 RESTRICTED  
  
WT/WGTTT/M/71  
 
13 November 2023  
(23-7625) Page: 1/21 
Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology  
Seventy -first Session  Original: English  
 
  
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 13 OCTOBER 2023  
Chairperson: H.E. Sofia Boza Martinez (Chile)  
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  ................................ ................................ ....................  1 
B. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, VOLUNTARY LICENSING AND TECHNOLOGY 
TRANSFER - COMMUNICATION FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM (WT/WGTTT/W/35)  .........  1 
C. THE ROLE OF TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY IN RESILIENCE BUILDING - 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE AFRICAN GROUP (WT/WGTTT/W/34/REV.1)  ....................  7 
D. ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRADE AND TRANSFER OF 
TECHNOLOGY  ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  14 
E. ANY POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS ON STEPS THAT MIGHT BE TAKEN 
WITHIN THE MANDATE  OF THE WTO TO INCREASE FLOWS OF TECHNOLOGY TO 
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES  ................................ ................................ ..............................  14 
F. OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 17 
 
A. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
1. The Chairperson  said that the 71st Session of the Working Group on Trade and Transfer of 
Technology (WGTTT, or the Working Group) was convened by Airgram WTO/AIR/WGTTT/24  and that 
the proposed agenda for the meeting was contained therein. She asked if any delegation wished to 
add any other issue under the agenda item "Other Business".  
2. The Representative of India said that his delegation wished to int roduce, under "Other Business", 
the communication contained in document JOB/WGTTT/2  titled, Reinvigorating discussions on the 
relationship between trade and the transfer of environmentally sound technologies to developing 
countries to address climate chang e. 
3. The Chairperson  said that, under "Other Business", she will inform Members about the Working 
Group's annual report to the General Council.  
4. The agenda was adopted  as amended.  
B. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, VOLUNTARY LICENSING AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER - 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE U NITED KINGDOM ( WT/WGTTT/W/35 ) 
5. The Chairperson  recalled that this item had been included on the agenda at the request of the 
United Kingdom.  
6. The Representative of the United Kingdom  delivered the following statement:  
7. The United Kingdom welcomes this oppo rtunity to introduce our paper on Intellectual Property, 
Voluntary Licensing and Technology Transfer in this Working Group, as part of our collective efforts 
towards future pandemic preparedness. The effects of the COVID -19 Pandemic are still being felt 
globally, particularly by developing and least developed countries.  WT/WGTTT/M/71  
 
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  8. While collective efforts to treat and contain COVID -19 remain important, we also consider it 
pragmatic to focus this Organization's expertise on the way in which it can be used to advance 
pandemic preparedness efforts for the future. Discussions should be inclusive of all Members' 
experience, particularly developing and least developing countries, as well as the licenser and the 
licensee.  
9. Many Members will know that we spoke to this paper a t the informal meeting of the TRIPS Council 
last Monday, 9 October 2023. We were grateful for the uptake and engagement in the discussion 
and for the interesting and detailed statements that were made by many Members. We have taken 
away those points raised , and we will consider them further.  
10. The landscape for voluntary licensing and technology transfer is complex. The effective 
protection and enforcement of IP rights is often a critical element to facilitating technology transfer 
as well as incentivizing t he research and development ecosystem. We also know that technology 
transfer is a topic of growing importance in the WTO, and the UK is very keen to hold evidence -based 
discussions to better understand Members' perspectives and potential ways forward. We t herefore 
believe that the Working Group on Trade and Technology Transfer can be part of this discussion and 
provide some valuable insights and experiences as we consider how the specific role of IP fits into 
the wider picture of technology transfer and all  of its elements.  
11. The UK paper seeks to recognize successes and also the shortcomings of the global COVID -19 
response in line with the Ministerial Declaration from MC12 on the WTO response to the COVID -19 
pandemic and preparedness for future pandemics. Th e core objective of our paper is to explore how 
the WTO can utilize and encourage and increase voluntary licensing partnerships and apply lessons 
learned from the COVID -19 Pandemic.  
12. The UK believes that the multilateral IP framework has been a successful contributor to the 
pandemic response, particularly in its role in facilitating voluntary licensing and technology transfer 
partnerships. But we recognize that such arrangements are not a panacea or a silver bullet, and that 
space exists for discussions on how access and delivery through voluntary licensing partnerships can 
be improved.  
13. Forming voluntary licensing partnerships is not always straightforward. While the UK has 
proposed this communication, we definitely do not hold all the answers. And that is why we have 
emphasised throughout the need for a collaborative process, one that reflects all Members' 
experiences, particularly those by developing and least developed Members. And I hope we will 
engage constructively with the questions in our papers to h elp facilitate this exchange and provide 
initial structure to really kickstart these important discussions.  
14. While IP is an important component of voluntary licensing and technology transfer, it is only 
one part of the solution. Therefore, while our paper is primarily focused on voluntary licensing, it 
must be considered alongside other cross cutting factors which create the ideal conditions for 
technology transfer to take place. Such factors may include, but are not limited to, the availability 
of sustaina ble manufacturing capacity, sustainable market demand underpinned by policy and 
demand forecasting, which creates incentives for licensees or generic companies experience of 
manufacturing for the relevant product, the availability of skilled personnel, adh erence to 
harmonized regulatory standards including those recognized internationally, rule of law being 
established and enforced to support an innovation friendly environment, and being a trusted partner 
demonstrating behaviour conductive to a trust -based relationship and clear economic development 
priorities which promote technology transfer and inward investment for continual development.  
15. Our paper does not intend, given how long that list was, to cover all of these comprehensively 
as only factors which relate to IP should be discussed within the TRIPS Council, and what focuses 
on technology transfer in this discussion. These other factors could sit well within this Working Group 
and the UK welcomes and hopes that we can generate a discussion of different  Members' experience 
today.  WT/WGTTT/M/71  
 
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  16. A fundamental feature of any discussion moving forward is the use of evidence and facts. That 
is why our paper includes an annex highlighting some of the successes where voluntary licensing 
has made a real tangible improvement to the pandemic response and has made a difference on the 
ground. Some of these examples include AstraZeneca's agreement with more than twenty 
experienced vaccine manufacturing organizations, enabling supply of over three billion doses to 190 
countries, wi th two thirds of those doses going to low and lower middle -income countries. Pfizer's 
agreement with the Medicine Patent Pool for their oral COVID -19 therapeutics. This agreement 
covers 95 countries, including sublicensing agreements with generic manufactu rers Gilead's 
non-executive voluntary licensing agreement with Remdesivir with generic pharmaceutical 
manufacturers based in India, Pakistan and Egypt, and this agreement enables supply to 127 
developing countries with eight million units going to low - and middle -income countries.  
17. The UK strongly encourages Members to contribute to this annex where possible. This is just 
a list that we have developed. We would like to see it extended, not just with successes, but also 
where there were difficulties. We woul d like a breadth of examples which will help to facilitate a 
constructive and transparent dialogue on what has been working well, and where we need to look 
to do more.  
18. We recognize the essential role of generics manufacturing and believe that during the l ife of 
a patent, this should be enabled by voluntary licensing agreements, which include technology and 
know -how transfer. This collaboration ensures that generics manufacturing adheres to regulated 
practices that are internationally recognized, so product s meet the necessary quality and safety 
standards.  
19. We hope that our paper will be the start of a rich discussion on voluntary licensing, with a 
view to exploring potential shared commitments by Members in this space for the future. And we 
encourage all Me mbers to engage with the paper's content, with its questions today and going 
forward. We are particularly keen to highlight that we are also available to talk after this meeting to 
any Member in more detail bilaterally. We would like to extend our thanks t o those that already 
shared their perspective and encourage more discussion here today. We feel optimistic about the 
direction of this conversation and the ways forward, and we look forward to the discussion.  
20. The Representative of Chile delivered the foll owing statement:  
21. Chile recognizes the importance of debates on equitable access to innovation and to 
technology, and on the role of the multilateral trading system in this access that has increased since 
the COVID -19 Pandemic.  
22. We share the conviction that  technology transfer has the potential to contribute significantly 
to resolving the pressing matters that affect our prosperity. Further, we share the understanding 
that technology transfer is a multifaceted process that requires the participation of many 
stakeholders based on cooperation and transparency.  
23. Having said that, we thank the United Kingdom for their communication, and we share the 
underlying principle of incentivizing voluntary technology transfer. Based on this understanding, we 
support examin ing the factors that incentivize technology transfer and to share the experiences that 
enable us to understand the practical applications of it. We fully understand the principle of 
technology transfer and the factors therein, and this allows us to underst and the role of the 
multilateral trading system in it and to engage in substantive in -depth work here at this Working 
Group.  
24. Also based on this understanding, we support complementing our work working with other 
bodies within the WTO and with other intern ational organisations such as, for example, the World 
Bank, the FAO, and WIPO, and with industry and with academia. In our opinion, this Working Group 
can benefit from and support the work of these stakeholders to enrich our discussions.  
25. The Representativ e of Japan  delivered the following statement:  WT/WGTTT/M/71  
 
