Members call for reinvigorated work on technology transfer, elect new Chair

Members welcomed the election of Ambassador Eheth, who succeeded Ambassador Raimondas Ališauskas of Lithuania, and expressed appreciation for the outgoing Chair's leadership over the past year in advancing the Group's work.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Eheth underscored the continued relevance and growing importance of the Group's mandate. He noted that technology transfer is vital for “strengthening productive capacity, upgrading infrastructure, and building resilience,”. He also highlighted its role in “supporting structural transformation, responding to environmental challenges, and ensuring that the rapid deployment of artificial intelligence and its applications in trade benefit all and do not further widen the gap between members at different stages of development.”

In a discussion initiated by India, members exchanged views on how to advance work on technology transfer and build momentum towards the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14), to be held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in March 2026.

Ambassador Eheth encouraged members to “continue sharing national experiences on how trade has facilitated technology transfer and supported development”. He reaffirmed the value of the practice -  introduced by his predecessor - of hearing from chairs of other WTO bodies. This, he noted, “enriches the Group's work by illustrating the cross-cutting nature of technology transfer and its relevance across the WTO's agenda.”

Looking ahead, the Chair announced his intention to hold informal consultations in September to hear members' views on how best to advance the Group's work. “I am committed to helping advance not only the mandate of this Group, but also the broader objectives of the Organization as set out in the preamble of the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the WTO: raising standards of living, ensuring steadily growing real income, and supporting sustainable development in a manner consistent with the needs and aspirations of all members,” he said.

The next formal meeting of the working group is scheduled for November 2025.