H.E. Ambassador Xolelwa Mlumbi-Peter

Mozambique

10 FOLLOW-UP TO THE EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL REVIEW UNDER PARAGRAPH 2 OF THE DECISION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTICLE 66.2 OF THE TRIPS AGREEMENT

212.   My delegation would like to commend the WTO Secretariat and you Chair for having included this item on the agenda of this session. Our intervention is aligned with the statement delivered by the delegation of Bangladesh on behalf of the LDCs. 213.   We thank the WTO and LDC Coordination and Focal Point for having organized the Workshop dedicated to the implementation of Article 66.2 of the TRIPS Agreement concerning transfer of technology for LDCs. We commend donors for all the information provided on this matter. 214.   Currently, no development can be foreseen if appropriate technology is not put available in view of playing the required and necessary role to enhance production and to facilitate productive processes. Lack of technology negatively affects LDCs' efforts and is an impediment to development, thus, simply making it difficult to foresee the needed economic progress that could enable them to advance graduation to other levels. 215.   While addressing our thanks to all donor Members and development partners who have allocated resources and special attention to technologically assist LDCs so far, because the needs of the LDCs are so many, we would like to urge all those to continue assisting LDCs and even to increase the level of assistance in transfer of technology. We also would like to extend the request for them to encourage companies in their countries to engage in partnerships with companies from LDCs and in LDC countries.

42. The Chair recalled that, at the Council's meeting in October 2000, the Eighteenth Annual Review under Paragraph 2 of the Decision on the Implementation of Article 66.2 of the TRIPS Agreement had been on the agenda. At that meeting, delegations had briefly presented the updated reports submitted by developed country Members under Article 66.2. Since that meeting, the Council had received a further submission of an updated report from the delegation of New Zealand. At that meeting, the Council agreed that it would revert to the item at this meeting to permit continued consideration of the submitted material.
43. In July 2020, the LDC Group had circulated a submission entitled "Proposed New Template for Annual Reporting under Article 66.2 of the Agreement on Trade-related Intellectual Property Rights".
44. In order to give LDCs 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 Secretariat had organized a Workshop on the Implementation of the Article 66.2 of the TRIPS Agreement. Due to the sanitary situation, the Workshop had been held in virtual format on 2, 4 and 5 March 2021. Some of the capital-based delegates who participated in the Workshop would take part in the discussions under this agenda item. She invited the Secretariat to report on the Workshop.
45. A representative of the Secretariat took the floor.
46. The representatives of the United States of America; Australia, the United Kingdom; Switzerland; Canada; Japan; the European Union; Norway; China; Bangladesh, on behalf of the LDC Group; and Mozambique took the floor.
47. The Council took note of the statements made.

IP/C/M/98, IP/C/M/98/Add.1