Paraguayan diplomat was elected President of TRIPS

By Alex Berkemeyer

Ambassador Federico Gonzalez, head of the Permanent Mission of Paraguay to the United Nations Office and Specialized Agencies based in the city of Geneva, Switzerland, was elected president of the General Council of Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights related (TRIPS). It was during the session of the General Council of the Organization of Trade, where for the first time a representative of Paraguay comes at such a high position in the structure of the WTO.

The TRIPS Council is responsible for the administration of the agreements on Intellectual Property in the WTO. Its mission is established in Article 68 of the Annex 1C to the Agreement establishing the WTO that allows him to "monitor the implementation and enforcement of obligations and offer members the opportunity to consult on aspects of Rights Intellectual Property Related to Trade ".

Also, "assume duties assigned by the members and, in particular, provide any assistance requested under the dispute settlement procedures. In carrying out its functions, the Council for TRIPS may consult any source it deems appropriate and seek information from them ", as stated in the document.

Brief profile of Dr. Federico Gonzalez:

He earned his law degree at the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, National University of Asuncion and completed specialization courses at Georgetown and Boston University. Besides these studies, Dr. Gonzalez has a broad experience in matters of law, international trade and foreign affairs. Over the years he has been appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador of Paraguay (concurrent) in countries like the Republic of Indonesia, Federation of Malaysia, Republic of Mongolia, Korea.