H.E. Ambassador Dagfinn Sørli and Ambassador Dr. Lansana Gberie

Australia

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

215.   Australia would like to thank the Secretariat for hosting the 2022 Workshop on the Implementation of Article 66.2 of the TRIPS Agreement. We would also like to thank LDCs for their helpful interventions, including the explanations of key priority areas for technology transfer programmes. 216.   Australia recognizes the fundamental role of technology transfer in supporting LDCs, to continue to develop and achieve greater prosperity. Australia also recognizes the need for developed country Members to continue to support technology transfers, including in response to COVID-19, not only to ensure that LDCs are able to respond to the impacts of the pandemic, but also so that LDCs can develop the capabilities necessary to achieve greater prosperity. Australia was pleased to submit its Article 66.2 report to the Secretariat on 15 September 2021. We take our Article 66.2 reporting very seriously and are careful to submit our reports using the template preferred by LDCs. Our own Article 66.2 report focused on Australia's efforts to support LDCs create the conditions essential to allow the transfer of technology, including the technology necessary to assist WTO Members access and administer COVID-19 vaccines. We would be happy to discuss our report further with Members at the next available opportunity.

The Council took note of the statements made and agreed to revert to the matter at its next meeting.

51. The Chair recalled that the Council had conducted the Nineteenth Annual Review under Paragraph 2 of the Decision on the Implementation of Article 66.2 of the TRIPS Agreement at its meeting in October 2021. At that meeting delegations from developed country Members had briefly presented the updated reports they had submitted under Article 66.2, and the Council had agreed that it would revert to the item at the present meeting to permit continued consideration of the submitted material. He also recalled that, in July 2020, the LDC Group had circulated a new submission entitled "Proposed New Template for Annual Reporting under Article 66.2 of the Agreement on Trade-related Intellectual Property Rights" in document .
52. In order to give LDCs more time to absorb the information provided by developed country Members in their reports, and to ensure that these reports were available in the official languages of the WTO, the Secretariat had once again 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, 3 and 4 March 2022. The Chair indicated that some capital-based delegates who had participated in that Workshop were present at the meeting.
53. The Chair asked the Secretariat to report on this Workshop.
54. A representative of the Secretariat took the floor.
55. The representatives of Sierra Leone; Chad,; Bangladesh; Togo; Nepal; Tanzania; Norway; the European Union; the United Kingdom, South Africa; Japan; Switzerland; the United States; Canada; and Australia took the floor.
56. The Council took note of the statements made and agreed to revert to the matter at its next meeting.

IP/C/M/104/Add.1, IP/C/M/104/Rev.1, IP/C/M104