Compte rendu ‒ Conseil des ADPIC ‒ Afficher les détails de l'intervention/la déclaration

Mr. S. Harbinson (Hong Kong)
Chairperson
H Technical Cooperation
56. In summarizing the discussion, the Chairman expressed satisfaction with the comprehensive and substantive discussion the Council had had on the issue of technical cooperation. He noted that there seemed to be general agreement that the Council should seek the annual updating by developed country Members of information on their technical cooperation activities, and that this year the updating should be sought in time for the Council's meeting scheduled for September 1996. There seemed to be widespread support for giving a special, but not exclusive, focus at that meeting to the issue of technical cooperation. It had also been mentioned that information relating to any future plans would be useful, and there was a suggestion that the Secretariat might compile a calender of coming events. Furthermore, the point had been made that any input from developing countries on their needs would also be very helpful to the future deliberations of the Council. 57. He had sensed a generally favourable disposition to the idea that the Secretariat might be asked to prepare an analytical summary of the information on technical cooperation activities already presented, although some concerns had been expressed as to what such an analytical summary would entail. The suggestion in document IP/C/W/21 had been that the Secretariat prepare a structured summary of the information already presented, not a comparative or evaluative study. As regards the idea of a list of basic headings that Members should use while presenting an overview of their technical cooperation activities, some delegations had been rather hesitant. He suggested, therefore, that the Secretariat explore whether it would be possible, on the basis of the structured summary, to draw up such a list of basic headings that would leave sufficient flexibility to delegations in presenting their information. If necessary, this issue could be added to the items on which his successor would hold informal consultations, before a possible list would be presented to the Council for further consideration. 58. The Chairman noted that delegations were, generally, not in favour of the idea that the Secretariat might act as an intermediary between those providing and those requesting technical cooperation, mainly for the reasons that had been mentioned in document IP/C/W/21. Of course, the Secretariat would remain available to any developing countries that sought advice on the possibilities for obtaining technical assistance. It also remained open to developing country Members to identify at any time in the Council areas where they felt there were gaps in the provision of technical and financial cooperation. 59. The Chairman noted that there was widespread interest in the possibility of organizing some in-depth thematic discussions, perhaps in the margins of a Council meeting. The desirability of possible cooperation with WIPO in this respect had also been mentioned. He believed that one way to carry this idea forward was to request the Secretariat to come forward with a suggestion for a specific pilot project in terms of a seminar or a workshop in the margins of a Council meeting. If necessary, such a suggestion could also, first, be taken up in informal consultations. He also noted with appreciation the technical cooperation activities of WIPO and the Norwegian fund in favour of least-developed countries.
IP/C/M/6