68. The representative of Kenya supported the proposal for an amendment of the TRIPS Agreement to introduce an obligation to disclose the country of origin of genetic resources and traditional knowledge in patent applications. Such a disclosure obligation should form part of the formal requirements of patent applications. Disclosure requirements, especially as proposed by Norway, would not be burdensome to patent offices or patent applicants. It was the national competent authorities, and not patent offices, that would verify the conditions of the acquisition of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge. The patent office would only check whether the formal requirements had been fulfilled. The patent applicant should submit the information that was best known to him.
