. /.  RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/WGTTT/M/19 
12 June 2007 
 (07-2458) 
Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology 
Nineteenth Session  
 
 
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 12 APRIL 2007 
 
Chairpersons:  H.E. Mr. Manuel A. J. Teehankee (Philippines) for items A and B  
and H.E. Mr. Kwabena Baah-Duodu (Ghana) for items C to E   
 
 
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 T HAT MIGHT BE TAKEN WITHIN THE 
MANDATE OF THE WTO  TO INCREASE FLOWS OF TECHNOLOGY TO DEVELOPING 
COUNTRIES ............................................................................................................................... ...2 
E. OTHER BUSINESS .........................................................................................................................2  
 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
1. The agenda contained in Airgram WT O/AIR/2986 of 29 March 2007 was adopted . 
B. ELECTION OF THE CHAIRPERSON  
2. On the basis of consultations held by the Chairman of the General Council, the Working 
Group elected  H.E. Mr. Kwabena Baah-Duodu of Ghana as Chairperson of the Working Group.  
C. ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRADE AND TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY  
3. Members continued their consideration of the relationship between trade and transfer of 
technology on the basis of a briefing by UNCTAD (provided at a previous meeting) on their ongoing work on "Trends in Cross-Border Flows of T echnology".  Commending the UNCTAD contribution as 
positive to the work of the Working Group, Member s requested that the final version of the UNCTAD 
study should be made available to the Working Group.  They hoped that this would facilitate 
discussion in the Working Group and lead to a better  understanding of the relationship between trade 
and transfer of technology.  In that context, th e Chairman again invited Members' attention to the 
importance of knowledge sharing in the deliberations  of the Working Group and encouraged them to 
make country presentations so that they could shar e with other Members their national experiences of 
technology generation and its transfer.  He stated th at national examples that hi ghlighted the role that 
trade could play in facilitating technology transfer would add value to the discussions in the Working 
Group.  The representative of the Philippines indicated that it might make a country presentation on its experience with technology ge neration, innovation and technology transfer in one of the future 
meetings of the Working Group. WT/WGTTT/M/19 
Page 2  
  D. 
ANY POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS ON  STEPS THAT MIGHT BE TAKEN WITHIN THE MANDATE 
OF THE WTO  TO INCREASE FLOWS OF TECHNOLOGY TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES  
4. Under agenda item relating to the considerati on of possible recommendations on steps that 
might be taken within the mandate of the WTO to increase flows of technology to developing 
countries, India, Pakistan and the Philippines intr oduced a revised version of the room document, 
submitted earlier at the 17th Session of the Working Group.  In the revised room document, the 
proponents had built upon the recommendations contained in their earlier submission 
(WT/WGTTT/W/10) and provided responses to some of  the queries and clarification sought by some 
developed Members.  The issues highlighted in the revised room document included:  linkage between Articles 67, 66.2 and 7 of the TRIPS Ag reement;  mechanisms on voluntary guidelines 
developed by OECD;  exchange of  information on investment and technology-related incentives and 
best practices in technology transfer; informati on sharing among patent offices;  and the linkage 
between technology transfer and the temporary m ovement of natural persons under Mode IV of 
GATS. 
5. The proponents also reiterated that the Working Group should not sideline issues related to 
transfer of technology merely because these touched upon what other WTO bodies might be dealing 
with.  Referring to the Montreal Protocol, a multilateral environmental agreement containing 
provisions on transfer of technology, it was sugg ested that it could be used as a model to develop 
possible recommendations on facilitating transfer of technology.  In this context, references were 
made, particularly, to Article 10 (Financial Mech anism) and Article 10(a) (Technology Transfer) of 
the Montreal Protocol.   
6. Members welcomed the revised room document as a step in the right direction in the 
deliberations of the Working Group and commended  its focused and pragmatic approach.  Some 
Members sought clarifications on certain issues ra ised in the revised document.  For example, 
referring to paragraph 10 in document WT/WGTTT/ W/10, one Member asked how the WTO could 
avoid duplication of work in other organizations if  it were to act under the guidelines being proposed.  
That Member also did not see the need for making any clarifications with regard to technical 
assistance in Article 67 of the TRIPS Agreement, as sought in paragraph 7 of the above referred 
document.  Another Members sought guidance on the a pplication of the mechanisms in the Montreal 
Protocol in the context of transfer of technology.  While appreciating the constructive approach of the 
revised room document, one Member reiterated its  view on the role of other WTO bodies and the 
expertise available therein in the deliberative process of the Working Group.  Some Members 
suggested that the proponents should consider tablin g  the room document as a formal submission so 
as to facilitate the reflection process in the capitals.  
7. The proponents stated that they would cons ider tabling the room document as a formal 
submission at an opportune time.  They indicated that  they were in the process of revising document 
WT/WGTTT/W/10 in the light of views and comments made by Members.  In this context, the proponents requested Members to provide their co mments and views in writing well before the next 
meeting of the Working Group so that they c ould frame suitable responses to ensure positive 
engagement and discussion.  With regard to the possible role of other WTO bodies, they expressed 
their willingness to consider how best to utilize the ex pertise available in these bodies so that the work 
in the Working Group could progress. 
E. 
OTHER BUSINESS  
8. The Chairman  informed Members that the next meeting of the Working Group had been 
tentatively scheduled for Friday, 13 July 2007.  
_________