Daren Tang has been reappointed as Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) for a second six-year term, commencing on October 1, 2026. The decision was confirmed by WIPO’s General Assembly on April 21, 2026, following his nomination by the Coordination Committee in February. ([wipo.int](https://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/articles/2026/article_0007.html?utm_source=openai))
In his first term, which began in October 2020, Tang emphasized transforming intellectual property (IP) from a technical and legal matter into a business, economic, and financial asset that drives innovation and creativity. He stated his commitment to continuing this work in his second term, aiming to ensure that WIPO’s IP systems are efficient and effective in serving users, and that global IP standards are updated to meet the needs of innovators and creators in a rapidly changing world driven by artificial intelligence. ([wipo.int](https://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/articles/2026/article_0007.html?utm_source=openai))
Prior to his tenure at WIPO, Tang served as the Chief Executive of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), where he transformed IPOS from a traditional IP registry into an innovation agency, enhancing Singapore’s IP ecosystem and strengthening international collaborations. ([wipo.int](https://www.wipo.int/about-wipo/en/dg_tang/?utm_source=openai))
The reappointment process began with the WIPO Coordination Committee’s nomination of Tang in February 2026. The Committee, comprising 83 member states, held a vote in which Tang received 81 votes, while the other candidate, Johanny Stanley Joseph from Haiti, received 2 votes. ([wipo.int](https://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/articles/2026/article_0001.html?utm_source=openai))
Tang’s leadership has been marked by efforts to make IP more inclusive, focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), women, youth, and indigenous communities. He has spearheaded initiatives to enhance IP education and capacity-building in developing countries, empowering hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries in recent years. ([wipo.int](https://www.wipo.int/web/director-general/daren-tang?utm_source=openai))
As Tang prepares for his second term, the global IP community anticipates continued progress in making intellectual property a catalyst for economic and social development worldwide.