125. The Chairman said that he wished to make it clear that the suggestion he had made did not exclude the TRIPS Council agreeing earlier than March 2005 and obviously he hoped that this would be the case. He also wished to make it clear that, in order to meet the new time-frame, the Council would need to work expeditiously and purposefully, starting with its September meeting. He said that he was sure that there was a readiness on the part of delegations to do this.
126. With regard to the way forward, he noted that there were many positive and supportive reactions to the proposal he had made, but that he had also noted that some groups still had to consult amongst themselves on this suggestion and, therefore, were not in a position to endorse it at the present meeting. He said that, as he had mentioned in the consultations he had held, he believed that it would be useful to keep the General Council informed of any new arrangements in the TRIPS Council for finalising work on the amendment. He noted that the General Council would not meet until the end of July. This would give time for these groups to coordinate. He asked these groups to let him know the outcome by the end of June. If they could join the other delegations in supporting the proposal that he had made, the TRIPS Council would be deemed to have agreed on it and he would inform the General Council accordingly.
