146. The representative of Chinese Taipei, referring to the point made about how voluntary participation could equate with special and differential treatment, i.e. what sort of system would there be where a developing country wanting to benefit from the system could join it and a developed country could opt out, asked whether or not there would be special and differential treatment provisions for developing countries wishing to participate in the multilateral register. For his delegation, there was a difference between special and differential treatment and technical assistance. If the register required mandatory participation, and if some Members qualified for certain criteria, they could opt out. In other words, these opt out Members would enjoy special and differential treatment. If the register provided for voluntary participation, then Members which would like to participate would need capacity building, which was part of technical assistance, and not special and differential treatment.
