Switzerland, the founding father of the BIRPI under Swiss law, joined the WIPO Convention at its inception in 1970. In addition to the country’s participation in 24 treaties and their respective unions, Switzerland is ex officio member of the WIPO Coordination Committee and of the Program and Budget Committee, of the Berne Union General Assembly and of the Paris Union Assembly as well as the respective sub-bodies (Executive Committees) as of 2020. The Coordination Committee and the Program and Budget Committee are two prominent bodies for the process of establishing programmes and plans for approval by the Assemblies. For many decades, the two audit officers were nominated by the Swiss Federal Finance Administration. As geographical representation of the membership broadened, this practice, probably stemming from the BIRPI era, was abandoned.
