Written statement by   Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran   60th Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO    7 - 8 May, 2020 - Geneva   بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم   At the outset, we feel obliged to cherish the memory of the victims of the COVID-19 and pay tribute to courageous doctors and frontline health care professionals for their sacrificial efforts to save human lives.   The Delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran extends its warm felicitations to the Chair and the Vice-Chairs of the General Assembly for their deserved election and congratulates them for professional conduct of this General Assembly session in the format of written procedure.    We would also like to thank the current WIPO Director General, Dr. Francis Gurry for exemplary discharge of his responsibilities during his 12 years tenure as WIPO’s DG.  Dr. Gurry’s outstanding legacy will always be dearly felt and appreciated within WIPO and beyond. His deep sense of dedication to multilateralism, and his wise measured approach toward inter-State collaboration were key in making WIPO as one of the most flourishing organizations in the past decade.  We wish him best of success in whatever tasks he may undertake upon completing his term as Director General of WIPO.     The Delegations of the Islamic Republic of Iran warmly congratulates Mr. Daren Tang on his appointment as the new Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization. We are confident that he would mobilize all necessary professional qualities and collective wisdom needed to lead WIPO at a very crucial juncture; at the time of rapid technological changes and when multilateralism face with serious challenges.   WIPO is the leading international authority in the area of IP which is mandated to promote invention and creativity for the economic, social and cultural development of all countries through a balanced and effective international IP system. Given the emerging challenges, the new Director General has before him an enormous task to promote the role of WIPO to respond effectively to the legitimate concerns of all member States.                   Technological advances may have their own setbacks in terms of increasing inequalities. It is one of the WIPO’s responsibilities to mitigate, through its development programs, the disadvantageous effects of rapid technological changes on the capacity of developing and least developed countries. In this regard, there is a need for an effective collaboration, and a mutually responsive relationship between member States and the Secretariat to enable the Organization to keep pace with technological and economic changes. The role of the Director General for creating networked coordination to make the Organization more effective and more accessible to play its bridging role is essential.     The Islamic Republic of Iran continues to attach high significance to WIPO as an embodiment of multilateralism and collective norm-setting. We should make every effort to shield WIPO against unilaristic agendas. To address the challenges caused by unilateralism, all stockholders need to stick to rule of law, respect international law and be committed to multilateralism. Iran is determined to continue its constructive role in fulfilling WIPO’s global mandate and advancing the agendas of its Governing Bodies and Committees through cooperation with member States and the Secretariat. We are confident that our cooperation with WIPO will be further enhanced during Dr. Tang tenure.   The End