41 22) 338 81 61 or (+41 22) 338 95 47;
• E-mail: publicinf@wipo.int
• Fax: (+41 22) 338 88 10.

INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY

AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF

DOCTOR OF LETTERS

(HONORIS CAUSA)

TO

DR. KAMIL IDRIS

DIRECTOR GENERAL,

WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION

Citation

Vice-Chancellor Sir, it is my privilege to present to you this citation in honour of Dr. Kamil Idris, Director General, World Intellectual Property Organisation who has graciously accepted our invitation to receive the award of Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) on the occasion of the Sixteenth Convocation of Indira Gandhi National Open University.

Dr. Kamil Idris, a national of Sudan, is an erudite scholar of repute in the field of International Law. He began his association with WIPO as Senior Programme Officer, Development Cooperation and External Relations Bureau for Africa in 1982, became the Director, Development Cooperation and External Relations Bureau for Arab Countries in 1990 and Deputy Director General in 1994. He assumed charge as Director General of World Intellectual Property Organisation in 1997 for a period of 6 years. During his first term as Director General of WIPO, he led the Organisation with a visionary zeal and aimed to highlight the central role of intellectual property as an important tool for social development, economic growth and wealth creation. His vision for WIPO has had an outward focus based on relevance, empowerment and inclusion and an inward focus based on clarity, efficiency and transparency.

In view of his dynamic leadership, Dr. Idris received unanimous support from the Organization's General Assembly and member states and was formally re-appointed to a second term as Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization in 2003. He is committed to build on his achievements of the past and to ensure that intellectual property gains its rightful place on the agenda of policy-makers at the highest level and is recognised as a powerful tool for social and cultural development in the global economy.

Dr. Idris is also Secretary-General of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) since 1997. Before joining WIPO, Dr. Idris served in various capacities - as Attorney-at-Law, Advocate and Commissioner for Oaths, Sudan; Professor of International Law; Ambassador, Sudanese Foreign Service; Legal Adviser, Permanent Mission of Sudan to the United Nations Office, Geneva, Coordinator and Spokesman of the African Group and the Group of 77, Geneva. He was also a Member of the United Nations International Law Commission (ILC) from 1992 to 1996 and from 2000 to 2001.

Dr. Idris has been decorated in recognition of his achievements by Sudan, Egypt, Senegal, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Syrian Arab Republic, Portugal, Romania, Mexico, Republic of Moldova, Cote d'Ivoire and Poland. He has also been conferred Honorary Degrees by The State University of Moldova, Franklin Pierce Law Center, Concord, New Hampshire, Fudan University, Shanghai, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, University of Bucharest, Hannam University, Deajeon, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, Ulan Bator, Matej Bel University, Banska Bystrica, and National Technical University of Ukraine, Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Kiev. He is Honorary Professor of Law, Peking University, China since 1999.

Dr. Idris had his early education at Khartoum University, Sudan and Cairo University, Egypt. He did his Master's in International Law and International Affairs from Ohio University, USA and his Doctorate in International Law from the Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva University, Switzerland.

In his current stint as the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, Dr. Kamil Idris is championing the rights of indigenous peoples, and respect for their distinct cultures, communities and values and encouraging steps to respond to the needs and aspirations of the world's indigenous people, so as to enhance their effective participation in policy processes on matters that concern them. In the field of intellectual property (IP), this translates into greater respect and recognition for the cultural and intellectual framework and knowledge systems in which traditional cultural expressions, traditional knowledge and associated genetic resources are developed, maintained, and transmitted to future generations within the traditional or customary context. In this perspective, he shares the vision and mission of our university. We are indeed privileged that Dr. Idris has agreed to accept our invitation to receive the Degree of Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) at the Sixteenth Convocation.

Sir, may I have the honour of presenting Dr. Kamil Idris, Director General, World Intellectual Property Organization, to the Sixteenth Convocation of the Indira Gandhi National Open University, and to request you to confer on him the Degree of Doctor of Letters (honoris causa).