WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONTN/IP/6
5 May 2003
(03-2386)
Council for Trade-Related Aspects
of Intellectual Property RightsSpecial Session
SIXTH SPECIAL SESSION OF THE COUNCIL FOR TRIPS
Report by the Chairman, Ambassador Eui-yong Chung,
to the Trade Negotiations Committee
I. STATUS OF WORK
1. The Special Session of the Council for TRIPS held its sixth meeting on 29 and 30 April 2003
on the basis of the agenda set out in WTO/AIR/2078.  The agenda items were:  negotiation of the
establishment of a multilateral system of notification and registration of geographical indications for
wines and spirits;  observer status for intergovernmental organizations;  and other business.
2. With regard to the first item of the agenda, there were three new documents:  the first one was
a proposal from Hong Kong, China for a multilateral system of notification and registration of
geographical indications under Article 23.4 of the TRIPS Agreement (TN/IP/W/8);  the second one
was a note by the Chairman containing a Draft Text of Multilateral System of Notification and
Registration of Geographical Indications for Wines and Spirits (JOB(03)/75);  and the third oneconcerned a communication from the European Communities on the subject of traditional expressions
(JOB(03)/76).  Discussions were structured accordin g to the headings of the Chairman's Draft Text.
For each heading, delegations were invited to address the corresponding parts of Hong Kong, China's
proposal.  Discussions were comprehensive and help ful.  The International Bureau of WIPO was
invited to be represented in an expert capacity for these discussions.
3. With regard to observer status for intergovernmental organizations, there were no
developments.
II. OUTSTANDING ISSUES
4. Positions remain quite divided.  Issues where differences are still profound are:  the legal
effect of registrations, mechanisms for settling differences regarding geographical indications, and
participation.
III. FUTURE WORK
5. At the sixth meeting, the Chairman expressed the hope that, by the seventh Special Session
(scheduled for 2-3 July 2003), delegations would be able to address a text containing a single set of
ideas, rather than a text with widely divergent propos als, as was done so far.  With a view to being in
a position to have such a text, the Chairman will hold intensive informal consultations in various
formats, having regard as always to the need to ensure maximum transparency.  As the next step, hewill share his assessment of the state of the work of the Special Session in an open-ended informal
consultation, which may be held back-to-back with  the next regular session of the TRIPS Council
(scheduled for early June).
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