WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONIP/C/W/388
12 November 2002
(02-6209)
Council for Trade-Related Aspects
of Intellectual Property RightsOriginal:  English
IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTICLE 66.2 OF THE TRIPS AGREEMENT:
INFORMATION FROM DEVELOPED COUNTRY MEMBERS
CANADA
At its meeting of 17-19 September 2002, the Council for TRIPS requested developed country
Members to make information on their implementation of Article 66.2 of the TRIPS Agreement
available for the Council's meeting scheduled for 25-27 November 2002 pursuant to paragraph 11.2 of
the Doha Decision on Implementation-Related Issues and Concerns (WT/MIN(01)/17).
The present document reproduces the information which has been received from the
Permanent Mission of Canada by means of a communication dated 7 November 2002.
Communications from other developed country Members will be circulated as addenda to this
document.
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Developed country Members have undertaken to provide information regarding their
activities relevant to Article 66.2 of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual PropertyRights (TRIPS), namely, the provision of incentives to their domestic enterprises and institutions, to
promote and encourage technology transfer to least-developed country Members (LDCs) in order to
enable such Members to create a sound and viable technological base.  The present document updates
the report provided by Canada in 2000 (IP/C/ W/132/Add.7) for consideration of the TRIPS Council.
In general, Canada provides domestic incentives for the transfer of technology in the form of
(i) intellectual property embedded in transferred goods and services;  (ii) management and business
know-how to support production and distribution of goods and services;  and (iii) human capacity-
building.  Several Canadian government departments, agencies and programmes are involved in
providing incentives, either directly or indirectly, for Canadian enterprises and institutions to engagein activities involving technology transfer to developing country Members and LDCs.
The two Canadian agencies principally involv ed in technology transfer activities are the
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the International Development Research
Centre (IDRC).  A number of other government departments, agencies and programmes such as
Industry Canada, Export Development Corporation (EDC), the Department of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade (DFAIT), and other voluntee r programmes also contribute significantly to
providing incentives for technology transfer.  The present document is an illustrative list of such
activities.IP/C/W/388
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1. Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
1.1. CIDA is the lead organization responsible fo r Canada's Official Development Assistance
(ODA) Programme.  CIDA, in cooperation with partne rs in the private and public sectors in Canada,
developing country Members and LDCs, as well as with international organizations and agencies, to
support sustainable development in over 100 de veloping country Members and LDCs.  CIDA's
activities are mainly directed to the Asia-Pacific, the Americas, Africa and Middle East regions.
Technology transfer is a core element of CIDA's strategy, which includes key development goals of
improving economic well-being, and strengthening environmental sustainability and regeneration.  In
co-operation with the private sector, one of the principal tools used to accomplish these goals is to
make available the benefits of new technologies, especially in information and communications.
1.2. One of the principal CIDA initiatives is the Industrial Co-operation Division (CIDA-INC).
CIDA-INC helps firms defray costs unique for doing business in the Asia-Pacific, Africa, Middle East
and the Americas regions.  It provides such assistance to Canadian firms that wish to build long-termbusiness partnerships in order to promote and support sustainable socio-economic development.
CIDA-INC also works to help reduce the risks of firms participating in such business activities with a
view to supporting specific elements of investment projects in the area of training, social
development, the participation of women and a clean  environment.  These activities aim to strengthen
the knowledge, practical skills and technical k now-how of local populations of developing country
Members and LDCs.
1.3. CIDA also sponsors an Education Institutions Programme (EIP) that works with Canadian
universities, colleges and other institutions that specialize in human resources training to establish the
capacity of educational and training institutions in developing countries to handle their respective
development priorities.  The Programme financially supports two key partnerships between Canadian
educational institutions and counterparts in developing countries in order to promote the exchange ofknowledge and expertise;  namely, the University Partnerships Cooperation Programme and the
Canadian College Partnership Programme.  Financial incentives for student and internship
programmes through funding scholarships, fellowships and other grants are also provided through the
EIP.  The EIP also supports specialized training institutes such as the Canadian Petroleum Institute, an
organization of industry-leading experts and professionals, that has delivered Canadian expertise andtechnologies to many partner companies and institutions in LDCs, including Angola, Bangladesh,
Ethiopia, Niger and Tanzania.
1.4. Another key initiative supported by CIDA is the International Youth Internship Programme
(IYIP) which gives young Canadian graduates an opportunity to contribute to grass-roots cooperationin developing Members and LDCs.  The sectors which benefit include communications, environment,
health, industry, natural resources and water/sanitation.  Examples include the following: (i) a clean
water project in Laos involving the transfer of  certain technology from a Canadian non-governmental
organization to a local partner;  (ii) a water/sanitation project in Uganda for the transfer of gravity-
flow methods to a local technical service organizati on;  (iii) the transfer of pedal-powered technology
for pumps and tile making machines;  and (iv) solar power techniques and proper use of composting
toilets, from a Canadian sustainable living institute to Friends of the Earth Sierra Leone.
