. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONIP/C/W/132
11 March 1999
(99-0980)
Council for Trade-Related Aspects
of Intellectual Property RightsOriginal:  English
IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTICLE  66.2:  INFORMATION FROM
DEVELOPED COUNTRY MEMBERS
NEW ZEALAND
Article 66.2 of the TRIPS Agreement requires developed country Members to provide
incentives to enterprises and institutions in th eir territories for the purpose of promoting and
encouraging technology transfer to least-developed c ountry Members in order to enable them to create
a sound and viable technological base.
At the meeting of the Council for TRIPS on 1 and 2 December 1998, the delegation of Haiti
requested information from developed country Members on how Article 66.2 was being implemented
and the Council agreed that this question be circul ated in an informal document of the TRIPS Council
to all Members and that developed country Members be invited to supply information in response to
this question.
The present document reproduces the information which has been received from the
Permanent Mission of New Zealand by mean s of a communication, dated 17 February 1999.
Communications from other developed country Members will be circulated as addenda to this
document.
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1. Developed country Members have undertaken to provide information regarding their
activities relevant to Article 66.2 of the Agreement, namely, the promotion and encouragement of
technology transfer to least-developed country Members in order to help them to create a sound andviable technological base.
2. Encouragement and incentives for New Zealand enterprises and institutions to engage in
activities involving technology transfer to least-developed countries are present in the New Zealand
Official Development Assistance Programme.  These programmes incorporate bilateral, regional andmultilateral initiatives and are focussed on the Pacific Island States and the developing countries of
South East Asia.  Many of these programmes in corporate projects which contract New Zealand
enterprises and institutions to provide their knowledge and technology in assisting the development of
human capital, infrastructure and private sector enterprise in least-developed countries.
3. Two key programmes at the regional level are the Pacific Islands Investment and
Development Scheme (PIIDS) and the Asia Development Assistance Facility (ADAF).  Examples of
the types of projects funded by these schemes in clude, improving hydropower infrastructure using
technology developed in New Zealand, the sharing of administration practices and new technology to
improve forestry management and the contribution of New Zealand expertise to feasibility studies fornew business and technology ventures in least-developed Members.IP/C/W/132
Page 2
4. As a member of Asia Pacific Economic Coop eration (APEC) a wide range of New Zealand
experts, including from the private sector, are involved in various working groups which encompass
knowledge and technology transfer activities.  These working groups cover areas such as energy,
telecommunications, human resources development and industrial sciences and technology.  Outputsof these groups have included the development of policy guidelines, and projects aimed at increasing
economic co-operation and development through the sharing of information, experience and
technology in the APEC region.
5. At the multilateral level, New Zealand also contributes to two technology transfer related
technical assistance funds within the World Bank Group, including the New Zealand Technical
Assistance Fund under the International Finance Cor poration (the private sector development arm of
the World Bank Group).  These funds are available to project managers seeking funding for technical
assistance and technology transfer components of development projects and encourage the hiring of
New Zealand consultants to work on such projects.
6. Finally, New Zealand contributes a sizeable technical assistance fund to the WTO for the
purposes of facilitating seminars and technical assistance projects for developing countries and
least-developed countries.  These projects incorporate a strong technological transfer element through
the allocation of human capital in these countries.
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