The workshop held in May focused on the analysis and consolidation of the fourth section of the “Regional Instrument for the Protection of Social, Economic and Environmental Interests in Patent Law.” This section, dedicated to explanatory notes, was addressed with the aim of defining common criteria on their interpretative function and their link to previously agreed regulatory commitments. The workshop allowed for a resumption of previous discussions on substantive clauses, which already enjoy broad technical consensus.

The methodology of the meeting favoured an orderly and productive exchange, focused exclusively on the drafting and function of the explanatory notes. The interventions sought to identify key conceptual elements that should be included to ensure the consistency of the text with international frameworks, avoiding reopening the discussion on the content of the clauses already agreed upon. This approach allowed for technical progress without departing from the agreements reached in recent years.

During the sessions, a preliminary space was also provided for the presentation of the proposal for the public policy tools section. Although this was not the main objective of the workshop, this advance was valuable in outlining the operational framework for the application of the instrument's provisions. The comments made will help to guide its future development, complementing the explanatory notes.

The closing of the workshop focused on identifying pending tasks, including the final drafting of the explanatory notes and the consolidation of the structure of the tools section. It was agreed that progress in these areas will be channelled through virtual workspaces and new rounds of written comments. Likewise, the need to provide for political validation once the technical work has been completed was raised.