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  26. Japan also recognizes the importance of voluntary licensing and would like to support 
constructive discussions on this proposal. We are aware that during the COVID -19 Pandemic, many 
voluntary licenses were adva nced, and vaccines and medicines and other products were made 
available in various regions.  
27. This document will help Members understand and discuss how voluntary licensing can work 
and can be improved. The annex of the document mentions several examples of voluntary licenses 
and we believe that it is important for Members to share their specific e xperience and promote 
discussions based on such evidence. Japan would like to be constructively involved in future 
discussions.  
28. The Representative of Colombia  delivered the following statement:  
29. It is encouraging to see the initiative of the United Kingdom  to explore intellectual property 
related matters in the context of voluntary licensing and technology transfer within the framework 
of the Agreement on TRIPS. This initiative is a significant step forward towards a more effective 
response to pandemics and  better preparedness for future public health crises.  
30. It is essential to recognize that voluntary licensing has been defended for many medical 
products, and there is solid evidence to show that this nevertheless is certainly the case. A lot of 
transaction s are based on public contracts and there is a clear need for better flexibility and more 
technology transfer, in particular when it comes to pandemic response and response to health crises. 
In many cases, there have been obligatory licenses, as we have se en recently, for HIV medication 
and so we fully support the suggestion of the United Kingdom, and we believe that this will allow us 
to engage in more exhaustive dialogue on relevant policies geared towards ramping up collective 
efforts to better prepare u s to respond to pandemics.  
31. It is also necessary for this dialogue to join up with work in different fora at the World Trade 
Organization in the different bodies, and the issues brought up by the United Kingdom are essential 
when it comes to furthering the se discussions. For example, we should explore exactly how we can 
facilitate voluntary licensing and technology transfer, given their importance and their prevalence.  
32. Currently, it is also important to investigate the necessary information that can enrich  these 
discussions. It is also crucial to learn from domestic as well as international experience, in both the 
public and private sectors, to understand exactly how domestic policies can contribute to better 
responding to pandemics and how we can adequatel y incentivize technology transfer and voluntary 
licensing. Furthermore, we should review the challenges that public entities may have faced in the 
past and how to overcome these challenges.  
33. The Representative of Switzerland  delivered the following stateme nt: 
34. Many factors are needed to create real incentives for technology transfer to happen, including 
the right infrastructure, a conducive business environment, sufficient absorption capacity, and last 
but not least, a well -functioning, reliable, safe, and e nforceable regulatory framework, including the 
protection of intellectual property rights. Ultimately, it is regularly the private sector which is the 
holder of technology, and it will decide, on the basis of these and other factors, whether and with 
whom to share its technology.  
35. We would like to thank the United Kingdom for its communication on voluntary licensing and 
technology transfer. This contribution constitutes a meaningful and constructive contribution to the 
discussion on technology transfer and related issues. Voluntary licensing enables partnerships to 
work in close collaboration when transferring technology, with the transfer assisting the recipient in 
implementing and maintaining the technology. The annex of this communication contains example s 
of successful voluntary licensing and technology transfer partnerships. Reflecting on the reasons as 
to why these examples have been successful would be useful. At the same time, we must address 
the barriers to effective partnerships as suggested in the UK's communication.  WT/WGTTT/M/71  
 
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  36. The Representative of India delivered the following statement:  
37. We would like to thank the UK for their submission. This communication takes up a very 
relevant and important issue. We are in the process of examining the submission and w ould revert 
with detailed comments on this submission. However, as preliminary comments, the paper 
emphasizes the need for improving equitable access to health products and technology as a shared 
objective, in the backdrop of ongoing debate on pandemic res ponse, and the role of WTO is therein, 
and this is very well appreciated.  
38. It is also appreciated that voluntary licensing played a role in scaling up production of health 
items and therefore availability of health product during the pandemic. We should no t be forgetting 
the harsh reality of pandemic that Member experienced serious supply constraints of COVID -19 
vaccine, therapeutics, diagnostic and other essential medical goods. It is also a fact that developing 
country and LDCs suffered much more due to w ell-known factors.  
39. The access to vaccine and other health product was anything but predictable or equitable or 
affordable. There are many barriers to it, lack of technology transfer and inflexibility in the IP regime 
figure at the very top in such barrier s.  
40. While we may debate on the enablers and the issues for voluntary licenses, which are very 
important, the challenges therein, the barrier thereto, as well as the gain accruing therefrom, we 
would like to emphasize and reiterate, as we have already debat ed quite extensively in WTO, that 
this has not been an adequate response to the COVID -19 Pandemic. Much more needed to be done. 
We must all be aware that voluntary licensing is not a silver bullet in the context, as also mentioned 
by the UK while introduci ng the submission. We needed measures by way of TRIPS waiver for 
vaccine, and also need extension of the TRIPS waiver to cover the production and supply of 
COVID -19 diagnostic and therapeutics.  
41. The debate around voluntary licenses must not in any way atte mpt undermining the ministerial 
mandate on the TRIPS waiver. We would be willing to engage in this deliberation provided the debate 
is an honest and balanced one, wherein developed Members reflect what they have done and what 
they are willing to do to cham pion the technology transfer. For example, we would like to know what 
measures have been taken by developed countries to facilitate technology transfer? How are 
developing Members incentivizing technology transfer? What measures did they take to develop 
technology in their backyards? And what flexibility under the WTO did they use, for example, relating 
to R&D under the SCM agreement and in the GATT area, for example, to develop these technologies? 
Whether similar kind of flexibilities are now needed by the  developing countries, what efforts 
developed countries have been taking to address the fact?  
42. There are a number of factors mentioned in paragraph 19 of the submission which in a way 
are cited to be enablers for technology transfer. So, it would be intere sting and useful to know what 
efforts developed country have taken on their part to address these factors? And also as regard the 
specific experiences on the barrier mentioned in paragraphs 20 and 21 which have not been 
elaborated, but just mentioned in th e submission. So, the concrete experiences there are missing 
while these are reiterated. However, the proponent has highlighted these instances of specific 
partnership successes. In that sense we see certain lop -sidedness in the submission. If we read, it 
appears as if in terms of all these paragraphs on the barriers or enablers action rests with the 
developing country. So that is the impression which comes in the first read.  
43. Therefore, we would like to reflect on the instances of challenges they see in te rms of 
behaviour of technology owners, particularly to abuse the propriety over technology. Further, the 
discussion would be healthier if it highlights any specific effort that developed Members may have 
made to check such abuses and the effort made therei n. Also, it would be of interest to all of us, 
particularly to developing countries, and LDCs, to know what financial commitment is there from the 
developed country to ensure access to such technology and investment, particularly in the context 
of environm ent projects where we see many unilateral actions? Also, in the context of TRIPS, we 
would like to hear from the proponent as to what further flexibility they envision as necessary for WT/WGTTT/M/71  
 
