NEW ZEALAND'S POSITION ON TRIPS-CBD ISSUE

C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000943 SIPDIS STATE PLEASE PASS USTR - VESPINEL AND KHAUDA STATE FOR EB/TPP/IPE-SWILSON AND EAP/ANP-DRICCI E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2015 TAGS: ETRD ECON KIPR NZ WTO SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND'S POSITION ON TRIPS-CBD ISSUE REF: STATE 218119 ¶1. (U) New Zealand will support the U.S. government's position in Hong Kong to block any attempt to include a negotiating mandate on the relationship between the TRIPS Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in the ministerial declaration. ¶2. (U) Post delivered reftel talking points December 6 to Reuben Levermore in the Trade Negotiations Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Levermore reported December 8 that the points mirrored New Zealand's position. The New Zealand government sees ongoing discussions as necessary for identifying and addressing issues related to the TRIPS-CBD relationship. It does not view negotiations as appropriate. ¶3. (C) The New Zealand government also is wary of the possibility that the EC may attempt to link this issue with an effort to extend protection of geographical indications, which fall in the same consultations as the TRIPS-CBD issue. McCormick