Curriculum Vitae - Dr. Kamil Idris
Dr. Idris, a national of the Sudan, has been Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and Secretary-General of the International Union for the Protection of Plant Varieties (UPOV), since November 1, 1997. In WIPO: from 1994 to 1997, he held the position of Deputy Director General; from 1985 to 1994, he was Director, Development Cooperation and External Relations Bureau for Arab Countries; from 1990 to 1992, he was also in charge of specific activities in Central and Eastern European countries; from 1982 to 1985, he served as Senior Program Officer in the Development Cooperation and External Relations Bureau for Africa.
Dr. Idris obtained Master degrees in International Law and International Affairs from the University of Ohio (USA), Bachelor of Law (LLB) from the University of Khartoum (Sudan), and Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Political Science and Economic Theories from the University of Cairo (Egypt). He holds Doctor degrees in International Law from the Graduate Institute of International Studies, University of Geneva (Switzerland).
Before joining WIPO, Dr. Idris served as an Attorney-at-Law, Advocate and Commissioner for Oaths. He was a Professor of International Law and Ambassador in the Sudanese Foreign Service. He served in the Permanent Mission of his country to the United Nations in Geneva, and assumed the position of Spokesman and Coordinator of the Group of developing countries (Group of 77) on several important international issues.
Dr. Idris was a member of the United Nations International Law Commission (ILC), from 1992 to 1996.