54. As regards possible topics, the representative of Egypt mentioned establishment and reinforcement of industrial property offices, establishment and operation of border enforcement, other topics related to enforcement, and topics such as the preparation of laws and regulations and establishment of plant variety protection systems, which were essential to developing countries. She believed that such workshops, the objective of which should be to trigger free and open discussion on various specific topics, would help in identifying the needs of developing countries and help target technical assistance to meet those needs. The representative of Switzerland said that a light consultation process open to Members and involving at a later stage also relevant intergovernmental organizations such as WIPO and the WCO would help to appreciate the needs and the availability of technical assistance. He did not want to exclude more theme-oriented workshops, which could focus on the themes mentioned in document IP/C/W/21, as well as some other relevant themes, such as geographical indications. The representative of the European Communities said that it was important to find appropriate topics, as discussing technical cooperation in general would be of little help. The representative of Japan said that the Council should avoid additional financial contributions in this connection, and suggested that the WTO should look into the possibility of making use of existing cooperation schemes, such as the WIPO development cooperation programme, which could be extended to cover topics relevant to TRIPS. The WTO Secretariat could cooperate with the International Bureau of WIPO in organizing workshops for the purposes of education and information. The representative of Australia mentioned the possibility of requesting papers from developed or developing countries on particular areas as inputs into such workshops.
