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

Ambassador Eui-yong Chung (Korea, Republic of)
43. The Chairperson recalled that there were a number of international intergovernmental organizations which had observer status in the TRIPS Council. These were: FAO, IMF, OECD, UN, UNCTAD, UPOV, World Bank, World Customs Organization, WIPO and WHO. One way of handling the issue of observers would be to simply grant these same organizations observer status in the Special Sessions of the TRIPS Council. It might be that not all of them would have a close interest in the subject-matter of the deliberations of the Special Sessions, but then such organizations would be unlikely to attend the meetings. This approach would have the merit of simplicity. An alternative approach would be for delegations to identify those organizations which they considered might be in a position to contribute towards the Special Session's work and for only those organizations to be invited. Another consideration that he wished to highlight was the special status of WIPO under the TRIPS Agreement as well as its extensive work and experience relevant to this mandate. The informal consultations indicated substantial support for the first of the options, but the view had also been expressed that this matter should be dealt with as a horizontal matter by the TNC. He, therefore, proposed that the Special Session come back to this matter at its next meeting in the light of any action taken by the TNC in the interval.
The Special Session so agreed.
TN/IP/M/1