51. The Chairperson recalled that the WIPO and WTO Secretariats had launched, in July 1998, a Joint Initiative on Technical Cooperation to assist developing countries to meet their commitments under the TRIPS Agreement by the year 2000. This Joint Initiative built on the existing cooperation between the two Organizations and their existing programmes in this connection. He recalled that, in December 1998, the Council had agreed to request the Secretariat to report on progress in the implementation of the Joint Initiative.
