world t wt/comtd/w/178 15 june 2011 organization
TRANSCRIPT
WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATION
WT/COMTD/W/178
15 June 2011
(11-3002)
Committee on Trade and Development
ANNUAL REPORT ON TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING
(1 JANUARY TO 31 DECEMBER 2010)
Table of Contents
Page
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... 3
II. A BROAD OVERVIEW OF THE ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN ..................................... 4
III. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRESSIVE LEARNING STRATEGY
(PLS): E-LEARNING, GLOBAL AND THEMATIC TRAINING COURSES,
REGIONAL TRADE POLICY COURSES, GENEVA-BASED TRAINING
ACTIVITIES ........................................................................................................................... 11
A. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLS ................................................................................................. 11
B. E-LEARNING: PLS LEVELS 1 AND 2 ........................................................................................... 11
C. REGIONAL TRADE POLICY COURSES: PLS LEVEL 2 ................................................................. 14
D. GENEVA-BASED TRAINING ACTIVITIES: FOCUS ON PLS LEVEL 3 ............................................ 16
IV. OUTREACH ACTIVITIES, ACADEMIC COOPERATION AND INTENSIVE
COURSES ON TRADE NEGOTIATIONS SKILLS .......................................................... 21
A. OUTREACH ACTIVITIES FOR PARLIAMENTARIANS, PRIVATE SECTOR, MEDIA AND
CIVIL SOCIETY ........................................................................................................................... 21
B. ACADEMIC SUPPORT FOR TRAINING AND CAPACITY-BUILDING ................................................ 22
C. INTENSIVE COURSE ON TRADE NEGOTIATIONS SKILLS .............................................................. 24
D. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDED UNDER ART. 27.2 ............................................................ 25
V. REGIONAL APPROACHES TO TRADE-RELATED TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE AND PARTNERSHIPS ................................................................................ 26
A. AFRICA ...................................................................................................................................... 26
B. ASIA PACIFIC............................................................................................................................. 28
C. ARAB COUNTRIES AND THE MIDDLE EAST ............................................................................... 29
D. CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA AND CAUCASUS COUNTRIES .............. 30
E. LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN ..................................................................................... 30
VI. TRAINEE PROGRAMMES AND INTERNSHIPS ............................................................ 33
A. NETHERLANDS TRAINEE PROGRAMME ..................................................................................... 34
B. THE MISSION INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME .................................................................................. 37
C. THE WTO REGIONAL COORDINATOR INTERNSHIP ................................................................... 39
VII. REFERENCE CENTRES ...................................................................................................... 40
VIII. THE GLOBAL TRADE-RELATED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE DATABASE........... 43
IX. FINANCIAL SITUATION .................................................................................................... 44
ANNEX 1 .............................................................................................................................................. 46
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ANNEX 2 .............................................................................................................................................. 49
ANNEX 3 .............................................................................................................................................. 50
ANNEX 4 .............................................................................................................................................. 51
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I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. In 2010 the WTO launched the process of introducing Results Based Management (RBM)
process in alignment with the monitoring and evaluation framework under the Aid for Trade
programme. The concept of RBM will gradually be incorporated into the design, management and
delivery of WTO's trade CB programmes, thus streamlining activities and permitting a more
systematic evaluation of the impact of these activities.
2. The year 2010 was the first year where the changes in the institutional organization of
Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC), were fully put into effect, including the
strengthened coordination role of the Regional Desks. Further progress was made in the rethinking of
the training events, with particular emphasis being put on the gradual and progressive learning,
referred to as 'progressive learning strategy (PLS)', with a clearer differentiation between the products,
each being geared to attaining agreed objectives. This has wider implications for the organization of
events, the selection process of participants and the reporting. Efforts were geared towards sensitizing
beneficiaries of these changes and explain its rationale.
3. The capacity of the ITTC to interact with beneficiaries in all regions was reinforced, and the
scope for coordination with regional and multilateral partners enhanced. The internal coordination of
trade-related technical assistance (TRTA) programmes at all levels within the Secretariat has been
assured through the Technical Assistance (TA) Coordination Task Force. The consultation process
with the other agencies was strengthened through the establishment of the Global Trade Related
Technical Assistance Database (GTAD), which was officially launched by the Director General in
November 2010 and with the presence of a dozen agencies. A Steering Committee was set up to take
collective responsibility of GTAD and give strategic direction, to review its functioning, and
determine the way forward, including possible enhancements to better reach the GTAD's target
audience. Brochures have been produced, and the GTAD systematically features in the programme of
WTO RC activities. During the year, several coordination meetings were held with the partner
institutions to share information on upcoming activities and with a view of creating synergies between
them.
4. It is recalled that the main purpose of the Secretariat's trade capacity-building (CB)
programmes, is to provide direct support to beneficiaries enhancing their human and institutional
capacities to deal with the challenges emerging from the multilateral trading system (MTS). All the
products and TRTA activities have been geared towards achieving that objective and are regularly
reviewed in light of that objective. The Secretariat's TRTA efforts are part of the broader Aid for
Trade initiative and can be seen as the Secretariat's contribution to the implementation of Aid for
Trade. In addition to providing a forum for regular review of Aid for Trade, the Secretariat is
expected to make a solid input in the upcoming Global Aid for Trade Review in 2011 and has
prepared a case story to that effect.
5. In line with the priorities established in the 2010-2011 Biennial Technical Assistance and
Training Plan (WT/COMTD/W/170/Rev.1) (TA Plan), specific attention was given to three broad
areas, including the accessions, notification and scheduling. In practice this has translated into special
support in these fields, either in the form of national and regional seminars and dedicated workshops.
6. As a first element in the process of strengthening the concept of gradual learning,
considerable efforts were pursued to not only reposition and revamp eLearning within the means of
delivery of TRTA, which permeates all other products, but also to make the online eLearning courses
available all year round. In other words, now, any participant accepted, once duly registered to the
course, can start it any time during the year. This is considered a main improvement as it eliminates a
major restraint. Through eLearning the Secretariat has been able to incorporate the concept of
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progressive learning ensuring that participation in advanced WTO courses is premised on a full
understanding of basic WTO concepts and principles.
7. A second salient element continued to be the strengthening of the regional dimension of
TRTA, by continuing working systematically with the regional secretariats and partnering with field
based agencies. Over half of all activities are conducted with partner agencies. This cooperation is
being undertaken through a number of activities including the Regional Trade Policy Courses
(RTPCs) that are organized and conducted with the participation of regional and national academic
institutions and experts. The RTPCs are being re-engineered, so as to specifically bring out the
regional dimension to trade policy formulation. The role of regional economic communities and
economic commissions and other relevant regional institutions in the delivery of TRTA will remain a
central element of the WTO TRTA programme. This regional approach to addressing capacity
constraints is consistent with overall approach on aid for trade strategies.
8. Thirdly, in line with recommendations, the Secretariat continued to deliver on its outreach
programmes, including its work with parliamentarians, private sector, media, civil society, academics
and universities. A particular highlight was the launching of the WTO Chairs' Programme (WCP) by
the Director-General, Spring 2010. It triggered off a series of missions to the 14 selected Universities
in support of the official launching by the Chair holders. Also, during this period the TRTA
reinforced its activities with parliamentarians and media, following the recommendations made by the
Committee on Trade and Development (CTD).
9. Fourthly, the Regional Desks in the ITTC, continued their close interaction with the
beneficiaries in all the regions and with the regional partners to discuss the national and regional
TRTA requirements, based on their needs assessments.
10. Fifthly, the year 2010 saw a further consolidation and strengthening the intern programmes,
including the Netherlands Trainee Programme (NTP) and the Mission Intern Programme (MIP),
which were very positively rated by audit reports and seen as making a valuable contribution to the
trade CB programmes. These programmes have been found particularly welcome in light of the
challenges that small delegations encounter in following the Doha Development Agenda (DDA)
negotiations and being represented at meetings.
11. Sixthly, the Reference Centre (RC) Programme has been re-launched after a reflection
process that led to the design of a new strategy, which includes more emphasis on enhancing local
ownership, sharing of information between the WTO and the RCs as well as creating more interaction
between the various centres, through the RC network, and a fuller and in-depth training of the RC
managers in operating the centres and getting access to all trade-related data. It also includes an
important component consisting of outsourcing of the procurement of the hardware, the installation of
the RCs and the aspects related to maintenance.
II. A BROAD OVERVIEW OF THE ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN
12. This Report provides a brief qualitative and quantitative overview of the TA and training
activities undertaken in the year 2010, as contained in the TA Plan. The Report will cover eLearning,
global training courses (RTPCs, Trade Policy Courses (TPCs), Academic programmes), followed by a
discussion of the regional activities (seminars, workshops), trainee programmes and internships, RCs
and the financial situation. Special attention was given to three broad areas, including accessions,
scheduling and notifications, as detailed in boxes 1 and 2.
13. The main objective that was pursued in the preparatory process of drafting the new TA Plan,
which was adopted in November 2009, was to build long-lasting human and institutional capacity and
to enhance ownership. It should be recalled that, to ensure that such commitment could be met to the
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best of the Secretariat's and the recipients' ability, intensive consultations were held between the
different stakeholders, in different formats, including with all regional groupings, through the ITTC’s
Regional Desks, as well as with the least-developed countries (LDCs). All the products were, as
much as possible, tailored to the needs of the beneficiaries. Consultations also included partners such
as regional development banks, and other international organizations, with a view to enhance the
coordination, coherence and efficiency in the delivery of the Secretariat's TRTA. In addition, as in
previous years, beneficiary countries were invited to submit to the Secretariat, their requests for
national TA at any time during the year, based on their individual needs assessments. This approach
was supplemented by direct contacts between the ITTC Regional Desks and local authorities, through
their representations in Geneva, so as to fine-tune the identification of priority areas for the countries.
This further contributed to a timely delivery of TA activities that were targeted and tailored to the
needs identified.
14. The WTO initiated the process of introducing the RBM process in alignment with the
monitoring and evaluation framework under the Aid for Trade programme. The concept of RBM will
gradually be incorporated into the design, management and delivery of WTO's trade CB programmes,
thus streamlining activities and permitting a more systematic evaluation of the impact of these
activities. Having a results framework and an adequate reporting mechanism, woven into the TA Plan
will assist in determining whether a positive contribution has been made to building the capacity of
beneficiary countries in trade policy matters and helping them to derive significant benefits from the
MTS. The RBM approach is supporting the WTO in its continuous efforts towards improvement in
results-orientation, focus, efficiency and accountability.
15. Efforts undertaken by the Secretariat since 2009 to implement the Institute's new strategy led
to the introduction of the progressive learning approach, which was explained in the TA Plan. The
content of Geneva-based TPCs and field based RTPCs was fundamentally reviewed, and the last
Geneva-based regular TPC implemented in the first part of the year, gave way to the First Advanced
Trade Policy Course (ATPC) in the Autumn. As mentioned earlier, coordination of TRTA was
further strengthened, especially through the regional desks, both within the Secretariat and with
Members and international agencies. The reinforcement of the Secretariat's academic programmes
culminated through the WTO Chairs programme, which was launched officially in Geneva and
Barcelona in May 2010.
16. The MIP was strengthened by the joining of France to long-time MIP funders like Ireland and
previously Denmark, which enabled the number of interns to be considerably increased in 2010. At
the regional level, conscious of the risk of duplication of activities in the field of TRTA, and of the
limited resources available, the Secretariat intensified the utilization of partnership arrangements with
other institutions. Thus, more than half of all regional events were conducted in close co-operation
with a partner agency.
17. The visibility of the Secretariat's activities and lines of communication with the stakeholders
were enhanced: In addition to the circulation of the bi-monthly Newsletter, to provide a more
interactive tool to which other agencies could actively contribute, the GTAD, was officially launched
by Director-General Pascal Lamy in November 2010.
18. Building on past experience, the Secretariat has continued using all opportunities to explain
the features of the TA Plan and beneficiaries' entitlements, and to draw their attention to how TA can
be requested, both in Geneva and in the regions. Short presentations on TRTA were made in different
settings, explaining to Members and participants in TA events the state-of-play in the implementation
and providing specific information on the programmes. This effort in communication was undertaken
between all stakeholders: the regional desks of the ITTC continued to interact with beneficiaries, to
ensure that the proposed TRTA would meet the countries' needs and requirements and in close
coordination with the line divisions in the Secretariat, with whom they ensured that the right terms
and conditions for successful TRTA were set. TRTA further featured prominently on the agenda of
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the Geneva Week, so as to explain to non-residents the possibilities to benefit from WTO programmes
and consulting them on their needs and priorities.
19. Back-to-Office Reports (BTORs) are systematically completed after each TA-related event.
This reporting process highlights the main features and monitors the quality in the delivery of the
activities. Through this internal monitoring tool, activities are assessed and systematically analysed
by the Technical Cooperation Audit Unit (TCAU), who follows-up with recommendations for future
similar events.
20. The present report will focus on activities implemented over a twelve-month period in 2010.
Activities which were of significantly different durations, varying between one day to 12 weeks and
may have involved as little as one WTO official, or as many as over two dozen for the longer training
courses, or the tutoring of interns, doctoral studies and research collaboration programmes. In
addition, it should be noted that the number of participants varied from one activity to another. As
highlighted above, a majority of these activities were organized in partnership with other international
organizations or regional secretariats or financial institutions, such as the United Nations Economic
Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF), the Organisation
internationale de la francophonie (OIF), and others. Finally, statistics will show the emphasis on
providing assistance to Africa and more specifically to LDCs, whose integration into the MTS
remains a priority for the WTO. The report provides detailed information about the activities
undertaken, the specific means of delivery and the beneficiary countries, from January to December
2010.
21. To achieve the goal of sustainable CB and in line with expectations, a total of 279 field-based
events (189 national and 90 regional activities) were implemented over the period under review. In
addition, 58 so-called global events, which cannot be allocated to a specific region, included Geneva-
based training activities as well as topic-specific workshops and eLearning courses. Thus, 337 TRTA
activities were implemented in 2010. WTO officials provided their inputs and expertise in an
additional 97 conferences and meetings to which the Secretariat was invited to participate. The slight
decrease in the implementation of activities, compared to the year 2009 (a little over 5 per cent), is
mainly due to the smaller number of regional and global events undertaken last year, while a modest
increase (2 per cent ) could be observed in the implementation of national activities over the same
period. Following the approach that was adopted in 2009, in order to have each specific programme
reported as one entry, and not on the number of beneficiaries, the intern programmes (NTP, MIP,
Regional Coordinator Internship Programme (RCI) are each counted once. In addition, the report
does not include EIF or STDF-related activities, unless they directly involved the participation of
WTO staff.
22. Taking into account the constituency of each region, a balance in the distribution of the TA
activities was maintained (cf Table 1 and Graph 1). The majority of activities were held in Africa
(129), representing 30 per cent of WTO's TRTA, followed by Asia and Pacific (81), representing 19
per cent of all. A total of 54 activities were organized for Latin America (12 per cent), 35 for the
Central and Eastern Europe Central Asia and the Caucasus (CEECAC) (8 per cent, 23 for the Arab
and Middle-East countries (5 per cent), and 20 for the Caribbean (5 per cent). It should be noted that
LDCs have been associated with over 43 per cent of all activities. This includes national activities
held in LDCs (51) as well as regional seminars, workshops and training activities in which LDCs
participated.
