47. The Chairperson recalled that there were eight requests which were pending before the Council, all of which had already been considered at previous meetings. These were from ARIPO (African Regional Industrial Property Organization), the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, EFTA (European Free Trade Association), the OAS (Organization of American States), the OIV (Office International de la Vigne et du Vin), the Organization of the Islamic Conference, SELA (Latin American Economic System) and SIECA (Permanent Secretariat of the General Treaty for Central American Economic Integration). He recalled that the Secretariat had, as agreed at the Council's Meeting of 15 July 1997, sent a letter to each of these organizations requesting information relevant to the criteria contained in paragraphs 3 and 4 of the procedures relating to the grant of observer status for international intergovernmental organizations as contained in document WT/L/161, Annex 3. So far, information as requested by the Council had been received from EFTA, ARIPO and the OIV. In the light of the informal consultations he had held, he suggested that the Council revert to the pending requests for observer status at its next meeting.
