Issued by the WIPO Appeal Board

Geneva, December 7, 2006
Press Releases PR/2006/469

The WIPO Appeal Board (the "Board") regrets the references in the articles in Le Matin of December 2, 2006, and in 20 Minutes on December 4, 2006, to the confidential deliberations in the case in question. The Board is bound by the confidential nature of its deliberations and therefore is not allowed to reveal details concerning this or other cases. The Board wishes to state that it was neither consulted nor has it given any information to the media.

Those articles, and particularly the one in Le Matin dated December 2, 2006, contained inaccurate information and mischaracterizations, which the Board feels must be corrected.

There was no rape allegation submitted to the Board. The references in the article in Le Matin to the Board's role in this case does not correspond to the facts presented to it. The Board did not deal with any alleged rape.

The WIPO Appeal Board

December 7, 2006

The WIPO Appeal Board is a key part of WIPO's system of internal justice. It is an administrative advisory body established by the Director General that enables staff to appeal against any administrative decision alleging the non-observance of terms of appointment, any pertinent provisions of the Staff Regulations and Staff Rules or against disciplinary action. The Appeal Board is made up of three members: the Chairman designated by the WIPO Coordination Committee who is not a staff member or former staff member of WIPO; a member designated by the Director General drawn from among the staff of the Organization; and a member elected by staff members of the Organization. This structure ensures the independence of the Board.