23. In terms of national versus regional activities, it can be observed that a total of 189 activities
were held at the national level and 148 activities were regional and global events. This trend is
consistent with the notion that more targeted TRTA is required at the national level. In addition, some
97 activities consisted of WTO's participation in activities organized by other agencies and to which
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the Secretariat was asked to make a contribution, as well as WTO's representation in trade-related
conferences, symposia and high-level meetings.
24. The total number of regional and global activities undertaken includes WTO's regional
workshops and seminars, preparatory workshops for the RTPCs, the eLearning modules, as well as
regional events that were proposed under partnership arrangements with other agencies and bodies, at
which each institution provided a specific input, such as Short Trade Policy Courses (STPCs) or
Advanced Training Programmes for Senior Government officials with, for example, the OIF, the
Inter-American Development Bank / Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean
(IADB/INTAL), the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI), the Southern African
Development Community (SADC), the Organization of American States (OAS), or the UNESCAP.
Examples of the considerable number of activities undertaken as part of partnership arrangements
with other agencies that the WTO cooperates with are discussed further in the report.
25. The logistical and administrative arrangements, as well as the human resource inputs and the
cost relating to the regional seminars, the three-month TPC and ATPC, held either in Geneva or in the
RTPCs in the regions, are highly demanding, and partnerships with regional or local institutions can
contribute to reducing the demand on the Secretariat, both in terms of resources and timing.
26. In line with the Doha Declaration, priority attention continued to be given to LDCs with a
view to facilitating their full integration into the MTS. Not only is this confirmed with the absolute
and relative numbers, i.e. the frequency with which LDCs have been associated with TRTA, but this
is also expressed through the products, several of which are specifically and/or largely geared towards
LDCs. Last year, LDCs benefited from 43.2 per cent of all WTO TRTA activities. Out of the 189
national activities that were held, 51 took place in LDCs. With respect to regional seminars, LDCs
participated in 67 out of a total of 90 activities that were organized (74 per cent). They also were
associated with 48 global activities that were organized (over 82 per cent). In addition, LDCs were
given priority in our internship programmes, i.e. the NIP and the MIP. Last year, out of the 13 NTPs,
ten came from LDCs. Out of the 16 MIPs, nine came from LDCs. Conscious of the capacity
constraints of LDC and other developing country missions in Geneva, the Secretariat is positively
predisposed to making available interns to assist countries which may be coordinating a regional
grouping such as the LDC Group, the African Group or the Cotton-Four. With the introduction of the
progressive learning strategy, and to ensure that LDCs have the same exposure to it as other
developing countries, the Secretariat continued to hold two Introduction Courses in Geneva in 2010,
to enable them to participate in Level 2 activities. Internet and CD-based training materials were
made available on a continuous basis, to help LDCs overcome interconnectivity problems and other
challenges. Least-developed countries were also given priority under the new strategy for RCs, and
five out of nine RCs were established in an LDCs, to further assist them, and more particularly those
without a representation in Geneva to keep abreast of WTO-related issues. Government officials in
LDCs and other developing countries, used the facilities to complete as many online eLearning
courses as possible in order to fully benefit from the introduction of the progressive learning strategy.
It should be noted that, to make activities more relevant for LDCs, the ITTC has been working with
LDCs to assess their TRTA needs, and it was against that background that priority was given to
accessions, notifications, and scheduling in the TA Plan. It should be further highlighted that LDCs
will continue to be the primary beneficiaries of the WTO's TRTA programme, not least through their
entitlement to three national activities under the TA Plan.
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Table 1: Trade-Related Technical Assistance by Region in 2010 (1 January to 31 December)
TRTA BY REGION National TA Regional Global(
1)
Other
(Conferences etc.) Total
Africa 75 40% 29 32% 25 26% 129 30%
Arab and Middle East countries 12 6% 8 9% 3 3% 23 5%
Asia and Pacific economies 43 23% 22 24% 16 16% 81 19%
Central and Eastern Europe, Central
Asia and the Caucasus 16 8% 10 11% 9 9% 35 8%
Caribbean countries 14 7% 5 5% 1 1% 20 5%
Latin America 29 15% 16 17% 9 9% 54 12%
Sub-Total 189 100% 90 100% 63 65% 342 79%
Global 58 34 35% 92 21%
Total 189 100% 90 100% 58 97 100% 434 100%
(1) Activities under the TRTA Global region include those that are not targeted at a specific region, such as the Geneva-based
courses and topic-specific workshops and symposia, distance learning, internship programmes and the advisory role on legal
issues – dispute settlement understanding (DSU) - Article 27.2.
Graph 1: Trade-Related Technical Assistance by Region in 2010
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Graph 2: Trade-Related Technical Assistance by Region in 2009 and 2010
Box 1
Accessions – Technical Assistance and Capacity Building, and Outreach
Accessions-related TA has been designed around several key elements. The starting point is to build
capacity on accessions substance, process and procedures. As the process advances, there are
packages for workshops with Parliamentarians, engagement with the media, raising awareness, and
responding to questions on the value of WTO Membership. There are also dedicated activities for
private sector support, in coordination with the International Trade Centre (ITC).
In 2010, several modalities were deployed in the delivery of TA and CB. These included: national
and regional seminars, workshops, technical missions, Working Party Chairpersons' visits, briefings
and e-communication. The e-training module on WTO accession has been available on the Website
since 2009. Accession training modules have also been included in the WTO TPCs (Geneva-based
and regional). In the year under review, for the first time, a specific workshop was organized to assist
an acceding government at the initial stage, to design its Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime.
The workshop also focussed on promoting WTO awareness within the government and assisting in the
assessment of further TA needs.
Acceding governments participated in over 140 WTO TA activities and benefited from a dozen
accessions-specific TA activities. For example, in cooperation with the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF),
a regional seminar on WTO Accessions for Arab and Middle-Eastern governments was organized in
September 2010. The seminar provided a platform for the eight acceding governments from the
region to share accession experiences, identify challenges, and engage with AMF country economists
and WTO Secretariat experts. Throughout the year, national activities were undertaken in response
to individual requests from acceding governments (with a priority accorded to the LDCs), based on
their specific TA needs.
(cont'd)
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A major challenge for acceding governments is building and sustaining broad support for trade
opening. Multilateral institutions, in partnership with WTO Members, provide assistance to acceding
governments to address this challenge. The WTO Secretariat also participates in outreach, including
national activities and Working Party Chairperson's visits. The Secretariat also continues to promote
inter-agency partnerships with other organizations and specialized agencies and in 2010 participated
in events organized jointly with the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), the ITC and United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
To further bolster outreach and assistance to acceding governments, in 2010 a monthly "Accessions
Newsletter" was initiated to provide acceding governments with regular information that would assist
them manage their accession process with the WTO Membership. This includes encouraging these
governments to take a more active interest in other Accession Working Parties. The Director-
General's Annual Report on WTO Accessions has now been regularized and institutionalized. The
Report is prepared around a thematic focus that provides useful information and sound substantive
advice to enhance the ability of acceding governments to more efficiently and rapidly navigate their
accession process.
Box 2
Technical Assistance Activities in 2010 – Impetus on Scheduling and Notifications.
Scheduling
Since mid-2009 all non-agricultural market access (NAMA) TA activities where Integrated Database
(IDB) staff contributed have included presentations and practical exercises on scheduling. This
included regional and national NAMA workshops as well as RTPCs. The practical exercises covered
normally a 2 hour session where participants had the opportunity to practice how current draft
modalities could be translated into electronic comprehensive draft schedules based on the proposed
draft electronic negotiating files. The scheduling exercises provided an excellent opportunity to
familiarize capital based experts with the detailed technical work that will have to be done once
modalities are finalized. Participants had mostly very positive feedback on the scheduling part of the
workshops. For future TA activities we consider though that training on scheduling can be more
focussed and better appreciated in national workshops where the Member's own NAMA modality can
be used as the example and the presentation can really be tailored to the Member's particular
situation.
Notifications
It should be recalled that TA was explicitly mentioned when the notification of tariff and detailed
import statistics to the IDB was approved by Members (see WT/L/225).
Presentations on notifications to the IDB have always been an integral part of all NAMA TA
activities, RTPCs and some specialized workshops. Since the explanation of the submission formats is
quite straightforward the training was in the form of presentations and in the review of data submitted
by participants. In a number of cases it also involved direct contact with and visits to national
agencies, ministries, customs authorities and/or national statistical offices. Participants always
appreciate the hands-on session on the market access databases' online applications and they realize
that full compliance with IDB notification requirements would make these databases even more
useful. Gaps in IDB submissions are always highlighted by the WTO and noted by participants
themselves for their respective country. In some cases – and this is mentioned in the letters of
invitation – recent data is provided as notifications by the participants.
(cont'd)
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Since July 2009 when a new framework for data collection of IDB notifications was approved "TA" is
also provided to delegations in Geneva by identifying sources of information (in national websites or
in information provided to other regional or international organizations) that could be used as
notifications. These concerted efforts have led to a significant increase in submission to the IDB.
III. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRESSIVE LEARNING STRATEGY (PLS): E-
LEARNING, GLOBAL AND THEMATIC TRAINING COURSES, REGIONAL
TRADE POLICY COURSES, GENEVA-BASED TRAINING ACTIVITIES
A. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLS
27. In 2010, the ITTC continued to put in place clear and coherent WTO training paths based on
the PLS: a progressive, multi-modular approach, exploiting synergies among training products and
programmes. The primary aim of the PLS is to promote higher levels of learning and to encourage
the development of participants' autonomy, with a view to building and sustaining the long-lasting
human and institutional capacity of beneficiary countries to participate most effectively in the rules-
based MTS.1
28. Along with the realignment and improvement in the design and content of face-to-face
training activities, online eLearning -- both as a training tool and as a selection tool -- functioned as a
key element in the PLS.
B. E-LEARNING: PLS LEVELS 1 AND 2
1. Overview
29. WTO eLearning aims at providing online training on matters related to international trade and
WTO Agreements to government officials from TA recipient governments. In particular, the
eLearning programme aims to give participants a homogeneous and strengthened understanding of the
MTS; enhanced knowledge of the basic principles of the WTO and the legal structure of the WTO
Agreements; and improved capability to interpret relevant information and documents on WTO-
related issues, as well as to use the WTO legal texts and legal background material.
30. The progressive learning approach involves the sequencing of products in order to improve
the delivery of TRTA, with a view to gradually and progressively moving to higher levels of learning.
Progressive learning is an important element in the eLearning Programme, with online courses -
introduction courses and courses on specific trade-related topics - being a pre-requisite for
participation in more advanced online and face-to-face technical assistance activities. The objective is
to ensure that participation in courses with higher levels of learning is premised on a full
understanding of basic WTO concepts and principles as well as of the main provisions of the
Agreements.
31. This approach continued to be used in the 2010 eLearning Programme and was strengthened
further. In 2010, candidates were required to successfully complete an online Introduction Course on
the WTO on the basic principles of the MTS and the main disciplines of WTO Agreements before
they could be selected to participate in higher levels of learning. Online PLS Levels 1 and 2
eLearning courses were used, as appropriate, as a prerequisite for participation in RTPCs, in Geneva-
based advanced generalist and thematic courses and in a number of regional seminars.
1 Annex I contains a diagram of PLS training paths.
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2. Delivery
32. In 2010, a total of 25 eLearning courses were offered (13 in English, six in French and six in
Spanish) on the distance-learning platform. Courses were clustered in 8 different sessions. Each
session lasted from six to eight weeks and was delivered in one of the three WTO official languages.
Table 2: Number of Online Courses Held in the Three Official Languages, 2007-2010
Year Number of courses held Number of courses held, by language
(English=E, French=F, Spanish=S)
2007 18 E=10; F=4; S=4
2008 27 E=16; F=6; S=5
2009 27 E=14; F=9; S=4
2010 25 E=13; F=6; S=6
33. In 2010, two new courses – launched in 2009 in English – were translated into French and
Spanish and prepared for online use in the 2010 course catalogues: a course on trade in services (PLS
Level 2) and a more advanced course (PLS Level 2) covering the WTO Agreements and the main
trade-related cross-cutting subjects (Multilateral Trade Agreements (MTAs) and the WTO2). In
addition, the training material for an additional course on market access was finalized in English and
formatted for Web-use. The course will be available in the 2011 course catalogue in English. In
2010, the online course programme included the following available courses:
(a) Progressive Learning Strategy Level 1
- Introduction to the WTO
(b) Progressive Learning Strategy Level 2
- Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)
- Trade Remedies
- Agriculture in WTO
- Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT)
- Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS)
- Trade in Services
- Multilateral Trade Agreements and the WTO3
34. Substantive progress in the development of two other courses, on trade and environment and
on Market Access issues and NAMA negotiations, was made in 2010, with a view to finalizing and
launching both training courses in 2011.
35. A total of 3060 participants participated in an online course in 2010, among which 1070 from
Africa, 1058 from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), 660 from Asia and the Pacific, 344 from
the Arab and Middle-East region and 163 from CEECAC. Following website disruptions experienced
in 2009, the number of selected online participants was monitored in 2010 to ensure that the number
of simultaneous website users did not go beyond the distance-learning platform capacities and
therefore provide adequate participants in online courses held in parallel with adequate website
performances
2 This online course was formerly entitled "eWTO: the Multilateral Trade Agreements".
3 This online course was formerly entitled "eWTO: the Multilateral Trade Agreements".
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Graph 3: Number of Participants in Online Courses, 2007-2010
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
2007 2008 2009 2010
Graph 4: Participants by Region, 2007-2010
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
Africa Asia and
Pacific
Latin
America
and
Caribbean
Arab and
Middle-
East
Central
and
Eastern
Europe
Central
Asia
2007
2008
2009
2010
36. In 2010, participation of LDCs in the online course programme was strongly encouraged.
The number of participants from LDCs rose from 195 in 2007 to 700 in 2010. The percentage of
LDC participants among the total number of eLearning participants reached a 23 per cent share in
2010. 43 LDCs out of 50 benefited from the online course programme and participated in at least one
online activity last year.
Table 3: Percentage of Participants from Least-Developed Countries in WTO E-Learning, 2007-2010
2007 2008 2009 2010
Percentage LDCs/Total number of participants 11% 10% 19% 23%
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Graph 5: Number of Participants from LCDs, 2007-2010
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
2007 2008 2009 2010
3. Self-Training Courses
37. In 2010, a number of self-training modules covering a wide range of WTO topics (overview
of the WTO, legal and economic underpinnings, dispute settlement, SPS measures, trade in services,
accessions, trade facilitation, trade and finance, etc.) were available online through the WTO
Webpage on distance learning, the eLearning Website and on CD-Rom or DVD.
38. The modules were accessible free of charge and open to all Website users. Each module
included theory and exercises through multiple choice questions with an automatic correction
mechanism.
C. REGIONAL TRADE POLICY COURSES: PLS LEVEL 2
39. Regional Trade Policy Courses are classified as a PLS Level 2 training activity on the
"generalist" training path.