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  increasing the flow of technology, or not depriving the public the bene fit of new technologies, what 
efforts are required to ensure that voluntary licensing practices do not unfairly restrict access to 
technology in developing countries?  
44. We understand that this is an important topic and there are other topics of interest whi ch are 
now in this forum. But as we go on to talk and discuss these proposals and these issues, it would be 
important that all these issues are discussed comprehensively, and all the factors are taken into 
account with the balance in the responsibilities a nd action from all sides. And in that sense, we 
should in the Working Group be discussing as to how to take these discussions forward. We have a 
significant submission coming after this in the next item on the agenda, so perhaps there would be 
a point wher e we discuss as to how we take it forward. India, on its part, would engage constructively 
on the entire subject and contribute to the process.  
45. The Representative of the United States  delivered the following statement:  
46. We thank the United Kingdom for tak ing the time to contribute to this important discussion 
on voluntary licensing and technology transfer with its paper. We look forward to continuing this 
discussion in the relevant councils.  
47. The Representative of the European Union  delivered the following  statement:  
48. The European Union thanks the United Kingdom for its presentation and its paper. The topic 
of voluntary licensing is of key importance for the broader discussion on technology transfer and we 
support the objective of the submission, which is to  increase the understanding of factors that 
facilitate voluntary licensing and technology transfer partnerships, as the paper indicates, and 
according to the WIPO Patent Landscape.  
49. There is a large set of diverse collaborations that have formed during the  COVID -19 Pandemic. 
These collaborations should indeed be explored and factors that played a key role in their formation 
should be brought to light so as to increase our knowledge of best practices relating to voluntary 
licensing. And I agree with the UK t hat the experiences of those manufacturers that were not able 
to secure voluntary licensing are equally required for this exercise.  
50. The European Union is ready to enter into this discussion in order to share experiences, 
identify best practices, and reach  a better understanding on how to form successful partnerships 
that promote voluntary licensing and technology transfer.  
51. The Representative of Canada  delivered the following statement:  
52. Canada takes note of the submission made by the United Kingdom and wou ld like to express 
our appreciation for the UK's efforts to stimulate discussion both at the TRIPS Council, and at this 
Working Group, on voluntary licensing arrangements, particularly exchanges on how these tools can 
be further leveraged to facilitate pan demic preparedness and support access to medicines.  
53. Voluntary licensing arrangements can allow innovator companies and generic manufacturers 
to build sustainable relationships, thereby facilitating local production of essential health products in 
times of  need. Canada is a strong supporter of increasing sustainable regional manufacturing in 
low- and lower -middle -income countries. For instance, Canada has provided USD 45 million in 
support of the efforts of the World Health Organization and the Medicines Pa tent Pool to establish 
an mRNA technology transfer and manufacturing hub in South Africa. Canada has also provided 
USD 15 million to the Pan American Health Organization to facilitate technology transfer and to 
strengthen vaccine production in Latin Americ a and the Caribbean.  
54. Canada would be pleased to engage in further exchanges of national experiences on the topics 
of IP, voluntary licensing and technology transfer and looks forward to learning from the experiences 
of other Members in this regard.  WT/WGTTT/M/71  
 
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  55. The Representative of the Philippines  delivered the following statement:  
56. We do note the utility of voluntary licensing and fully support this modality in further 
discussions on lessons learned. However, we would note that voluntary licensing is appropriate  when 
there is a sufficiently mature private sector with players that have sufficient knowledge and 
technological capacities to utilize licensed intellectual property.  
57. In the absence of such capacities, the question becomes what other technology transfer 
modalities or support measures should be pursued? We find the UNCTAD Innovation and Technology 
Report of this year instructive, and they do pinpoint some examples of leapfrogging that were 
facilitated by domestic regulations and incentives, as well as demo nstration programmes and 
projects which embedded knowledge transfer as part of capital -intensive trade and investment 
projects. As a result, it may be instructive for the Working Group to specifically look at the spill over 
effects of pilot or demonstratio n projects.  
58. The Representative of the United Kingdom  delivered the following statement:  
59. We think it has been a really helpful starting point for this conversation. Many Members have 
commented and engaged, and it is positive sign and that they have said th at this is an important 
part of our response to COVID -19 and to future pandemics. We feel that this conversation is off to 
a good start, and we reiterate our offer to talk bilaterally to any Member about the proposal.  
60. The Chairperson  made the following rem arks: 
61. We have heard, since the bilateral consultations held earlier this year, that many of you see 
value in experience sharing and in analysing lessons learned from different processes regarding 
technology transfer. Some of you also mentioned that we need  a comprehensive examination of 
voluntary licensing because there are other models and there are also some limitations. I think that 
we can have a comprehensive and interesting discussion on this issue.  
62. On my part, as Chairperson, I will share that it is delightful when Members, on various sides 
of the development spectrum, translate their interest in technology transfer into action, which, in 
WTO jargon, is also known as Member -driven submission -lead process. I thank the UK delegation 
for its contribution , and I also thank each and every delegation for your constructive engagement.  
I hope that this discussion will continue after this meeting.  
63. The Working Group took note  of the statements made.  
C. THE ROLE OF TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY IN RESILIENCE BUILDING - 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE AFRICAN GROUP ( WT/WGTTT/W/34/REV.1 ) 
64. The Chairperson  recalled that this item had been included on the agenda at the request of 
Namibia on behalf of the African Group. She further made the following remarks:  
65. Members might recall that at the last session of the Working Group, held on 17 July 2023, the 
distin guished Representative of Egypt had introduced, on behalf of the African Group, the 
communication we are examining under this item on the agenda, including the broad range of 
themes and modalities it contains.  
66. It also was particularly rewarding for me as Chair that, despite the brief time since that 
communication had been circulated, the Working Group still engaged massively, pragmatically, and 
constructively. That meant that there is appetite and interest in discussing technology transfer, and 
we could al ready see convergence on some of the ideas that had been discussed. For example, the 
participation of external stakeholders to inform our deliberations, or increasing the cooperation with 
other committees, including through joint -sessions, and even, struct uring and planning activities in 
a work programme, which would help organize more efficiently activities and could, in my view, be 
a recommendation that the Working Group could submit for consideration by Ministers during MC13. 
I will give more details on this later on, before I turn to the annual report, under other business.  WT/WGTTT/M/71  
 
