1.97. The representative of Peru said the draft composite text represented "work in progress" with a great number of square brackets, and could be used as a basis for the establishment of the GI register. Even though it was a complex issue in and of itself, with already many interests at play, this issue was linked to the other two TRIPS issues, TRIPS-CBD and GI extension. This linkage existed in the view of more than two-thirds of the WTO Members, and could not be ignored, especially if Members wanted to achieve agreement over the coming months. The delegations which had co-sponsored the W/52 proposal had both offensive and defensive interests on the three issues. In order to get results on these issues, it was necessary to find an appropriate balance between the needs and the interests of many developing countries.
1.98. With regard to the multilateral register, there still was a great deal of work to carry out on the text: the compilation of different proposals on the table was just the first stage. The time had come to move into the negotiation process and to have a polished draft enabling delegations to move to a horizontal process. As regards future work, his delegation trusted that, whatever path would be chosen to move forward, the Chairman would lead the group through its work, ensuring a transparent and inclusive process, where nothing would be agreed until everything was agreed, and where Members would be able to raise any question on any part of the text at any time.
