H.E. Ambassador Dagfinn Sørli and Ambassador Dr. Lansana Gberie

World Trade Organization

15 INFORMATION ON RELEVANT DEVELOPMENTS ELSEWHERE IN THE WTO

438.   As in previous occasions and for Members' information, the Secretariat will provide a brief update of the issues related to intellectual property policy that have come up in the most recent Trade Policy Reviews. Since our previous report during the TRIPS Council Meeting in October 2021, the following ten Trade Policy Reviews have taken place: Republic of Korea, China, the Russian Federation, Mauritius, Oman, the Kingdom of Bahrain, Tajikistan, Georgia, Panama, and Guyana. During these reviews, delegations engaged in the discussions and sought further details on: a. The domestic implementation of the TRIPS Agreement; b. Institutional arrangements for the administration and enforcement of intellectual property; c. Copyright and related-rights regimes; d. Trademark regime; e. Protection of geographical indications; f. Patent regime; g. Protection of new plant varieties; h. Enforcement, online and at the border; and i. Measures taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 439.   The Secretariat is already working on the Chapter on Intellectual Property for the upcoming G20 and WTO wide Director-General's Monitoring Reports. 440.   On 7 March 2022, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the WTO sent a fax inviting delegations to provide information, on all trade and trade-related measures; as well as on measures taken specifically in the context of the COVID19 pandemic between mid-October 2021 to midMay 2022 including any updates to and/or elimination of existing measures. Since she took office, the DirectorGeneral of the WTO has emphasised the importance of transparency for the WTO as it is fundamental to any well-functioning global governing body. Inputs by delegations are essential in assisting the Secretariat to prepare the Reports in the most accurate and comprehensive manner. The Secretariat looks forward to receiving your inputs by 25 April.

The Council took note of the information provided and the statements made.

86. The Chair recalled that the purpose of this information agenda item was to keep Members posted of developments in the WTO, which had a TRIPS or intellectual property angle.
87. Regarding dispute settlement, the Chair noted that one request for consultations had been formally submitted since the last meeting. By means of a communication dated 18 February 2022, the European Union had requested consultations with China regarding the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights. This request has been circulated on 22 February 2022 in document .
88. Regarding developments relating to the TRIPS amendment, the Chair said the delegation of Ecuador had deposited its instrument of acceptance with the Director-General on 9 March 2022. With this most recent addition, 134 Members had now accepted the TRIPS amendment. In order to encourage the remaining 30 Members to expedite action in good time before the current deadline for acceptance, the Director-General and he himself had sent reminder letters to the Ambassadors of these 30 delegations. The attachments to these letters provided details on the benefits of the amendment and explained the steps necessary to deposit an instrument of acceptance. Under the General Council Decision of 23 November 2021 (document ) the period for acceptance of the Protocol had been extended until 31 December 2023. He encouraged Members that were yet to accept the Amendment to do so expeditiously.
89. The representative of Ecuador took the floor.
90. The Chair invited the Secretariat to provide the regular briefing on IP-related issues considered in the context of individual Members' trade policy reviews, and in the Director-General's Monitoring Report.
91. The representative of the Secretariat took the floor.
92. The Council took note of the information provided and the statements made.

IP/C/M/104/Add.1, IP/C/M/104/Rev.1, IP/C/M104