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

Ambassador Mothusi Palai (Botswana)
Bangladesh on behalf of Least-developed countries
9 FOLLOW-UP TO THE TWELFTH ANNUAL REVIEW UNDER PARAGRAPH 2 OF THE DECISION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTICLE 66.2 OF THE TRIPS AGREEMENT
196. LDCs are pleased to note that we are now at the twelfth annual review of Article 66.2 of the TRIPS Agreement, in line with the Decision adopted by Ministers in Doha in 2001. Article 66, in particular 66.2 is the center of the delicate balance that was struck in the TRIPS Agreement. The faithful implementation of obligations under Article 66.2 would respond to that object and purpose for which Article 66.2 was crafted. 197. We also appreciate the wide ranging support by developed country Members, as demonstrated in their reports, in our pursuit of achieving social and economic goals. 198. That said, we would like to thank those developed countries that have continued to provide reports to the TRIPS Council on incentives they provided to their enterprises and institutions in their territories, with a view to promoting and encouraging transfer of technology to LDCs, in order to enable our countries to create a sound and viable technological base. 199. We also observed that some Members had made an effort to follow the structure that we had proposed in our submission IP/C/W/561, to make the reporting system structured and simple. We request others to follow the format suggested by the LDC Group because the type and nature of the report is of critical importance for efficient monitoring of implementation. The Doha mandate and this Council decision IP/C/28 further provided guidance on the reporting format and substance. However, from the submitted reports, it is extremely difficult to identify and sort out activities that are specific to the obligation under Article 66.2 due to the absence of a common structure and format. 200. While we thank all Members for their reports, we would particularly appreciate information on the incentive regime put in place along with other elements as contained in paragraph 3 of the IP/C/28 and according to our submission IP/C/W/651.
The Council took note of the statements made.
9.1. The Chairman recalled that, at its meeting in October 2014, the Council had taken up the twelfth annual review of developed country Members' reports on their implementation of Article 66.2 of the TRIPS Agreement. In concluding the item, he had indicated that delegations would be provided an opportunity at the present meeting to make further comments on the information submitted for that meeting that they had not yet been able to study.

9.2. The representatives of Bangladesh on behalf of the LDC Group and Nepal took the floor.

9.3. The Council took note of the statements made.

IP/C/M/78, IP/C/M/78/Add.1