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  67. For now, I hope that the enthusiasm and positive engagement will continue to manifest so we 
can continue the already fruitful deliberations at this session. I would therefore like to  give the floor 
to the African Group's representative to update the Working Group on developments since they first 
introduced their submission.  
68. The Representative of Egypt  delivered the following statement:  
69. This communication is part of a set of submission s that the African Group submitted to several 
bodies in this Organization, and we presented those documents in the relevant bodies and have 
received reactions from delegations, which indicate interest in this matter.  
70. Some delegations sought to explore how  our deliberations in other bodies relate to what we 
do in this Working Group, and why should not we keep discussions here or there? We believe that 
discussing this concept altogether, the role of transfer of technology in this Working Group is very 
releva nt as well as in other bodies, given the technicality of those bodies, and of course, the 
intersection between transfer technology and the subject matter that we would discuss over there.  
71. Yet we would expect this Working Group to produce outcomes and reco mmendations 
according to its mandate. And I believe that we should be in a situation or in a position to start 
discussing what could be the outcome on this matter in MC13.  
72. Allow me to come up with a slightly different idea for the Members to explore. And I appreciate 
that Members might not be able to react to this idea today, and we can take it further either here 
or bilaterally. First, I wish to express our interest in the African Group as well as of course in Egypt 
in pursuing our discussions on the elem ents contained in the communication submitted by the African 
Group as it highlights the pivotal role of technology transfer in resilience building, especially for 
developing countries, including the LDCs. We take the opportunity to thank the UK for their 
communication which they have presented today. And also, the Indian delegation for its submission 
which will be introduced under "Other Business". We believe that the elements contained in the two 
submissions would, together with the African Group's submiss ion, form the basis for the elements 
that could shape up the future of our deliberations. Both documents are being analysed and we will 
come back to react and reflect on them in the future.  
73. We fully recognize the significance of this topic, technology tre nds. Given the global challenges 
we are facing, including with respect to the public health crisis, environmental sustainability and 
economic development and food security, we firmly believe that the Working Group on Trade and 
Transfer of Technology is ver y well suited to advance the discussions on the matters proposed by 
the African Group. To that end, we suggest restructuring the agenda of the Working Group to 
comprehensively reflect the content and modalities contained in the African Group Submission.  
74. I participated in several meetings of the Working Group, and I saw a lot of experiences shared 
and presentations coming from different walks, from different countries, from different experts. And 
it is sporadic and running in a very random manner, I am sorr y to say. But I see things relating to 
the SPS agreements, things relating to other topics, and restructuring these and putting them on 
the relevant agenda items so we can be focused, maybe fine tuning the objective of the experience 
sharing exercise altog ether.  
75. The idea is to ensure structured and focused discussions on certain matters and in a manner 
that would lead to meaningful outcomes, aligned with the Working Group's objectives and with the 
new challenges we are facing. We kindly request the Members hip to reflect and consider 
restructuring the Working Group's agenda during the upcoming sessions. We will be submitting our 
ideas on this issue to the Secretariat for Members to analyse.  
76. The Representative of Brazil  delivered the following statement:  
77. Brazil thanks Egypt and the African Group for its submission; as well as the UK and India for 
their respective submissions. I would like to support the idea just suggested by my colleague from WT/WGTTT/M/71  
 
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  Egypt and extend it, so the new agenda covers the proposals made b y the African Group but also 
topics reflected in other proposal such as the paper the UK just presented.  
78. The Representative of Chile delivered the following statement:  
79. As mentioned regarding the UK's proposal, we recognize the importance of technology tra nsfer 
and the multilateral trading system in the different fora of the WTO. We are very interested in this 
matter. We wanted it to be enhanced and not reduced in the future. We also are aware of the 
challenges facing us regarding food security, health, and  the digital divide amongst many others. 
We can see a growing interest in that technology could help us to overcome these challenges or at 
least reduce them.  
80. We are interested in the communication of the African Group and would like to discuss it 
further in this Working Group. We would like to debate the relationship between technology transfer 
and economic development, particularly technology transfer in the increase in productivity, and 
agricultural productivity in developing and least developed countrie s; as well as transfer of 
technology to enhance industrial development, and in diversifying their economies to better integrate 
into the regional and global value chains, including the green economy; and the technology 
assistance for developing and least d eveloping countries and also how to enable MSMEs in developing 
at least developed countries to benefit from these technology transfer tools, instruments, 
agreements, and platforms. In a similar vein, and as also mentioned in the communication from the 
UK, we would support experience sharing and technical assistance between the different bodies of 
the WTO, other international organizations, and academia.  
81. The Representative of Japan  delivered the following statement:  
82. Japan appreciates the submission made by the African group. We recognize that the series of 
proposals on technology transfer such as WT/GC/W/883 , which is the umbrella of WT/GC/W/884  for 
the TRIPS Agreement, and WT/GC/W/885  for Agriculture, WT/GC/W/886  for cl imate change, 
WT/GC/W/887  for Trade Facilitation, WT/GC/W/888  for E-commerce. All of which could provide a 
good opportunity to learn about the interest on the part of the proposing Members and to distinguish 
between what falls under the core competencies o f the WTO and what does not.  
83. In order for technology transfer to be effective for industrial development, we would like to 
point out the following three points which we believe are needed: first, an understanding of technical 
information; second, technica l capabilities of the recipient country to implement this information into 
products; and third, the proper management skills to make the product viable as a business. These 
three elements are required. The aforementioned second and third points are related  to the private 
sector of recipient government and the business sector, which can be significantly affected by various 
sectors outside of the WTO framework, such as market needs, investment, climate regulatory 
framework and human resources development. In this context, points two and three are not directly 
covered by the WTO agreement and are not relevant to the WTO discussion of the rights and 
obligation of its Members.  
84. In addition, technology transfer requires mutual cooperation and efforts based on 
partnerships, which cannot be achieved by unilateral changing or revoking rules. So, taking into 
consideration these elements, Japan would like to engage in this important discussion in a 
constructive manner.  
85. The Representative of Colombia  delivered the follo wing statement:  
86. Relative to the proposal by Egypt, and as stated by my colleague from Brazil, it is a very good 
idea. Of course, we will have to consult our capital, but in general terms, the restructuring of the 
agenda is an idea to endorse, and we look w ith good eyes on the proposal.  
87. With regard to the communication under review, we believe that it is an interesting and 
important discussion to bring on the issue of the modalities for discussions. Paragraph 4.1 on the WT/WGTTT/M/71  
 
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  matters related to development and al so ICT technologies and also medicines and pharmaceuticals 
in general terms, there are interesting topics we like also to underscore and to bring to your attention 
the relationship between this paper and also the communication that will be presented by Ind ia. 
There are some commonalities, especially with regard to the issue of climate change and transfer of 
technology. In that regard also, we would like to bring for discussion other related issues, maybe 
not for this session, but maybe for the following mee tings on the technology transfer priorities 
related to climate change, technology needs assessments, technology action plans, technology 
priorities by developing countries and LDCs. And I think that could be also a good complement for 
the proposal by the A frican Group and India.  
88. The Representative of the European Union  delivered the following statement:  
89. The European Union reiterates its thanks to the African Group for the six papers that it has 
put forward on the issue of technology transfer. The EU remain s open to discuss the individual 
papers, also in the relevant WTO bodies.  
90. We think it is important to share experiences on the issues and to understand in terms of 
technology transfer, what works and what does not. We have questions about the African Grou p 
papers, but I hesitate to go forward with substantive questions when my dear colleague from Egypt 
has had to leave the room. And in fact, none of the 34 proponents of the proposal is present in the 
room.  
91. So, I will not speak so much about substance, but  about process. We have been engaging 
both in this Working Group and in the committees where papers related to technology transfer have 
been tabled. But we have a question about how this work can best be organized. Chair, for instance, 
when you mentioned r estructuring the agenda, we in a way have already started. The agenda of 
this meeting already looks different from what we were used to over the years. So that sort of 
restructuring is useful. And my Brazilian colleague was hinting that it could be quite u seful if those 
technology transfer discussions that take place in other committees are somehow brought back or 
reported on here. Because personally, for instance, I do not cover any of the committees in which 
the thematic papers are tabled, barring some ex ceptions, exceptional cases. That is one of the 
questions that we ask: How can this all be brought together so that we can have more structure in 
what we are trying to do, and that we can also find a forum to start discussing those substantive 
questions th at we have?  
92. As I said, I will not go through those substantive questions. It does not seem to be the right 
occasion, but one of them is also more process oriented. I think what I really appreciate in the 
African Group umbrella paper that is on the agenda today is the space that is reserved for bringing 
in the expertise of other international organizations, of other stakeholders, and of other committees. 
And there again, Chair, we are facing a big question that if we want this to happen, how are we 
going to  organize it? So as the paper itself says, deeper engagement is required. How are we going 
to organize that?  
93. The Representative of Switzerland  delivered the following statement:  
94. We would like to thank the African Group for its communication listed under t his agenda item. 
There is still a lot to be learned on how effective technology transfer can take place. In this regard, 
additional analysis, as well as exchanging views and sharing experience may be useful in order to 
gather and discuss evidence and to ge t a better understanding on the relationship between trade 
and technology transfer. It also seems essential to take into account efforts that are made in other 
international fora in order to build on existing work rather than duplicate it. Accordingly, our  
delegation welcomes the fact that the communication of the African Group includes these elements. 
Again, it is paramount that the experience of the private sector can feed.  
95. The document under review lists a number of themes and questions that should be f urther 
analysed or assessed. In our view, considering the specificities of the different themes, these 
discussions should take place first and foremost in the relevant WTO bodies.  WT/WGTTT/M/71  
 
