Ambassador Mothusi Palai (Botswana)

Indonesia

12 1 CONCERNS WITH RESPECT TO PROPOSALS FOR PLAIN PACKAGING OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND Ireland

438. Indonesia also fully recognises the legitimate right of WTO Members to protect their people's health. However we would like to repeat our serious concerns that measures recently adopted by some Members may seriously impact our economy. Indonesia believes that plain packaging is inconsistent with Article 20 and other provisions of the TRIPS Agreement and also other important WTO legal text such as the Agreement on TBT. Indonesia also notices that plain packaging measures implemented in Australia are currently the subject of dispute brought by five WTO Members including Indonesia. Indonesia requests that other Members defer a final decision on the implementation of plain packaging until the consistency of plain packaging with various WTO obligations has been determined in the current dispute.

The Council took note of the statements made.

12.1. The Chairman said that this item had been put on the agenda at the written request by the delegation of the Dominican Republic.

12.2. The representatives of the Dominican Republic; the European Union; Nicaragua; Honduras; Cuba; Indonesia; Nigeria; Zimbabwe; Australia; Uruguay; Canada; Norway; New Zealand; and the World Health Organization took the floor.

12.3. The Council took note of the statements made.

IP/C/M/78, IP/C/M/78/Add.1