H.E. Ambassador Dr Pimchanok PITFIELD

Indonesia

15 OBSERVER STATUS FOR INTERNATIONAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

463.  Indonesia would like to reiterate our support to the request made by the South Centre and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity to be accorded observer status at the TRIPS Council. The granting of observer status could also in the form of ad hoc participation for selected meetings in the TRIPS Council. 464.  We believe that a closer cooperation and liaison between the WTO and both organizations will enrich and mutually support each other's work accordingly. And as stated during the previous day by the delegation of South Africa, it will support the idea of inclusiveness suggested by some Members in the last General Council meeting.

The Council so agreed.

75. The Chair said that there continued to be 14 pending requests for observer status in the TRIPS Council by intergovernmental organizations. The updated list of requests, and the information provided by these organizations on their respective work and the reasons for their interest in observer status was available on the Members' website.
76. The representatives of Indonesia; Colombia; the United States of America; and China took the floor.
77. The Council took note of the statements made and agreed to revert to the matter at its next meeting.
78. The Chair recalled that, at its meeting in November 2012, the Council had agreed to grant ad hoc observer status on a meeting-to-meeting basis to the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Since then, this invitation had been renewed at each meeting. The Chair suggested to invite again the EFTA to attend the Council's next formal meeting on an ad hoc basis.
79. The Council so agreed.

IP/C/M/108, IP/C/M/108/Add.1