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  96. As to the proposition by Egypt to restructure the agenda, we are certainly open to find better 
ways to improve the structure of our discussions and we are ready to discuss any proposition that 
would be made.  
97. The Representative of the United Kingdom  delivered the following statement:  
98. The UK would like to thank the African Group f or adding to the discussion on technology 
transfer and to Egypt for its discussion. Technology and innovation have a key role to play in 
achieving sustainable development goals and we recognise that developing countries often face 
barriers to adopting inno vations. For the UK, a key part of this conversation is to reach a shared 
understanding of what technology transfer means in a trade context with such a broad and cross 
cutting topic.  
99. As we can see with the African Group papers, there is much scope for di fferent interpretations, 
which makes it difficult to have a constructive and progressive discussion. So, we would welcome 
the African Group thoughts on how they define technology transfer as part of a way to help us reach 
common agreement.  
100.  We would also l ike to thank Egypt for the suggestions that they made today on combining 
efforts between the different papers and proposals and on the ways forward to restructure the 
agenda for the Working Group. As mentioned by the distinguished delegate from Switzerland , we 
are also open to finding ways to improve the conversations, to make them as constructive and 
helpful as possible, and we look forward to seeing the ideas in detail in writing and we can consider 
in more detail.  
101.  The Representative of South Africa  delivered the following statement:  
102.  I must apologize for not having been in the room when my distinguished colleague from Egypt 
made the presentation as I am attending the fisheries negotiations concurrently.  
103.  South Africa fully endorses and supports the paper presented, and the proposal to restructure 
the agenda. We have heard some thoughts about how we could coordinate or structure the work 
that is taking place in this body. And in the subject to specific bodies, colleagues will be aware that 
some of us in the  various committees, since the overarching paper was presented in this body, we 
have also presented the subject specific papers in the context of the Work Programme on 
E-commerce, in the context of TRIPS, in the context of trade facilitation, and agricultu re. We have 
heard some comments today that the subject specific committees are the appropriate forum for this 
discussion. Certainly, we do agree that the subject specific committees have an important role to 
play, and hence we have submitted content domain  to the specific committees in those bodies.  
104.  However, we believe that the Working Group has an important coordinating role, and we would 
request that you, Madam Chair, could coordinate with the chairs of the relevant subject specific 
bodies and that this body could then play the role of a central clearing house and forum to digest 
and to synthesize the work of the subject specific bodies. We are open to hearing ideas on how best 
this can be actualized. I heard the distinguished colleague from the EU indica ting that he had some 
specific questions; I will be happy to receive those questions today or alternatively they could be 
transferred through the Secretariat to my delegation or that of Egypt.  
105.  We do thank colleagues for their very active engagement, and i ndeed for us this has been 
quite illuminating. It is not the end of the conversation, as the colleague from Egypt has said, we 
are starting this discussion and the proposals around the restructuring are a way to ensure and 
facilitate this going forward. I look forward to further engagement.  
106.  The Representative of India delivered the following statement:  
107.  We would like to reiterate our thanks to the Africa Group for their various submissions which 
are significant and important. We would also like to echo that  enhancing technology transfer is WT/WGTTT/M/71  
 
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  critical for addressing the multiple challenges which we are confronting. As discussions have gone, 
and the interest which we have seen, what we realize, and we all have agreed so far, are that these 
submissions present be fore us several elements in these submissions. We have also made our 
submission. However, we now see that interest is developing and that this issue is gaining traction. 
There seems to be appetite and interest on the issue of technology transfer and the re levance which 
it has in addressing the challenges.  
108.  Chair, as we look at the submission, there are issues which are horizontally spread into expert 
bodies. The Africa Group submission flows to TRIPS, trade facilitation, climate, and E -commerce as 
well as f ood security. While these are the issues which can be seen in the respective committees, 
we see a common thread, these issues are interwoven, and in the end, what we are looking for is 
how the flow of technology could be enhanced to developing countries. I f seen in its entirety, the 
issue of flow of technology to developing countries for their development and for addressing the 
challenges which developing countries are facing, then we see that the mandate lies with this 
Working Group. This Working Group has  overarching mandate on this. The Working Group as such 
reports to the General Council.  
109.  In that sense, considering the discussion which we had and the nature of issues which we 
would be dealing with, it makes lot of sense that these horizontal issues are actually taken up in a 
structured and coherent manner. Taking all these submissions toget her and identifying all those 
elements where we need discussion, so that we have a useful discussion, and we come to some 
tangible outcome. Otherwise, what would happen is that there are submissions, and we are 
discussing, and as our European colleague als o mentioned, that the process now going forward is 
very important. And considering the importance and considering the way developing countries are 
looking into it, and the Africa Group paper also that going forward, if the agenda could be structured, 
eleme nt could be identified, process could be identified, it would be a good beginning for discussion 
of the topic as well as taking any mandate that we may be needing from the MC13.  
110.  Therefore, we would agree with what other Members have mentioned, we would be  happy to 
have a structured discussion. If that requires restructuring also that would be good. So, we would 
like you, Chair, to consider these suggestions and suggest a way forward as to how we proceed from 
here on for a meaningful discussion on the very crucial topic to all of us.  
111.  The Representative of Argentina  delivered the following statement:  
112.  We wish to thank the United Kingdom and the African Group, in particular Egypt, for your 
briefings on the documents being considered on the agenda of today's me eting. On the submission 
by the African Group, we see that this document addresses matters that are being dealt with in 
different committees at the WTO and also at other international organizations. We understand that 
this thematic variety needs to be deal t with due to the unique characteristics of technology transfer 
in the corresponding committees. For example, the Work Programme on E -commerce in which 
Argentina has presented its vision on technology transfer.  
113.  For this reason, we see the value and the im portance in this Working Group due to its specific 
characteristics and its mandate; we also see value in having discussions on exactly what the work 
programme would be, and what the methodology would be, and the modalities that we would use 
to work on thes e proposals, and also what the most appropriate way would be to reach conclusions.  
114.  So, we see value in considering the revised proposal of Egypt. This proposal is being submitted 
to my capital for their response, and while we are waiting for their feedbac k, we are interested in 
discussing reorganizing the agenda, as Egypt suggested.  
115.  The Representative of Korea  delivered the following statement:  
116.  Korea understands the importance of access to technology as a potential instrument for 
economic development and growth, particularly for LDCs. However, one approach that helps one 
Member succeed cannot guarantee another success under different conditions. We believe that only WT/WGTTT/M/71  
 
