Switzerland today joined calls for the UN patent and trademark agency chief to quit because of the "serious credibility problem" stemming from his age being misstated on a job application 25 years ago.
Kamil Idris, who has led the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) for a decade, was found by internal auditors last year to have signed documents with an earlier false birth date when he joined the Geneva-based body in 1982.
Diplomats say the auditor's report suggests Mr Idris misled the agency about his age when signing documents stating his birth date as 1945 instead of 1954.
The report says that as a result he may have gained promotion and eventual appointment to the top job sooner than would have otherwise been possible.
In an unusually blunt statement, the agency's host country Switzerland said it regretted that Mr Idris had not responded personally to questions addressed to him during the 10-day WIPO general assembly that ended last night.
"Various failings have been brought to the attention of member states and are documented in internal and external audits," the Swiss foreign ministry said.
The European Union, United States and other wealthy nations refused to approve the United Nations agency's new two-year budget in protest over the lack of a full and open debate on Mr Idris' alleged misconduct.
The Swiss said the failure to adopt a budget "showed that this important organisation now faces a serious credibility problem".
WIPO has denied any misconduct by Mr Idris and said the accusations were part of a campaign to discredit the Sudanese lawyer.
Officials say it was an unintentional error which he later corrected.
Diplomats familiar with the audit have said it raised questions whether he could have had the 10 years senior experience required for the post he applied for in 1982, given his real age at the time.
The United States, one of Mr Idris' most vocal critics, said discussions were underway among WIPO members about convening a special session on the issue, a move that would require support from a quarter of the agency's 184-country membership.