135. The representative of South Africa recalled that the paper tabled by the African Group before the Ministerial Conference of Seattle contained elements which had been identified as being relevant for consideration under Article 27.3(b). In addition to the issues of an effective sui generis system for plant varieties and the patentability of life forms, the paper by the African Group had also identified a third element: that of coherence with other international organizations. The representative of South Africa called the attention of the TRIPS Council to the last paragraph of the preamble of the TRIPS Agreement ("Desiring to establish a mutually supportive relationship between the WTO and the World Intellectual Property Organization … as well as other relevant international organizations;"). This paragraph constituted a sufficient basis for considering what was being conducted in other fora although it did not address the objectives.
