80. I would like to associate my delegation with the statements made by previous speakers especially the statement made by Tanzania on behalf of the African Group. Our position on the issue under consideration is well-known, and it does not need to be re-stated. However, we wish on this occasion to express our concern over the impasse that characterizes the triplets. The review of the provisions of Article 27.3(b) has been a long-standing item on the agenda of this Council, however, still without any substantial progress. Based on the standards of morality and ethics we cannot support patentability of life forms for trade and trade-related gain, and these should not be subject to patent protection. The same thing it is important to maintain the flexibility on the forms of a sui generis regime developed for the protection of plant varieties based on individual country systems and requirements. This will contribute towards improving food security situations of indigenous people by ensuring that their inventions are protected and access to seeds is guaranteed.
81. The protection of biological resources, traditional knowledge and folklore is an important development issue for Egypt. We consider that protection of biological resources, traditional knowledge and folklore is critical for the implementation of the TRIPS Agreement. Biodiversity is a core issue and an important source of livelihood for the majority of populations living in most of our countries. We still maintain our position that disclosure in the patent application of country of origin of the genetic resource and the associated traditional knowledge used in the invention is the only effective way to move forward to ensure proper sharing of benefits arriving from their utilisation.
82. We support the call for inserting a mandatory requirement in the TRIPS Agreement for a patent applicant to provide information concerning prior informed consent and fair and equitable access and benefit-sharing. The TRIPS Agreement should not overlook the sovereign rights of nations over their biological resources, nor should it deprive those nations of enjoying their economic advantages.