40. Four RTPCs were implemented in 2010: one in partnership with the Universidad Sergio
Arboleda (Colombia) for Latin America; one with the National University of Singapore (NUS) for the
Asia-Pacific region; one in partnership with the University of Swaziland for English-speaking Africa;
and one in partnership with l'Université d'Abomey-Calavi (Benin) for French-speaking Africa. Four
RTPC preparatory workshops were also held at the WTO in 2010. As usual, the purpose of the
workshop was to bring together the academics who would be co-delivering the RTPC with WTO
officials for a three-day update and meetings. The Preparatory Workshop for the Latin America RTPC
took place at the WTO in December 2009.
41. 2010 was the second year of partnership for both the Universidad Sergio Arboleda and the
University of Swaziland, while it was the third year of partnership for l'Université d'Abomey-Calavi
(Benin) and the fourth and final year of the RTPC partnership with NUS for the Asia Pacific RTPC.
42. There were a number of highlights for the RTPC programme during 2010, specifically, the
successful conclusion of a four-year RTPC partnership with NUS; the agreement of the Director-
General to extend the RTPC partnerships with Universidad Sergio Arboleda, University of Swaziland
and l'Université d'Abomey-Calavi for a fourth year; the selection of the Centre for WTO Studies at
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the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) as the new partner for the 2011 RTPC for Asia Pacific;
the expansion of the paperless RTPC to all the partnerships in 2010, and finally, the impact of the
enhancement of the progressive learning strategy on the structure and content of the RTPC.
43. The WTO RTPC partnership with NUS drew to a successful close with the 2010 edition of
the RTPC. This was the first RTPC partnership to have been extended to four years and followed a
re-evaluation of the optimal length of RTPC partnerships by senior management in 2009 which
introduced flexibility in determining whether a partnership should last for three or four years. The
RTPC partnership with NUS was very successful. Throughout the four-year partnership NUS showed
its inherent strength as a partner, with the very valuable input of two academic coordinators of
extremely high calibre and commitment; through providing excellent on-site management of the
course; through the consistent support of the management and Law Faculty members of NUS,
together with the support and involvement of the Singapore government. Over the four years, the
RTPC product was greatly enhanced through the partnership with NUS as valuable lessons were
learned about the content and delivery of the RTPC. WTO will continue to work with NUS on post-
RTPC activities.
44. Also during 2010, the Director-General, responded positively to requests from the three
current RTPC partners, Universidad Sergio Arboleda (Colombia), the University of Swaziland and
l'Université d'Abomey-Calavi (Benin) for an extension of the RTPC partnerships to four years. Each
university identified specific objectives that they hope to achieve through the extension of the
partnership.
45. The selection process for a new partner for the 2011 Asia-Pacific RTPC was carried out in
2010. An open and transparent process was launched in February 2010 in which universities in Asia-
Pacific were invited to submit proposals for partnering on the RTPC. A total of 12 proposals were
received which were short-listed by the WTO Selection Committee to six candidates. As part of the
selection process, members of the Selection Committee visited each of the short-listed candidates.
Following a detailed review of the candidates, which were of very high quality, the Director-General
announced the selection of the Centre for WTO Studies at the IIFT as partner for the 2011Asia-Pacific
RTPC.
46. The "virtual classroom", or electronic resource-sharing platform, was first introduced in
RTPCs in 2009 thanks to the initiative of our Latin American RTPC partners Universidad Sergio
Arboleda, and it has now spread to all RTPCs with, for the first time in 2010, the virtual classrooms
being used in the African RTPCs (thanks to the technical support of Universidad Sergio Arboleda).
The virtual classroom changed the way in which RTPCs were delivered in 2010 by totally
overhauling the way the course was conceived, prepared, delivered and assimilated. By storing all the
training material for the course electronically in one place, participants now had complete access to
their entire library of training material at any given time. The use of the electronic environment made
it much easier for participants to manipulate the material than was possible with paper documentation.
The trainers, too, having access to the virtual classroom, were able to see what has been covered in
other topics, allowing them to refine and nuance their own material, as required, to increase its
coherence with the overall course (even simply by reducing repetition and reinforcing linkages to
other modules). The autonomous aspect of the virtual classroom reinforced the need for trainers to
prepare a clear, structured programme for their modules which defined the objectives and content,
allowing participants to easily navigate the training material on the virtual classroom. As a result, in
2010, RTPC co-trainers worked more closely together in preparing their programmes and defining
each other's role and the RTPC has become a more integrated package.
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47. As part of the development of the PLS in 2010, the RTPC Unit reviewed the content and
delivery methodology of the RTPCs (level 2 training activity for generalists) in order to align them
with the newly introduced ATPC (level 3 training activity for generalists). This alignment was
necessary to ensure coherence and progressivity in the design and the implementation of the two
products. During 2010 the RTPC Unit was involved in extensive discussions on a secretariat-wide
basis to clarify the alignment and the outcome was that as of 2010, RTPCs reinforced their focus on
providing a substantial and comprehensive coverage of the WTO Agreements, as well as an
introduction to the DDA, while retaining their focus on regional and development challenges. The
ATPC would go on to provide more in-depth coverage of the WTO Agreements, as well as a more in-
depth overview of the DDA negotiations, with a focus on implementation. As a result of the
realignment there should be a clear progression between the content and delivery methodology of the
RTPCs and the ATPCs ensuring that beneficiaries build cumulatively on the knowledge and skills of
each progressive level to allow them to conduct WTO work.
48. The ITTC continued its practice of appointing an official Patroness for each RTPC, who
through her own experience and expertise provided inspiration, guidance and leadership to the
participants in these Courses. The Colombian RTPC valued the patronage of Dra. María Fernanda
Campo, President of Colombia Chamber of Commerce. In Singapore, Ms Chong Siak Ching,
President/CEO of Ascendas, honoured the participants by being Patroness of the RTPC. The RTPC in
Swaziland had the privilege of the Patronage of Ms. Sibongile G. Mdluli, Deputy Governor of the
Central Bank of Swaziland for the second year, while Mrs Rékyath Madougou, Minister of
Microfinance, Youth and Women's Employment, honoured the participants of the RTPC in Benin
with her patronage. In each case, the Patroness met with the RTPC participants, discussed her
professional experience with them and encouraged the participants to benefit to the maximum from
their participation in the RTPC and to work to strengthen the MTS.
D. GENEVA-BASED TRAINING ACTIVITIES: FOCUS ON PLS LEVEL 3
1. Overview
49. Geneva-based training activities draw upon a rich tradition with a steady record of success
spanning over fifty years. In 2010, the WTO Secretariat delivered a series of training activities as part
of its Geneva-based training programme. These courses were conducted under the responsibility of
the Geneva-Based Courses Unit (GBCU) of the ITTC, in collaboration with officials from other
Secretariat divisions.
50. During this year, the Geneva-based course curriculum continued its re-orientation in line with
the PLS to focus on the design and delivery of advanced (PLS level 3) training activities in both the
"generalist" and "specialist" PLS paths. Ranging in length from one week to three months4, these
Geneva-based training activities included the first ATPC5 and advanced thematic courses on particular
WTO-related topics (i.e. dispute settlement, agriculture, SPS, TBT and TRIPs).6 In order to ensure
the effectiveness of the PLS, prerequisites (in the form of eLearning, other face-to-face training
activities and/or commensurate knowledge or experience) were imposed in respect of more advanced
activities. In parallel with this advanced emphasis, attention to the particular needs and interests of
LDCs continued in Geneva: two Introduction Courses for LDCs (PLS Level 1) took place at the
4 A total of 262 government officials – 139 men and 123 women – participated in 2010 Geneva-based
one-week to three-month training activities. 5 The long-standing flagship of Geneva-based training activities has, until mid-2010, been the
comprehensive twelve-week TPC. Following the final (49th
) TPC, which took place from January to April
2010, the transition was made to the ATPC. The first ATPC took place from September to December 2010. 6 In addition, advanced WTO/Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Rules capacity-building took
place in conjunction with the Negotiating Group on Rules in 2010.
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WTO Headquarters in Geneva in 2010, one in English and one in French. Three Introduction Days
rounded out the Geneva-based curriculum.
51. Geneva-based training courses provide an opportunity for participants to have first-hand
exposure to, and on-site experience of, the functioning of the WTO. These activities derive full
benefit from numerous attributes inherent and unique to the Geneva location at the heart of the WTO
and its Secretariat. This offers an authoritative and comprehensive platform for the delivery of
training and includes certain special features such as attending meetings of WTO bodies (e.g., General
Council, CTD, the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB), the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB),
accession Working Parties, etc.), updates on DDA negotiating issues and "Round Table"-type
discussions (featuring, for example, Geneva-based Committee chairpersons, delegates, and Secretariat
staff dealing with a particular trade or negotiating topic) and exposure to other international
institutions in Geneva active in trade-related matters. Contacts with officials in the WTO Secretariat
and other international organizations – including ITC, UNCTAD, the Agency for International Trade
Information and Cooperation (AITIC) the World Bank, the Advisory Centre for WTO Trade Law
(ACWL) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) - as well as delegates from
Geneva Missions and from capitals, and speakers from NGOs and think tanks have been a dynamic
and rewarding feature. An additional and important feature of Geneva-based courses is their global
reach, by bringing together participants from all global regions which encourages the sharing of best
practices beyond the regional contexts.
52. In order to maximize the effectiveness of its face-to-face training activities, the pedagogical
approach followed in Geneva-based training activities continues to evolve toward resolutely
interactive and participatory training. Moreover, these training activities constitute synergistic
laboratories for the development and continuous updating and adaptation of training materials and
modules. The material generated is then made widely available in order to support other WTO
training and capacity-building activities.
2. Advanced (Progressive Learning Strategy Level 3) Training Activities
(i) Generalist Path: the new Advanced Trade Policy Course
53. In terms of the PLS "generalist" path, the year 2010 witnessed the final (49th) TPC and the
inauguration of the WTO's first three-month ATPC, the most advanced comprehensive training
activity under the WTO's training umbrella. Completion of a Level 2 "generalist" activity (i.e. RTPC,
TPC, eWTO online eLearning) was a prerequisite for selection for the first ATPC. Twenty four
participants were selected out of approx. 100 applications received.
Graph 6: Prerequisites of the participants in the 1st Advanced Trade Policy Course in Geneva
7
7 TPC: 10 participants; RTPC: 9 participants; eWTO: 7 participants (2 participants completed both a
TPC and online eLearning eWTO).
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54. The ATPC aims to promote a higher level of learning and to encourage the development of
participants' autonomy to conduct WTO-related work. The ATPC culminates in the completion and
presentation of an individual project by the participants on a trade-related topic of their choice.8 In
addition to completing the project, the participants are exposed to the different areas of WTO work
through the consideration, not only of the legal aspects of the WTO Agreements and use of certain
trade policy instruments, but also the economic implications of implementing the Agreements and
making use of these instruments. This is largely achieved by encouraging 'learning by doing' through
shifting the focus from lecture-based teaching to interactive teaching methods including case studies
and exercises. For the first time in a Geneva-based course and in line with the Director-General's
initiative towards a 'paperless' Secretariat, each participant was provided with a laptop for use over the
three-month period to enable access to a 'virtual classroom' in which all documentation was available
as well as to facilitate completion of the individual projects.
55. The ITTC continued to appoint an official Patron for each TPC, to provide inspiration,
guidance and leadership to the participants. The Patron for the 49th TPC was H.E. Ambassador Karen
Tan of Singapore. Ambassador Tan met with the participants on several occasions, allowing them to
benefit from her perspectives, drawn from her many and various experiences working in an
international environment. She highlighted the experience of Singapore in the MTS, underlining the
importance of TA and CB in that context. The Patron of the 1st ATPC was H.E. Ambassador Venetia
Sebudandi of Rwanda, who shared her perspectives and experience as a busy Geneva-based
Ambassador of an LDC, responsible not only for WTO matters, but also for UN and related agencies.
She praised the participants of the first ATPC for their hard work and commitment during their three-
month stay in Geneva.
(ii) Specialist Path: Advanced Thematic Courses
56. In terms of the PLS "specialist" path, the year 2010 also saw the delivery of five advanced
thematic activities, ranging from one to three 3 weeks in duration, addressing: Agriculture, TBT,
Dispute Settlement, SPS and TRIPS (the latter conducted jointly with WIPO). Hallmarks of these
activities include: a rigorous selection process, screening candidates on the basis of successful
completion of online or face-to-face training activities and/or demonstrably commensurate knowledge
or professional experience; active involvement of the international trade community in Geneva; and
an emphasis on more interactive sessions, comprising exercises, case studies and simulations. Such
interactive pedagogical tools aim to consolidate the knowledge already transferred in earlier training
steps, and to encourage participants to develop their conceptual understanding of the topic and their
autonomy to analyse and critically assess issues through active application of their knowledge.
(iii) Advanced Agriculture Course
57. The Agriculture and Commodities Division (AGCD) and the ITTC organized jointly the first
Geneva-based Advanced Course on the Agreement on Agriculture, which took place at WTO
Headquarters, in Geneva, from 8 to12 March 2010. Twenty-three participants representing both
developing (20) and developed (three) countries9 participated in the Course. This ensured a rich
variety of perspectives and experiences. The primary goals of the Course were to explore issues of
monitoring and surveillance in the context of the Agreement on Agriculture and to develop analytical
skills based on WTO database tools. The Course consisted of interactive sessions including case
studies and a hands-on notification exercise which enabled the participants to put their knowledge of
8 As mentioned above, the content and delivery methods of RTPCs (PLS level 2 training activity for
generalists) and ATPCs (PLS level 3 training activity for generalists) were re-aligned on a secretariat-wide basis
with a view to ensuring that beneficiaries build cumulatively on the knowledge and skills of each progressive
level to allow them to conduct WTO work. 9 The latter on a self-financing basis.
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the Agreement on agriculture into practise. In order to provide participants with the necessary tools
for completing the case studies, time was dedicated to familiarising them with the IDB and the
Consolidated Tariff Schedules (CTS) database. The participants also had the opportunity to attend a
meeting of the Regular Session of the Committee on Agriculture as well as to benefit from the
knowledge and expertise of Geneva-based delegates who participated in a Roundtable on
Transparency in Agriculture. In addition, the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable
Development (ICTSD) provided a lunch-time briefing on some of the research carried out by ICTSD
on agriculture issues.
(iv) Advanced Technical Barriers to Trade Course
58. The Trade and Environment Division (TED) and the ITTC-GBCU organized jointly a two-
week Advanced Course on the TBT Agreement which took place at WTO Headquarters, in Geneva,
from 14-25 June 2010. The 23 selected participants already possessed a sound knowledge of the TBT
Agreement and the WTO system in general; most of them had completed the relevant eLearning
modules. The Course aimed to consolidate participants' knowledge and understanding of the TBT
Agreement as well as to overcome challenges related to the implementation of the Agreement. It also
addressed negotiations, dispute settlement and transparency in the area of TBT. As indicated in the
original letter of invitation, participation in this advanced course was subject to the completion of a
pre-course questionnaire. The aim was to encourage participants to gather as much information as
possible on issues related to the implementation of the TBT Agreement in their economies, including
mechanisms and resources (human, financial, etc.) supporting its implementation.
