RESTRICTED  
  
WT/WGTTT/M/62  
 
20 March 2020  
(20-2302) Page: 1/2 
Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology  
Sixty -Second Session    
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 28 NOVEMBER  2019  
Chairperson: H.E. Mr Rashidi Said  (Malaysia ) 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGEN DA ................................ ................................ .....................  1 
B. ANALYSIS OF THE RELA TIONSHIP BETWEEN TRA DE AND TRANSFER OF 
TECHNOLOGY  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  1 
C. ANY POSSIBLE RECOMME NDATIONS ON STEPS TH AT MIGHT BE TAKEN WI THIN THE 
MANDATE OF THE WTO T O INCREASE FLOWS OF TECHNOLOGY TO DEVELO PING 
COUNTRIES  ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................  1 
D. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 2 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE A GENDA  
1.   The agenda contained in Airgram WTO/AIR/WGTTT/1 5 of 11 November  2019 was adopted . 
B. ANALYSIS OF THE R ELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRADE AND TRANSFER O F 
TECHNOLOGY  
2.   Under this agenda item, the representative  of Chad, on behalf of the least developed countries 
(LDC) Group , underscored the critical role technology playe d in increasing productivity and output, 
and to diversify economies to better integrate into the regional and global value chains.  
3.  The LDC Group  and Cameroon  called on Members to continue the work within the Working 
Group's mandate and requested that an evaluation be undertaken to determine what had been 
accomplished by the Working Group since its establishment and what remained to be done.  
C. ANY POSSIBLE RECO MMENDATIONS ON STEPS  THAT MIGHT BE TAKEN  WITHIN THE 
MANDATE OF THE WTO T O INCREASE FLOWS OF TECHNOLOGY TO DEVELO PING 
COUNTRIES  
4.   Under the agenda item on possible recommendations that the Working Group could make in 
the future, the discussion underscored the role that technology can play as a driver of trade and 
economic development. Some Members felt that the path to innovation and technology could lead 
to development and industrialization creating wealth, jobs and improving standards of living.  
They felt that rapid technological advances and increasingly information -driven global economy were 
impacting on the competitiveness and ma rket opportunities of specific groups and regions – a 
problem which a number of countries were struggling to address. Constructive and meaningful work 
in the Working Group could help address these challenges. For this to happen, the Group needed to 
target discussion on specific and practical ways to address the needs and challenges faced by 
developing countries, in particular the LDCs.  
5.  The ensuing discussion focused on specific and practical ways to address the needs and 
challenges faced by developing coun tries, in particular the LDCs. The representative of Hong Kong, 
China  suggested that the Working Group be used as a platform to share experiences and concrete 
examples on how Members, which had made rapid advances on the technology frontier, had 
overcome s imilar difficulties; and, to extend the Group's discussion to issues such as absorption of WT/WGTTT/M/62  
 
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  technology post -transfer. She requested the Chair to hold informal consultations with Members to 
that effect. Some  delegations took the floor to support that proposa l and to express their readiness 
to engage and advance the work of the Group.  
6.  The Chairperson  reiterated the importance of a formal submission by the proponents of a 
submission made in 2008 by India, Pakistan and the Philippines entitled "Facilitating Acce ss to 
Information on Appropriate Technology Sourcing – A Step to Increase Flows of Technology to 
Developing Countries". The proponents had informed the Chair person  that they were still in the 
process of revising their submission and that they intended to t able it in the near future.  
D. OTHER BUSINESS  
7.   Under other business, the Chairperson  indicated that - given the mandate to make an annual 
report on the work of the Group to the General Council, and in line with past practice - the annual 
report w ould be  circulated ; and, if no substantive comments were received by 4 December 2019, it 
would be deemed to have been adopted . 
8.   The meeting was adjourned.  
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