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Kamil Idris

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His Excellency
Kamil Idris
كامل إدريس
Official portrait, 1997
16th Prime Minister of Sudan
Incumbent
Assumed office
31 May 2025
PresidentAbdel Fattah al-Burhan
Preceded byDafallah al-Haj Ali (acting)
Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization
In office
22 September 1997 – 1 October 2008
Preceded byÁrpád Bogsch
Succeeded byFrancis Gurry
Personal details
Born (1945-08-26) 26 August 1945 (age 79)
Political partyIndependent
Education

Kamil Eltayeb Idris (Arabic: كامل الطيب إدريس; born 26 August 1945)[1][2] is a Sudanese statesman, scholar, international civil servant[3] and politician who has been the 16th prime minister of Sudan since 31 May 2025.[4] He was Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) from 1997 to 2008. He was also head of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV).

Educated in Sudan, Egypt, Switzerland and the United States, Idris joined the World Intellectual Property Organization at the of 28 in 1982. He became the Director General in 1997 and served for 11 years until 2008. He later left the WIPO and returned to Sudan to join politics. He was an Independent candidate in the 2010 general election, coming in sixth place.

In 2025, amid an ongoing and devastating civil war, Idris was appointed prime minister by the Transitional Sovereignty Council under President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. He thus became the first civilian prime minister of Sudan since Abdalla Hamdok's resignation in three years earlier on January 2022.

Education

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According to a document prepared by the Office of the UPOV, Kamil Idris holds a Bachelor of Law (LLB) from Khartoum University, a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Political Science and Economic Theories from Cairo University, a Master in International Law and International Affairs from Ohio University, and a Doctorate in International Law in 1984 from the then University of Geneva-affiliated Geneva Graduate Institute.[5][6] Franklin Pierce Law Center in the United States awarded Idris an honorary Doctorate of Laws degree in May 1999.[7] In 2005, Idris received an honorary Doctor of Letters from Indira Gandhi National Open University in India.[8]

Career

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Diplomatic career

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Idris joined WIPO on 30 December 1982.[9] Idris was member of the International Law Commission from 1992 to 1996 and from 2000 to 2001.[10]

On 22 September 1997, he was appointed Director General of WIPO for a period of six years.[11] Idris succeeded Árpád Bogsch, who served as Director General for 25 years. The Director General oversees WIPO's efforts for global intellectual property protection.

In March 1998, Idris visited the United States Congress and met with the United States Secretary of Commerce to discuss safeguarding and promoting American ingenuity, and he received an official welcome by Congress.[12] In 2001, Idris, along with Mihnea Motoc, signed a Program of Cooperation between Romania and WIPO.[13]

He was formally re-appointed to a second six-year term as Director General of WIPO on 27 May 2003.[14][15] The same year, he inaugurated the new Center For Intellectual Property at the University of National and World Economy.[16] In 2006, Idris negotiated a cooperation program between WIPO and the Government of Azerbaijan.[17][18]

Throughout his tenure as Director Genera, Idris donated his salary as Secretary-General of the Union for the Protection of Plant Varieties (UPOV) to developing countries. His mandate was originally due to end on 30 November 2009. A WIPO document released in 2016 indicate that in 2007, Idris requested that the WIPO Coordination Committee advance the process for appointing his replacement, whose appointment began October 2008.[19]

In 2008, Idris went to Kyrgyzstan to meet President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and Prime Minister Igor Chudinov, where they discussed developing a digital library for the country.[20]

Political career

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After leaving the WIPO, Idris returned to Sudan where he joined politics. In the 2010 general election, Idris ran for the presidency as an Independent, challenging then longtime President Omar al-Bashir, subsequently falling to sixth place.[21]

In May 2025, in the midst of the civil war, Idris was appointed prime minister by the Transitional Sovereignty Council under President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. He is the first civilian prime minister since Abdalla Hamdok resigned in 2022.[22] On 1 June, Idris ordered the dissolution of the transitional government.[23]

Controversy

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In 2006, a report conducted by WIPO's Internal Audit and Oversight Division at the request of the United Nations Joint Inspection Unit showed Idris' age had been misrepresented was the information was leaked to media outlets.[24][25][26][27][28] Earlier WIPO records showed Idris' date of birth to be 26 August 1945, but he had attempted to change his records to show he was born on 26 August 1954.[25] On 21 September 2007 the Secretariat of the WIPO called the report[29] "a deliberate intention to harm [Idris]"[30] and criticized the report's legitimacy and failure of the author to follow procedure which compromised its confidential status.[31] Idris' birthday has been reported as possibly being 26 August 1945,[32] 26 August 1953[33] or 26 August 1954.[34]

During the 10-day WIPO general assembly that ended on 3 October 2007, a move to remove Idris from his position was blocked. WIPO came under fire for its credibility. Idris agreed to resign,[35] and stepped down a year early from his post as head of WIPO.[36]