59. During the two weeks, participants debated various aspects of the TBT Agreement, including
issues being discussed under the Non Tariff Barriers-related NAMA negotiations. In addition, the
course consisted of interactive sessions and provided participants with a unique opportunity to discuss
and hear others' experiences in the field of standards and regulation, and to make contacts with a wide
range of experts and officials. The course included a highly appreciated "hands-on" notification
exercise focusing upon strategies as to how to react to, and derive maximum benefit from, another
Member's WTO TBT notification. Another key advantage of the Course was the opportunity to
attend the regular meeting of the TBT Committee as well as its Sixth Special Meeting on Procedures
for Information Exchange (on transparency). Participants benefited from the involvement of WTO
Secretariat staff from the Council and TNC, Market Access, Agriculture and Legal Affairs Divisions,
as well as from the involvement of expert speakers and delegates from China, the European Union,
India, Mexico, the United States – as well as organizations such as the the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization
(UNIDO), ITC and ACWL. Participants also had the opportunity to visit the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) and to discuss current issues, including the ISO 26000
standard, with the Secretary-General.
(v) Advanced Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights Course
60. The eight-day 2010 Joint WIPO-WTO Advanced Course on Intellectual Property (IP)
(organized by WIPO and the WTO Secretariat (Intellectual Property Division and ITTC)) took place
from 26 April to 5 May 2010. Participants were required to have completed the WTO online TRIPs
eLearning module or the WIPO Distance Learning Course (or have commensurate knowledge or
professional experience). This enabled the activity to continue to concentrate on advanced, focused
themes and exploration of the frontiers of current IP issues. The first part of the course took place at
the WIPO Headquarters, and the course finished up at the WTO Headquarters in Geneva. The main
objective of the Course was to update participating government officials on the activities and
instruments of the WIPO and the WTO and to provide a forum for an exchange of information and
ideas between them and the two secretariats on these matters. The activity included a rich range of
perspectives, as a result of involvement of Geneva-based TRIPs delegates and the private sector in
certain sessions. This second Geneva-based advanced TRIPs Course for government officials built on
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the success of the WIPO-WTO Colloquium for teachers of IP, which has been held annually since
2004.
(vi) Advanced Dispute Settlement Courses
61. Two one-week thematic courses on dispute settlement took place at WTO Headquarters in
Geneva in 2010, organized jointly by the Legal Affairs Division (LAD), the Appellate Body
Secretariat (ABS) and the ITTC. An advanced ("level 3") dispute settlement course, in Spanish, from
6 to 10 December, consisted of interactive presentations, lunch conferences, round tables, group
discussions and practical exercises given both by in-house experts from the WTO Secretariat and the
ABS, as well as many guest speakers from other international organizations (such as the ACWL), the
private sector, missions and academia.10
Participants in this advanced course were asked to have
already completed a thematic dispute settlement course (or have commensurate knowledge or
professional experience). In addition, a renovated "level 2" course, in English, from 30 August to 3
September, aimed to provide a better understanding of the WTO dispute settlement rules and
procedures through a combination of lectures and interactive exercises. Participants also benefited
from the opportunity to attend a DSB meeting.
(vii) Advanced Sanitary and Phytosanitary Course
62. The 2010 Advanced Course on the WTO Agreement on the Application of SPS Measures,
jointly organized by the AGCD and the ITTC, was held in English, from 11 to 29 October 2010, at the
WTO Headquarters in Geneva. Twenty-six government officials participated in the course, which has
been run for six consecutive years. All participants had to undertake two pre-requisites prior to their
final selection: (i) successfully complete the SPS eLearning course; and (ii) respond to a questionnaire
on the level of implementation of the SPS Agreement in their countries. The completion of the SPS
eLearning course prior to the Course ensured that all the participants had learned the basic principles
and provisions of the SPS Agreement, and allowed for in-depth lectures and discussions. The Course
focused on transmitting knowledge and awareness about the SPS Agreement and the work of the SPS
Committee at an advanced level, as well as skills to enable participants to address specific
implementation challenges and opportunities at the national level. A team of WTO staff and external
experts coached the participants during the Course. In addition, representatives of the three
international standard-setting bodies referred in the SPS Agreement were invited for specific sessions.
63. The first and third weeks of the course included sessions on how to increase the
understanding of the Agreement at both the national and regional levels; to create a national agenda
in order to establish priorities and ensure follow-up, including different national stakeholders; to learn
more effective ways to promote national and regional coordination; and to establish sustainable SPS
leadership. In addition, each participant was called on to share his/her knowledge and experience on
the implementation of certain aspects of the SPS Agreement in specific sessions of the course. In the
second week, participants attended the SPS Committee meetings, as well as a workshop on
transparency. They also attended briefing sessions organized for them in the margins of the
Committee meetings. "Graduates" of former advanced courses, who were attending the SPS
Committee on behalf of their countries, were invited to share their experience with the participants.
64. Each participant elaborated an action plan to address at least one or two challenges/difficulties
encountered in their countries. They are expected to implement this action plan upon return to their
10
The Course also benefited from the special collaboration of the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de
México (ITAM), WTO Chairs Programme.
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countries. The implementation stage will be assisted and monitored through periodic progress reports
and a follow-up activity in June 2011.11
(viii) Basic (Progressive Learning Strategy Level 1) Introduction Courses for Least-Developed
Countries
65. In parallel with the advanced orientation of the Geneva-based curriculum, attention to the
particular needs and interests of LDCs continued in Geneva: two Introduction Courses for LDCs took
place at the WTO Headquarters in Geneva in 2010, one in English and one in French. The
Introduction Courses for LDCs focus on issues and perspectives of specific concern to LDCs and
open the door for participants to proceed to further, higher level, training activities such as RTPCs.
66. This activity introduces participants to the WTO, its basic rules and disciplines and its
functioning for the benefit of government officials from LDCs. Briefing on overall WTO work-in-
progress is an integral part of the course. The development dimension, with a particular focus on
LDC-related issues, constitutes an important component of the programme. The course benefits from
involvement of the ITC, UNCTAD, AITIC, the World Bank and the ACWL.
(ix) Introduction Days
67. The Geneva-based course training programme was rounded out by three one-day Introduction
Days: two on general WTO matters, and one relating specifically to TRIPs. Intended for newly
arrived delegates in Geneva, non-governmental organizations, new WTO staff members, interns
working in the Secretariat and interested officials from other international organizations, the general
Introduction Days allow for the dissemination of information about the WTO, its basic principles, its
functioning and current issues, as well as about ways to access WTO-related information through the
WTO Library and Internet. Based on the long-standing demand from newly arrived Geneva-based
WTO delegates, a specialized Introduction Day workshop was also held for those delegates who deal
with TRIPs issues. This specialised one-day workshop, the first of its kind, was also warmly
welcomed by the participants. The objective of this activity was to introduce the TRIPs Agreement
and the relevant on-going work in the WTO to newly-arrived delegates and to allow for informal
dialogue to clarify TRIPs-related issues among Geneva-based delegates and with the WTO
Secretariat.
IV. OUTREACH ACTIVITIES, ACADEMIC COOPERATION AND INTENSIVE
COURSES ON TRADE NEGOTIATIONS SKILLS
A. OUTREACH ACTIVITIES FOR PARLIAMENTARIANS, PRIVATE SECTOR, MEDIA AND CIVIL
SOCIETY
68. Outreach activities for Parliamentarians, civil society and media are part of an overall WTO
strategy to help these stakeholders better understand and engage in informed debate on the provisions
of WTO agreements, the Doha Ministerial Declaration and the DDA negotiations. In 2010, Outreach
activities aimed towards building dialogue and capacity within WTO TRTA's overall aim of
sustainable capacity building. Five Regional activities were carried out, targeting Parliamentarians,
media and Civil Society including the private sector. The Regional initiatives complemented or were
backed up by national outreach workshops, which are carried out as part of the WTO’s regular
technical assistance work. In 2010, several efforts were made to engage with national media, all
11
An SPS follow-up session was organized for the participants of the Specialized Course on the SPS
Agreement held in 2009 to report on the implementation of the Action Plans they developed during the course.
The follow-up session was organized from 23 to 25 June 2010 just prior to the SPS Committee meeting week,
so the participants could also participate in the Committee meetings.
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carried out back-to-back with other WTO TA activities. Therefore, the cost of engaging with the
media was marginal, while reaching out to a wider, non-Geneva based media constituency.
69. All of the five Outreach activities implemented in 2010, involved partnerships with regional
Parliamentary, Civil Society organizations or Foundations. These partnerships have become regular
and involve long lasting relationships with Parliamentary associations of the Commonwealth and the
Francophonie, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and the Foro Inter-Parlementario de las Americas. The
partnership normally includes joint funding arrangements and help in the logistics involved in
organizing the events. The joint funding has increased the possibilities offered by the TRTA Budget.
70. Regional balance has been crucial in delivering the outreach activities. Parliamentarians, Civil
Society and Media from Caribbean, Africa, Asia and Pacific and Latin America were engaged in
2010. Unfortunately, there was no outreach activities organized in the Arab and Middle East region
for 2010. Demand from developing countries is clearly high for these activities in all regions. Best
efforts were made to match available resources with a growing demand in 2010.
71. Regional outreach is aimed at complementing some of the WTO's Geneva-based outreach
activities such as the Public Forum and Open Day. The Public Forum is consolidating its status as a
prominent fixture on the international calendar and brings together Government officials, Civil
Society, Academics, Parliamentarians, Media and the general public to debate multilateral trade
issues. The Open Day held its second edition in 2010 and proved to be a fruitful transparency
exercise. WTO involvement with the Parliamentary Conference on WTO is strengthened as the WTO
is the host for the 2011 session of this Annual Conference.
B. ACADEMIC SUPPORT FOR TRAINING AND CAPACITY-BUILDING
1. Overview
72. During 2010, the number of activities involving academic support and cooperation increased
considerably in relation to previous years. This is partially due to the launching of the WCP early in
the year, which gave rise to interaction with most universities hosting a WTO Chair (launching
ceremonies), and a rise in the number of academic seminars, conferences and teaching activities
undertaken by the WTO. The WTO implemented 62 activities and initiatives related to academic
cooperation and support. The funding for 2010 activities was provided by the Global Trust Fund
(GTF) and the WTO Regular Budget.
73. This increase in academic activities may be attributed to more information becoming
available to WTO Members and their national academic institutions about possible support
possibilities available from the WTO. Activities remain demand-driven, which also signals growing
interest by beneficiary institutions in receiving support from the WTO for academic projects.
74. There is also an evolution towards more coherence within and among the existing
programmes (WCP and Academic Support Programme). In this sense, the WCP integrates financial
and substantive support to a reduced number (14) of universities, through a multi-year agreement with
beneficiary institutions, thus providing predictability and continuity and favouring the attainment of
the beneficiary's objectives. Similarly, activities under the Academic Support Programme tend to
follow a locally-owned programme-based approach, thus also seeking to enhance their impact,
reducing ah-hoc activities, while preserving flexibility for new "entrants".
2. Academic Support
75. Under the Academic Support Programme, activities included several regional events which
were organized in partnership with regional secretariats (UNESCAP, OIF-AUF, the United Nations
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Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)) and with associated academic institutions. The WTO
supported these by providing co-financing and/or through the participation of WTO officials. During
2010, the WTO co-sponsored five regional activities and funded the participation of its staff in 20
academic conferences and seminars. Furthermore, the WTO also financed the participation of staff in
the delivery of lectures and training modules in 25 national activities. Under the Academic
Programme, the WTO also funded seven PhD fellowships (Brazil, Chine, Egypt, Iran, Kyrgyz
Republic, Pakistan, Zimbabwe under the doctoral studies programme). Some of the activities
implemented were conducted in collaboration with academic institutions hosting a WTO Chair
(Argentina, Morocco and Senegal), as part of the apporach leading to increasingly involve WTO
Chair holder institutions in the implementation of WTO activities within their respective countries and
regions.
76. The WTO continued donating WTO publications to academic institutions and to individual
scholars taking part in its activities. Publications were donated in relation to 36 activities and requests
received from individual universities, for a total of 948 sets of publications donated during 2010.
3. WTO Chairs Programme
77. TheWCP started operating in 2010 in a very active way. On the part of the WTO Secretariat,
an Inaugural Conference was organized in the month of May, with the presence of WTO Director-
General and WTO Senior Management; a Website was also created to provide basic services the
parties of the programme. National Launching Ceremonies were organized by the Chairs, with the
participation of senior national officials, WTO Director-General and WTO Deputy Directors-General,
thus initiating the work contemplated in their respective projects.
78. The WCP Inaugural Conference was held both in Geneva and in Barcelona on 25-26 May
2010, in collaboration with the University of Barcelona. The Conference was attended by the 14
Chair holders, members of the WCP Advisory Board, and by WTO staff who contributed to the
programme as WTO Secretariat counterparts for each Chair. The Conference provided the
opportunity to present and to discuss the projects to be developed by the 14 WTO Chair holder
institutions and facilitated an exchange of ideas on issues related to the functioning of the WCP.
During the meeting, the Chair holders made presentations about their specific projects in the areas of
teaching, research and outreach, while members of the Advisory Board, acting as discussants,
provided valuable comments and suggestions for the implementation of the projects and the general
functioning of the WCP. Discussions highlighted the global nature of the WCP, including from
geographical and linguistic points of view, and the relevance of the WCP in promoting applied
research to assist governments in policy making. The importance of possible joint activities among
Chairs to enhance the regional impact of their respective activities was deemed very valuable in order
to strengthen the programme and its expected impact. The meeting also provided the opportunity for
WTO Secretariat counterparts and their corresponding WTO Chairs to engage in discussions aiming
at clarifying priority areas in which the WTO Secretariat would be substantively supporting the
projects undertaken by the Chairs.
79. Nine of the 14 WTO Chairs organized national Launching Ceremonies during the year. The
WTO was represented by its Senior Management, including the Director-General. National
governments were present at senior level at these events, through the participation of ministers and
Rectors of universities. These launching ceremonies were held in the context of academic
conferences and contributed to highlighting the presence of the corresponding institutions as WTO
partners for trade policy and WTO matters.
80. WTO Director-General officially launched the work of three of the Chairs (established in
Chile, China and Senegal), while, on one occasion (Senegal), the ceremony was chaired by the
President of the Republic. The participation of senior-level WTO officials in these ceremonies
reaffirmed the commitment of the WTO to this programme, and highlighted the importance it attaches
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to contributing to CB in academic institutions in developing countries. National launching
ceremonies took place in respect of the Chairs established in Argentina, Chile, China, PR of, Kenya,
Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Russian Federation, Senegal and Vietnam.
81. Towards the end of the year, WTO Chairs were requested to provide their respective 2010
annual reports which include detailed information regarding the specific activities undertaken during
2010, as well as expenses incurred, outputs generated, an identification of operational challenges and
an overall an assessment of results for the year. These reports are a pre–requisite for any further
disbursement during 2011. An assessment is being undertaken by the WTO and the external
Advisory Board established under the programme.
