RESTRICTED  
  
WT/WGTTT/M/43  
 
25 September 2013  
(13-5118)  Page: 1/2  
Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology 
Forty-Third Session    
 
 NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 4 JULY 2013 
Chairperson:  H.E. Mrs Wafaa Bassim (Egypt) 
 
A. ADOPTION OF TH E AGENDA .................................................................................... 1  
B. ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIOSHIP 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 CO UNTRIES ................................................................................................ 2  
D. OTHER BUSINESS .................................................................................................... 2  
 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
1.  The agenda contained in Airgram WTO/AIR/4152 of 21 June 2013 was adopted.  
B. ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIOSHIP BETWEEN TRADE AND TRANSFER OF 
TECHNOLOGY  
2.  Under the agenda item relating to the Relati onship between Trade and Transfer of Technology, 
the representative of Pakistan shared their ex perience on the use of technology to improve 
financial services, data management, information technology and its positive impact on people's 
life. The presentation, while underscoring the impo rtance of technology transfer in integrating 
developing countries into the global economy, highlighted how information technology (IT) 
working together with the financial sector has played an important role in providing mobile 
financial services. In this context, e-banking and "easypaisa" – a mobile financial service - launched by Telenor Pakistan and Ta'ameer Bank in 2009 and "Khushal Munafa" – another mobile 
financial service – introduced in 2013 were specifically mentioned. The presentation pointed out 
that these services have resulted in financial empowerment including with a huge impact on gender empowerment and extension of financial facilities to the rural areas in Pakistan.  
3.  The presentation underscored that under the "easypaisa" scheme a mobile account can be 
opened in less than three minutes on an individual's mobile phone and the users can have the 
facility of depositing or withdrawing cash, paying utility bills and transfer money from their mobile account through easypaisa shops throughout Pakistan. Considering that 80% of the adult 
population in Pakistan has no bank account and 62% use mobile phone services, easypaisa aims to 
provide financial inclusion and convenient access to secure financial services through the use of technology for the urban as well as the rural population. A study conducted by the Boston 
Consulting Group shows that mobile financial services may increase financial inclusion in Pakistan 
by 20% and lead to an increase in GDP of up to 3% by 2020. Khushal Munafa – another mobile 
money saving product - focuses on promoting micro savings and reduces vulnerability of low income families and rural population. Both thes e schemes provided good examples of use of 
technology for improving the quality of  life including gender empowerment. WT/WGTTT/M/43 
 
- 2 - 
 
  4.   In addition, the representative of Egypt su ggested that the Working Group could structure its 
work by unbundling various elements that constitu te the nexus between technology transfer and 
trade and identifying different themes and sub-th emes so as to frame and focus discussion on 
specifics issues.  
5.  UNCTAD indicated that they would like to present their recent study titled, "Technology and 
Innovation Report 2012: Innovation, Technology and South-South Co-operation" to the Group at 
its next session. However, the United States (US) objected, saying that they first wished to seek 
clarity about the procedure for other organizati ons to make presentations to the Group. The 
Secretariat explained that in line with the Work  Programme agreed in 2003 the basis of work on 
the relationship between trade and transfer of te chnology has been the submissions by Members, 
work by other intergovernmental organizations, ac ademia and sharing of country experiences. It 
was also indicated that a very large number of organizations have made presentations to the 
Working Group in the past. However, the US did not agree, at least for the time being, to UNCTAD 
sharing their report with Members until they had consulted their capital on this. 
6.  Pakistan also proposed that the Working Group invite Trade and Environment Division of the 
WTO to share the findings of a workshop that they had organized on "Environmental Technology Dissemination" on 12 November 2012.  
C. ANY POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS ON STEPS THAT MIGHT BE TAKEN WITHIN 
THE MANDATE OF THE WTO TO INCREASE FLOWS OF TECHNOLOGY TO DEVELOPING 
COUNTRIES 
7.  Under the agenda item on Possible Recommend ations that the Working Group could make in 
the Future, Members continued their discussion of an earlier submission entitled ''Facilitating 
Access to Information on Appropriate Technology Sourcing – Steps to Increase Flows of Technology to Developing Countries''. The proponents indicated that they were still in the process 
of revising their submission. In this context, th e importance of national experience sharing was 
underlined so as to help the proponents to und ertake informed revision of the submission.  
D. OTHER BUSINESS  
8.  Under "Other Business", a revised communication from Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and Peru 
on a proposed workshop on Trade and Transfer of Technology later this year was considered. 
Members agreed, in principle, to hold the workshop. The Chairperson indicated her intention to hold further informal consultations among key players to firm up the dates for the workshop as 
well as to discuss other logistic and financial aspects of the activity. 
9.  The meeting was adjourned.   
 
 
 
__________