512. Ecuador has requested to speak on this agenda item in order to keep the Membership duly informed of the developments under way concerning the proposal in document IP/C/W/585 of 27 February 2013.
513. In this regard, Ecuador is pleased to announce that on 12 May 2015, a workshop on the contribution of intellectual property to facilitating the transfer of environmentally sound technology was organized in Crozet, France, with the collaboration of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
514. The objective of the workshop was successfully achieved, as from the very beginning of the event, opinions were freely exchanged on the Ecuadorian proposal by sector specialists who were participating as speakers, and by the country representatives invited, who demonstrated their support and sympathy for the proposal.
515. The sector specialists who attended the workshop were from the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the South Centre, the World Trade Organization and the Advisory Centre on WTO Law.
516. The main conclusions from the workshop were as follows:
(i) The issue is very current and should continue to be addressed by the TRIPS Council, which is the only forum that discusses the role of intellectual property rights in the transfer of environmentally sound technology;
(ii) the link between environmentally sound technology and intellectual property is vital for sustainable development;
(iii) the key is that the flexibilities exist as permissive provisions under the Agreement, and therefore should be used;
(iv) the review of the proposal should determine the objective and the types of technology required;
(v) intellectual property should reflect global interests, which are constantly changing, and take into account developments in sustainable technology;
(vi) technology is essential for confronting the adverse effects of climate change and is a key part of the solution to the issue;
(vii) the TRIPS Agreement contains not only protective provisions but also rules on flexibilities, which could be useful for addressing the challenges posed by climate change;
(viii) Ecuador will keep the Members of this Council informed of the steps that will be taken in the future, both at national level and with other countries and international organizations;