C. INTENSIVE COURSE ON TRADE NEGOTIATIONS SKILLS
82. During the course of 2010, close to four hundred Government officials benefited from the
advanced trade negotiations simulation skills course (ICTNS) held for the various regions in nine
regional and three national TA activities.
83. The ITNSC is designed to provide participants with skills and knowledge concerning
appropriate strategies and tactics for the conduct of trade negotiations, as well as techniques of
systematic decision analysis for monitoring and managing the negotiating process. Participants
applied the Doha framework modalities on Agriculture, NAMA and Trade in Services to bilateral and
multilateral trade negotiations. The course contributed directly to the objectives of the Doha DDA by
improving, deepening and enhancing participants' understanding of the DDA negotiations, more
particularly the Crawford Falconer Draft Modalities for Agriculture, Luiz Wasescha Draft Modalities
for NAMA, 2005 Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration, and the 2004 July Package. The core of the
Course encompasses all the stages in trade negotiations—from the consultation stage to actual
negotiations, involving real give-and-take. The use of the DDA mandate for the simulation exercise
makes this training program particularly relevant since participants can apply their strengthened skills
immediately to real world negotiations in Geneva and other fora.
84. The Course has been found to be extremely valuable, bringing participants into real
negotiation mode. Feedback from participants has been very positive and reassuring. A computed
average score for 2010 shows that 96 per cent of participants found the TA activity professionally
useful or relevant and equally 96 per cent had an excellent/very good opinion about the TA activity.
Virtually all participants indicated in the evaluation forms that they had benefited from the Course and
expanded their knowledge of bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations. A number of participants
indicated that they would use the knowledge and skills acquired in their daily work, bilateral and
international trade negotiations, free trade agreements (FTAs) and at the policy-making support level.
85. The training material has evolved over the years on the basis of feedback from participants
and colleagues. Regional-targeting of the working documents has produced the most interesting
results e.g. as in Kenya, Hong Kong, Antigua, Tunisia and Swaziland where the participants inter alia
gave a score of 100 per cent for the high quality of the training materials. A selection process has
been introduced to improve the quality of the results. Selected participants are those who have good
knowledge of the WTO Agreements, have previously attended a WTO workshop or seminar on any
topic, or have followed the WTO e-training. The results of the ICTNS are of immediate application.
86. Over the years, the WTO has built partnership with the APEC-Economic Integration project,
Thailand Institute for Trade and Development (ITD), Canadian International Development Agency
(CIDA) and the Conference Board of Canada in running intensive courses on trade negotiations skills
in Asia. In Africa, partnership has been built with the OIF, University of Pretoria, University of the
Western Cape (South Africa), University of Dar es Salaam and the University of Nairobi. The
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Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has been involved in partnership arrangements in the middle east.
Our partners did contribute in terms of both facilitators and financial resources.
D. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDED UNDER ART. 27.2
87. The provision of TA to developing countries, upon request, pursuant to Article 27.2 of the
Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU) is as an integral part of the WTO's overall TA programme.
DSU 27.2 requires the "technical cooperation services" of the WTO to make available, upon request,
qualified persons to assist developing countries with respect to a dispute.
88. TA under DSU 27.2 is provided under the following parameters:
(i) the Secretariat must, as far as possible, accommodate all requests for
assistance made under this provision. However, there could be exceptional
situations where this may not be possible due to, for example, time
constraints on the consultants, or conflict of interest as a result of an
adversarial party to the dispute having already been given this assistance by
the Secretariat;
(ii) in light of the need for "impartiality" of the Secretariat in discharging any
functions under DSU 27.2 (expressly provided in the Article), this assistance
is provided exclusively by "independent" consultants paid out of the WTO's
TA budget, and not by Secretariat staff;
(iii) there is no expectation that the consultants are to provide services similar to
full-fledged legal counsel in a case. It is more of advisory services usually at
the beginning of the dispute, to make proper assessment of facts and explore
legal avenues possible, and in some cases extending to subsequent checking
of documents to be submitted, but largely prepared by the country itself,
albeit with input from the consultants;
(iv) the consultants engaged under DSU 27.2 do not appear in any panel or
Appellate Body hearing on behalf of a party; and,
(v) for obvious ethical reasons, the service can only be provided to one
party/parties to a dispute (although it could be provided to multiple parties on
the same side of a dispute). Consequently, in the event of two developing
countries being parties against each other, the assistance can only be provided
to the country which seeks the assistance first.
89. For the year 2010, seven requests for assistance were made with respect to actual disputes, all
of which were accommodated by the Secretariat. The requests were both as initiator of a dispute and
as defendant. Five of these requests were from Latin American countries, one from Asia, and one
from Eastern Europe. Latin America is the biggest requester of the TA provided under DSU 27.2,
which reflects the regions heavy involvement in dispute settlement. The average time spent on each
case is approximately three months, since the consultants are engaged on the basis of only one day per
week. Work on some of these requests spilled over into 2011, just as work on some requests made in
2009 was only concluded in 2010.
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V. REGIONAL APPROACHES TO TRADE-RELATED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
AND PARTNERSHIPS
A. AFRICA
90. Pursuant to overall WTO policy, Africa remains a major priority area for the TA programme
of the WTO, and this is reflected in Africa's high proportion of overall TA activities. In 2010,
approximately 40 per cent of all WTO national TA activities were delivered in Africa, as were 30 per
cent of all regional activities. In addition, participants from Africa were also admitted to most of the
Geneva-based global TA activities. The priority given to African countries demonstrates WTO's
commitment to strengthening the human and institutional capacity of African countries to better
implement the WTO Agreements and derive significant benefits there from with a view to facilitating
their full integration into the MTS. It should also be recalled that 42 of the continent's 53 countries
are WTO Members. In addition, priority is also given to LDCs under the WTO's TRTA programme.
In view of the fact that Africa has the vast majority of LDCs (33 of the 49 LDCs), WTO's
prioritization of Africa and LDCs is mutually consistent and reinforcing.
91. In 2010, a number of national activities and internship programmes, as well as regional
seminars and workshops, were organized for African countries. National activities are considered the
primary means by which specific needs of countries are met through tailor-made programmes, based
on carefully drawn needs assessments. Thus, national activities are meant to address specific capacity
constraints of countries and create institutional knowledge so as to facilitate continuous engagement
in theMTS.
92. The subjects covered in the national activities in 2010 included agriculture, trade facilitation,
the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs), TRIPS,
NAMA, TBT, SPS, customs valuation, trade remedies, government procurement and trade negotiation
skills. These activities reflected growing demand for subjects connected to the ongoing DDA
negotiations, as well as other topical issues relevant to Africa's integration into the MTS. Delivery of
TA to Africa continued to emphasize that TA is only effective if it addresses clearly identified needs.
Consequently, most of the subjects covered at national seminars were identified by the beneficiary
country using the new standard format for national requests which require the matching of a request
with an established need for a particular activity. The priorities of countries are usually reflected in
Diagnostic Trade Integration Studies (DTIS) prepared in connection with the EIF (see below), or in
the context of a trade facilitation needs assessment report or within the framework of the Standards
and Trade Development Facility (STDF).
93. Over the years, the Trade Policy Review (TPR) exercise, which is carried out periodically for
each WTO Member, has emerged as one of the most important sources for identifying the TA needs
of a country. In recent years, every TPR of a developing country or LDC Member includes a specific
chapter on Aid for Trade/TRTA which, inter alia, contains a detailed analysis of a country's TRTA
needs, as well as other challenges to its integration into the MTS, including its supply-side constraints.
Thus, the TPR process has now become a major source of information on the TRTA needs of African
countries. In 2010, six African countries12
had their trade policies reviewed. This interplay of TRTA
needs assessments and TPRs has necessitated a collaborative relationship between the Trade Policies
Review Division (TPRD) and the ITTC.
94. With respect to LDCs, the EIF (through the DTIS) is the main source of needs identification
for LDCs, and also provides the platform by which TA delivery under various configurations can be
delivered. In view of the fact that the EIF is a multi-agency programme, it seeks to identify all forms
12
Benin, Burkina Faso, Congo, Democratic Republic, the Gambia, Malawi and Mali.
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of TRTA needs of LDCs (of which African countries constitute the vast majority), and not necessarily
only those needs than can be delivered by the WTO.
95. Although national activities remain the primary means of addressing TA needs, there are
situations where the TRTA needs of many African countries converge around a core number of
subjects. In this regard, regional activities are used to meet the collective needs of many countries for
a particular WTO subject of interest. In addition, human and financial resource constraints make
regional activities a very good alternative to delivery of TA at the national level. Regional activities
have, therefore, remained a major plank of WTO's TA programme. In the planning and delivery of
regional activities, the ITTC has in recent years taken advantage of its working relationship with
regional partners involved with human and institutional capacity-building in Africa. These include
the United UNECA, with whom the WTO has concluded a Memorandum of Understanding, the
African Development Bank (AfDB) as well as sub-regional institutions such as the Southern African
Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
(COMESA), the East African Community (EAC), the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and the Central African
Economic and Monetary Cooperation (CEMAC).
96. The WTO has also concluded mutually beneficial arrangements with a number of institutions,
including the OIF. The co-operation with OIF covers a broad range of activities, including
collaborating on trade-related research projects and the organization and delivery of training projects
for developing countries which are members of the La francophonie. In 2010, four regional activities
were jointly organized by the two institutions on a costs-sharing basis. The OIF also helped in
financing the installation or upgrading of RCs in several African countries.
97. Activities held jointly with regional cooperating partners have the distinct advantage of
allowing for complementary contributions by resource persons with expertise in specific trade issues
from the Secretariats of the relevant cooperating partner, as well as from the respective national
Government departments represented at these activities. Such synergies are helpful in building a base
of potential trainers within each sub-region, which could gradually reduce the burden on the
Secretariat as a result of ever increasing demands for delivery of TA. The regional partners are also
increasingly helping with logistical arrangements enabling the WTO to focus on substantive aspects
of the training programmes and making cost savings by not sending staff from Geneva to oversee
logistical issues.
98. To deepen the knowledge of officials and equip them with the necessary skills that would
enable them to discharge their duties efficiently, the WTO has begun implementing the PLS in its
programmes in all regions, including Africa and also in Geneva-based programmes. This ensures that
participants attending activities have nearly the same level of knowledge base and are able to enhance
their understanding of WTO Agreements generally or particular Agreements relevant to their areas of
work. Given the challenges facing a number of African countries, including limited internet
connectivity, efforts have been made to ensure that they fully benefit from the PLS. In this context,
participants attending the three-week Introduction Courses for LDCs are exempted from the
requirement to complete the eLearning module on “Introduction to the WTO” and are eligible to
apply for level two courses. Greater use of CD-Roms is also being promoted so as to overcome
interconnectivity problems. As a result of these efforts, participants from several African countries
were admitted to the first ATPC,.
99. The WTO also continued its collaboration with various academic institutions in order to assist
them to develop and enhance their curricula on international trade. The partnership is expected to
generate many benefits, including the training of trainers so as to create institutional knowledge about
the WTO and the MTS. The flagship programme is the three-month RTPC which is held with a
selected academic partner. In 2010, the RTPC for French-speaking African countries was held in
Cotonou, Benin, while the RTPC for English-speaking African countries was held in Manzini,
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Swaziland. Five African Universities were selected under the WCP, namely Cheikh Anta Diop
University, the University of Namibia, the University of Nairobi, the University of Mauritius and
Mohammed V University-Souissi. In addition, the WTO collaborated with a number of African
universities by establishing RCs, participating in symposia and conferences and providing resource
persons to teach specific modules on international trade.
100. The priority given to Africa is not limited to delivery of activities at the national or regional
level. Several other TA initiatives also accord priority to African countries and LDCs. For example,
under the NTP, a programme designed to bring officials to the WTO for a ten-month period, the
majority of the selected participants are from LDCs and African countries. In 2010, ten out of the 13
candidates admitted to the NTP were officials from African countries. This programme allows
African officials to further broaden their exposure to the day- to-day work of the WTO in all the
relevant areas.
101. The RC programme continues to be a major source of assistance to African countries for the
transfer of trade-related information from Geneva to the capitals. The strategy behind the RCs
continues to be aimed at utilizing them as "one-stop" information centres on all MTS-related issues,
but also as a valuable tool for the private sector in search of new market opportunities. In 2010, seven
African countries benefited from an upgrade of their RCs enabling them to keep abreast of
developments in the Doha negotiations and in the MTS generally. It is widely acknowledged that
properly functioning RCs could also be an effective medium for the WTO's e-learning activities.
B. ASIA PACIFIC
102. Given the diversity of the level of economic developments and participation of economies in
the Asia and Pacific region in the MTS, the main objective of the Desk is to tailor TA to the specific
needs of the beneficiaries through different modalities and products offered in the TA Plan. In
addition to the three-month RTPC held in partnership with the NUS, in 2010, the WTO organized 22
regional workshops and training courses. These activities were held at advanced level, covered a
wide range of WTO-related areas including: agriculture and agriculture negotiations, DDA
negotiations, fisheries subsidies, GATS and the services negotiations, market access issues (rules of
origin, customs valuation, import licensing, etc.), NAMA, SPS, trade and development, trade and
environment and TRIPS, as well as those targeting the parliamentarians and researchers.
103. A key feature of the regional workshops is the involvement of regional institutions such as
UNESCAP and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS). The involvement of these institutions
has enriched WTO TA by providing technical inputs and regional perspectives on different WTO
issues, in addition to the financial and logistical support. In 2010, the WTO organized five joint
activities with UNESCAP, ranging from seminars on WTO-specific issues such as agriculture and
services, high level consultations on DDA negotiations for senior government officials, to workshops
for junior and senior researchers from the region. With the PIFS, our partner in the Pacific region, the
WTO held two activities, focusing WTO negotiating issues to inform the state of play for the Pacific
member states, all of which have no diplomatic representation in Geneva. In addition, several
activities were conducted under partnership arrangements, including with the Temasek Foundation
Centre for Trade Negotiations (TFCTN) for an outreach activity for the parliamentarians, and with the
Government of Singapore on advanced training on TRIPS. Furthermore, close working relations were
maintained with other regional institutions such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the APEC,
the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC), which were regularly invited to and participated in WTO activities.
104. In 2010, 43 national workshops were held in the Asia and Pacific region. Subjects covered
included: Accessions, Agriculture, Aid for Trade, Dispute Settlement, EIF, fisheries subsidies,
government procurement, NAMA, notifications, SPS, trade and development, trade and environment,
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trade in services, trade negotiations skills, TPR, TRIPS, trade remedies, and WTO and the DDA
negotiations. Due to human and financial resource constraints, the Secretariat was not able to respond
to all the requests submitted by WTO Members and Observers from the region, but those unmet
requests will be incorporated in the TA delivery in 2011.
105. Like in other regions, the needs assessments have been conducted in the context of TPRs, and
the EIF DTIS in the case of LDCs. In 2010, the Secretariat Reports of the TPR contained a section on
Aid for Trade for Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka.13
Within the context of the EIF, Nepal
completed its DTIS update, building on its earlier DTIS done in 2003; and Samoa finalised its first
DTIS. In 2010, Bangladesh and Bhutan also started the preparation of their respective DTIS, which
are expected to be completed in the course of 2011.
