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

H.E. Ambassador Lundeg Purevsuren
United States of America
16 OBSERVER STATUS FOR INTERNATIONAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
728.   The United States cannot join the Members seeking to include the South Centre as an observer, either on a permanent or ad hoc basis. 729.   The United States values the contributions of Members and is satisfied with the current set of ad hoc and permanent observers. We do not see a gap that needs filling by adding new observers at this time.
The Council took note of the statements made and agreed to invite EFTA to attend the next meeting on an ad hoc basis.
75.   The Chair said that there were still 14 pending requests for observer status in the TRIPS Council by intergovernmental organizations. The updated list was available in document IP/C/W/52/Rev.14. Information provided by these organizations on their respective work and the reasons for their interest in observer status was available on the Members' website. He encouraged Members to try to resolve the differences among themselves. He stood ready to assist. He invited Members and Observers to share any views or developments.
76.   The representatives of Bangladesh; the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; South Africa; the United States of America; and China took the floor.
77.   The Chair recalled that, at its meeting in November 2012, the Council had agreed to grant ad hoc observer status on a meeting-to-meeting basis to the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Since then, the invitation had been renewed at each meeting. He suggested that EFTA again be invited to attend the Council's next formal meeting on an ad hoc basis.
78.   The Council took note of the statements made and agreed to invite EFTA to attend the next meeting on an ad hoc basis.
IP/C/M/93, IP/C/M/93/Add.1