News

News

Kadirgamar schol by WIPO in late Minister’s memory
The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the Geneva-based UN agency has decided to honour Sri Lanka’s former Foreign Minister with a 'Lakshman Kadirgamar Memorial Scholarship ' to be awarded to a candidate from the Asia-Pacific region, a Foreign Ministry press release states.
The scholarship is for the pursuit of higher studies in the field of intellectual property.

According to the release, WIPO has awarded this scholarship "in appreciation and recognition of the services of the late Minister". The late Mr. Kadirgamar served at WIPO in Geneva for over two decades up to 1989 when he left the organisation to return to Sri Lanka to practice law, and later enter politics.

During his stint at WIPO, Mr. Kadirgamar was instrumental in providing Sri Lanka with a model WIPO law, which was presented to Parliament by his one-time Oxford colleague Trade Minister Lalith Athulathmudali as the Code of Intellectual Property Act No. 52 of 1979 at a time the country was fast moving towards being a modern commercial state.

According to the release, WIPO Director General Dr. Kamil Idris has told the Sri Lanka Government that WIPO has lost "an illustrious former colleague", and that Mr. Kadirgamar "actively promoted the use of intellectual property rights to achieve economic, cultural and social development in developing countries", and that the contribution he made as a member of the Policy Advisory Commission of WIPO (after leaving WIPO), were notable for their erudiction and wisdom.

The official communication was made by WIPO's Director General Dr. Idris to Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative in Geneva, Ambassador Sarala Fernando earlier this week.

Top

Back to News