1. The Chairperson recalled that the Council had before it 12 outstanding requests from intergovernmental organizations for observer status, some of which had already been pending for a long time. The organizations in question were listed in document IP/C/W/52/Rev.5. The Council had asked the 12 organizations in question to provide information relevant to the criteria contained in paragraphs 3 and 4 of the procedures relating to the grant of observer status (document WT/L/161, Annex 3). Responses to this request had been received, to date, from ARIPO, EFTA, the International Vaccine Institute, the IPGRI, the OIV, the CBD Secretariat and the South Centre. The other five organizations had been reminded of the Council's request, but no responses had been received as yet. On the basis of the informal consultations he had held, he suggested, while recalling that, at the last meeting, Members had stressed the importance of finding a solution to the issue of the pending requests as soon as possible, that the Council revert to the matter at its next meeting.
