ARIPO appoints Ugandan Bemanya Twebaze as new leader
The African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) has announced that Ugandan national Bemanya Twebaze will be its next director-general.
Twebaze will take up the position on January 1, 2021, for a term of four years, according to the press release issued on November 17.
In addition to thanking ARIPO’s administrative council for his appointment, Twebaze pledged to put his “best energy” into making “meaningful transformations at ARIPO”.
Currently, Twebaze is the CEO of Uganda’s National Intellectual Property Office, the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), a position he has held since 2012.
According to his profile on the URSB’s website, under his leadership, the office has placed an emphasis on the use of technology to support and simplify registration operations.
Twebaze has promoted private sector growth and spearheaded the development of a simplified and efficient regulatory framework to govern the URSB’s activities during his time in office.
In addition, Twebaze has fought against corruption that has led to improved revenue collection and enhanced public trust.
Twebaze will be the sixth director-general of ARIPO. The outgoing director-general, Fernando dos Santos from Mozambique, will finish his eight-year term on December 31, 2020.
Zimbabwe-based ARIPO was formed in 1976, and currently has 20 member states: Botswana, The Kingdom of Eswatini, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, The Kingdom of Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
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