121. The representative of South Africa supported the statement made by Côte d'Ivoire on behalf of the Disclosure Group. He recalled that the proposal contained in document IP/C/W/474 called for the amendment to the TRIPS Agreement to include a mandatory disclosure requirement. He said that over a number of years, the Disclosure Group had set out its case in the Council and had clearly proven that there was a conflict between the TRIPS Agreement and the CBD. He said that the time had come to remove that conflict and that Members should move forward in terms of text-based negotiations. He welcomed the European Communities' support for the introduction of a legal requirement in the TRIPS Agreement. Concerning the proposal contained in document TN/C/W/52, he said that his delegation did not see any link between the issues of TRIPS/CBD, GI extension and GI register, and that the TRIPS/CBD issue should not be used to get a free ride for GI issues. He said that the CBD/TRIPS issue was a stand-alone issue that should be negotiated on its own merits, and that other issues should be also negotiated on their own merits wherever there were mandates.