MUMBAI: The International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) has elected veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar as its new vice-president. The announcement was made by CISAC’s general assembly following the organization’s fourth biennial World Creators Summit.

Akhtar has been fighting relentlessly  for creators rights in India and is the man behind Indian Copyright (Amendment) Act 2012. A respected Urdu scriptwriter, poet, and lyricist, Akhtar has won the National Award five times. He is a founding member of the Muslim Intelligentsia, a group that fights against fundamentalism of all hues and seeks to lead Muslims to concentrate on education and women’s rights.

The organization has expanded its vice-president role to four positions, enabling more territories and repertoire to be represented. Besides Akhtar, Angélique Kidjo, a Grammy award-winning artist and activist from the West African nation of the Republic of Benin; Marcelo Pi?eyro, an academy award-winning producer and director of Spanish-language films; and Ousmane Sow, a revered sculptor from the African city of Dakar in Senegal are elected as vice-presidents.

The new president and vice-presidents will act as the voice of the authors’ community worldwide, defending and championing the interests of CISAC, its 231 member societies and the 3 million creators it represents.

Moreover, electronic music pioneer Jean Michel Jarre has been elected as the new president. Jarre will succeed late Robin Gibb, who passed away in May 2012, and Hervé Di Rosa, French visual artist and painter who served as CISAC’s acting president for the past year.

CISAC Board of Directors chairman Kenth Muldin said, “We are thrilled to welcome Jean Michel Jarre and our new four vice-presidents as we continue striving to create a world where creators can practice their art without fear of being short-changed. As creators themselves, all five new appointees are well aware of the issues faced by the creative community, making them ideal candidates to carry on the legacy of our previous president Robin Gibb, who fought tirelessly for creators’ rights throughout his life. We look forward to working with them to continue the work of making his vision a reality.”