H.E. Ambassador Lundeg Purevsuren

South Africa

18.2 WORK PROGRAMME ON ELECTRONIC COMMERCE

739.   We would echo Norway's intervention in many ways. We do have a mandate and we also have a work programme. South Africa together with India has been active in trying to highlight a certain aspect of this mandate, including an approach to the moratorium. We believe that a more active discussion on these matters would enhance the overall status and understanding of matters that arise out of what we call the fourth industrial revolution. From this perspective, South Africa may put something on the agenda of the next TRIPS Council. I cannot say for certain that this would happen because I may not be here. It would depend on my colleagues who take over from me to continue this particular debate. Also, I would like to thank my colleagues for the support that I have received in the TRIPS Council and specifically from the Secretariat. I really appreciate that and I believe that there is much to talk about.

85.   The Chair recalled that, at MC 11, Ministers had agreed that the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce should continue, based on the existing mandate from 1998. They had instructed the General Council to periodically review the work on the basis of reports to be submitted by the relevant WTO bodies. The Chair of the General Council would report to the next General Council meeting in December. In the TRIPS Council, there had been no discussion on e-commerce since its meeting in June 2018. In the informal consultations in May, September and October 2019, no delegation had indicated any intention to propose e-commerce discussions in the TRIPS Council.
86.   The Chair recalled the mandate under the Ministerial Decision on E-commerce and invited delegations to share any thoughts on how to pursue this mandate.
87.   The representatives of Norway and South Africa took the floor.
88.   The Chair said that in any update on the TRIPS Council's work on e-commerce, he would report the state of play to the General Council during its review of the Work Programme.
89.   The Chair said that, since the beginning of the meeting, Mexico had requested to make a statement under Other Business on an issue that it would like to put on the agenda at the next meeting of the Council. If that was agreeable to the Council, he would offer the floor to Mexico, so that delegations could better prepare for the discussion.
90.   The representative of Mexico took the floor.
91.   The Chair suggested that, if Mexico was planning to add that issue to the agenda of the next TRIPS Council meeting, it should contact the Secretariat, in writing, within the applicable deadline.
92.   The Chair recalled that the Council had completed discussions under all agenda items, except one. As agreed, he suspended the meeting, with the agenda item 7 on Non-violation and Situation Complaints remaining open. He would be in touch with delegations to see when it might be appropriate to reconvene the meeting in order to agree on a recommendation to the Ministerial Conference. He encouraged all delegations to use the time to engage in constructive discussions on some of the longstanding issues on the Council's agenda. He remained available for any informal consultations that delegations might find useful in the meantime.
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IP/C/M/93, IP/C/M/93/Add.1