106. The representative of Canada recalled that his delegation had announced the first shipment to Rwanda of a lower cost generic medicine to treat HIV/AIDS, manufactured by the Canadian pharmaceutical company Apotex Inc., at the Council's meeting in October 2008. He confirmed that the second shipment of HIV/AIDS medication comprising 7.6 million tablets to Rwanda had taken place on 17 September 2009, thus completing the terms of the compulsory licence. These shipments demonstrated that the system established under the Decision, while only being one aspect of a broader international strategy, could help countries to accede life saving medicines.
107. He was pleased to inform the Council that his delegation had deposited its instrument of acceptance of the Protocol with the WTO on 16 June 2009. He encouraged Members who had not yet accepted the Protocol to do so. His delegation supported the proposed extension of the deadline to accept the Protocol. The Decision and the Protocol that transformed the waivers into a permanent amendment of the TRIPS Agreement would send an important signal that trade and intellectual property rights were supportive of facilitating access to medicines in developing countries.
