RESTRICTED  
  
WT/WGTTT/M/57  
 
14 June 2018  
(18-3696) Page: 1/2 
Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology  
Fifty-Seventh  Session    
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 25 APRIL 2018  
Chairperson: H.E. Ms Sabine Böhlke Möller (Namibia ) 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGEN DA ................................ ................................ ....................  1 
B. ELECTION OF THE NEW CHAIRPERSON  ................................ ................................ ... 1 
C. ANALYSIS OF THE RELA TIONSHIP BETWEEN TRA DE AND TRANSFER OF 
TECHNOLOGY  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  1 
D. ANY POSSIBLE RECOMME NDATIONS ON STEPS TH AT MIGHT BE TAKEN 
WITHIN THE MANDATE O F THE WTO TO INCREAS E FLOWS OF TECHNOLOG Y TO 
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES  ................................ ................................ ................................  2 
E. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 2 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGEN DA  
 The agenda contained in Airgram WTO/AIR/WGTTT/10  of 10 April 2018 was adopted . 1.
B. ELECTION OF THE  NEW  CHAIRPERSON  
2. Members  formally elected  Ambassador  Sabine Böhlke Möller  of Namibia  as the Chairperson 
of the Working Group.  
C. ANALYSIS OF THE RELA TIONSHIP BETWEEN TRA DE AND TRANSFER OF 
TECHNOLOGY  
3. Under the agenda item on the relationship between trade and transfer of technology, 
Members conti nued to discuss the  nexus  between trade and transfer of technology. In this context,  
it was stressed that technology and technical know -how were key elements in facilitating 
industrialization and economic growth and, therefore, essential for improving productivity, 
promoting  growth and attaining the development aspirations of less developed Members. 
Technology transfer should be seen as an important tool to narrow the technological gap between 
developed and developing countries and for integrating developing countries into th e Multilate ral 
Trading System  (MTS)  as well as  enabling them to meet their international obligations. Attention 
was also drawn to the mandate of the Working Group  in Paragraph 37 of the Doha Declaration , 
further reiterated in Paragraph 43 of the Hong Kong Ministerial  Declaration , and to the significant 
contribution that t he fulfilment of the mandate could  make in achieving the Doha Developmental 
Agenda.  
 
4. Discussion also underlined the importance of the  Sustainable Development Goals  (SDGs) , 
especially SDG 17 in guiding the work of the Group. Emphasis was laid on the need for enhancing 
North -South, South -South and triangular regional and international cooperatio n and access to 
science, technology , innovat ion and knowledge -sharing on mutually agreed terms, including 
through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, and through a global technology 
facilitation mechanism . It was also stressed that technology transfer and maximizing  benefits 
therefrom c ould be optimized through the establishment of appropriate ecosystems  and long-term 
innovation and technology strategy in developing country Members , so as to enhance their 
capacity to absorb technologies, nurture Research and Development ( R&D) talents, and in the long 
run develop their own R&D capacity.  In that context, s haring of  various  innovation and technology WT/WGTTT/M/57  
 
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  policy options and best practices could serve as useful pointers and  concrete support for 
technology -deficient Members.  The delibera tions in the Working Group could play an important 
role in helping the WTO to ensure that the rules -based system remained relevant to d evelopment 
and to the business world amidst the changes driven by technology.  
 
5.  Before concluding the discussion under  this agenda item , the Chairperson stated that the 
Working Group had, in the past, worked very closely with other intergovernmental organizations 
which had, for years, done some useful  work on technology generation, innovation, and its 
transfer. That  work had primarily focused on addressing specific knowledge tra nsfer and in 
promoting capacity -building program mes. She believed that such close collaboration was 
important in furthering the mandate of the Group. In that  context, she encouraged Members to 
closely follow the work in those organizations and expressed her inten tion of exploring possibilities  
with, of course , Members' ag reement on  benefitting from suc h work in this area, by those 
international organizations.  In addition, while underscoring the importance of the knowledge -
sharing exercise in the work of the Group, she encouraged Members to consider making c ountry 
presentations and share  national experiences, highlighting through national example s, the role 
that trade might have  played or could play in facilitating technology transfer.  
 
6.  She informed Mem bers that both the World Intellectual Property Organization  (WIPO ) and 
the Food and Agriculture Organization  (FAO) had approached her and had exp ressed interest in 
sharing the  work they had undertaken in the area of technology, it s generation, innovation and  
transfer. Members agreed to invite WIPO  and FAO to make presentations on their work on 
technology and innovation at one of the future meetings of the  Working Group  during the course 
of the year.  
D. ANY POSSIBLE RECOMME NDATIONS ON STEPS TH AT MIGHT BE TAKEN WI THIN 
THE MANDATE OF THE W TO TO INCREASE FLOWS  OF TECHNOLOGY TO DEV ELOPING 
COUNTRIES  
7. Under the agenda item on possible recommendations that the Work ing Group could make in 
the future,  the proponents informed that they continued to work on a formal submission which 
they hoped to table in the Wor king Group in the near future.  
E. OTHER BUSINESS  
8. No matter w as raised under "Other Business".  
9. The meeting was adjourned . 
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