C. ARAB COUNTRIES AND THE MIDDLE EAST
106. The objectives of the desk covering the Arab and Middle East countries (AMEC) are to put in
place clear and coherent WTO training paths based on a progressive, multi-modular approach. In
2010, at the regional level, Arab countries have significantly benefited from WTO's TA and CB
activities. A large number of government officials participated in eight WTO regional seminars and
training events, covering a wide range of WTO-related areas including accessions; dispute settlement;
market access issues (rules of origin, customs valuation, import licensing, etc.); NAMA; GATS and
the services negotiations; trade and development; as well as trade facilitation.
107. Twelve national activities were organized in AMEC in 2010. Subjects covered included
recent developments of the DDA, GATS and services negotiations, accessions; energy services and
the GATS; accessions: workshop on the Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime; TPR; as well as,
The Financial Crisis and the DDA State of Play. The low figure is mainly due to the fact that some
needs were being addressed at the regional level or by other partner institutions. An additional facture
which hampered any effort by the Secretariat to organize specific events related to the security
situation in some countries. This was somehow addressed by organizing specific programmes in
Geneva funded by other partner institutions for groups of officials coming from these countries and
accepting more of their officials to benefit from internship programmes on offer at the WTO in
particular within the NTP or MIP.
108. Due to human and financial resource constraints, the Secretariat was not in a position to
organize a full-fledged three-month RTPC for the Arab Countries as is the case for other regions.
Until this objective is achieved, the Secretariat has been working closely with academics from the
region with a view to co-delivering some joint activities. A one-month STPC was organized with the
AMF for the Arab countries in 2010. Due to an insufficient number of nominations the course had to
be cancelled.
109. Partnership arrangements with the main regional economic organizations such as the United
Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA), the AMF, IsDB, the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC), continued to play a significant role in achieving the desired common
objectives of empowering and enhancing the participation of the Arab countries in the MTS. Several
regional events were organized in collaboration with partner institutions during 2010. The Secretariat
has been working with its partners in the various regions to go beyond the traditional TRTA activities
it provides to government officials, and has worked directly with other stakeholders, such as private
sector representatives, academia, journalists, and civil society.
110. Several Arab countries, including the GCC countries completed their needs assessments in the
context of the trade facilitation negotiations. Others benefited, from the EIF and the STDF, such as
Yemen. Finally, AMEC (Members and Observers) were continually invited to all Geneva-based
13
Contained in WT/TPR/S/239 and S/237, respectively.
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activities planned in 2010, such as the specialized courses and the ATPCs as well as e-training
modules.
D. CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA AND CAUCASUS COUNTRIES
111. The CEECAC economies have benefited from the WTO's TA and CB activities in 2010.
Officials from CEECAC economies have participated in ten WTO regional seminars and training
events, covering The Agreement on Agriculture and the Agriculture negotiations; NAMA; SPS; trade
negotiations skills; as well as Advanced Training Programme for Senior Government Official. The
region also benefited from a workshop for wniversity professors.
112. During 2010, efforts by the Secretariat were focused on assisting the CEECAC countries to
identify their TA needs. For Members, this was carried out, to the extent possible, in collaboration
with the TPRD through the trade policy review mechanism. For Observers, the ITTC has been
working closely with acceding countries as well as with the Accessions Division with a view of
identifying the specific TA needs of each individual observer.
113. Due to human and financial resource constraints, the Secretariat was not in a position to
organize a three-month RTPC for the CEECAC countries. Until this objective is achieved, the
Secretariat has been working closely with academics from the region with a view of co-delivering
some joint activities. The second such activity was organized in close collaboration with the Bilgi
University, for government officials for one month, in Istanbul, Turkey. While shorter than a normal
RTPC, it will still qualify officials from the region to the new ATPC (level 3) that will be held in
Geneva in 2011. This Course was well designed and achieved to a large extent its set objectives.
114. During 2010, the contribution of regional institutions was crucial to the efficient delivery of
WTO TRTA. For the CEECAC region, the Joint Vienna Institute (JVI) is an important partner. A
large number of the regional activities (four) were organized jointly with the JVI at their Headquarters
in Vienna, Austria. This successful collaboration continued to be practical and beneficial for the
WTO in 2010. Partnership arrangements ensure high quality interaction in the preparation and
implementation of joint technical cooperation and CB activities.
115. Countries from the region also benefited from other TA-related programmes, such as the EIF,
the STDF; a large number of Geneva based activities and the internships programmes.
E. LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
116. The ITTC has continued delivering TRTA throughout the region and has put particular care in
pursuing consultations with delegations and capitals to better tailor workshops and seminars to actual
national needs. In delivering our regional activities we have put special zeal in our partnerships with
our regional partners.
117. Partnerships with regional organizations are multipurpose. Firstly, they allow for cost
savings, not a minor endeavour at a time in which many WTO Members, and particularly donors, are
engaged in fiscal consolidation. Secondly, it helps to better focus on regional needs, as our regional
partners have a better understanding of regional challenges and opportunities. Thirdly, it also
broadens regional partners' awareness of multilateral challenges and the need to strive for coherence
in global economic policy making.
118. Out of numerous regional partnerships that with the INTAL, the development institute of the
IADB is clearly outstanding. This is a very well established relation that has kept consolidating over
time. There is a very fluid dialogue with the Director of INTAL and IADB staff are regularly invited
to speak at workshops. In 2010, IADB/INTAL has co-financed six of our regional activities.
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119. Other partnerships, as those with the Organization of American States (OAS), the Caribbean
Community Secretariat (CARICOM), the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI), the
Secretariat for Centro-American Integration (SIECA), Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on
Agriculture (IICA) and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). This year also was
initiated a cooperative relation with FLACSO, the Latin American School of Social Sciences and this
first activity was a remarkably successful workshop on the main topics discussed in WTO's 2010
World Trade Report. All of these partnerships have been of invaluable help to make WTO’s TRTA
activities more effective and successful.
120. Thanks to the aforementioned partnerships, the enhanced in-house coordination and the use of
new technical tools it has been possible to minimize the constraints imposed by staff competing
activities. However, it should be noted that some activities had to be rescheduled for 2011 due to
human resources constraints. The stepping-up of the DDA negotiations could only exacerbate this
limitation. Participants' evaluation reports continue to suggest that after the delivery of the majority
of TRTA activities, benificiaries generally have a better appreciation of WTO rules and their interest
in successful DDA negotiations. In this respect some activities were extended or modified in order to
include more exercises. The logistic cost was reduced thanks to the use of Websites to upload
training materials. These changes were very well received, as participants now have the opportunity
to check the training materials before the activity, study the topics in more depth and do more
practical exercises. Consistent with the PLS, candidates submitted by governments are required to
have previously completed the relevant online training or to be able to demonstrate having acquired
equivalent knowledge through professional experience. Also, in selecting candidates, particular
attention has been paid to avoid selecting the same candidate for successive analogous activities.
121. Forty-three national and 21 regional activities were conducted in the Latin American (LAC)
region in 2010, this included activities programmed for 2010 and carry-over from 2009. It is worth
noting that four countries from the region: Jamaica, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador conducted
their TPRs in 2010. These meetings were informative and revealed many areas of progress due to
reforms undertaken by the selected benificiaries. The reports also signalled the challenges that some
benificiaries face in the process of trade reform, making recommendations for improvements. These
recommendations inform specific requests and delivery of TA in the particular area of concern.
122. In the LAC region, the main national activities included topics covering agriculture, dispute
settlement, TBT/SPS, services, rules, trade and environment, TRIPS, government procurement, TPR
and RCs. Twenty nine national and 16 regional activities were conducted in the region. There is
increasing interest in the financial crisis and the impact of fiscal and monetary stimulus measures on
trade. Interest is also high on climate change and its impact on trade.
123. In the Caribbean region, national requests have been related to TPR, TRIPS, trade negotiation
skills, notifications, rules, customs valuation, services and RCs. Fourteen national and five regional
activities were carried out in the region.
124. In more specific areas, Haiti is the only LAC Member benefiting from the implementation of
the EIF activities. The EIF stakeholders had agreed in 2008 to start the EIF process – namely the
DTIS in Haiti, after the lead agency has been notified. In 2009, Haiti notified the stakeholders of its
intention to work with the World Bank as DTIS lead agency. However, due to the tragic events in
Haiti, 2010 DTIS activities had to be cancelled. Nevertheless, current political situation permitting,
the DTIS will start quite soon. In fact, there is a plan to conduct an EIF familiarisation workshop in
the first half of 2011.
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Graph 7
Graph 8
Graph 9: Funding 2010
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Graph 10
VI. TRAINEE PROGRAMMES AND INTERNSHIPS
125. The WTO Secretariat operates three main trainee programmes and internships, as contained in
the TA Plan. The programmes are all geared towards trade capacity-building in beneficiaries and
include:
the Netherlands Trainee Programme,
the Mission Internship Programme and,
the WTO Regional Coordinator Internship (RCI).
126. According to the terms of reference of the internship programmes, the interns under the NTP
are working in the Secretariat to perform specific tasks that were agreed prior to their arrival and
following discussions with each of them upon their arrival, the interns under the MIP provide direct
support to essentially small Geneva-based missions and the regional coordinator interns provide direct
support to the regional coordinators. The NTP and MIP programmes last for ten months, the Regional
Coordinator for six months, as this function normally rotates.
127. These programmes are implemented in close cooperation between ITTC and the Human
Resources Division (HRD), which provides the administrative support. ITTC is responsible for the
overall supervision of the programmes and associates as much as possible the line divisions with it
and allocates interns, in consultation, to other divisions. This allows the participants to broaden their
horizons.
128. In 2010, 13 interns were selected under the NTP, 16 under the MIP and eight under the RCI.
The year 2010 is the first time that the in-take has been so large, with altogether over 120 applicants
and some 30 participants retained, thanks to the generous contributions of the Netherlands (NTP),
France and Ireland (MIP). The regional coordinator programme is financed from the Doha
Development Agenda Global Trust Fund (DDAGTF).
129. Since the launching of the intern programmes, a total of 179 interns have been recruited, with
73 trainees under the NTP, 67 interns have benefited from the MIP, and 39 officials have benefited
from the RCI programme. After completion of their internship, most of them return to their capital
and often assume high level positions in their national administrations.
130. In 2010 several initiatives have been implemented in order to give the programmes a dynamic
impulse and provide the participants with additional tools to deepen their expertise. While most of the
interns have been working with the ITTC Regional Desks, many have also been working on a variety
of topics with other divisions, including on accessions, on the STDF, on the EIF, on trade facilitation,
on services, on NAMA and on the TPR. They have all followed the DDA negotiations, attended the
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General Council and committee meetings, as well as interacted with their regional groups and
provided support in terms of briefs and analysis. Many of them have prepared briefing (country) notes
for the Director-General.
131. They have had specific training on a variety of issues, including on the operation of the RCs,
on the IDB, i.e. tariffs and schedules, worked on their countries' TRTA needs assessment etc.. They
have also had a day of training at ITC and attended UNCTAD meetings. Several have interacted with
ACWL and got advice from them. Most of them have closely interacted with their missions, prepared
reports on meetings and interacted with Secretariat staff on specific issues. They have been associated
with the Geneva weeks, introduction days and sometimes been able to take part in specialized
workshops, e.g. for the Advanced Course on SPS, or in other Geneva-based courses. The Secretariat
has always followed a pragmatic approach and tried to accommodate as much as possible.
Representatives from other organizations were invited to brief the participants and the Ambassador of
the African Union briefed the interns and invited them to actively participate in the Africa Day. A
concluding session was organized with the Director General and Senior Management, and they were
provided with certificates at the end of their stay.
132. It is also worth mentioning that this year, a novelty was introduced as every month a meeting
was held with all of the trainees, to discuss on-going issues, but also to have them make presentations
on WTO Agreements, on a topic of their choice and with the presence of the expert from the relevant
WTO Division. The idea was to give them a chance to test their ideas informally, to allow them to
develop their presentation skills and get feedback from the line divisions, with a possibility to follow
up. The quality of the (Power point) presentations was of very high standing and this exercise was
particularly appreciated.
133. A few interns started later and therefore stayed on for a few more months. All interns will be
part of an alumni network that has been established and they will receive regular updates and info
from the Secretariat. They will also be able to chat between themselves through the network, and
exchange experiences. We hope that they will stay in touch between themselves and with the
Secretariat.
134. The interns are considered in many ways WTO's 'ambassadors' in the field and it is hoped that
they will disseminate the information they have gathered here in Geneva. Also, it is good to note that
quite a few of them re-appear in Geneva in another capacity, e.g. as a delegate in the mission. In some
cases, actually, the trainees had the specific task to open the mission, as was the case for Niger. They
have had first-hand exposure to what happens in the kitchen of the WTO which is a unique
opportunity, particularly for countries without a local antenna, i.e. permanent mission. They have got
a better understanding of the sensitivities in the negotiations, specifically the DDA. The programmes
allow them to actively take part in the Geneva process and to acquire the tools to accomplish the
complex WTO related tasks at home.
A. NETHERLANDS TRAINEE PROGRAMME
135. The main objective of the NTP is to generate tangible and measurable results and thus leave a
lasting trace, including through:
(i) building sustainable capacity in beneficiary countries, by providing officials
with an opportunity to directly participate in WTO's work in Geneva;
(ii) providing exposure to ongoing activities in the Secretariat, which will assist
officials in enhancing their understanding of the functioning of the WTO and
the MTS, and providing relevant policy advice to the governments;
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(iii) facilitating the implementation of Member's commitments in the WTO; and,
(iv) contributing to the achievement of the goals of the DDA, and more
specifically, those set out in the Decision of the General Council in August
2004 (the "July Package").
136. The NTP is designed in a manner to build in-country capacity in the most effective ways, to
assist in the economic and social development of LDCs, low income countries and comparable poor,
small and vulnerable economies in areas related to trade policy. It thus provides officials with a direct
opportunity to learn about matters dealt with within the WTO, under the direction of staff members of
the WTO. According to the terms of reference of the intern programmes, as reflected in the TA Plan,
particular attention is given to African countries. The interns under the NTP are working in the
Secretariat to perform specific tasks that were agreed prior to their arrival and following discussions
with each of them upon their arrival in close collaboration with ITTC Regional Desks.
137. During its lifespan, a total of 73 candidates were retained from 53 different countries (Cf.
Table 4). In the Autumn 2010, another ten candidates were selected for 2011. In terms of regional
distribution of participants under the NTP, as can be seen from graphs 12 and 13, most trainees came
from Africa (48 or 66 per cent), followed by Asia (13 or 18 per cent), CEECAC and AMEC (eight or
eleven per cent) and LAC (four or five per cent). Particular attention was given to LDCs who had the
largest number of trainees (51 or 70 per cent). Most trainees stayed for ten months.
