16.1. The Chairman informed that there remained 13 pending requests for observer status in the Council for TRIPS by other intergovernmental organizations. The updated list was contained in document IP/C/W/52/Rev.13. In response to a request by the Council in June 2011, four of them had updated the information they had provided earlier, including on the nature of their work and the reasons for their interest in being accorded observer status. These IGOs were the Conference of West and Central African Ministers of Agriculture (CMA/AOC), the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV), the South Centre, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Furthermore, the CBD Secretariat had informed the Secretariat that it felt that no update was necessary since it had already renewed its request as recently as 24 November 2010 by means of a letter addressed to the WTO Director-General. This information was available on the Members' website.
16.2. He also recalled the discussion under "Other Business" at the Council's meeting in June when the Council had agreed to invite to this meeting the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization, the African Intellectual Property Organization, the Cooperation Council of the Arab States of the Gulf, and the European Free Trade Association, which enjoyed an ad hoc observer status on a meeting-to-meeting basis. In that context, the delegation of the United States had said that it could agree to grant permanent observer status to these four organizations. This had been supported by Nigeria on behalf of the African Group. Since the Council could not take a decision under "Other Business", it had agreed to revert to this matter at this meeting under the agenda item on "Observer Status".
16.3. He reported that, at the informal meeting, delegations had supported the proposal that ARIPO, OAPI, the GCC and EFTA be granted permanent observer status.
16.4. The representatives of India, Ecuador, Indonesia, Egypt, Tanzania, the United States, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Brazil, Nepal, and Nigeria on behalf of the African Group took the floor.
16.5. The Chairman suggested that the matter be left to direct contacts between interested Members.
16.6. The Council took note of the statements made and agreed to revert to the matter at its next meeting.
