H.E. Ambassador Lundeg Purevsuren

Vanuatu

9 SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL REVIEW UNDER PARAGRAPH 2 OF THE DECISION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTICLE 66.2 OF THE TRIPS AGREEMENT

209.   Vanuatu has continued and would like to continue to benefit from the incentives from the countries' implementation of Article 66.2 of the TRIPS Agreement. These incentives and programmes are aligned with our Vanuatu Sustainable Development plan for 2016 through 2030. I would like to impress upon the seriousness of examples offered by the developed countries. I would like to continue to see the following sectors to be addressed: climate and the environment and water which would include incentives for environment and climate change, the promotion and establishment of long-term risk and evaluation methods for storm tides and waves, and cyclones in small vulnerable states, and for Vanuatu water sanitation which, for example, has been funded recently by New Zealand, and UNICEF had given us some support. Other sectors include food and agriculture processing, energy, health, and education. 210.   Vanuatu has embarked on a path of growth and development and we hope that our developed partners, who have spoken today, will continue to support Vanuatu in that regard.

The Council took note of the statements made.

25.   The Chair recalled that, at its meeting in October 2019, the Council had had on its agenda the 17th Annual Review under Paragraph 2 of the Decision on the Implementation of Article 66.2 of the TRIPS Agreement. At that meeting, delegations had briefly presented the updated reports submitted by developed country Members under Article 66.2. Since that meeting New Zealand had submitted its updated report. All updated reports had been circulated under IP/C/W/656 and addenda. At that meeting, the Council had also agreed that it would revert to the item at the present meeting to permit continued consideration of the submitted material.
26.   In order to give LDC Members more time to absorb the information provided by developed countries in their reports, and to ensure that these reports were available in the official languages of the WTO, the Article 66.2 Workshop had once again taken place back-to-back with the TRIPS Council meeting. This had allowed some of the capital-based delegates who had participated in the Workshop, to participate in the meeting and take part in the discussions under this agenda item.
27.   The LDC Group has circulated a Room document entitled, "Proposed New Template of annual Reporting on Technology Transfer to LDCs". This room document RD/IP/37 was available online on documents for meetings, and as a paper copy at the back of the meeting room. He noted that the English and French texts were both contained in the same document. He invited the Secretariat to report on the Workshop.
28.   A representative of the Secretariat took the floor.
29.   The Chair invited delegations to comment on the materials submitted for the last meeting, as well as to share their experiences from the Article 66.2 Workshop held in the past two days.
30.   The representatives of Chad, on behalf of the LDC Group; Bangladesh; the United Kingdom; Switzerland; the United States of America; Canada; the European Union; Japan; Norway; Vanuatu; Australia; and the African Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) took the floor.
31.   The Council took note of the statements made.

IP/C/M/94, IP/C/M/94/Add.1