Graph 11
0
10
20
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
16 16
8 911
13
Netherlands Training Programme
Number of participants per year
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Table 4: Netherlands Training Programme - Beneficiary countries
1 Afghanistan 28 Liberia
2 Angola 29 Madagascar
3 Armenia 30 Malawi
4 Bangladesh 31 Mali
5 Benin 32 Mauritania
6 Bhutan 33 Mongolia
7 Botswana 34 Myanmar
8 Burkina Faso 35 Namibia
9 Burundi 36 Niger
10 Cambodia 37 Nigeria
11 Cameroon 38 Pakistan
12 Central African Republic 39 Paraguay
13 Chad 40 Rwanda
14 Comoros 41 Saint Kitts and Nevis
15 Côte d'Ivoire 42 Saint Lucia
16 Democratic Republic of the Congo 43 Senegal
17 Djibouti 44 Sierra Leone
18 Nepal 45 Sudan
19 Gambia 46 Swaziland
20 Ghana 47 Tonga
21 Guinea 48 Uganda
22 Guinea-Bissau 49 Vanuatu
23 Kenya 50 Viet Nam
24 Kyrgyz Republic 51 Yemen
25 Lao People's Democratic Republic 52 Zambia
26 Lebanon 53 Zimbabwe
27 Lesotho
Graph 12
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Graph 13
B. THE MISSION INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME
138. This Programme was developed in early 2001; the main objectives are similar to the ones
contained in the NTP, but the programme is geared towards providing support to Geneva-based
missions. The candidates work in their own country Mission in Geneva and not in the WTO
Secretariat, and can represent their country in the various bodies within the WTO. This Programme is
available primarily to missions of LDCs and small and vulnerable economies. Preference is given to
countries with the least number of staff in Geneva.
139. The MIP interns benefit from the same training than the that of the NTP and attend the
monthly internship programmes meetings.
140. In 2010, 14 candidates were selected. Since the creation of this programme, a total of 67
officials have been recruited from 36 different countries (cf. Table 5). In line with the main objective
of the programme, LDCs benefited mostly from the programmes (cf. Graph 16), with a total of 38
interns or 57 per cent. The regional repartition shows that 55 per cent of the participants are from
Africa, 21 per cent from Asia and the Pacific, 21 per cent from LAC and three per cent from
CEECAC and AMEC (cf. graph 15).
Graph 14: Mission Internship Programme - Number of Participants Per Year
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Graph 15
Graph 16
Table 5: WTO Mission Internship Programme - Beneficiary Countries
1 Bangladesh 19 Mauritania
2 Barbados 20 Mauritius
3 Benin 21 Mongolia
4 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 22 Mozambique
5 Burkina Faso 23 Namibia
6 Burundi 24 Nepal
7 Cambodia 25 Nicaragua
8 Congo RC 26 Nigeria
9 Côte d'Ivoire 27 Rwanda
10 Cuba 28 Sri Lanka
11 Djibouti 29 Sudan
12 Dominican Republic 30 Tajikistan
13 El Salvador 31 Tanzania
14 Guinea 32 Uganda
15 Kenya 33 Uruguay
16 Laos 34 Viet Nam
17 Lesotho 35 Yemen
18 Mali 36 Zambia
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C. THE WTO REGIONAL COORDINATOR INTERNSHIP
141. In this Programme, the mission of a rotating group coordinator is eligible to have an intern,
paid by the WTO, for a period of six months. At the end of six months, the system rotates to the next
designated group coordinator. The interns under the regional coordinator interns provide direct
support to the regional coordinators. They are invited to attend the monthly internship programmes
meetings.
142. A total of 38 officials have been funded under this programme (Cf. Table 6), providing
support to 24 missions.
Table 6: Regional Coordinator Internship – List of Coordinators
Country Interns Country Interns
ACP Mission 10 Morocco 1
Bangladesh 1 Pacific Islands Forum 1
Barbados 1 Rwanda 2
Belize 1 Sri Lanka 1
Benin 2 St. Kitts and Nevis 1
Côte d'Ivoire 1 Tanzania 1
Egypt 3 Trinidad and Tobago 2
Gabon 1 Uganda 1
India 1 Vietnam 1
Jamaica 1 Zambia 1
Lesotho 2
Mauritius 2 Total 38
Graph 17
10
14
3
56
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
ACP Mission Africa CEECAC &AMEC
Asia &Pacific
LA &Caribbeans
RCI Regional Distribution
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Graph 18
Graph 19
20
18
17
18
19
20
21
LDCs Others
RCI - Number of interns from LDCs
Graph 20
VII. REFERENCE CENTRES
143. 2010 was the first effective year of the implementation of the new RC strategy. This strategy
was implemented in close partnership with the ITTC Regional Desks, and allowed for nine updated or
newly created RCs for the year. In line with the new strategy and to respond more adequately to
specific needs, the programme has been streamlined to focus more specifically on those countries that
are most in need (LDCs, Sub-Saharan Africa, non-residents).. . All these missions were delivered in
close collaboration with the ITTC Regional Desks as well as with other WTO divisions. This new
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approach took into account the recommendations made through BTORs, as well as the outcome of
evaluations conducted in recent years by the TCU, in an attempt to tailor the RC programme to the
specific needs of its clients.
144. The ownership of the RCs has been enhanced at the national level through the appointment of
a RC Manager who receives adequate training on the access and use of relevant information. The RC
Unit contributed significantly to the operational implementation of the new strategy by establishing
procedures for administrative and logistical (e.g. equipment) follow-up to optimize the management
of the programme and insure quality and results based management in the execution of this product
for Members.
145. Since the creation of the RC programme, a total of 153 RCs have been established in 107
countries. During this year, the RC Unit organized a global review and audit to examine the needs and
the follow-up required for the RC programme to have a clearer understanding of the state of these
centres throughout the world. This exercise allowed us to identify the fully operational RCs as well as
those which require more attention on our part in terms of equipment and training. Following the
global review, we have determined that 96 RCs in 85 countries are effectively in working mode. Of
these, 35 RCs (40 per cent) are in Africa, 30 (34 per cent) in Asia and Pacific, 14 (16 per cent) in LAC
and nine (ten per cent) in CEECAC and AMEC.
146. There are several factors that can affect the functioning of RCs. First, due to the pace of
technological development, the maintenance of the equipment need to occur frequently. Furthermore,
a lack of available staff possessing adequate training could make RCs less functional. The lack of a
functional working place has also been an issue; including, for example, temporary restructuring and
repositioning of some RCs or natural disaster (Haiti earthquake). Information flows from the WTO
Secretariat are also very important to the functioning of the RCs. Some problems have been
encountered by RCs with respect to receiving timely, up-to-date information from WTO
Headquarters. Nearly two thirds (69 per cent) of RCs, especially those based in LDCs, encounter
difficulties related to Internet connectivity. Thus, improving internet connectivity appears to be a
fundamental issue – especially since one of the main objectives of the RC Programme is to provide
beneficiaries with a dedicated physical location where any relevant information on the WTO can be
accessed via the WTO Website.
147. The review also demonstrated that the documentation available to RCs is deemed sufficient
most of the time. More than one half (60 per cent) of the respondents found that the documentation
was "always" or "often" sufficient. However, the remaining respondents indicated that the
documentation only was sufficient either "sometimes" (28 per cent) or even "never" (12 per cent).
About one-half (48 per cent) of the RCs make their computers available for WTO e-Training purposes
which is incremental in the new PLS. Of those RCs who do not make their computers available for
WTO e-Training purposes, a primary reason for this appears to be a lack of equipment.
148. Specific training events were developed to the benefit of the interns of the NTP and MIP.
The programme for this activity was defined in close collaboration with the Statistics Section of the
Economic Research and Statistics Division (ERSD), the Library and Information Management
Service of the Languages Documentation and Information Management Division (LDIMD), and the
Information, Media and External Relations Division (IMRD). This programme included theoretical
training sessions, practical workshops and discussion meetings. During these events, the tools
necessary for the efficient running of a RC were presented and discussed. This activity was
established with a view to creating synergies between the RC programme, NTP and MIP and thus
reinforcing their collective impact. Participants will be in a position to relay this knowledge once
back in the capital. This training will be extended to the 2011 cohorts.
149. Almost two thirds (65 per cent) of RCs noted that their coordinator was not fully trained,
whereas only 35 per cent affirmed that their coordinator had indeed received some training. More
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training would enhance the effectiveness of these RCs. Levels of inter-RC communication are low –
80 per cent of the RCs are not in touch with other RCs. A worldwide network of WTO RCs, with a
communication and discussion platform between RC Managers to enable RCs to learn from each
other's experiences is a priority for the new RC Strategy in 2011.
150. In order to respond to the specifics needs raised by the staff of the RC and further develop its
cooperative links with coordinators of these centres, the WTO will organize a Symposium for RC
managers in 2011 This will be the first symposium of its type organised by the Secretariat, and aims
to provide RC managers with the knowledge and tools necessary to run a RC, including skills in
information management and accessing relevant WTO information resources. The Symposium will be
delivered through a combination of presentations and hands-on exercises. As a response to the lack of
interaction among RC managers, the Symposium is also intended to strengthen the network of RC
Coordinators, in ways that they could benefit from the experience and knowledge of their colleagues
working in trade ministries in other Member states. Emphasis will also be placed on developing the
RC network at the national level, such that all local stakeholders can benefit from the advantages
provided by the programme.
151. During the year the Secretariat updated the RC contacts list, which will help to better identify
how to improve the network among RC coordinators, and develop a new more global approach on the
nature of documentation to be sent to the centres. A new internal and external communications
strategy was developed aimed at increasing the visibility of the RCs through the creation of posters
and new information media.
152. A communication and visibility tool, another important aspect of the new strategy, has been
developed during the year under review, in direct line with the enhancement of the Programme and
the mandate of ITTC. In addition to a logo which was created last year and which has provided a
stronger identify to the Programme, several other products were elaborated, i.e. a wall plate (one for
each RC), a brochure, various posters (to be sent to the RC). They are distributed during the
installation missions, open door events or any other pertinent forum. Separately, a mailing list was
created for regular dissemination of WTO-related information.
153. Numerous requests were received by the Secretariat, which demonstrates the interest of the
Members for this Programme. From the survey, most of the individuals who use the RCs are students,
government officials, researchers and business people.
Graph 21 Relative Share of RCs Per Region:
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Table 7
Reference Centres’ Summary
RCs host countries 85
LDCs 35
WTO Members 69
WTO Observers 14
Not Members or observers 2
RCs with no permament mission in Geneva
14
WTO Members with no permanent mission in Geneva
7
WTO observers with no permanent mission in Geneva
7
LDCs with no permanent mission in Geneva
7
RC Africa Desk 33
RC Arab & Middle East Countries 5
RC Asian & Pacific 23
RC CEECAC 5
RC LAC & Caribbean 16
RC (no desk) : Kiribati, Romania, Switzerland
3
English-speaking countries 53
French-speaking countries 25
Spanish-speaking countries 9
RC LDC English-speaking countries 19
RC LDC French-speaking countries 18
RC LDC Spanish-speaking countries 0
VIII. THE GLOBAL TRADE-RELATED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE DATABASE
154. It is recalled that GTAD is the portal for exchanging and sharing information on the future
execution of TRTA and CB activities and is mainly forward looking; it was launched officially by the
Director-General in November 2010. Uploads by the WTO and partner agencies to the GTAD are
done twice a month and the database now holds some 255 upcoming activities. Obviously, as time
passes, the database will also contain information on past activities, so it may at some point fulfil an
unintended, but potentially useful, reporting function. There are overall nearly 900 activities contained
in GTAD.
155. While there are nearly a dozen of agencies that have expressed an interest in GTAD as a
contributing partner, the GTAD at present contains data from the WTO, EIF, STDF, ITC, the
UNCTAD, and UNIDO.
156. The WIPO is soon expected to be a partner agency, and potentially a very important one, as
the Secretariat has been working very closely with WIPO and assisted them to set up a similar
database as the internal WTO TRTA database. The WIPO is working with WTO to upload data to the
GTAD.
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157. Other partner agencies that have expressed interest in uploading projects include the World
Bank, OIF, FAO, UNECA, and UNECE. The Secretariat is closely interacting with them to sort out
any issues that may stand in the way. While at the outset the objective was to closely associate the
Geneva-based agencies to the GTAD, this will gradually be expanded to include other bodies and
secretariats. Also, the Director-General has raised the existence of GTAD at the meeting of the UN
Chief Executives Board (CEB).
158. In terms of visits of the relevant Web pages, since the GTAD was made available to the
public early Summer 2010, and after the official launch by the Director-General in November, the
number of hits has steadily been growing, with several thousands of hits per month. Since the site is
very young, it is difficult to extract precise numbers, but the trend is clearly upwards. More elaborate
tools are being considered to display and analyse these data. It is noted that in the first few months
since its launch, we have mainly had visits to the GTAD from institutional and academic sources.
The WTO’s GTAD mail box receives on a regular basis requests for more information on WTO
activities, including on training that is available, which underscores the utility of GTAD.
159. It is also recalled that at the official launch meeting in November a Steering Group was set
up, which will hold a meeting with all the agencies in the Spring 2011. This will be an opportunity
for stakeholders to share views on how the GTAD is working, to discuss possible enhancements
which could be made to the interface, and to explore future developments to increase its visibility.
The good functioning of the GTAD is a shared responsibility.
160. The Secretariat has used every single opportunity available to make a presentation on the
GTAD and enhance its visibility, including at the ITTC's Open Door, the WTO's Open Day as well as
at the Public Forum; the ITTC Open Doors have been organized to coincide with official WTO
meetings, so as to reach out to Members on the margin of those meetings, as well as to WTO staff
who have always received an invitation in this regard; WTO staff has been briefed through the TA
Coordination Task Force, with a live presentation, followed by a good discussion. Of course, the
WTO colleagues also benefited from the information presented on GTAD through the open day/door
events as well as through the Public Forum. In order to disseminate the information wider, brochures
were prepared and distributed. They can also be downloaded from the GTAD Website homepage.
161. Finally, with a view to promoting this tool at the regional level, thus reaching stakeholders in
the field, RC Managers were informed of the official launch in November, and information on the
GTAD is now systematically being provided by WTO officials undertaking missions in the
framework of the RC Programme.
IX. FINANCIAL SITUATION
162. Globally, the total cost of the activities included in the TA Plan for each year of the biennium
2010 -2011 had been estimated at CHF 30.9 million to be financed from the DDAGTF, regular
budget, and other trust funds as follows:
CHF million
Regular budget 5.7
DDAGTF 24.0
Other Trust Funds 1.2
TOTAL 30.9
163. Actual expenditures in 2010 amounted to CHF 4.1 million, CHF 18.1 million and CHF 1.7
million financed from the regular budget, DDAGTF and other trust funds respectively.
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164. Table 8 and Annex 4 present further details regarding the voluntary contributions received
and the actual expenditures incurred in the last four years for the DDAGTF.
165. It can be noted that, unlike previous years, incoming funds in 2010 were not sufficient to
cover the expenditures during the year. This represents a deterioration in the financial situation of the
DDAGTF and requires some caution as it is obviously not sustainable to spend more than is received
on an on-going basis.
