107. The representative of Thailand said that Members had spent more than nine years negotiating the disclosure requirement with the hope that the outcome of the Doha Development Round would have long-lasting systemic benefits for the global trading system and tangible commercial and developmental benefits for all WTO Members. His delegation was disappointed by the delay of the negotiations and failure of the July meeting. He said that during the last nine years Members had had opportunities to share their problems and experiences in the area of misappropriation of genetic resources and traditional knowledge, in parallel with the issues of GI register and GI extension. Although some difference still remained between some Members, his delegation had the impression that many difficult elements had been resolved and the remaining differences were minimal. He said that, at the end of July 2008, more than 110 Members, from the North and South, big and small, advanced and developing, had shared the same conclusion that it was time to start text-based negotiations on the three TRIPS issues. The joint submission pressed for substantive negotiations on the three issues and highlighted the expectation of the vast majority of the WTO membership to make these negotiations an integral part of the Single Undertaking. It provided a sound basis for further work on these issues. He said that it would be a shame if Members would not be able to preserve the advance made and move forward on these negotiations.
