WT/WGTTT/22  
 
11 December 2020  
(20-8958) Page: 1/2 
   
 
  
REPORT (2020) OF THE WORKING GROUP ON TRADE AND TRANSFER  
OF TECHNOLOGY TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL  
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  Ministers agreed, at the Fourth Ministerial Conference in Doha in November  2001, to "an 
examination, in a Working Group under the auspices of the General Council, of the relationship 
between trade and transfer of technology, and of any possible recommendations on steps that might 
be taken within the mandate of the WTO to increase flows of technology to developing countries".1 
The Wo rking Group has reported on its work at each WTO Ministerial Meeting, at which the Ministers 
had reaffirmed their commitment to advance the work of the Working Group on Trade and Transfer 
of Technology and instructed the General Council to further report t o the Ministerial Sessions.  
1.2.  The Working Group held two sessions during 2020. The reports of the meetings are contained 
in documents WT/WGTTT/M/63 and WT/WGTTT/M/64. At these meetings, Members continued the 
analysis of the relationship between trade and tra nsfer of technology, as well as considered any 
possible recommendations on steps that might be taken within the mandate of the WTO to increase 
flows of technology to developing countries.  
2  RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRADE AND TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY  
2.1.  During the yea r 2020 , work on the analysis of the relationship between trade and transfer of 
technology  proceeded on the basis of three presentations made by El Salvador, Saint  Lucia and 
South  Africa  at the  September  2020 meeting .  
2.2.  Two of these presentations provided  the Working Group with a description of initiatives and 
programs undert aken to promote the generation, management and transfer of technology. The third 
presentation provided an academic perspective on the relationship between trade and transfer of 
technology . Members did not engage in a discussion of the presentations that had been made.   
2.3.  The Delegation of Chad, on behalf of the least developed countries (LDC) Group, underscored 
the critical role technology played in increasing productivity and output, and to diversify economies 
to better integrate into the regional and global value chains  and level up their development. It also 
noted that, in the context of the COVID -19 pandemic, countries that were technologically equipped 
were best prepared to deal with i ts related challenges. Against this background, the LDC Group 
called for an effective implementation of Article  66.2 of the Agreement on TRIPS and urged Members 
to engage on this issue which it had consider ed of priority interest to the LDCs.  In reply, a M ember 
noted that the W orking Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology provided a  forum to discuss 
encouraging tech nology  transfers that were consistent with the Agreement on  TRIPS . The same 
Member also noted that issues relating to  the implementation of Article 66.2 of the Agreement on 
TRIPS  were matters for the TRIPS Council.  
2.4.  At the December meeting, the Chairperson gave a report  on the informal consultations he had 
held with some of the Working Group Members. The objective of these consultations was to s eek 
views on how to take forward the two standing agenda items, namely on the relationship between 
trade and transfer of technology, and possible recommendations that the Working Group could make 
in the future. He assessed that there was cause for optimism  for advancing the mandate of the 
Working Group as demanders expressed an interest to engage with the proponents and explore 
ways to update their proposal and revive the Working Group's activities.  
 
1 Paragraph 37 of document WT/MIN(01)/DEC/1 .  WT/WGTTT/22  
 
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  3  ANY POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE STEPS THAT MIGHT BE TAKEN WITHIN 
THE MANDATE OF THE WTO TO INCREASE FLOWS OF TECHNOLOGY TO DEVELOPING 
COUNTRIES  
3.1.  Under the agenda item on possible recommendations that the Working Group could make in 
the future, no substantive discussion took place.  The Chairperson reiterated, at both meeting s in 
2020, the importance of a formal submission by the proponents of a subm ission made in 2008  by 
India, Pakistan and the Philippines  - entitled "Facilitating Access to Information on Appropriate 
Technology Sourcing – A Step to Increase Flows of Technology to Developing Countries".  
The proponents had previously informed the Working Group  that they had been  revising their 
submission and that they intended to table it in the near future.  
3.2.  A group of demanders stated their willingness and availability to engage the proponents with 
a view to preparing a revised proposal and, in so do ing, revive the Group's work . 
4  FUTURE WORK  
4.1.  Members have continued their examination of the relationship between trade and transfer of 
technology and possible recommendations that might be made within the mandate of the WTO to 
increase flows of technology to  developing countries. The ongoing work has covered a number of 
issues and has helped to enhance Members' understanding of the nexus between trade and transfer 
of technology. The Working Group will continue to look at  these issues in the coming year .  
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