166. The DDAGTF was established in December 2001, pursuant to the commitment contained in
paragraph 40 of the Doha Declaration, to finance TA programmes and training activities for
developing and LDCs as well as economies in transition. One of the purposes for creating a global
fund was to consolidate the extra-budgetary funds in one single un-earmarked fund, so as to provide a
solid and stable financial basis for the delivery of a global programme. Following the finalization of
the TA Plan in Autumn 2009, the General Council approved the recommended target amount of CHF
24 million for the planned volume of TA to be financed from the DDAGTF in 2010, thus maintaining
the cost of the TA Plan at the same level since 2003.
167. Implementation of the activities under the DDAGTF is subject to the availability of financial
resources, which rely on voluntary contributions. In order to ensure a smooth implementation of the
TA Plan from the beginning of the year, timely and adequate levels of funding are required. Most
activities to be financed under the DDAGTF, and more specifically larger scale programmes, e.g.
regional seminars undertaken by the WTO or in partnership with other organizations and RTPCs,
require advance planning of at least three months, if not more. Under the financial rules, activities
can only be committed to, if the necessary financing is in the bank. The funding benchmarks for the
DDAGTF, as established by the Members, were as follows: (i) by 31 December of the year preceding
the fund's revolving annual target period, contributions amounting to 25 per cent of the total estimated
costs of the TA Plan should be in the bank, (ii) by 31 March, another 50 per cent for an overall 75 per
cent of the total, and (ii) by 30 June, 100 per cent of the funds needed. Unfortunately, the
benchmarks were missed in 2010, thus resulting in deferral or cancellation of some activities planned
under the DDAGTF.
Table 8
DDAGTF – CHF
2007 2008 2009 2010
Brought forward from previous year 7,266,603 7,778,416 9,541,433 10,868,997
Contributions received 18,701,871 18,575,868 19,676,896 16,108,998
Transfers from/to other funds 281,163 0 0
Interest earned 212,821 221,935 46,180 28,124
Total funds 26,462,458 26,576,219 29,264,509 27,006,120
Total expenditures 18,684,042 17,034,786 18,395,512 18,126,556
Balance to be carried forward 7,778,416 9,541,433 10,868,997 8,879,564
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ANNEX 1
Overview of TRTA provided from 1/01/2010 to 31/12/2010
TA Plan chapters National
activities
Regional
activities
Global
events
Other
(Conferences,
etc.)
Total
A General WTO-related Technical
Assistance and Training 19 23 11 53 12.2%
A 1. Trade Policy Courses 11 2 8 21 4.8%
A 1. (i) Geneva-based Trade Policy
Courses (TPCs) 2 2 0.5%
A 1. (ii) Regional Trade Policy Courses
(RTPCs) 8 7 15 3.5%
A 1. (iii)
Short Regional Trade Policy
Courses and follow-up
(SRTPCs)
3 1 4 0.9%
A 2. Geneva-based Introduction Courses 2 2 0.5%
A 3. Geneva-based Thematic courses 9 9 2.1%
A 4. WTO Introduction Days 3 3 0.7%
A 5. Geneva Week 2 2 0.5%
A 6. Geneva-based Topic-specific
Symposia 7 1 8 1.8%
A 8.
Regional and Sub-regional
Capacity-building programmes(
Short Trade Policy Courses)
8 8 1.8%
B Specialised & Advanced Training &
Technical Assistance 147 63 4 2 216 49.8%
B 1. Geneva-based Specialised Courses 1 1 0.2%
B 2. National Technical Assistance
Activities 144 1 145 33.4%
B 2. (i) National topic-specific activities 108 1 109 25.1%
B 2. (ii) Technical Assistance within the
TPRM Framework 27 27 6.2%
B 2. (iii) Assisting beneficiaries in
conducting Needs Assessment 1
B 2. (iv) Reference Centres 9 9 2.1%
B 3. Regional Seminars 48 3 51 11.8%
B 3. (i) Agriculture 3 3 0.7%
1 Assisting beneficiaries in conducting Needs Assessment does not require missions per se, and is
mostly taken care of through the Netherlands Trainee Programme, the TA missions within the Trade Policy
Review Mechanism Framework, and other national activities.
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TA Plan chapters National
activities
Regional
activities
Global
events
Other
(Conferences,
etc.)
Total
B 3. (ii) Dispute Settlement 2 2 0.5%
B 3. (iii) Government Procurement
(Plurilateral Agreement on) 2 2 0.5%
B 3. (iv) Non-Agriculture Market Access
(NAMA) 9 9 2.1%
B 3. (ix) TBT 1 1 0.2%
B 3. (v) Regional Trade Agreements 3 3 0.7%
B 3. (vi) Rules 1 1 0.2%
B 3. (vii) SPS 3 3 0.7%
B 3.
(viii) Services 6 6 1.4%
B 3. (x) T & Development 6 6 1.4%
B 3. (xi) T & Environment 2 2 0.5%
B 3. (xii) Trade Facilitation 4 3 7 1.6%
B 3.
(xiii) TRIPs 6 6 1.4%
B 4. Advanced Training Programme for
senior government officials 3 3 0.7%
B 5. Intensive Course on Trade
Negotiations Skills 3 6 9 2.1%
B 6. Outreach Activities for
Parliamentarians and Civil Society 5 1 6 1.4%
B 7. Accessions 1 1 0.2%
C
Academic Support for Training and
Capacity-building: an integrated
approach
35 5 2 20 62 14.3%
C 1. WTO Chairs programme 10 3 13 3.0%
C 2. University programme 25 5 17 47 10.8%
C 2. (ii) Workshops for University
Professors 5 5 1.2%
C 2. (iii) National workshops 25 2 27 6.2%
C 2. (v) Other academics events 15 15 3.5%
C 3. Doctoral Studies 1 1 0.2%
C 5. Research Collaboration 1 1 0.2%
D Trainee programmes and Internships 3 3 0.7%
D 1. Netherlands Trainee Programme 1 1 0.2%
WT/COMTD/W/178
Page 48
TA Plan chapters National
activities
Regional
activities
Global
events
Other
(Conferences,
etc.)
Total
D 2. WTO Regional Coordinator
internship 1 1 0.2%
D 3. WTO Mission internship 1 1 0.2%
E E-learning programme 26 26 6.0%
E 1. eTraining: online courses (incl.
enhancement and misc.) 25 25 5.8%
E 2. Self-training modules: computer-
based training modules2 1 1 0.2%
F Other Programmes and Support
Activities 6 4 10 2.3%
F 2. Programme activities 6 4 10 2.3%
F 2. (ii) Integrated
Framework/Enhanced IF 1 2 3 0.7%
F 2. (iii) Standards and Trade
Development Facility (STDF) 2 2 0.5%
F 2.
(Viii)
Trade Facilitation Needs and
Priorities 5 5 1.2%
G Participation in conferences 1 3 60 64 14.7%
Total 189 90 58 97 434 100%
2 Include Training Modules in English, French and Spanish on the following subjects: Overview of the
WTO - Trade Finance - Dispute Settlement - Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures - Trade and Services - WTO:
Economic Underpinnings - WTO: Legal Underpinnings - Accessions procedures - Trade Facilitation - Trade
Facilitation Needs Assessment - WTO Coherence Mandate - Docs Online - WTO Library.
WT/COMTD/W/178
Page 49
ANNEX 2
Participation to the Netherlands Training Programme from 2005 to 2010
Country Status Year Nb of trainees Region
Afghanistan LDC 2007 & 2010 2 CEECAC & AMEC
Angola LDC 2006 1 Africa
Armenia Low income 2005 1 CEECAC & AMEC
Bangladesh LDC 2006 1 Asia & Pacific
Benin LDC 2006 & 2010 2 Africa
Bhutan LDC 2005 & 2009 2 Asia & Pacific
Botswana Upper Middle income 2009 1 Africa
Burkina Faso LDC 2007, 2008, 2010 3 Africa
Burundi LDC 2005 & 2010 2 Africa
Cambodia LDC 2007 1 Asia & Pacific
Cameroun Lower Middle Income 2010 1 Africa
Central African Republic LDC 2006 & 2010 2 Africa
Chad LDC 2008 & 2010 2 Africa
Comoros LDC 2009 1 Africa
Côte d'Ivoire Low income 2008 1 Africa
Congo DRP LDC 2008 1 Africa
Djibouti LDC 2006 1 Africa
Nepal LDC 2006 1 Asia & Pacific
Gambia LDC 2007 & 2010 2 Africa
Ghana Low income 2009 1 Africa
Guinea LDC 2005 & 2009 2 Africa
Guinea-Bissau LDC 2007 1 Africa
Kenya Low income 2005 1 Africa
Kyrgyz Republic Low income 2006 & 2008 2 CEECAC & AMEC
Lao PDR LDC 2005 & 2008 2 Asia & Pacific
Lebanon High income 2005 1 CEECAC & AMEC
Lesotho LDC 2005 1 Africa
Liberia LDC 2009 1 Africa
Madagascar LDC 2007 1 Africa
Malawi LDC 2006 1 Africa
Mali LDC 2005 & 2007 2 Africa
Mauritania LDC 2005 1 Africa
Mongolia Lower Middle income 2005 1 Asia & Pacific
Myanmar LDC 2009 1 Asia & Pacific
Namibia Lower Middle income 2005 1 Africa
Niger LDC 2008 1 Africa
Nigeria Low income 2009 1 Africa
Pakistan Other Low income 2009 1 Asia & Pacific
Paraguay Low Middle 2006 & 2010 2 LAC & Caribbean
Rwanda LDC 2006 1 Africa
Saint Kitts and Nevis High income 2005 1 LAC & Caribbean
Saint Lucia High income 2006 1 LAC & Caribbean
Senegal LDC 2006 & 2010 2 Africa
Sierra Leone LDC 2006 1 Africa
Sudan LDC 2006 & 2009 2 Africa
Swaziland Low Middle 2008 & 2010 2 Africa
Tonga Low Middle 2006 1 Asia & Pacific
Uganda LDC 2005 & 2008 2 Africa
Vanuatu LDC 2006 1 Asia & Pacific
Viet Nam Other Low income 2009 1 Asia & Pacific
Yemen LDC 2007 & 2010 2 CEECAC & AMEC
Zambia LDC 2005 & 2010 2 Africa
Zimbabwe Low income 2005 1 Africa
WT/COMTD/W/178
Page 50
ANNEX 3
Participation to the Mission Internship Programme from 2005 to 2010
Country Status Years Nb of interns Region
Bangladesh LDC 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 4 Asia & Pacific
Barbados Upper Middle Income 2009 1 LAC & Caribbeans
Benin LDC 2003, 2006 2 Africa
Bolivia, Plurinational
Sate of Lower Middle Income 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 4 LAC & Caribbeans
Burkina Faso LDC 2009 1 Africa
Burundi LDC 2006 1 Africa
Cambodia LDC 2006 1 Asia & Pacific
Congo RC LDC 2010 1 Africa
Côte d'Ivoire Low Income 2010 1 Africa
Cuba Upper Middle Income 2010 1 LAC & Caribbeans
Djibouti LDC 2009, 2010 2 Africa
Dominican Republic Lower Middle Income 2009 1 LAC & Caribbeans
El Salvador Lower Middle Income 2003, 2006, 2007 3 LAC & Caribbeans
Guinea LDC 2004, 2006 2 Africa
Kenya Low Income 2003, 2006, 2010 5 Africa
Laos LDC 2010 1 Asia & Pacific
Lesotho LDC 2004, 2006, 2007 3 Africa
Mali LDC 2006, 2010 2 Africa
Mauritania LDC 2006 1 Africa
Mauritius Upper Middle Income 2007, 2009 2 Africa
Mongolia Lower Middle Income 2007, 2010 2 Asia & Pacific
Mozambique LDC 2010 1 Africa
Namibia Lower Middle Income 2010 1 Africa
Nepal LDC 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010 4 Asia & Pacific
Nicaragua Lower Middle Income 2003, 2005, 2006 3 LAC & Caribbeans
Nigeria Low Income 2006 1 Africa
Rwanda LDC 2004, 2007, 2009 3 Africa
Sri Lanka Lower Middle Income 2009 Asia & Pacific
Sudan LDC 2010 1 Africa
Tajikistan Low Income 2010 1 CEECAC & AMEC
Tanzania LDC 2004, 2005 2 Africa
Uganda LDC 2005, 2006, 2007 3 Africa
Uruguay Upper Middle Income 2003 1 LA & Caribbeans
Viet Nam Low Income 2003 1 Asia & Pacific
Yemen LDC 2006 1 CEECAC & AMEC
Zambia LDC 2003, 2008 2 Africa
WT/COMTD/W/178
Page 51
ANNEX 4
DDAGTF Contributions 2007-2010
(in CHF)Donor 2007 2008 2009 2010 Totals
Sweden 2,852,720 2,697,280 2,026,384 2,353,920 9,930,304
Australia 735,875 986,050 1,525,650 1,952,400 5,199,975
Norway 1,994,414 2,005,214 1,710,279 1,784,440 7,494,347
European Union 1,669,450 1,513,520 1,518,550 1,574,550 6,276,070
Netherlands 1,395,349 1,472,990 1,472,990 1,472,990 5,814,319
Germany 1,627,000 1,566,000 1,509,500 1,438,500 6,141,000
Finland 619,500 1,347,225 1,534,000 1,364,000 4,864,725
United States 1,123,664 943,941 1,026,109 1,002,654 4,096,368
France 2,250,500 655,500 2,906,000
Spain 573,650 571,550 533,750 467,950 2,146,900
Ireland 1,000,700 1,547,000 1,357,200 409,200 4,314,100
Japan 648,499 489,316 474,637 395,604 2,008,056
Korea 427,000 359,800 357,000 344,400 1,488,200
Austria 320,780 322,320 302,480 285,640 1,231,220
China 205,600 211,000 200,300 616,900
Denmark 758,027 205,779 616,746 180,019 1,760,571
New Zealand 234,450 158,000 392,450
Liechtenstein 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 160,000
Estonia 32,038 49,425 28,932 110,395
Luxembourg 722,250 771,500 754,000 2,247,750
Canada 415,000 404,621 456,121 1,275,742
Switzerland 800,000 800,000
Czech Republic 87,265 87,288 174,553
Romania 165,200 79,450 244,650
Slovak Republic 60,000 60,000
Turkey 60,000 50,000 110,000
Italy 607,840 607,840
Hong-Kong, China 300,000 300,000
Lithuania 220,000 220,000
Iceland 60,000 60,000
Latvia 11,200 11,200
Total Contributions Received 18,701,871 18,575,869 19,676,896 16,108,999 73,063,635
Total Number of Donors 27 24 19 19 31
Pledges are indicated in italics
21.3
18.4
16.4
18.719.5
18.7 18.619.7
16.1
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
DDAGTF Contributions Received (in MCHF)
2.4
2.0
1.8
1.6
1.5
1.4
1.4
1.0
0.7
0.5
0.4
0.4
0.3
0.3
0.2
0.18
0.16
0.0
0.0
Sweden
Australia
Norway
European Union
Netherlands
Germany
Finland
United States
France
Spain
Ireland
Japan
Korea
Austria
China
Denmark
New Zealand
Liechtenstein
Estonia
DDAGTF Contributions by Donors in 2010
__________