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

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1. Meeting date

2. Chairperson

H.E. Ambassador Dr Lansana GBERIE

3. Intervention by

Tanzania on behalf of African Group

4. Agenda item

17 ELECTION OF CHAIRPERSON

5. Statement/summary of statement

397.   I take this opportunity to express our appreciation, and speaking on behalf of the African Group we are really appreciative of your commitment and particularly, your Excellency, the way you have guided the Council for TRIPS. The leadership generally you have provided is really appreciated, especially last year during the negotiations of the decision which was adopted during MC12. In the process towards that decision, you really provided very commendable guidance for which we really grateful. The way you worked in a very transparent manner, also the zeal and commitment were really exemplary, and being a brother from the continent we feel really happy and express our confidence and wish you all the best as we continue to work with you perhaps in different configurations. We want you to continue to be with us with that zeal and commitment and we look forward to working with you in other council or committees. So, we wish you all the best. 398.   For the incoming new Chair we want to express our confidence and assure her of the African Group's commitment to work with her. We have already started working on the issue of the extension of the MC12 Decision to cover therapeutics and diagnostics and we have called the Council to commence some discussions, so we are looking forward to your guidance, your Excellency, in taking that process towards conclusion. We are available and ready to extend our cooperation and with those few words your Excellency we welcome you and wish you all the best also in leading the Council for TRIPS as we will be working down towards that decision which is expected to be decided ahead of MC12 and perhaps in few months. Good luck if it happens, good luck to the Council if it happens and we will be looking forward. For the African Group, this really is one of the issues that we are looking forward and are eager that we commit our work towards that. I want to thank all the Members for their cooperation that was extended to HE Lansana Gberie for the success obtained.

6. Documents referred to in intervention

7. Conclusion

80. The Council so agreed.

8. Summary of the agenda item (if available)

78. The Chair turned to the last agenda item, namely "election of the Chairperson".
79. He noted that the rules of procedure provided that "[t]he election shall take place at the first meeting of the year and shall take effect at the end of the meeting", and that "[t]he Chairperson […] shall hold office until the end of the first meeting of the following year". He recalled that, at its meeting on 6-7 March 2023, the General Council had noted consensus on the Chairpersons for regular and negotiating WTO bodies. On the basis of the understanding reached by the General Council, he proposed that the Council for TRIPS elect H.E. Mrs Pimchanok Pitfield, Ambassador of Thailand, as its chairperson for the coming year.
80. The Council so agreed.
81. The representatives of Thailand; the European Union; Bangladesh; Nepal; the United Kingdom; Tanzania, on behalf of the African Group; Japan; the United States of America; Indonesia; Cambodia; Canada; Kenya; Egypt; Korea, Republic of; Brazil and the Secretariat took the floor.
82. The Chair thanked delegations for their trust and cooperation during his term as TRIPS Council Chair during the past year and expressed his hope that they would also support the efforts of his successor in addressing the items on the Council's agenda. He wished delegations and the new Chair much success in that endeavour.
83. The meeting was closed.

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9. Document symbol and date of distribution

IP/C/M/107, IP/C/M/107/Add.1
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