The following WTO airgram WTO/AIR/4075/REV.1 (22 February 2013) contains the agenda for the upcoming WTO Council for TRIPS meeting to be held in Geneva from Tuesday, 5 March 2013 to Wednesday, 6 March 2013. The March 2013 session of the TRIPS Council will discuss the LDC Group’s request (IP/C/W/583) for an extension of the transitional period under Article 66.1 of the TRIPS Agreement under agenda item 11. Agenda item 11 is titled, “request for an extension of the transitional period under Article 66.1 of the TRIPS Agreement”. The airgram notes that it item 11 is “included upon the earlier written request by Nepal on behalf of the LDC Group”.
The airgram notes that the Dominican Republic made a written request for to “add an additional item to the agenda (included as item 12)” on the “proposed measure by New Zealand: Notification circulated in document G/TBT/N/NZL/62, dated 24 July 2012, on a proposal to introduce plain packaging of tobacco products in New Zealand”.
The airgram states that Chile, Korea, Chinese Taipei and the United States have “made another request for an additional item (included as item 13)” on “intellectual property and innovation: small and medium sized enterprises”.
WTO/AIR/4075/REV.1 22 FEBRUARY 2013SUBJECT: COUNCIL FOR TRIPS
THE NEXT MEETING OF THE COUNCIL FOR TRIPS WILL BE HELD IN THE CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD ON 5-6 MARCH 2013. THE MEETING WILL START AT 10 A.M. ON TUESDAY, 5 MARCH.
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC HAS MADE A WRITTEN REQUEST TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL ITEM TO THE AGENDA (INCLUDED AS ITEM 12). CHILE, KOREA, CHINESE TAIPEI AND THE UNITED STATES HAVE MADE ANOTHER REQUEST FOR AN ADDITIONAL ITEM (INCLUDED AS ITEM 13). FOLLOWING THESE REQUESTS, THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE PROPOSED FOR THE AGENDA; ITEM 11 IS INCLUDED UPON THE EARLIER WRITTEN REQUEST BY NEPAL ON BEHALF OF THE LDC GROUP:
1. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER PROVISIONS OF THE AGREEMENT
2. REVIEWS OF NATIONAL IMPLEMENTING LEGISLATION
3. REVIEW OF THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 27.3(B)
4. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TRIPS AGREEMENT AND THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
5. PROTECTION OF TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND FOLKLORE
6. NON-VIOLATION AND SITUATION COMPLAINTS
7. REVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRIPS AGREEMENT UNDER ARTICLE 71.1
8. REVIEW OF THE APPLICATION OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE SECTION ON GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS UNDER ARTICLE 24.2
9. FOLLOW-UP TO TENTH ANNUAL REVIEW UNDER PARAGRAPH 2 OF THE DECISION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTICLE 66.2 OF THE TRIPS AGREEMENT
10. TECHNICAL COOPERATION AND CAPACITY-BUILDING
11. REQUEST FOR AN EXTENSION OF THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD UNDERARTICLE 66.1 OF THE TRIPS AGREEMENT
12. PROPOSED MEASURE BY NEW ZEALAND: NOTIFICATION CIRCULATEDIN DOCUMENT G/TBT/N/NZL/62, DATED 24 JULY 2012, ON A PROPOSAL TO INTRODUCE PLAIN PACKAGING OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS IN NEW ZEALAND.
13. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND INNOVATION: SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED ENTERPRISES
14. INFORMATION ON RELEVANT DEVELOPMENTS ELSEWHERE IN THE WTO
15. OBSERVER STATUS FOR INTERNATIONAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
16. OTHER BUSINESS
17. ELECTION OF THE CHAIRPERSONIT IS RECALLED THAT PARAGRAPH 19 OF THE DOHA MINISTERIAL DECLARATION PROVIDES THAT THE COUNCIL, IN UNDERTAKING THE WORK PROVIDED FOR IN THAT PARAGRAPH, SHALL BE GUIDED BY THE OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES SET OUT IN ARTICLES 7 AND 8 OF THE TRIPS AGREEMENT AND SHALL TAKE FULLY INTO ACCOUNT THE DEVELOPMENT DIMENSION. ANY MEMBER WISHING AN ADDITIONAL ITEM TO BE PLACED ON THE PROPOSED AGENDA IS INVITED TO INFORM THE SECRETARIAT OF THIS SUFFICIENTLY IN ADVANCE SO THAT A REVISED AIRGRAM CAN BE ISSUED TEN CALENDAR DAYS PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
MEMBERS OF THE WTO, OTHER GOVERNMENTS WITH OBSERVER STATUS AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS WITH OBSERVER STATUS ARE REQUESTED TO INFORM THE SECRETARIAT OF THE NAMES OF THEIR REPRESENTATIVES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
PASCAL LAMY