71. Concluding the discussions under this agenda item as reflected above, the Chairman proposed that the Council take note of the statements made by delegations concerning Section IV of the Council's report (1996), including in relation to the high level meeting on least-developed countries. With regard to the review of the application of the provisions of the Section on geographical indications under Article 24.2, he proposed to recall the Council's agreement in November 1996 that it give further consideration to how the issue of conducting the review under Article 24.2 would be handled and to do this through informal consultations, the timing of which would need to take into account the timeframe in which proposals promised by delegations would be made available. In the light of the discussion, he proposed that the Council might, in this respect, proceed on a step-by-step basis. First, the papers that had been foreshadowed should be submitted; then, the Council would schedule informal consultations, the timing of which would depend on the availability of the papers in question. Given the differing views that had been expressed, he did not think that the moment had come to agree on a more concrete schedule.
