187. The representative of Bangladesh, supporting the statement by Lesotho, said that his delegation was committed to the multilateral trading system as provided by the Agreement. Adequate technical and financial cooperation was vital to help LDCs to implement the TRIPS Agreement. The economic, financial and administrative constraints faced by LDCs, including Bangladesh, had not changed and there continued to be need for flexibility to create a viable technological base. At the Maseru Conference, LDC Ministers had urged developed country partners to provide financial and technical assistance in response to LDCs' needs assessments and to implement their bankable projects. He thanked Uganda and Sierra Leone for having submitted their needs assessments and informed that assessments by other LDCs were in the pipeline. He drew Members' attention to paragraphs 3 and 4 of the 2005 Decision and said that developed country Members should provide technical and financial cooperation in favour of LDCs as per Article 67 of the Agreement, with a special reference to paragraph 2 of the 2005 Decision.
188. He thanked the developed country partners, especially the European Communities, for the funding of the EC-Bangladesh IPR Project under WIPO. The implementation of the Agreement had development implications and the provision of technical assistance should not be linked to the compliance with the Agreement. He underlined the importance of flexibilities to allow countries, especially LDCs, to promote their social policies and interests. Given past experiences, he said that a clear plan detailing the nature and type of technical and financial assistance to be provided to LDCs should be drawn up by the membership.
