237. The Chairman recalled that at Doha, the Ministerial Conference had adopted a decision on Implementation-Related Issues and Concerns (WT/MIN(01)/17). Paragraph 11.2 of the Decision stated: "Reaffirming that the provisions of Article 66.2 of the TRIPS Agreement are mandatory, it is agreed that the TRIPS Council shall put in place a mechanism for ensuring the monitoring and full implementation of the obligations in question. To this end, developed country Members shall submit prior to the end of 2002 detailed reports on the functioning in practice of the incentives provided to their enterprises for the transfer of technology in pursuance of their commitments under Article 66.2. These submissions shall be subject to a review in the TRIPS Council and information shall be updated by Members annually."
238. The Doha Decision had set out a clear time frame for the submission of reports by developed country Members, namely by the end of 2002. At the Council's meeting in March, the previous Chairman had noted that since these reports were clearly a central component of the monitoring mechanism that the Council was asked to put in place, it would be logical for the Council to have decided on this mechanism prior to the submission of the reports. He had also raised the question of whether delegations would be in a position to submit proposals regarding this matter by the June meeting. The Chairman noted that the Council had just received a communication from Uganda on behalf of least-developed countries on a "Mechanism for Ensuring the Monitoring and Full Implementation of the Obligations under Article 66.2 of the TRIPS Agreement in accordance with Paragraph 11.2 of the DOHA Decision on Implementation-Related Issues and Concerns" (subsequently circulated as document IP/C/W/357).