2. International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
2.1. IDRC is a Canadian public corporation mandated to initiate, encourage, support and conduct
research into the problems of developing regions of the world, and into the means for applying and
adapting scientific, technical and other knowledge to the economic and social advancement of those
regions.  IDRC has been promoting technologies for managing and sharing technology for the past
30 years through funding partnerships with other donors, including the private sector.  The followingis an illustrative list of other programmes including IDRC's technology transfer activities.IP/C/W/388
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2.2. Information and Communications Technologies for Development
2.2.1. Bridging the north/south "digital divide" remains a central objective of the IDRC.  This work
provided the foundation for further contributions of the IDRC through the G8's Digital Opportunity
Task Force (Dot-Force) to improve the lives of people in developing country Members and LDCs.
Indeed, Canada took a leading role in the Dot Force, Industry Canada chaired the task force and IDRC
and Telesystem Ltd., a Canadian telecommunications company, served as members.  The Dot-Force
officially ended on June 25 2002, when Canada presented a report card of the initiative's progress to
the G8 leaders meeting in Kananaskis.
2.2.2. IDRC's Information and Communications Tech nologies Programme also includes a number
of other complementary initiatives.  First, IDRC supports Bellanet, an international initiative designedto facilitate inter-agency collaboration through using information and communications technologies
(ICTs) more effectively, which includes the African Networking Initiative and the African
Information Society Initiative.  Second, IDRC continues to sponsor the major undertaking of the
Communities and ICTs for Africa (ACACIA) programme with a view to empowering African
communities with an ability to apply ICTs to their own social and economic development.  IDRC hassponsored the establishment of a Centre for Connectivity in Africa and continues to support
community telecentres in countries such as Mali, Mozambique, Senegal, Tunisia and Uganda in order
to accelerate their participation in the info rmation economy.  The Canadian telecommunications
company Nortel Networks has been an integral partner with IDRC in helping to establish these
networks and centres.  Third, the Pan Americas initiative has helped poor countries such as Haiti, aspart of capacity development for internet use in Latin America and the Caribbean.  Fourth, IDRC's
Pan Asia initiative has focused on countries such as Nepal, where the ICRC assisted in the elaboration
of a participatory process for formulating the countr y's information technologies policy, as well as in
its implementation.
2.3. Environment and Natural Resource Management
2.3.1. IDRC's Environment and Natural Resource Management initiative comprises several
programmes aimed at generating innovations within local communities of developing country
Members and LDCs to manage their resources sustainably.  Such innovations may be technical
(e.g. improved production techniques), institutiona l (e.g. decision-making or planning processes)
and/or policy-focused.
2.4. Broad-based Alliances
2.4.1. IDRC fosters the building of broad-based alliances between Canadian and developing country
Members and LDCs with the aim of helping to bridge the developing world's scientific andtechnological gap.  A good example is the collaborative community-based natural resource
management project in Laos linking York Universi ty (Canada), the University of Sydney (Australia),
Chiang Mai University (Thailand), and the National University of Laos (NUOL).  With parallel
funding from other international groups, the alliance seeks to build research capacity at the NUOL
through undertaking small projects on natural resource management and food security, both of whichare critical issues for Laos.
3. Industry Canada
3.1. Telecommunications
3.1.1. Industry Canada sponsors several programmes for the transfer of technology by Canadian
institutions and enterprises to developing country Members and LDCs.  In the field of
telecommunications, through its "Connecting Canadians" initiative, which includes "ConnectingIP/C/W/388
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Canada to the World", Industry Canada promotes global interconnectivity and inter-operability of
broadband networks, applications and services (e.g. telehealth and telelearning).  This work aims to
improve the domestic and international investment climate in order to create incentives to global
markets, including developing country Members and LDCs, by spurring companies to make their
products and services export-ready.  It also supports international collaboration for Canadian researchinstitutions in emerging high-growth areas of electronic commerce, genomics, environmental
technologies and advanced engineering.
3.1.2. In addition, the Telecommunications Policy Branch (TPB), in collaboration with the IHAB
Office of International Partnerships  (OIP), leads the advancement of  the Connectivity Agenda for the
Americas through the Summit of the Americas process and the Inter-American Telecommunications
Commission (CITEL) work programme.  The TPB continues to promote global connectivity throughits work at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and in preparations for the World
Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).
3.1.3. Industry Canada's Information and Co mmunication and Technologies and the
Telecommunications Policy Branch are particularly active in the technology transfer area.  TheBranch has organized seminars and workshops on ICT policy and regulatory issues for and in
developing country Members and LDCs, hosted inco ming study missions, and fostered discussion on
viable pro-competitive regulatory options through its work in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
Telecommunications Working Group.  In its participation to the CITEL, Industry Canada takes every
opportunity to promote common frequency bands and services so that our industry can benefit fromnew radio equipment markets.
