104. The representative of Brazil acknowledged the efforts that the Chair had put into the informal consultations. There had been a significant or at least a noticeable movement on the part of some Members. He recognized the effort by the delegation of Egypt to explore possible solutions to the question of the participation of the CBD Secretariat in the work of the TRIPS Council based on the current practice of the CTESS, namely to invite the CBD Secretariat as ad hoc invitee on a meeting-by-meeting basis. This was an important issue, since the Council had held numerous discussions on issues related to the CBD and there were three agenda items directly related to it. It would be relevant for the CBD Secretariat to take part even as an ad hoc invitee so as to have first hand information on the ongoing debates.
105. He said that he was aware of the other pending requests, to which the one from the ACP Group had recently been added. It was unfortunate that the Council could not solve the issue concerning all the pending requests. In his view, the Council should continue to make efforts through the Chairman and his good offices in providing it an opportunity to have informal consultations to see if it were possible to consider in a positive light these requests and to enhance the participation of different stakeholders in the Council's work, which would strengthen and benefit it.
