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

H.E. Ambassador Dagfinn Sørli (Norway)
European Union
12 TECHNICAL COOPERATION AND CAPACITY BUILDING

185.   On 4 October 2021, the European Union submitted its annual report on technical and financial cooperation programmes carried out between July 2020 and July 2021 by the EU and EU member States in favour of developing and least developed countries, with the objective to facilitate the implementation of the TRIPS Agreement. Our programmes can be found in the e-TRIPS Gateway. The EU carried out 38 technical cooperation activities during the reporting period and also the EU member States contributed to the report. France, Lithuania, Sweden, Germany and Spain delivered programmes in this context. 186.   The programmes covered all IP rights in the TRIPS Agreement and some of the programmes were multi-annual in nature consisting of many activities to the benefit of LDCs and developing countries. In the interest of time and due to the format of the meeting, we do not give an overview of these programmes, but we are ready to assist Members should they have any questions concerning the programmes uploaded to the e-TRIPS Gateway.

The Council took note of the statements made and agreed to revert to the matter at its next meeting.
70. The Chair recalled that in June 2021, the Council had agreed to hold the annual review of technical cooperation at the present meeting.
71. Developed country Members had been requested to update information on their technical and financial cooperation activities relevant to the implementation of the TRIPS Agreement. Other Members who also made available technical cooperation were encouraged to share information on these activities. The Secretariat had issued an Airgram on 15 June 2021 reminding developed country Members of this request. Intergovernmental organizations observers to the Council and the WTO Secretariat had also been invited to provide information.
72. The Council had received information from the following developed country Members: Switzerland, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and the European Union. Since the circulation of the revised draft agenda Norway has also submitted information in this regard. These reports are being circulated under the new dedicated document series with the symbol – where "R" stands for "Reports" and "TC" stands for "Technical Cooperation".
73. Intergovernmental organizations had also submitted updated information: the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Since the circulation of the revised draft agenda, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) had also submitted information in this regard. Their reports were being circulated in the same document series observer]/.
74. The report of the WTO Secretariat on technical cooperation activities in the TRIPS area was available in document .
75. The representatives of Norway; Canada; Australia; the European Union; Switzerland; Bangladesh, on behalf of the LDC Group; the United Kingdom; the United States; Japan; the WTO Secretariat; the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC); the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); and the World Health Organization (WHO) took the floor.
76. The Chair noted that most of the valuable information provided by Members and IGO observers had been received only very recently. He would provide delegations an opportunity at the next regular meeting to make further comments on the information submitted.
77. The Council took note of the statements made and agreed to revert to the matter at its next meeting.
IP/C/M/103, IP/C/M/103/Add.1, IP/C/M/103/Rev.1