REPORT (2021) OF THE Working group on trade and transfer
of technology TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL

1  introduction

1.1.  Ministers agreed, at the Fourth Ministerial Conference in Doha in November 2001, to "an examination, in a Working Group under the auspices of the General Council, of the relationship between trade and transfer of technology, and of any possible recommendations on steps that might be taken within the mandate of the WTO to increase flows of technology to developing countries".^[1] The Working Group has reported on its work at each WTO Ministerial Meeting, at which the Ministers had reaffirmed their commitment to advance the work of the Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology and instructed the General Council to further report to the Ministerial Sessions.

1.2.  Since the 2017 Report made to the Ministers at Buenos Aires, the Working Group has held 10 sessions during the period 2018 to 2021. The reports of the meetings are contained in documents WT/WGTTT/M/57, WT/WGTTT/M/58/Rev.1, WT/WGTTT/M/59, WT/WGTTT/M/60, WT/WGTTT/M/61/Rev.1, WT/WGTTT/M/62, WT/WGTTT/M/63, WT/WGTTT/M/64, WT/WGTTT/M/65 and WT/WGTTT/M/66. At these meetings, Members continued the analysis of the relationship between trade and transfer of technology, as well as considered any possible recommendations on steps that might be taken within the mandate of the WTO to increase flows of technology to developing countries.