263. The representative of Nigeria said that he was concerned about Venezuela's statement on further extensions of the period of acceptance of the Protocol. Members of the African Group were making efforts in order to proceed with its acceptance. In any case, the 2003 waiver decision continued to apply. Any calls for not extending the period for acceptance had far-reaching implications for the African Group, which was the major beneficiary of the System. It had been the demandeur for discussions on matters related to TRIPS and public health and the debate itself had helped bringing down prices of medicines, irrespective of whether the System had been used or not.
