503.   Canada would like to thank South Africa for circulating document IP/C/W/666, under the ad hoc agenda item of "Intellectual property and the public interest", on the topic of access to medicines and TRIPS flexibilities. 504.   The discussion of these issues is particularly timely, as all countries are working to develop effective treatments for COVID-19. 505.   Canada's longstanding view is that the multilateral framework under TRIPS, as well as the flexibilities affirmed under the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, already establish an appropriate balance between protecting IP rights and promoting access to medicines. 506.   Ensuring this appropriate balance will remain important as the timing and availability of promising COVID-19 treatments and other technologies becomes clearer in the months ahead. 507.   Canada also reminds that IP rights are one part of a broad discussion informing the availability and accessibility of medicines and relevant technologies. As the Doha Declaration emphasizes, the TRIPS Agreement is part of the wider national and international action to address public health problems. 508.   With respect to TRIPS flexibilities more specifically, Canada is always open to sharing its own national experiences and lessons learned in implementing the Paragraph 6 system, as well as on our more recent amendments to Canada's Patent Act, as notified earlier this session, under document IP/N/1/CAN/30. 509.   Similarly, we continue to be interested in learning more about the practices of Members in this area and invite other Members to share their national experiences in this regard.