RESTRICTED  
  
WT/WGTTT/M/51  
 
3 May 2016  
(16-2472)  Page: 1/2  
Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology 
Fifty-First Session    
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 14 MARCH 2016 
Chairperson: H.E. Mr. Luis Enrique Chávez Basagoitia (Peru) 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA .................................................................................... 1  
B. ELECTION OF THE CHAIRPERSON ............................................................................ 1  
C. ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP  BETWEEN TRADE AND TRANSFER OF 
TECHNOLOGY .......................................................................................................... 1  
D. ANY POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS ON STEPS THAT MIGHT BE TAKEN 
WITHIN THE MANDATE OF THE WTO TO INCREASE FLOWS OF 
TECHNOLOGY TO DEVELO PING COUNTRIES ............................................................ 2  
E. OTHER BUSINESS .................................................................................................... 2  
 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
1. The agenda contained in Airgram WTO/AIR/WGTTT/4 of 4 March 2016 was adopted.  
B. ELECTION OF THE CHAIRPERSON  
2. The Working Group formally elected Ambassador Lu is Enrique Chávez Basagoitia of Peru as 
the Chairperson of the Working Group. 
C. ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRADE AND TRANSFER OF 
TECHNOLOGY  
3. Under the agenda item on the relationship between trade and transfer of technology, 
Members recalled the discussion that they had had,  at the last session of the Working Group, on 
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development an d the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 
contained therein. SDG 17 relates to strengthenin g the means of implementation and revitalizing 
global partnership for sustainable development. Th e discussion at the meeting highlighted the role 
of trade and technology in achieving sustainable development, in particular, under targets set out 
in SDGs 17:6 and 17:7 on technology, 17:11 on trade and 17:16 on multi-stakeholder 
partnerships.  
4. The discussions underlined the importance of  technology and technical know-how in 
improving productivity, promoting export growth and attaining the development aspirations of the 
developing countries and least developed countries. The proponents repeated their request for sharing of national experiences, particularly  by those Members that have undergone rapid 
development in the last few decades. It was felt that such experience-sharing would not only 
enrich the discussion in the Working Group but woul d also help technology-deficient countries to 
make more informed choices in their pursuit on the path to development.  
5. The Chairman also encouraged Members to share their national experience bringing in good 
examples, highlighting national policies as well as  challenges they faced in promoting innovation, 
technology generation, its assimilation and transfer . In his view such an exercise would generate 
an honest and open debate on the complex nexu s between trade and transfer of technology and WT/WGTTT/M/51 
 
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  help the Working Group to get a better sense of the potential opportunities and challenges that 
developing countries faced in the area of technology.  
6. Chinese Taipei informed the Working Group that it would make a national presentation at 
the next session of Working Group, highlighting it s experience and good examples in the field of 
innovation, technology generation and its transfer to other trading partners as well as the role it 
had played in the economic development of the country. 
D. 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 recommendations 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 – A Step to Increase Flows of 
Technology to Developing Countries".  
8. The proponents explained that one of the po ssible recommendations that the Working Group 
could make was the establishment of a dedica ted WTO webpage on technology transfer. The 
proposed webpage could serve as a one-stop-shop on technology-related issues and could, among others, include information on the following: (i) description of all technology and its transfer-
related provisions in the WTO Agreements; (ii) reports on the nature of incentives provided by the 
governments to firms under Article 66.2 of the Agreement on TRIPS; and (iii) links to IP information data bases, technology transfer offices, and technology and innovation research institutions across the globe.  
9. Members hoped that the proponents would be able to table, in the next few weeks, a formal 
submission highlighting the characteristics of th e proposed webpage for further discussion in the 
Working Group. The Chairman also  reiterated the importance of a formal submission on the 
proposed webpage and encouraged the proponents to do the needful before the next session of 
the Working Group so that Members could seek guidan ce from their capitals in time for a positive 
engagement.  
10. While concluding, the Chairman reiterated that  it had been over 14 years since the Working 
Group was established by the Ministers in Doha with a clear mandate to work upon. The Working 
Group still remained far from fulfilling the Ministerial mandate. The Chairman felt that the responsibility for propelling the work towards a meaningful progress lay on Members, especially 
the proponents. In that context, he encouraged th e proponents to table their formal submission as 
early as possible so that the Working Group could proceed with constructive and meaningful work so as to fulfil our mandate. He also indicated that he was planning to start a process of informal 
consultations with Members so as to illicit their views on how to advance the work in the Group. 
E. OTHER BUSINESS 
11. No matter was raised under "Other Business". 
12. The meeting was adjourned. 
 
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