RESTRICTED  
  
WT/WGTTT/M/64  
 
9 December 2020  
(20-8879) Page: 1/3 
Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology  
Sixty -Fourth Session  
  
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 8 DECEMBER 2020  
Chairperson: H.E. Mr  Stephen Fevrier (Saint-Lucia) 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  ................................ ................................ ...................  1 
B. ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRADE AND TRANSFER OF 
TECHNOLOGY  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  1 
C. ANY POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS ON STEPS THAT MIGHT BE TAKEN WITHIN 
THE MANDATE OF THE WTO TO INCREASE FLOWS OF TECHNOLOGY TO 
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES  ................................ ................................ .......................  2 
D. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 3 
 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
1. The agenda contained in airgram WTO/AIR/WGTTT/1 7/Rev.1  of 3 December  2020 was 
adopted . 
B. ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRADE AND TRANSFER OF 
TECHNOLOGY  
2. Under th is agenda item on the relationship between trade and transfer of technology, the 
Chairperson recalled the salient elements from the three present ations made a t the September  2020 
meeting and invited Members to continue the discussion. Members did not engage in a discussion of 
the presentations that had been made.  
3. The representative of Chad, on behalf of the LDC Group, underscored the critical role 
technology plays in increasing productivity and output, and to diversify economies to better integrate 
into regional and global value chains and level up their development. He also noted that, in the 
context of the COVID -19 pandemic, countries that were te chnologically equipped are best prepared 
to deal with its 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 conside rs of priority interest to the LDCs.  
4. In reply a Member  noted that, insofar as interpretation and implementation of Article 66.2 of 
the Agreement on TRIPS were concerned, the TRIPS Council was the only competent body to discuss 
such matters.  
5. The Chairperson  gave a summary  of the informal consultations he had held with some of the 
Working Group  Members. The objective was to seek 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 reported that these 
consultations were held in two separate groups .  
6. The Chairperson indicated that the first group of Members  viewed the Working Group as a 
forum to discuss encouraging technology transfers that are consistent with the Agreement on TRIPS; WT/WGTTT/M/64  
 
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  and that proposals r egarding the interpretation of Article  66.2 of the Agreement on TRIPS and its 
implementation were matters for the TRIPS Council.  
7. These Members assessed that the lack of progress in the work of the Group was due to a 
deficit of leadership on the proponents ' side to generate the discussion; and also because of a divide 
between Members who saw technology transfer as driven by government requirements, and those 
who saw technology transfer as the product of an enabling environment.  
8. They expressed the view that  transfer of technology should take place on mutually agreed 
terms between IP rights holders of the technology and the recipients. To that end, open trade and 
investment regimes were core requirements of the regulatory framework.  
9. These Members found the pr esentations made at the Working Group interesting and regretted 
that they had not led to result -oriented outcomes. They stated their openness to discussing 
collaborative approaches such as technology banks; and did also express their willingness to engage 
provided proponents tabled a proposal. In the interim period , they recommended curtailing the 
number of meetings of this Working Group until Members demonstrated  a greater appetite to move 
forward.  
10. As for the other group of Members , the Chairperson  indica ted that they stressed the 
continued importance of technology generation and its transfer and expressed interest and readiness 
to engage with the proponents to revive and update the proposal.  
11. In terms of recommendations, these Members wanted to continue th e experience sharing 
exercise as they found it useful to improve understanding of the relationship between trade and 
transfer of technology. They suggested inviting, at a future meeting of the Working Group,  
a presentation by the TRIPS Council, that could  allow cross -fertilization of ideas.  
12. The Chairperson assess ed 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.  
13. The LDC Group, stated its willingness and availability to engage with the proponents and 
contribute to  preparing a revised proposal and, in so doing, revive the Group's work. While it 
reiterated the view  that inviting the TRIPS Council to make a presentation could be beneficial, it also 
agreed with the view that , regarding discussions revolving around interpretation and implementation 
of Article  66.2 of the Agreement on TRIPS, the TRIPS Council was the co mpetent body.  
14. In reply, a Member  recalled its initial comment and stated that inviting a presentation by the 
TRIPS Council would require further reflection.  
15. The representative of Botswana, on behalf of the African Group, expressed that  the Working 
Group's  mandate remained relevant in facilitating economic development and integration. He also 
stated the African Group's interest in exploring ways to revisit discussions with proponents on the 
basis of their room document , with a view to assessing how it could  be updated; and to revive the 
Working Group’s activities on the basis of an updated proposal.  He further assessed that the Working 
Group would contribute to facilitating the implementation of the AfCFTA and its continental 
integration agenda . 
C. ANY POSSI BLE RECOMMENDATIONS ON STEPS THAT MIGHT BE TAKEN WITHIN THE 
MANDATE OF THE WTO TO INCREASE FLOWS OF TECHNOLOGY TO DEVELOPING 
COUNTRIES  
16. Under the agenda item on possible recommendations that the Working Group could make in 
the future, the Chairperson  reiter ated the importance of a formal submission by the proponents of 
a submission 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".  
17. The LDC Group stated that advancing work had been necessary - and had become imperative 
because of COVID -19 - for LDCs to level up their development.  WT/WGTTT/M/64  
 
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  18. A Member enquired what types of technologies were available; and wondered whether the 
Secretariat could be requested to prepare a list of technologies that had been available to transfer.  
D. OTHER BUSINESS  
19. Under other bus iness, 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 11 December  2020, 
it would be deemed to have been adopted . 
20. The meeting was adjourned.  
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