RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/ACC/6
22April 1998
ORGANIZATION(98-1617)
Original: English
WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION
Request forObserver Status inAccession Working Parties
TheDirector General oftheWorld Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) hassubmitted
thefollowing communication.
_______________
ThislettershallserveastheformalapplicationfromWIPOtoseekobserverstatusintheWorking
Parties onAccession withrespect to,initially, thefollowing countries: Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Belarus, Cambodia, China, Georgia, Jordan, Kazakstan, theKyrgyz Republic, Republic ofMoldova,
Nepal, Oman, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sudan, Tonga, Ukraine, Uzbekistan,
Vanuatu andVietNam.
WIPO currently enjoys observer status within theWorld Trade Organization intheGeneral
Council, theCouncil forTRIPS andtheCommittee onTrade andEnvironment.
Inapplying forobserver status intheabove-referenced Working Parties onAccession, WIPO
believes thatnewopportunities willbeopened forWIPO toenhance itsassistance todeveloping and
leastdeveloped countries under theTRIPS Agreement. Suchassistance would augment, orotherwise
beanintegral partof,WIPO 'sexisting programme ofactivities. Anenhanced nationally-focused
approach toTRIPs-related assistance isakeyelement ofWIPO 'sprogramme andbudget for1998-99.
Thisisconsistent withthespirit andintent oftheAgreement between theWorld Intellectual Property
Organization andtheWorld Trade Organization which came intoforce on1January 1996.
__________