About WIPO
What is WIPO?
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is the United Nations agency that serves the world’s innovators and creators, ensuring that their ideas travel safely to the market and improve lives everywhere.
We do so by providing services that enable creators, innovators and entrepreneurs to protect and promote their intellectual property (IP) across borders and acting as a forum for addressing cutting-edge IP issues. Our IP data and information guide decisionmakers the world over. And our impact-driven projects and technical assistance ensure IP benefits everyone, everywhere.
Quick facts
History: established in 1967 | Membership: 193 member states | Director General: Daren Tang | Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Who we are
Member states
Our 193 member states approve WIPO's strategic direction and activities in the annual meetings of the Assemblies.
Management & staff
Our staff (- the Secretariat), guided by our core values 
, provide the skills to implement the member states' decisions and deliver WIPO's diverse programs.
- Director General Daren Tang
- Sector Leads
- Activities by unit
- WIPO Workforce 2024
- Organigram
Observers
Some 250 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) have official observer status at WIPO meetings.
What we do
We help governments, businesses and society realize the benefits of IP.
We provide:
- a policy forum to shape balanced international IP rules for a changing world;
- global services to protect IP across borders and to resolve disputes;
- technical infrastructure to connect IP systems and share knowledge;
- cooperation and capacity-building programs to enable all countries to use IP for economic, social and cultural development;
- a world reference source for IP information
Video: WIPO in three minutes
Accountability
Results, program and budget
The objectives, performance measures and budgetary planning for all WIPO's proposed activities are set out in our Program of Work and Budget. We report to member states on the results each year in the WIPO Performance Report.
Financial reporting
We submit two-yearly financial management reports and annual financial statements to the Assemblies of the Member States, prepared in accordance with the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS).
Oversight
Our operations and activities are overseen and evaluated by external and internal bodies:
Environmental Responsibility
WIPO is committed to improving sustainability within its operations and activities, with the ultimate goal of reducing the internal environmental footprint.
Working with WIPO
WIPO careers
We employ talented individuals from around the globe to help us meet our challenges.
Individual contractors
We engage experts and accredited service providers as external resources to cover our business requirements. Contractors typically work in areas such as IP for development, copyright, IP services, translation and strategic projects.
Procurement
We procure goods and services from suppliers worldwide. We focus on achieving the best value for money through a transparent procurement process.
Cooperation
We work in close partnership with IP offices, IGOs, NGOs, and other public and private stakeholder throughout the world to deliver our programs.
Connecting with WIPO
Contact us
World Intellectual Property Organization
34, chemin des Colombettes
CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland
Visit us
Request a group visit for professionals, students and others interested in learning more about WIPO. Or view public exhibitions now showing at WIPO.
External offices
Our external offices support the delivery of our strategic goals and objectives in the host countries and surrounding regions: