Honourable Chair, 

Excellences, 

distinguished delegates,

I would like to join other delegations in thanking the chair of the General Assembly as well as the Vice-chairs, the WIPO Secretariat and everyone involved in the preparations for this important session of the WIPO Assemblies. I highly appreciate your commitment to health and safety whilst moving forward with the multilateral work at WIPO.

I would like to express our deepest appreciation to Director General Francis Gurry for his professionalism, excellent leadership and many achievements during his two tenures as Director General. I wish him the very best in his future endeavors​.

I would also like to warmly welcome the incoming Director General Mr. Daren Tang. Israel is confident that under your leadership, Mr. Tang, WIPO will further strengthen its fundamental and inclusive role in promoting creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth via a global IP system that serves the common goals of WIPO’s member states. 

Mr. Chairman, Israel’s economy is largely based on innovation in different fields and sectors. The high-tech industry is only one out of many examples. Israel therefore acknowledges the importance of intellectual property to a well-functioning innovation ecosystem that supports inventors, SMEs, start-ups, universities and other players in turning ideas into assets. As the United Nation’s Specialized Agency in the area of Intellectual Property, WIPO has a pivotal international role in this regard. Israel looks forward to working closely with Director General elect Mr. Tang to further promote innovation and economic growth via the IP system.  

Mr. Chairman, the Covid-19 Pandemic has impacted the lives and livelihoods of the global population. We appreciate WIPO's role in assuring the continuity of its services and particularly the registration systems during these challenging times, while protecting its staff. Israel is an active user of WIPO’s international registration systems, with the biggest number of PCT applications per capita globally, as well as one of the highest numbers of applications made by women. In 2019, the Israeli IP Office received over 85% of national phased applications coming from the PCT System. We therefore thank and support WIPO’s continuous commitment to constantly improve the registries system, including through the use of advanced technologies.   

In closing, Mr. Chair, I would like to reiterate Israel's support of the statements made on behalf of Group B. The delegation of Israel restates its commitment to participating in a constructive and positive manner, and we look forward to the outcomes of these Assemblies.

Thank you, Mr. Chair