In December 2016, it was reported that documents from WIPO dated in 2010 signed by the legal counsel of the organization, Edward Kwakwa, were released which show that Idris did not misrepresent his birth date.[1][37]

Awards and honors

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Idris is an Honorary Fellow at Durham University in the United Kingdom.[38] He also serves as an Honorary Professor of Law at Peking University and holds an Honorary Doctorate from Fudan University in China.[39][40]

In 1999, Idris was awarded an honorary medal from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations for his work in intellectual property.[41] He was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Moldova State University that year.[42]

In 2001, Idris received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa at the University of Bucharest and was awarded the Grand Cross of the Infante D. Henrique from Portugal.[13][43] Honorary doctorates from the University of Matej Bel as well as the Mongolian University of Science and Technology were also granted in 2001.[44][45]

In 2002, he received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa from Ukraine in recognition of his contribution to the development of cooperation in the field of intellectual property.[46] Idris was also presented with the Commandeur dans l'Ordre du Merite Nationale, the highest distinction of Côte d'Ivoire, for promoting social progress.[47]

Idris, along with Georgi Parvanov, was awarded a medal by the National University of National and World Economy in 2003 for efforts in promoting economic development in Bulgaria.[16] The Al Emam Al Mahdi University in the White Nile State awarded him an Honorary Doctorate in December of that year.[48]

In 2004, Sultan Qaboos bin Said granted Idris with the Order of Oman,[49] and the city of Venice, Italy also granted him the first-ever Venice Award for Intellectual Property.[50]

Idris was decorated with the Orden de Aguila Azteca in 2005 for his work in Mexico's economic development.[51] The following year, the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) named its new regional intellectual property training center after Idris,[52] and he received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Azerbaijan.[18] He also received the Order of the Two Niles.[53]

Idris received honorary doctorate degrees from the University of Gezira and the University of Khartoum in 2007.[54][55] The following year, the Kyrgyz State University of Construction, Transport and Architecture (KSUSTA) also granted him an honorary doctorate.[20]

See also

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Bibliography

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  • Kamil Idris, Michael Barolo (24 February 2000). A Better United Nations for the New Millennium. Springer.
  • Kamil Idris (2003). Intellectual Property - A Power Tool For Economic Growth. World Intellectual Property Organization.
  • Kamil Idris, Hisamitsu Arai (30 June 2006). The Intellectual Property - Conscious Nation: Mapping the path from developing to developed. World Intellectual Property Organization.

