508. We thank the delegation of Bangladesh for sharing the LDCs request for an extension of the transition period under Article 66.1 of the TRIPS Agreement. We understand that substantive comments on what’s being requested can be made in the next session. However, without prejudice to these specific comments, Brazil would like to restate its longstanding position about the need for a balance between the interests of users and producers of intellectual property, so that, at the end of the day, our societies can reap the benefits from the system. If this is true for all areas dealt with in the TRIPS Agreement, it is even more pertinent when it relates to matters of public health. If the LDCs have concluded that the extension of the transition period is the best way to help overcoming the health challenges that they currently face, it is a proposal that we have to discuss in a spirit of understanding and flexibility, and we take this chance to assure the proponents that they can count on that from Brazil.
