KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Government will welcome Daren Tang, director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), for an official visit to Jamaica from May 16 to 20, 2026.

The visit marks a significant milestone in Jamaica’s efforts to strengthen its intellectual property (IP) ecosystem, deepen international partnerships and advance innovation-led economic growth.

The Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC), through one of its 20 agencies, the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO), in close collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, will host Tang during his five-day programme in Jamaica.

During the visit, Tang will engage with senior government officials, innovators, entrepreneurs, creators, women leaders, and stakeholders across Jamaica’s intellectual property sector. The programme will feature several high-level meetings and strategic engagements focused on intellectual property, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator Aubyn Hill, said the visit underscores Jamaica’s commitment to building a modern, innovation-driven economy anchored by strong intellectual property protection and global competitiveness.

“This visit by WIPO Director General Daren Tang reflects Jamaica’s emergence as a modern, forward-looking economy that understands the value of ideas, innovation, brands, and creativity in building national prosperity,” Hill said in a ministry release on Friday.

“More Jamaicans are registering trademarks, protecting their businesses, developing new products, and positioning themselves to compete in global markets. Jamaica is strengthening its legislative framework, modernising its intellectual property systems and aligning with major international treaties because we intend to remain an efficient, productive and attractive destination for investment, innovation and enterprise,” he added.

A major highlight of the visit will be the signing of two letters of intent aimed at strengthening Jamaica’s national intellectual property capacity and institutional development.

On Monday, May 18, Tang and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, will sign a letter of intent establishing cooperation between the WIPO Academy and the Jamaican Foreign Service Institute. The agreement will support a structured intellectual property training and skills-building programme for Jamaican diplomats and government officials over three years. The programme is intended to strengthen Jamaica’s capacity to engage more effectively in international IP negotiations and multilateral forums.

Following that signing, Tang and Hill will sign another letter of intent between WIPO and JIPO to support the establishment of an Intellectual Property Training Institution (IPTI) in Jamaica under the WIPO Academy’s global IPTI programme. The proposed institution would support education, training, skills development, and capacity-building for Jamaica’s innovation and intellectual property framework, with cooperation activities expected to commence in 2027.

This official visit is significant as it marks the first visit by a WIPO Director General to Jamaica since 2002, the same year the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office officially began operating as Jamaica’s national intellectual property office.

At that time, then WIPO Director General Dr Kamil Idris visited Jamaica to participate in the official launch of JIPO, a major milestone in Jamaica’s intellectual property development journey. WIPO played an instrumental role in supporting the establishment of JIPO and has continued to support the strengthening of Jamaica’s intellectual property framework over the past two decades.

Executive Director of JIPO, Lilyclaire Bellamy, noted that Jamaica’s intellectual property landscape has undergone a significant transformation since then.

“Jamaica has modernised its intellectual property framework, strengthened stakeholder engagement and acceded to several important international treaties. They include the Madrid Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks, the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs, and the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled. WIPO’s continued support has also helped position intellectual property as a strategic driver of innovation, business growth, exports, and national prosperity,” Bellamy said.

Tang was reappointed in April 2026 for a second term as head of WIPO, reflecting strong international confidence in his leadership and vision for the global intellectual property system. Since assuming office in 2020, he has championed initiatives aimed at making intellectual property more accessible and relevant to innovators, creators, small businesses, women, and youth.

Under his leadership, WIPO has increasingly positioned intellectual property as a key driver of innovation, entrepreneurship, technology, and economic development, particularly as emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence continue to reshape industries and economies worldwide.