3.2. Information Technologies
3.2.1. Industry Canada's Office of International Partne rships (OIP) provides a single portal to the
Canada's state-of-the-art information and communication technology skills and products for any
country or foreign organization wishing to build its own electronic learning network.  The OIP links
foreign governments, agencies and companies with Canadian companies, organizations and
entrepreneurs for developing and applying information and communication technology to the learning
and training environment.  The OIP offers a vehicle for the exchange of technical knowledge and the
co-development of learning materials and applications for Internet.
3.2.2. Another Industry Canada unit involved in technology transfer is the Spectrum Engineering
Branch (DGSE), which is responsible for the technical integrity and quality of the engineering
planning which is the basis for the orderly regulations, management and exploitation of the radio
frequency spectrum.  The DGSE is responsible for the technical and strategic planning which
underpins Canadian telecommunication regulations, testing, certification and accreditationprocedures.  It is also responsible for international negotiations, treaties, agreements and arrangements
associated with its spectrum management obligati ons.  DGSE is specifically involved in technology
transfer activities through the Technology Transfer and Support office (DTT).  DTT provides training
to foreign governments of developing and least developed countries (LDC).  DTT's goal is to promote
Canadian spectrum management technologies and know-how through technology transfer activities
through Canadian private sector partners.
3.3. International Marketplace Innovation
3.3.1. The National Research Council's Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) encourages
and supports Canadian small and medium-sized entities to develop international technology-based
partnerships with both developed and less developed economies.  IRAP, in partnership with Canada's
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, supports group missions to exploreIP/C/W/388
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opportunities for partnerships.  IRAP and NRC have been active in developing technology-based
partnerships in the Asian-Pacific region, in part through the Industrial S&T Working Group of APEC.
3.3.2. The Natural Sciences and Engineering Res earch Council (NSERC) operates two dedicated
multi-million dollar programs to foster international S&T cooperation anywhere in the world;namely, the International Opportunities Fund and the Collaborative Research opportunities Fund.  In
addition, all NSERC research grants may be used for international collaboration at the discretion of
the researcher.  The Canada Foundation for innovation (CFI) is in the final stages of deciding on the
successful proposals to their International Join t Ventures Fund and the International Access Fund
which will include technology transfer activities.
3.4. Volunteer Programmes
3.4.1. Canada funds a number of volunteer programmes where skilled Canadians are sent to
developing country Members and LDCs to help support the development of a viable technology base
in those countries.  For example, Canada's NetC orps Canada International (NetCorps) programme
provides internships for Canadians to work abro ad in the area of information and communication
technologies, which operates as a complement to Industry Canada's "Connecting Canada to the
World" strategy.  NetCorps is funded through th e Human Resources Depart ment's Youth Employment
Strategy, and is overseen by Industry Canada's Information Highway Applications branch in
coordination with the NetCorps Coalition of Ca nadian volunteer organizations, including Canada
World Youth (lead), Alternatives, Canadian University Service Overseas, Oxfam-Québec, VolunteerServices Overseas Canada, Canadian Crossroads International, Canadian Society for International
Health and Human Rights Internet.  The focus on show-casing the information technology expertise
of young Canadian and establishing partnerships with local private, public or non-profit entities in
locally-tailored human capacity-building and infrastruc ture-building projects in such fields such as
health, education and agriculture.  NetCorps' pr ogrammes benefit host organizations in developing
country Members and LDCs, including Ethiopia, Senegal and Malawi.  By October 2002, NetCorps
will have placed over 1000 volunteers abroad and Canadians returning from the field are asked to
share their experiences with program sponsors.
4. Export Development Corporation (EDC)
4.1. As Canada's foremost institution for supporting the export and investment of Canadian firms
overseas, the EDC plays a key role in facilitating trade to the developing world.  The EDC continuesto provide trade finance services and help reduce the risks associated with doing business in
developing and LDCs in the areas of ICTs and infrastructure-building, among others.  One shining
example is a Canadian company that exports low-cost water and sanitation system technologies to
developing country Members and LDCs such as Bangladesh and Malawi.  Local companies are
contracted for the work to reduce costs and the systems are implemented with grass-roots training
programs so as to ensure the long-term and sustainable success of the exported technology.
5. Multilateral Level Activities
5.1. At the multilateral level, Canada continues to actively contribute to many international
financial institutions (IFIs) which, in turn, fost er initiatives providing incentives for technology
transfer to developing country Members and LDCs.  In this respect, Canada's continuing contribution
to the WTO's technical assistance fund, the Inter-American Development Bank, the AfricanDevelopment Bank and the Asia Development Bank all help to encourage the transfer of technology
supported by human-capacity building for the foundations upon which may be built a sound and
viable technological base.
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