144. The Chair said that there continued to be 14 pending requests for observer status in the TRIPS Council by intergovernmental organizations. The updated list was available and the information provided by these organizations on their respective work and the reasons for their interest in observer status was on the Members' website.
145. The representatives of Bangladesh; the United States; South Africa; China; Indonesia; and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela took the floor.
146. The Council took note of the statements made and agreed to revert to the matter at its next meeting.
147. The Chair recalled that, at its meeting in November 2012, the Council had agreed to grant ad hoc observer status on a meeting-to-meeting basis to the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Since then, this invitation had been renewed at each meeting. The Chair suggested to invite again the EFTA to attend the Council's next formal meeting on an ad hoc basis.
148. The Council so agreed.
