72. The representative of Ecuador recalled that his country had joined the WTO on 21 January 1996. In this connection, the WTO Agreement, including its annexes, had been published in the Official Register of his country so as to acquire legal effect in the territory of Ecuador, and the corresponding regulations were being prepared so as to allow the Agreement and its annexes to be applied. Given the need to clarify the legal status of the application of the provisions of the TRIPS Agreement in Ecuador, he wished to inform the Council that his Government had decided to avail itself of the rights under Article 5.2 of the TRIPS Agreement to delay for a further period of four years the date of application of the provisions of the Agreement. The reason for this lay in the need to adapt some aspects of Ecuadorian law to ensure compliance with the TRIPS Agreement.