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  after further factual and evidence -based discussions through relevant venues in the WTO wil l we be 
able to identify what is needed, and how to move forward, finding it useful to listen to other 
colleagues' suggestions on the way forward.  
117.  Korea believes that technical discussions with related international organizations and 
experience sharing am ong Members in the relevant WTO committees would equip us with more 
details and knowledge. We believe this will guide us to more concrete solutions. Korea stands ready 
to further engage with this issue going forward.  
118.  The Representative of the United States  delivered the following statement:  
119.  The US welcomes the papers and ideas put forward on behalf of the African Group. Because 
these papers reflect on broad ideas and suggestions that apply to many different committees and 
councils, we think that each committee and council can reflect on what is included in the papers; 
and then, we would welcome a Member -driven submission -led discussion, first in the existing 
committees based on actual proposals submitted by Members, and after that, we can evaluate any 
further steps based on that Member engagement and the issues under discussion.  
120.  As to the proposal to restructure the agenda. We look forward to receiving a detailed proposal 
in writing so that we can consider it further.  
121.  The Representative of Egypt  delivered the following statement:  
122.  Egypt thanks all Members for their support and openness to discuss our proposals; and 
confirms that we are looking forward to working with all Members on this. Also, as mentioned by the 
Representative of South Africa to that o f the EU, we were not in the room, but we are following the 
discussions online, and we are open to receiving and discussing your substantive questions.  
123.  The Chairperson  made the following remarks:  
124.  I am pleased that the Working Group has ever more discussio ns, which is a testament to the 
increased interest in our deliberations. We have considered the contributions by the United Kingdom 
and by the African Group, and I note that both have underlined the relevance of technology transfer 
to address development n eeds and global challenges.  
125.  The extent and the structure of future discussions need to be reflected on and decided. But 
what is evident to me, as Chairperson, is that technology transfer is having a momentum, more and 
more relevance, not only in the Worki ng Group, but also in different fora in this organization.  
126.  Regarding the restructuration of the agenda, which was a proposal discussed today, my sense 
is that the Working Group needs more time to digest. Some Members have already expressed 
support, some e xpressed initial doubts and concerns, but what is important at this stage is to have 
a specific proposal in writing so we can advance this conversation, not only in terms of substance, 
but also procedures. There is appetite for that.  
127.  As Chair, I will also  reflect on how we can advance in that sense, how we can structure the 
discussions and seek to identify a possible way forward. And this is very timely because the 
preparation of the annual report with also recommendations for MC13 is a relevant instrument  for 
that kind of wrap up and also reflection on way forward. It is a very timely discussion.  
128.  The Representative of the Philippines  delivered the following statement:  
129.  We are open to restructuring the agenda. And we do support an approach that is focused o n 
the sharing of national experiences, as well as engagement with stakeholders such as academic and 
research centres. We would see utility in the Working Group also pursuing - and we would note the 
opportunities for - collaboration with other WTO bodies, s ector specific approaches in considering WT/WGTTT/M/71  
 
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  technology transfer, given that there are differing industry structures, barriers to entry, and differing 
absorptive capacities to adopt technologies.  
130.  For example, we have the three communications that have been ta bled, and as a first step, 
we may wish to expand evidence -based discussions on health, agriculture, and environmentally 
sustainable technologies. One thing that we would pinpoint, for example, in the case of agriculture, 
the Membership may wish to engage w ith the Consultative Group for International Agricultural 
Research on how their research centres approach access to technology and benefit sharing.  
131.  The Representative of the European Union  delivered the following statement:  
132.  I would like to clarify two poin ts, so I know that I understood the new proposal on restructuring 
the agenda. I reiterate what colleagues said, if we could have that proposal in writing, it will allow 
us to consult and I recognize the efforts that you have already undertaken to that exte nt, but this 
is a new proposal.  
133.  The other element is about questions. I have noticed that the European Union is not the only 
delegation with questions; and in fact, there were some good questions already, both on substance 
and on process. What is importan t now is to know how we are going to structure the process going 
forward, and that is when the questions will become relevant. I do not think there is any point now 
after the meeting, circulating a written set of questions. It is not the questions we are i nterested in, 
it is the answers, it is a discussion. So, I just wanted to clarify that to the distinguished colleagues 
from South Africa and Egypt who kindly picked up on the African Union's engagement.  
134.  The Working Group took note  of the statements made.  
D. ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRADE AND TRANSFER OF 
TECHNOLOGY  
135.  The Chairperson  made the following remarks:  
136.  I would like to recognize the importance of knowledge -sharing exercise once more in our 
work; and encourage Members to consider making country presentations and sharing national 
experiences, highlighting through national examples, the role that trade might  have played or could 
play in facilitating technology transfer.  
137.  I would also like to encourage Members to come forward and share their experience with 
technology generation, its transfer, assimilation and absorption, and the role it may have played in 
their economic development.  
138.  The Working Group took note  of the statement made.  
E. ANY POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS ON STEPS THAT MIGHT BE TAKEN WITHIN THE 
MANDATE OF THE WTO TO INCREASE FLOWS OF TECHNOLOGY TO DEVELOPING 
COUNTRIES  
139.  The Chairperson  made the followi ng remarks:  
140.  Since a number of years, Members have discussed the room document entitled "Facilitating 
Access to Information on Appropriate Technology Sourcing – A step to increase flows of technology 
to developing countries", tabled by India, Pakistan, and  the Philippines.  
141.  At our previous meeting before the summer break in July, the proponents had informed the 
Working Group that they continued to work on a formal submission which they hoped to table in the 
near future. They had also stated that they remain  open to hearing other Members' comments and 
suggestions so that these could be incorporated in a future formal proposal.  WT/WGTTT/M/71  
 
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  142.  The proponents had also stated that they would continue to work with other like -minded 
delegations so as to finalize a formal submiss ion.  
143.  Having said this, I would like to ask the proponents for an update on the status of their 
prospective formal submission. I would also like to invite Members, if they so wish, to make any 
additional comments or share views.  
144.  The Representative of India delivered the following statement:  
145.  We are very happy with the way discussions have been progressing in this Working Group 
over the last few meetings and in fact, today also. We are in the process of talking about structured 
discussions for the future, and  of laying down the roadmap, where the Members have made 
suggestions.  
146.  The idea behind this agenda item has been to look into how to increase flow of technology to 
developing countries, which is the mandate of this Working Group. And as we see the submissi ons 
which are now before the Working Group - including the submission which we would be introducing 
under "Other Business" - provide these various elements and the ideas which are there for discussion 
in the WGTTT on the various elements of technology tran sfer, covering a wide ambit of work in WTO, 
to look into how to increase the flow. And that is exactly what we have been discussing under this 
agenda item. In fact, our submission could be as well taken under this agenda and be discussed 
along with the oth er issues also.  
147.  And we are also happy if the agenda is structured or restructured for better discussion and 
tangible outcome. However, as we go forward, as discussion proceeds on our submission already 
there, we would be making our contribution and would be engaging constructively therein.  
148.  The Chairperson  made the following remarks:  
149.  I continue to believe that as Members of this Organization, it is our collective responsibility to 
advance work in this Group so as to fulfil the mandate Ministers have given us. I would, therefore, 
encourage all to join forces and engage with the proponents so that we can continue having 
constructive and meaningful deliberations for achieving progress in our work.  
150.  Before concluding under this agenda item, I would like to make an observation and share a 
thought. Those of you who follow work in other WTO bodies would have noted that technology 
transfer is being increasingly featured in the various WTO deliberations. As you may have heard, 
there have been numerous references made to technology transfer at the last retreat on WTO Reform 
focused on Trade and Industrial Policy held on 25 -26 September 2023. Before that, technology 
transfer had also been mentioned at the second informal meeting on WTO Reform which focused on 
development  and was held earlier this year on 2 -3 February. And those of you who follow the Work 
Programme on Electronic Commerce know that a dedicated session to discuss e -commerce related 
technology transfer was held last 21 September 2023. And the list goes on as the General Council, 
the TRIPS Council, the Committee on Trade and Environment and various other bodies have also 
considered technology transfer in their deliberations.  
151.  Against this background, I would like to offer a suggestion. I spoke earlier at this m eeting of 
a work programme. I appreciate the status quo and time left before MC13. Nonetheless, I consider 
it important to put the work in a trajectory toward the fourteenth Ministerial Conference, or a 
subsequent one. I will suggest to that end that langu age in the Working Group's annual report, 
relative to future work, be strengthened, essentially for the Working Group to discuss and adopt a 
plan for structuring and sequencing activities, and therefore setup a process to deliver substance. 
I hope that thi s is agreeable to Members.  
152.  The Representative of Brazil  delivered the following statement:  WT/WGTTT/M/71  
 
