Invitation

C. N 4255 The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) presents his compliments to the Minister attending the Sixty-Eighth Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO, and has the honor to extend a personal invitation to Her/His Excellency the Minister to the annual Informal Ministerial Policy Dialogue which will be held on Monday, July 6, 2026, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. Centered on the theme “Bridge Builder: Innovation and Creativity Driving Future Societies”, WIPO is bringing together Ministers attending the WIPO Assemblies 2026 for a high-level roundtable discussion. There will be a cocktail reception thereafter, including a privately guided tour through the ongoing exhibition “Ahead of the Curve – OlympicTM Games: A Century of Innovation”, followed by a Ministerial dinner starting at 7 p.m. at the same venue. The high-level meeting is embedded in the context of the WIPO Assemblies 2026 and will offer a unique platform for Ministers to informally exchange insights and perspectives on how innovation ecosystems and creative industries can serve as enduring bridges – linking nations, empowering communities, and fostering inclusive growth and sustainable cooperation in an increasingly interconnected world. The invitation is strictly addressed to Her/His Excellency the Minister or Deputy Minister and is non-transferable. A concept note providing further details about the event is attached. It would be appreciated if the response to this invitation could be sent by e-mail to [email protected], by April 30, 2026.

February 17, 2026

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Ministerial Policy Dialogue Monday, July 6, 2026 – Lausanne

Bridge Builders Innovation and creativity driving future societies

Innovation and creativity are among the defining forces of our age. They transcend borders, connect economies, and bring cultures and communities into dialogue, shaping how societies grow, and imagine their future. At its Annual Ministerial Policy Dialogue in 2026, WIPO will gather Ministers from across the globe at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne to explore this powerful dynamic under the signature theme: ”Bridge builders: Innovation and creativity driving future societies“.

In a setting that celebrates human achievement and international collaboration, the gathering will open with a keynote address exploring the intersection of sport, innovation, and global cooperation, followed by ministerial perspectives on how innovation ecosystems and creative industries can serve as enduring bridges – linking nations, empowering communities, and fostering inclusive growth and sustainable cooperation in an increasingly interconnected world.

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Special contributions from Prof. Philippe Aghion, 2025 Nobel Prize Laureate in Economic Sciences will offer insights that inspire and illuminate the pathways through which innovation and creativity can continue to transform the future.

The meeting will be followed by a private visit of the ongoing exhibition, and a dinner starting at 7:00 p.m. at the same venue, designed to encourage informal exchange and continued dialogue among attendees.

Provisional program

Venue Olympic Museum, Quai d'Ouchy 1, 1006 Lausanne

2.30 p.m. – 3 p.m. Welcome coffee

3 p.m. – 3.10 p.m. Opening remarks by Daren Tang, WIPO Director General

3.10 p.m. – 3.30 p.m. Keynote address

3.30 p.m. – 6 p.m. Ministerial perspectives on ”Bridge builders: Innovation and creativity driving future societies” followed by a tour de table

6 p.m. – 7 p.m. Tour of the Olympic Museum exposition ”Ahead of the Curve – OlympicTM Games: A Century of Innovation”

7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Dinner

Practical information

Shuttle service will be available from WIPO Headquarters to the Olympic Museum and back.

Interpretation will be provided in the six UN languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

Ministers or Deputy Ministers may be accompanied by one person each.

Delegates whose travel to the Assemblies is supported by the Madrid Union or the PCT Union may extend this arrangement to include participation in the Ministerial Policy Dialogue on July 6, which takes place immediately before the WIPO Assemblies (starting on July 7, 2026).

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IPO / E. Berrod