From Singapore to the world: Daren Tang's mission to break stereotypes at UN agency Wipo

Business Times

3 days ago

[SINGAPORE] Daren Tang may not be a household name. Nor, for that matter, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (Wipo) – the United Nations (UN) agency he heads as its director-general.
Yet, the work that Geneva-based Tang and his 1,700-strong team from almost 130 countries do has implications for much of what we encounter in our daily lives.
Simply put, Wipo provides services to protect and promote creations of the mind – or intellectual property (IP) – around the world, thereby safeguarding creative outputs, from photographs, music and logo designs, to the latest mobile phone innovations and lifesaving drugs.
IP may be a rather nebulous concept to the man in the street, but it's an important and powerful intangible asset for individuals and businesses. Besides being a catalyst for economic growth, it spurs innovation when creators can monetise their ingenuity.
Thus, Tang – the first Singaporean to head a UN agency – has in the last five years sought to make a complex matter accessible and relevant to the layman through various projects and programmes.
As a global organisation, Wipo works with stakeholders from its 194 member states. Given that these include national governments, businesses, inventors, researchers and designers, managing political dynamics is par for the course.
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'In a nutshell, the job is one-third being the chief diplomat, one-third being the chief policy officer and one-third being the CEO,' Tang tells The Business Times.
No walk in the park
Under Tang's watch, Wipo in 2024 notched an historic achievement by concluding two new treaties in one year. Both the Wipo Treaty on IP, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge and the Riyadh Design Law Treaty took more than 20 years of negotiations.
Tang hailed it as a victory for multilateralism in an environment of rising geopolitical tensions.
'I felt like a referee in an intense sporting match, helping to keep the process moving and the rules of engagement fair and neutral, while working with all towards a common end,' he recalls of the round-the-clock work, which concluded with sleep-deprived negotiators from around the world bursting into loud applause. It was, he describes, 'incredibly emotional'.
Tang at the launch of Creators Learn Intellectual Property, a joint initiative by Wipo and the Music Rights Awareness Foundation co-founded by Bjorn Ulvaeus, star of Swedish band Abba and author of its hit song, Dancing Queen. PHOTO: WIPO
Tang also relished the quietly satisfying highs of ordinary people whose lives he says have been touched by Wipo's work; these include a female Ugandan entrepreneur whom the agency mentored, and a young Chilean scientist who brought her invention to market.
But the geopolitical challenges of running such a large and diverse agency remain.
'Consensus among member states, which is a cornerstone of how the UN works, has become even more difficult,' he says. 'Conflicts have diminished the appetite for collaboration and cooperation. And the financial sustainability of the UN is now under question because of funding cuts.'
This affects Wipo, even though it has the unusual characteristic among the UN agencies of being self-funded – mostly from the fee-paying services it runs. In the last five years, the agency has consistently reported financial surpluses, while its assets have grown some 83 per cent to 710 million Swiss francs (S$1.13 billion) last year.
'That means running a tight ship, with a focus on efficiency, results and impact,' says Tang. These, incidentally, are traits very much associated with Singapore, a nation with a reputation for being friendly but competent, and a steadfast supporter of multilateralism.
Count on me, Singapore
While Wipo's director-general is judged on their own merits, it helps when their home country is seen as 'credible, reliable and dynamic', says Tang.
Singapore recently nominated him for a second six-year term starting 2026, something he considers 'a deep honour'. 'I have lived my entire life in Singapore, and it has fundamentally shaped who I am and how I have tried to transform Wipo,' he says.
Growing up in a multi-ethnic, multilingual and multicultural society, where Asian values mesh with Western norms, also helps him engage and build relationships with a wide range of stakeholders from around the world.
'As a Singaporean, we're trained to focus on being pragmatic and delivering results, rather than getting entangled in endless discussions or ideological debates,' he says. His focus is on tangible, concrete and visible outcomes, 'especially in an environment where people increasingly do not see the value of UN agencies or don't understand what we do'.
Home to the only regional Wipo office in the world, Singapore has been doing well in Wipo's Global Innovation Index, most recently placing within the top five. It's also seen as an example of how IP can be harnessed as a catalyst for growth and development, Tang notes.
As the nation celebrates SG60, he is grateful for the many opportunities he and other Singaporeans have.
'While we often think that the world has become more complex and troubled, I don't think the external environment at the time of our independence was any simpler,' he reflects.
'We just have to continue pushing boundaries, taking risks to create and build something amazing that makes people want to come here and experience Singapore for themselves.'
His wish this National Day? That more Singaporeans will step up to engage and contribute to the world, especially given that the nation's achievements are admired by and inspiring for many others.
'Don't just play in the local pond,' he urges. 'Plunge into the ocean.'