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  153.  Brazil supports the idea of having a structured work plan so as to have concrete outcomes by 
MC14.  
154.  The Representative of the Philippines  delivered the following sta tement:  
155.  As reaction to the Chair's statement, as well as the previous agenda item, we would concur 
with the perspective of India that the three communications that we will be discussing today 
generally relate to item E on our standing agenda. So, in terms of discussing restructuring the 
agenda, and that relates to the African Group proposal, we do support rationalizing how we approach 
our work.  
156.  With respect to your reference to a work programme, we are quite open and supportive of 
that idea. It may be usef ul at the next meeting of the Working Group to have an item on WTO 
Reform and Future Work of the Working Group so that Members can share detailed perspectives on 
the submissions of other members, as well as previous discussions in the Working Group.  
157.  The R epresentative of the European Union  delivered the following statement:  
158.  There are several ideas being discussed at this meeting, and I am not yet in a position to 
convey an EU position on them all. But I would like to understand what is being proposed. For 
instance, how does the idea of having stronger language in the annual report relates to the idea of 
a work programme? And that is important, I think, to take home for consideration. Also, I find 
interesting the idea from the distinguished colleague from th e Philippines that we reform by doing, 
that is something that might also be relevant for this Working Group.  
159.  The Chairperson  made the following remarks:  
160.  As Members know, the final paragraph of the Working Group's annual report relates to future 
work, and it broadly encourages continuing the work under the mandates. What I am suggesting is 
that we might be more concrete, because after the discussions that we have had, not only today, 
but at the previous sessions too, and including at the bilateral consultat ions, during which Members 
had mentioned that the interest in technology transfer is increasing. And this interest seems to 
translate into more contributions.  
161.  Therefore, I consider that we need to think about the structure of our work at the WGTTT in 
order to advance discussions. Against this background, I am proposing that in the last paragraph of 
the annual report, which refers to future work, we can say that the Working Group suggests that we 
have a work programme. And, as mentioned by the delegate from the Philippines, that work 
programme has to be discussed and agreed. My suggestion is that for future work, we can have a 
work programme for the Working Group,  and not only saying that we encourage that the discussion 
will continue.  
162.  Nevertheless, the draft report will be shared with Members. So, Members will have the 
opportunity to check not only the first part in which I report the discussions that we have had  during 
this year, but also the suggestion for the future work. So, you will have the opportunity to check it, 
to review it before I present it to the General Council.  
163.  The Representative of India delivered the following statement:  
164.  Thank you Chair, for giv ing that information and inputs about the annual report. As you rightly 
mentioned, interest in technology transfer is increasing, importance is increasing, relevance is 
increasing, and discussion is increasing, and technology transfer is becoming increasin gly important. 
And even more important when we are talking of issues like environment, like response to pandemic 
and all the crisis which we have.  
165.  Against this background, we would be happy to have a structured concrete plan going forward 
as to what we sh ould be doing. And actually, the Working Group should be reflecting as to what the WT/WGTTT/M/71  
 
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  concrete ways and steps, and the manner in which we are going ahead, including stating clearly that 
having a work programme would definitely help. So, we would like that kin d of approach to be 
incorporated and clearly stated in the annual report. So that will be a good way forward for this 
Working Group.  
166.  The Representative of Japan  delivered the following statement:  
167.  My delegation wishes a clarification as to the contents of the annual report. It is our 
understanding that the annual report reflects what we have discussed in the Working Group this 
year. So, if certain element relative to the way forward are introduced, then I am afraid that another 
discussion is happening. So, the way forward is very important. But the way forward we have 
discussed today should be included. And if additional elements which Members are going to see for 
the first time, I need to caution that there could be possible contentious discussion.  
168.  The Chairperson  made the following remarks:  
169.  To clarify, the annual report has, as Members know, a first part which is factual. It distils the 
discussions that we have had in the Working Group over the year. And as I mentioned, it also 
contains, in the last parag raph, elements for future work. Usually, what we have in that paragraph, 
as I have mentioned, is a recommendation for continuing work on technology transfer. But what I 
was proposing is, adding in that paragraph a suggestion to prepare in the future a work  programme 
for the Working Group. To be clear, I am not going to annex a suggested work programme. I agree, 
we need discussions to prepare that eventual work programme. That is why I mentioned earlier that 
we need not think only of MC13, we need to think a bout MC14 and beyond.  
170.  So, it is a suggestion of having discussions on the preparation of a work programme for the 
Working Group. But again, you will have the opportunity to review the report. I hope that this helps 
clarify my statement made earlier.  
171.  The Working Group took note  of the statements made.  
F. OTHER BUSINESS  
172.  The Chairperson  recalled that the Representative of India had requested to introduce under 
"Other Business" a communication titled Reinvigorating discussions on the relationship between 
trade and the transfer of Environmentally sound technologies to developing countries to address 
climate change. She further recalled that that communication was contained in document 
JOB/WGTTT/2  and that it had been circulated to Members on 11 October 2023.  
173.  The Representative of India delivered the following statement:  
174.  India has recently presented a communication contained in document JOB/WGTTT/2  titled 
reinvigorating discussions on the relationship between Trade and the transfer of environmentally 
sound techno logies (ESTs) to developing countries to address climate change. Through this paper, 
India is seeking to revitalize the work of this important body that holds a key mandate from the 
2001 Doha Ministerial Declaration.  
175.  The WTO recognizes the close relations hip between trade and transfer of technology, as 
evidenced in the establishment of the Working Group on the Trade and Transfer of Technology in 
2002. The role of the WGTTT was to discuss ways to increase technology flows from developed to 
developing countr ies. The issue of technology transfer is more important than ever before, given the 
central role of development and transfer of environmentally sound technology to address climate 
change.  
176.  India has been emphasizing on the need for technology transfer by d eveloped economy, not 
just in the TRIPS context, but also in the context of obligations undertaken by the developed 
economies in the multilateral environmental agreements. India has been strongly raising demands WT/WGTTT/M/71  
 
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  for mechanism in place to operationalize suc h obligations by the developed economies, even as parts 
of ongoing trade negotiations. As explained, the ESTs are technologies that have the potential for 
significantly improved environmental performance, relative to other technologies, and can also be 
defined as a total system that includes knowhow, procedures, goods and services, and managerial 
procedure, for promoting environmental sustainability care.  
177.  We see a plethora of unilateral trade measures currently being undertaken by many WTO 
Members in the n ame of climate change or environment. These measures tend to use a stick 
approach to penalize the developing country for being a few steps behind than the developed 
countries in their journey towards prosperity. These measures do not foster a spirit of int ernational 
collaboration and often tend to be more trade restrictive than necessary in achieving their stated 
trade and environmental objectives.  
178.  We seek to move away from this unilateral approach and shine a light on the key issues faced 
by the developin g countries. This key issue is the lack of optimal finance at affordable rate and for 
the right duration, lack of access to the right technology and lack of capacity which can help combat 
the global climate change and environmental issues. There have been solutions proposed on these 
fronts in the multilateral environmental agreements (MEA). However, the commitment made by the 
developed countries in the MEA have largely remained on paper and instrumentalities of these 
operationalization has been in serious d oubt. We hear talk about coherence in the WTO and we 
appreciate that need for WTO to work with other international organization, each playing its part in 
achieving the shared global objectives.  
179.  Through this paper we urge the WTO Members to consider an MC1 3 declaration or an outcome 
document paragraph on transfer of ESTs for addressing climate change. This MC13 document could 
be a work programme which can address environment interventions like financial mechanism, 
database for ESTs and link with technology transfer platform streamlining licensing practices, 
enabling developing countries to use TRIPS flexibilities. Many of these interventions will require 
working with organizations like WIPO, UNFCCC, UNEP and other multilateral economic agencies and 
environme ntal agencies.  
180.  These are very preliminary ideas for a work programme, and we will be open to discussing 
the design of the work programme post MC13 to explain that the ideas presented in this paper 
represent a continuity of discussions in the WTO as well a s in other bodies that are working in the 
environment area.  
181.  The paper lists the previous discussion on technology transfer for addressing climate change 
in great detail. We look forward to constructive engagement on this paper with all WTO Members 
and hop e that those who embarked on the development journey ahead of the developing Members 
will not shy away from using these WTO levers for pushing for real solution to the crisis of global 
common.  
182.  Finally, we encourage all WTO Members to read this paper and p rovide us their valuable 
comments. We would be delighted to have co -sponsors for this paper as our discussion on MC13 
outcomes evolves and matures. We would also be presenting this paper in the Council for TRIPS and 
the Committee on Trade and Environment i n due course. And we would be available for any bilateral 
consultations with Members willing to engage on any issue that emanates from this paper.  
183.  The Representative of the Philippines  delivered the following statement:  
184.  We thank India for its paper and it s high level of ambition, including the proposal for a 
ministerial declaration on the transfer of environmentally sustainable technologies for addressing 
climate change and this draft post MC13 Roadmap. As an initial reaction to complement 
consideration of  this proposal, we would like to see a deeper examination of the technology needs 
assessments that have been undertaken by developing countries within the UNFCCC as well as under 
the WIPO Green Initiative. And if we are to examine the feasibility of facili tating access to and 
adoption of ESTs, we would also consider valuable lessons learned from existing and previous patent WT/WGTTT/M/71  
 
