Actas - Consejo de los ADPIC - Ver detalles de la intervención/declaración

Ambassador Dennis Francis (Trinidad & Tobago)
C; D; E REVIEW OF THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 27.3(B); RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TRIPS AGREEMENT AND THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY; PROTECTION OF TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND FOLKLORE
67. The representative of Australia said that his delegation saw no intrinsic conflict between the CBD and the TRIPS Agreement. He said that Australia was a multicultural and a megadiverse country with extensive genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, and that it was also committed to an international solution to further the common aims under the CBD. To that end, Australia had and would engage constructively in discussions in the TRIPS Council, in WIPO and in the CBD to find a solution in pursuit of the common aims. He said that Australia's experience with solutions outside the patent system in regard to prior informed consent and access and benefit sharing was a very positive one, and it stood ready to share that experience with other Members. Australia also welcomed the fact that the Director-General had restarted consultations and would engage constructively in those discussions. He associated his delegation with the remarks by New Zealand and Canada in urging caution in linking the issues where Members shared common aims, such as the issue of TRIPS/CBD, with an issue where there was no agreement on the nature of the problem and where positions were strongly polarised. Doing so could only "muddy the waters" and made it harder to find the solutions.
IP/C/M/59