Minutes - TRIPS Council - View details of the intervention/statement

Ambassador Karen Tan (Singapore)
J TECHNICAL COOPERATION AND CAPACITY BUILDING
132. The representative of Rwanda commended Bangladesh for having completed its exercise of priority needs assessment and hoped that Bangladesh would be able to implement the TRIPS Agreement by 2013. More importantly, he hoped that Bangladesh would build a sound and viable technological base in the near future. When the TRIPS Council had requested LDCs to submit their needs assessment by January 2008, it did not establish or indicate any funding or support mechanism to assist countries to implement and to build capacity with a view to implementing the TRIPS Agreement. He wondered how to ensure that the needs assessments that had been submitted were being supported in an effective manner. Considering the time consumed and effort put into this, it would be frustrating if there were no tangible implementation. The countries which had already submitted their needs assessment had not been able to go further. He therefore wondered how to ensure that there was a clear and effective mechanism to support implementation of the priorities as highlighted by beneficiary countries. When the Council had decided on the 2013 deadline, the LDCs had been reluctant to endorse it. It had not been easy to agree that, within seven and half years, LDCs would be TRIPS-compliant. The Council had eventually agreed, but having in mind that when the time came, countries would consider positively requests from LDCs for further extension. He endorsed what Bangladesh had said: the intention was not to request additional time, but rather to ask countries to faithfully support implementation so that by the deadline, countries having submitted their needs assessment could implement the TRIPS Agreement. Rwanda was finalizing its priority needs process and would submit a document to the Council in due course. He hoped that due consideration would be given to provide effective support.
IP/C/M/62