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  pools, such as the Medicines Patent Pool, which the UK referenced, and also the defunct Echo Patent 
Commons, which was initially spearh eaded by IBM and other private sector companies.  
185.  The Representative of Colombia  delivered the following statement:  
186.  At the outset, I thank India for their leading role in these discussions and for their 
presentation. We are at a critical juncture in the fi ght against climate change and it is essential to 
effectively address the technological gap that exists between developed and developing countries. 
It is undeniable that there is significant disparity when it comes to accessing financing and also 
accessing  the skills and technology between these two groups of countries. While developed 
countries have considerable dominance over these areas, developing countries are facing 
considerable stumbling blocks. It is thus vitally important to overcome these barriers  and to promote 
technology transfer that is climate friendly.  
187.  It is also important to underscore that the majority of the technology that developing countries 
are seeking to import come from developed countries. However, one of the main barriers to 
technology transfer seems to be the matter of intellectual property, as well as patents and other 
mechanisms under the current rules. These rules can hinder significant and rapid exchange of 
essential technology.  
188.  To address climate challenges, it is essential for us to combine trade policies with domestic 
measures to encou rage the absorption, innovation, and development of technology to move forward 
towards a more sustainable future. And thus, we welcome the discussions to seek ways to cooperate 
to address this matter.  
189.  While we are in the first steps of studying the docume nt presented, we wish to applaud the 
intention behind this initiative. In participating, we are supporting the idea of creating an IT portal 
that provides details on existing technology and intellectual property conditions, and we believe that 
this is a us eful tool for countries to share their achievements in the energy transition and climate 
transition as quickly as possible.  
190.  Finally, our common objective, is to ramp up the transition towards a more sustainable future 
in energy and climate terms and any t ool or approach that we can use to achieve this objective is 
highly appreciated and most welcome.  
191.  The Representative of Brazil  delivered the following statement:  
192.  The African Group communications from July 2023 are, in our opinion, more transversal and 
broader as they relate directly with more aspects of the recent global challenges, specifically for 
developing economies. But that is why we consider fundamental to combine discussions of the 
proposal by India with the proposals by the African Group. However,  our tendency is to support this 
specific proposal presented by India in the communication JOB/WGTTT/2 . Brazil sees it as a certain 
evolution of the communication WT/GC/W/886  by the African Group as it improves on certain 
important aspects to address climate change. We see the proposal by India as a more technical 
specific paper in relation to the climate change issue. We still need to consult our capital on specific 
aspects o f the proposal, but we already have suggestions to make, and we are ready to start the 
discussions.  
193.  To conclude, we welcome the proposal, and we are ready to work with other Members on this 
specific proposal. We think the WGTTT can work on the African Gro up proposals as well, in parallel. 
But concentrating on the paper from India, which we believe may be ready for process of 
negotiations. So, I think that relative to the proposal from India, we can start negotiating it as soon 
as possible, maybe after MC13 . But we can still work on the proposals from African Group because 
they have distinct aspects. The proposals from the African Group deals with more topics, while the 
proposal from India, in our view, improves on some aspects of one specific proposal from the African 
group. So, the African Group proposed idea is more transversal, it relates to the discussion of transfer WT/WGTTT/M/71  
 
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  of technology in the broader sense. But I believe we can start by dealing with the proposal from 
India because in my opinion, it is more re ady to be negotiated.  
194.  The Representative of South Africa  delivered the following statement:  
195.  I am speaking in my national capacity with regard to the paper presented by the distinguished 
delegate from India. My delegation is in the process of conducting a thorough analysis of the paper. 
But having said this, our initial reading of the paper is one that is highly supportive. We commend 
the distinguished delegate from India for the presentation that he delivered today. And in our initial 
assessment, we are of  the view that the paper presented is in line with the Africa Group paper titled 
principles Guiding the Development and Implementation of Trade Related Environmental Measures 
WT/GC/W/894 , in particular principle eight. We are very keen to work with the dele gation of India 
in this regard.  
196.  If you will just permit me, Madam Chair, as you will have recalled, unfortunately I came a bit 
late, so I was not here for the presentation by the delegation of UK. I am not going to give extensive 
comments and remarks. Actu ally, this paper was discussed in the TRIPS Council informal meeting 
that took place earlier this week and we had a very extensive engagement of the UK on the paper 
in that forum as well as bilaterally. That only to indicate, Madam Chair, that this is one of the 
examples, in our view, of an area whereby the Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Transfer 
can play a central role in coordinating the work in the various committees that pertain to this 
important area.  
197.  The Chairperson  made the following remarks : 
198.  I do not expect today to have an extensive discussion of India's contribution because it has 
been made available just a few days ago. But we will have an interesting discussion in the future 
about the contribution after what I have heard from those that took the floor. Would the 
distinguished colleague from India like the opportunity to briefly react to this first feedback?  
199.  The Representative of India delivered the following statement:  
200.  Thank you very much, Chair for giving me this opportunity to introduce  our submission and I 
would like to thank all our colleagues who have shown keen interest in this proposal and also made 
very meaningful comments and suggestions. First, from Philippines, quite useful suggestion to move 
ahead and to work further while goin g ahead. Thanks Colombia, for all encouragement to the 
submission which we have made and also making meaningful observation on our submission and 
thank you very much Brazil, for supporting the proposal and also suggesting the way forward on 
this and we wou ld be happy to proceed in the manner suggested. So, thank you so much and also 
thanks to South Africa for their gesture, for being highly supportive of this submission. We look 
forward to having discussions on this submission for a tangible outcome on this  paper.  
201.  The Chairperson  made the following remarks:  
202.  Members are aware that the Working Group is mandated to make a report on the work of the 
Group to the General Council. Accordingly, I am in the process of preparing a factual report on the 
work undertake n since our last report to the ministerial conference held last year. The report, like 
in the past, is on the Chair's responsibility and will follow the format of previous reports.  
203.  As agreed by Members and in line with our past practice, the report will be  adopted by 
circulation. A draft of the report will be circulated to Members at the latest by 
Friday,  17 November  2023. Members are requested to communicate their comments, if any, to the 
Secretariat by noon on 23 November 2023. If no substantive comments on the report are received 
by noon on 23  November 2023, I will assume that Members are OK with it and consider the report 
adopted. I will then forward the report to the General Council. I hope that this is agreeable to 
Members.  WT/WGTTT/M/71  
 
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  204.  The Chairperson said that th e date for the next meeting was not yet set, and that updated 
information would be circulated as they become available.  
205.  The meeting was adjourned . 
__________  