Otieno-Odek receives African Union backing

With just three weeks to go before the fourth Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is elected, Business Daily Africa reports that the candidacy of Professor James Otieno-Odek -- the only African among the 15 runners -- has been endorsed by the African Union. Professor Otieno-Odek, who holds a chair at the University of Nairobi, has participated in a number of WIPO activities and is the managing director of Kenya Industrial Property Institute.

Given the tendency of top positions within international agencies to rotate between different geographical regions, the chances are that this position, currently held by an African (Dr Kamil Idris) and formerly held by a European and an American, will go to a candidate from the Asia-Pacific region.