Ambassador Al-Otaibi (Kingdom of Saudi-Arabia)

Argentina

11 Request for an Extension of the Transitional Period under Article 66.1 for Least Developed Country Members with respect to Pharmaceutical Products and for Waivers from the Obligation of Articles 70.8 and 70.

432. Argentina supports the request submitted by Bangladesh and Uganda on behalf of the LDCs, contained in document IP/C/W/605. 433. We believe that an extension of the transitional period under Article 66.1 for LDC Members with respect to pharmaceutical products and for waivers from the obligations of Articles 70.8 and 70.9 would give LDC Members the flexibility, policy space and time they need to address serious and urgent public health issues relating to communicable and non communicable diseases and access to medicines.

The Council took note of the statements made and requested the Chairman to consult on the matter before its next meeting in October.

11.1. The Chairman said that this item had been put on the agenda at the written request by the delegation of Bangladesh on behalf of the LDC Group.

11.2. The representatives of Bangladesh on behalf of the LDC Group; Uganda on behalf of the LDC Group; Lesotho on behalf of the Africa Group; South Africa; Nepal; Myanmar; Barbados on behalf of the ACP Group; Cambodia; Tanzania; India; Norway; Mali; Cuba; Brazil; the Republic of Yemen; Argentina; Togo; Canada; China; the United States; Japan; Chinese Taipei; Sierra Leone; Turkey; Haiti; the Democratic Republic of Congo; the European Union; Chile; Uruguay; Rwanda; Switzerland; Australia; the Holy See and the Secretariat of the WHO took the floor.

11.3. The Council took note of the statements made and requested the Chairman to consult on the matter before its next meeting in October.

IP/C/M/79, IP/C/M/79/Add.1