66. The Chairperson recalled that there were 13 pending requests by intergovernmental organizations for observer status in the Council for TRIPS.3 At previous meetings, a number of delegations had reiterated their support for granting regular observer status to the South Centre, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the International Vaccine Institute. Other delegations had signalled that they could agree to grant regular observer status to the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI), the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). These four organisations currently enjoyed an ad hoc observer status, granted on a meeting-to-meeting basis.
67. She urged Members to consider the requests on their individual merits, in particular with regard to the competence and interest that the requesting entity had in matters dealt with by the TRIPS Council.
68. The representatives of Brazil; South Africa; India; China; Ecuador; Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; the United States; and the European Union took the floor.
69. The Chairperson thanked Members for their flexibility. She noted that the Council had reached consensus regarding the requests from ARIPO and OAPI. In light of the discussion, she proposed that the Council grant regular observer status to ARIPO and OAPI.
70. The Council took note of the statements made and so agreed.
71. Regarding the pending requests, the Chairperson encouraged Members to try to resolve their differences amongst themselves, and offered her assistance. She proposed that, since it had not been possible to reach an agreement to grant regular observer status to the GCC and EFTA, the Council should again invite these two organizations to attend its next meeting on an ad hoc basis. This would be in line with the agreement reached at the Council's meeting in November 2012 on granting ad hoc observer status to these organizations on a meeting-by-meeting basis.
72. The Council so agreed.