References

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  1. ^ a b Kwakwa, Edward (30 May 2010). "Legal Counsel Letter".
  2. ^ "IDRIS" (PDF).
  3. ^ "Where the Nile Meets the Wear". Living North. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  4. ^ https://sudantribune.com/article301502/
  5. ^ "UPOV, Geneva Council, Thirty-Seventh Ordinary Session, Geneva, October 23, 2003, Appointment of Dr. Kamil Idris as Secretary-General of UPOV for the period December 1, 2003, to November 30, 2009." (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 May 2005. Retrieved 8 May 2006.
  6. ^ Idris, Kamil Eltayeb (1984). "Case study on the treaty establishing a preferential trade area for Eastern and Southern African states". Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  7. ^ "WIPO Director General Addresses Graduates at Franklin Pierce Law Center".
  8. ^ "Ignou gets a new thrust area". The Times of India.
  9. ^ Item F.4.1.28.1 (page 10) of the IAOD/INV/2006/2 report.
  10. ^ International Law Commission web site, Present and Former Members of the International Law Commission (1949-2006) Archived 2014-12-24 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Item F.4.1.28.4 (page 11) of the IAOD/INV/2006/2 report.
  12. ^ "Welcoming Dr. Kamil Idris, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization" (PDF). United States Government Publishing Office. 3 March 1998.
  13. ^ a b "WIPO Director General Meets President of Romania". WIPO. 8 June 2001.
  14. ^ "WIPO, Dr. Kamil Idris re-appointed as WIPO Director General, Press Release PR/2003/348, Geneva, May 27, 2003". Archived from the original on 17 February 2005. Retrieved 8 May 2006.
  15. ^ Item F.4.1.28.5 (page 11) of the IAOD/INV/2006/2 report.
  16. ^ a b "Center for Intellectual Property". UNWE. 8 February 2012.
  17. ^ "Relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the World Intellectual Property Organisation". Republic of Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  18. ^ a b "Dr. Idris and President of Azerbaijan Discuss Importance of IP". World Intellectual Property Organization. 7 March 2006.
  19. ^ "UPOV, Dr. Kamil Idris re-appointed UPOV Secretary-General, Press Release No. 57, Geneva, October 23, 2003. (pdf)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 December 2005. Retrieved 8 May 2006.
  20. ^ a b "WIPO Director General Holds Talks with President of the Kyrgyz Republic". WIPO. 20 June 2008.
  21. ^ Nesrine Malik (2 February 2010). "Sudan's elections: divorced from hope". The Guardian.
  22. ^ "Sudan's Burhan appoints Kamil Idris as prime minister, two women to Sovereign Council". Sudan Tribune. 19 May 2025. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  23. ^ "Sudan's transitional government dissolved, new administration awaited". Sudan Tribune. 1 June 2025. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  24. ^ IAOD/INV/2006/2, Report of the Investigation on Allegations Referred by the Joint Inspection Unit Concerning Mr. Kamil Idris, Director General of WIPO, by the Senior Internal Auditor and Acting Director, Internal Audit and Oversight Division, November 2006, Posted on Foxnews.com.
  25. ^ a b WIPO chief offers lessons in keeping young (updated), Managing Intellectual Property, February 1, 2007. Consulted on July 1, 2007.
  26. ^ Intellectual Property Watch, Investigation Finds WIPO Head Repeatedly Misreported His Age, February 20, 2007.
  27. ^ Frances Williams, Probe says head of Wipo misled officials, Financial Times, February 22, 2007. Consulted on July 1, 2007.
  28. ^ Claudia Rosett, One for the Ages: U.N. Official Uses Two Birthdates, FOXNews.com, February 28, 2007. Consulted on July 1, 2007.
  29. ^ World Intellectual Property Organization, Brief Note on Allegations Against the Organization and its Director General, Document A/43/INF/8, September 21, 2007, Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO, Forty-Third Series of Meetings, Geneva, September 24 to October 3, 2007 (copy archive here)
  30. ^ Brief Note on Allegations Against the Organization and its Director General, item 17.
  31. ^ Brief Note on Allegations Against the Organization and its Director General, item 18.
  32. ^ For instance items A.1 (page 3) and E.1.17.1 (page 7) of IAOD/INV/2006/2, Report of the Investigation on Allegations Referred by the Joint Inspection Unit Concerning Mr. Kamil Idris, Director General of WIPO, by the Senior Internal Auditor and Acting Director, Internal Audit and Oversight Division, November 2006, Posted on Foxnews.com.
  33. ^ For instance items A.2 (page 3), E.1.17.2 (page 7) and F.5.1.54 (page 15) of the IAOD/INV/2006/2 report.
  34. ^ For instance item E.1.17.8 (page 7) of the IAOD/INV/2006/2 report.
  35. ^ "Senior UN official accepts $300,000, pension benefits to resign over age change". International Herald Tribune. 5 December 2007. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2017. (Associated Press writer Frank Jordans contributed to this report) (original link: here).
  36. ^ Wall Street Journal, Gurry named U.N. patent chief, September 23, 2008
  37. ^ "جسر نيوز" تحصل على وثائق مهمة مصدرها الأمم المتحدة تدحض أكاذيب تعديل كامل ادريس لشهادة ميلاده" (in Arabic). Sudanese Online. 26 December 2016.
  38. ^ "Professor Kamil Idris".
  39. ^ "Indian University Honors WIPO Director General". World Intellectual Property Organization. 9 March 2005.
  40. ^ "WIPO Director General Meets Chinese Premier". World Intellectual Property Organization. 15 October 1999.
  41. ^ "WIPO Pledges Support to Russian Federation". World Intellectual Property Organization. 25 February 1999.
  42. ^ "WIPO Director General Pledges Support to Republic of Moldova". WIPO. 27 April 1999.
  43. ^ "WIPO Director General meets President ofPortugal".
  44. ^ "WIPO Director General Meets with President of Slovakia". World Intellectual Property Organization. 6 December 2021.
  45. ^ "WIPO Director General Meets with Mongolia's President". WIPO. 22 November 2001.
  46. ^ "WIPO Director General Meets President of Ukraine".
  47. ^ "WIPO Director General meets Prime Ministerof Cote d'Ivoire". WIPO. 12 April 2002.
  48. ^ "Sudanese University Honors WIPO Director General". WIPO. 23 December 2003.
  49. ^ "WIPO Director General Receives Order of Oman". World Intellectual Property Organization. 27 September 2004.
  50. ^ Fryer, William (9 March 2005). "WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DESIGN, MAY 13 AND 14, 2004, VENICE, ITAL". Fryer.
  51. ^ "Director General Receives Mexico's Highest Honor for Foreigners". WIPO. 22 June 2005.
  52. ^ "ARIPO Names Building Housing New Regional Intellectual Property Training Center after Dr. Kamil Idris". WIPO. 20 February 2006.
  53. ^ "محيط - الترابي يتبرأ من الـ"سي دي" ويتهم الوطني بالجاسوسية - الاخبار -". www.afran.ir. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  54. ^ "Sudanese University Honors WIPO Director General". WIPO. 5 April 2007.
  55. ^ "WIPO Director General Receives Honorary Degree from University of Khartoum". WIPO. 30 April 2007.
Positions in intergovernmental organisations
Preceded by Director General of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
1997–2008 		Succeeded by
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