. /. RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/WGTTT/M/13 
7 November 2005 
 (05-5215) 
Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology 
Thirteenth Session  
 
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 11 OCTOBER 2005 
 
Chairperson:  H.E. Mr. Manuel A.J. Teehankee (Philippines)    
  
 
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 ............................................................................................................................... ...1 
D. OTHER BUSINESS ........................................................................................................................2  
 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
1. The agenda contained in Airgram WTO/ AIR/2672 of 27 September 2005 was adopted.  The 
Chairman informed Members that the representa tive of INSME would make a presentation on the 
activities of her organization under ''Other Business''.  The Chairman also indicated that, additionally, 
under ''Other Business'' he would be soliciting Member s' views on the possible contents of the draft 
paragraph on Trade and Transfer of Technology, that  he was required to provide as an input in the 
preparation of the draft Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration.   
B. ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRADE AND TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY  
2. Under agenda item B, the Chairman invited Members to provide further comments on a study 
on ''Taxation and Technology Transfer:  Key Issu es'' that was presented by UNCTAD at the last 
meeting of the Working Group or, to introduce if they so wished, any new element as part of 
Members' continued consideration of the analysis of the relationship between trade and transfer of 
technology.  However, no Member asked for the floor under this agenda item. 
C. ANY POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS ON STEPS THAT MIGHT BE TAKEN WITHIN THE 
MANDATE OF THE WTO  TO INCREASE FLOWS OF TECHNOLOGY TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES  
3. Under agenda item C, which related to the consideration of possible recommendations on 
steps that might be taken within the mandate of the WTO to increase flows of technology to 
developing countries, Members engaged in a constructive discussion on a submission tabled by India, 
Pakistan and the Philippines.1  The submission highlighted the crucial role of technology and 
technical know-how for improving productivity,  promoting export growth and attaining 
developmental goals.  The submission also intr oduced certain recommendations that the Working 
                                                      
1 WT/WGTTT/W/10 WT/WGTTT/M/13 
Page 2  
 
 Group could make for the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference.  These included:  steps to expand 
technical assistance under the TRIPS Agreemen t;  measures to encourage and incentivize 
multinational firms in developed countries to perfo rm science and technology development work in 
host countries;  adoption of practices that facilitate technology transfer and its rapid diffusion in the 
developing countries;  discouraging the use of rest rictive business practices by technology owners;  
and ways of expanding or encouraging the mobilit y of scientists, technologists and technicians under 
GATS Agreement.  
4. A number of Members thought that the submission was a useful contribution to the 
deliberations of the Working Group as it was focused  and contained pragmatic elements for possible 
recommendations that the Working Group could cons ider in future.  However, a few Members 
questioned the competence of the Working Group to address some of the issues raised in the 
submission.  These Members felt that these issues should ideally be addressed in the relevant WTO 
bodies which were equipped with the necessary knowle dge and expertise to do so.  However, other 
Members reiterated that the Working Group was the appropriate forum to discuss these issues because 
Ministers at Doha had mandated it to do so, and even more importantly, because transfer of 
technology was a cross-cutting issue which could on ly be considered in a holistic manner in a body 
which had a broader perspective.  Members decide d to discuss the submission in further detail in 
future meetings of the Working Group. 
D. O
THER BUSINESS  
5. Under "Other Business", the representative of  International Network for Small and Medium 
Enterprises (INSME), a non-profit organization based in Italy, made a presentation on the activities of 
her organization.  Members were informed that  the work of INSME was aimed at promoting 
public-private partnership and trans-national co operation as well as stimulating dialogue and 
networking among major players on Small and Medium  Enterprises' (SMEs) innovation.  The core 
business of INSME was promotion and diffusion of  technology and innovation  through a facilitative 
role in mutual learning techniques.  The presentati on was welcomed by Members as a useful input to 
the deliberations of the Working Group. 
6. Under "Other Business", the Chairman also solicited Members' views on the possible contents 
of the draft paragraph on Trade and Transfer of Technology, that he was required to provide as an 
input in the preparation of the draft Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration.  The Chairman informed Members that a meeting had been convened by the Chair of the General Council, on 28 September 2005, to discuss preparations for the Hong Kong Ministerial Meeting, in which he and 
other Chairpersons had been asked to provide, on their own responsibility, text for the draft 
Ministerial Declaration.  The Chairman said that in his view a possible basis of identifying the 
elements of the draft paragraph c ould be the text on trade and transfer of technology in the draft 
Cancún Ministerial Declaration.  However, it was up to the Members to provide him guidance in this 
regard.  No comments were offered.  Consequently, the Chairman stated that he would prepare a draft 
text and, if necessary, hold some limited informal consultations before forwar ding it to the Chair of 
the General Council. 
7. In closing, the Chairman informed Members that the next meeting of the Working Group was 
tentatively scheduled for Friday, 11 November 2005
.  
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