Minutes - TRIPS Council - View details of the intervention/statement

H.E. Ambassador Dagfinn Sørli (Norway)
Tanzania on behalf of African Group
4; 5; 6 REVIEW OF THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 27.3(B); RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TRIPS AGREEMENT AND THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY; PROTECTION OF TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND FOLKLORE

56.   I deliver this statement on behalf of the African Group. Regarding agenda items 4, 5, and 6. I would like to reiterate the well-known position of the African Group as follows: a. The TRIPS Agreement should incorporate provisions which will take into account the protection of genetic resources and tradition knowledge and folklore through reviewing Article 27.3(b). b. The reviewed provision should stipulate clear obligations for Members to prohibit misappropriation of genetic resources and traditional knowledge. c. The original owners or custodian of genetic resources and traditional Knowledge should acquire equitably benefits from right holders. d. The TRIPS Council should avail itself to cooperate with other institutions which are competent on this area such as the CBD Secretariat, in order to be able to advance a meaningful work on this subject matter.

The Council took note of the statements made and agreed to hold consultations to resolve the outstanding procedural issues.
23. The Chair said that the next three agenda items concerned the Review of the Provisions of Article 27.3(b), the Relationship between the TRIPS Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Protection of Traditional Knowledge and Folklore. Following past practice, he proposed that these three items be addressed together.
24. He recalled that one tool for the review under agenda item 3 was the information provided by Members in response to a list of questions on Article 27.3(b). The "Annual Report on Notifications and other Information Flows" that had been introduced, under agenda item one, illustrated that responses to this checklist had been rather sparse recently. So far, only 28 Members had responded to the list of questions on Article 27.3(b), with Saudi Arabia being the most recent Members to submit responses. He encouraged delegations to submit responses to this Checklist or update their previous responses, as well as notify any relevant changes in legislation. He invited the delegation of Saudi Arabia to introduce their responses.
25. The Chair recalled that two long-standing procedural issues under these items had also been discussed extensively, on the record, at every regular meeting of the Council for many years:
a. the suggestion for the Secretariat to update the three factual notes on the Council's discussions on the TRIPS and CBD and related items; these notes were initially prepared in 2002 and last updated in 2006; and
b. second, the request to invite the CBD Secretariat to brief the Council on the Nagoya Protocol to the CBD, initially proposed in October 2010.
26. Members' positions on these issues were well known and already extensively recorded in the Council's minutes. He encouraged delegations to focus on suggesting solutions, when addressing these procedural questions.
27. The representatives of Tanzania, on behalf of the African Group; Bangladesh; South Africa; China; the United States; Nigeria; Indonesia; Brazil; Egypt; Chile; and India took the floor.
28. The Council took note of the statements made and agreed to hold consultations to resolve the outstanding procedural issues.
IP/C/M/100, IP/C/M/100/Add.1