134. The Chairman recalled that, in 2003, the Council had taken up its annual review of technical cooperation at its meeting in November. In preparation for this, developed country Members, intergovernmental organizations with observer status in the Council and the WTO Secretariat had updated information on their technical cooperation activities relevant to the implementation of the TRIPS Agreement. Since the Council's meeting in March 2004, a further report had been received from the World Health Organization, which focused on the WHO's technical and financial cooperation programmes relevant to TRIPS implementation and access to drugs (IP/C/W/407/Add.4).
135. Turning to the arrangements for this year's annual review of technical cooperation, he said that the Council had traditionally undertaken this review at its September meeting, but last year it had been done at the Council's November meeting, since no meeting had been scheduled for September due to the Cancún Ministerial Conference. He suggested that the Council once more invite developed country Members to supply information on their activities pursuant to Article 67 of the TRIPS Agreement. Other Members who also made available technical cooperation were encouraged to share information on these activities if they so wished. He also suggested that the Council once more invite those intergovernmental organizations that had observer status in the TRIPS Council to provide information on their activities of relevance and that the WTO Secretariat might also be instructed to report on its activities.
136. He then sought the Council's view on whether it should hold this year's review in September, as had been done in the past, or whether Members would prefer to hold the review one year after the last review, i.e. at the Council's November meeting. If Members would agree to hold the review again in September 2004, he suggested that the Council request that the information be made available by the end of August, in order to allow its timely circulation before the meeting.
