WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/COMTD/W/116
16 June 2003
(03-3170)
Committee on Trade and Development
NOTE ON OUTSOURCING
Note by the Secretariat
1. This note is prepared in connection with commitments made by the Secretariat at the
43rd Session of the Committee on Trade and Development to address various concerns expressed by
Members about the effective implementation of th e TA Plan.  It looks into the possibility of
"outsourcing" technical cooperation activities, on the underlying assumption that work undertaken by
the WTO Secretariat should be coordinated with and supplemented by similar work done by other
international organizations.  The note builds on the internal reports prepared in 1998 and 2000 on
Technical Cooperation and Training, and suggests preliminary elements of a structured plan on howto deal with outsourcing and cooperation with other international organizations on technical assistance
activities.
2. With the ever-increasing demand for technical cooperation activities and the limited resources
available during the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations, the WTO Secretariat will have
to find an adequate balance between time spent on technical cooperation as compared to time devotedto other core activities, in particular servicing committees and negotiations.
3. Against this background, the question is whether and to what extent the WTO should
outsource its work on technical assistance.  There are clear advantages in optimizing its limited
resources by using consultants and engaging in partnerships with other institutions.  Since the WTO
has limited resources and there are other entities well suited to providing technical assistance in
trade-related matters, the WTO should perhaps rely more on these other agencies to deliver technical
assistance.
4. However, it should be kept in mind that part of the bigger picture of WTO technical
cooperation is to establish a relationship with its Members: the Membership may prefer that the
Secretariat not leave the responsibility for educating Members on WTO agreements to other entities.
In certain areas where there are ongoing negotiations, it can be argued that only the Secretariat does
have an up-to-date and informed picture of the issues involved, and in other areas that are verycomplex, hands-on Secretariat experience is needed.  Therefore, outsourcing of technical assistance
should supplement and build on the Secretariat's comparative strengths.
5. Accordingly, the Secretariat will pursue an evolving policy grounded in its present practice of
either organising its own activities and using outside consultants and partner institutions to provide
appropriate substantive inputs, or favouring joint activities so that partner institutions can be reliedupon to carry a more significant share of the burden, while the WTO keeps a reasonable degree of
supervision and control. Since the intention is to increase outsourcing because of its limited human
resources, an immediate goal of the Secretariat will be to clarify gradually the types of activities and
the substantive areas which would be suitable for outsourcing, as well as the matching profiles of
consultants or partner institutions needed in order to deliver such activities in a satisfactory manner.
6. This means that the Secretariat is not primarily motivated by financial considerations when
considering outsourcing activities.  Experience has shown in the past that, on average, outsourcingWT/COMTD/W/116
Page 2
activities did not cost significantly less to the WTO than organising them directly, as few of our
partners are ready or have the means to share the financial burden of the DDA.  On the other hand,
hiring consultants certainly increases the cost of the activity concerned. With regard to funding, the
terms of reference of the Doha Development Agenda General Trust Fund (DDAGTF) clearly
indicates that the DDAGTF could be used for technical assistance activities to be conducted byoutside experts if it was deemed necessary.  That implied that the Secretariat is fully responsible for
the co-ordination and execution of all outsourced activities.
A. C
ONSULTANTS
7. In the past two years, the Secretariat has used outside consultants sparingly:  19 in 2001 for
around 40 assignments dealing with 25 technical cooperation and training activities, including
technical missions;  28 in 2002 for just over 30 assignments:  27 technical assistance and training
activities, including technical missions.
8. The consultants were drawn from several sources, and included former Secretariat staff (8),
former Ambassadors (4) and academics (5).  Th eir compensation involved the payment of an
honorarium comprising either a fee of CHF 600 per day or a lump sum per assignment, depending on
the availability of expertise.  The payment of a daily subsistence allowance (DSA) was not automatic,
and travel expenses were paid when appropriate.  In some cases, only DSA and travel expenses werepaid, and the honorarium was waived.
9. As a resource base, outside consultants would always constitute a reservoir to which the WTO
could have recourse to supplement its own human resources for training/technical cooperation
activities.  While following basic principles regarding overall WTO objectives in this area, the
Secretariat will retain flexibility to fulfil its ma ndate in conformity with the Guidelines for WTO
Technical Cooperation adopted by the Committee on Trade and Development in 1996
(WT/COMTD/8).  For instance, outside expertise could be relied upon for basic-level instruction on
WTO architecture, its rules and other theoretical underpinnings.  In some other areas, there will be a
need not only for in-depth knowledge of complex WTO legal provisions, but also for an
understanding of the development of the agreements involved and the concerns and interestsunderlying their provisions, which can only be supplied by the WTO and, in some cases, by former
staff members.  Moreover, outside consultants will have to fit carefully constructed profiles to be
updated each year after the adoption of the annual TA plan to respond to current needs.  This will
allay Members' concerns about the necessary degree of independence and impartiality of outside
consultants.
10. An official WTO Roster of consultants is in preparation and will be managed by the
Human Resources Section.
1  It will consist of two separate lists, namely, the "General List" and the
"Selected List".  The present roster2 will become part of the so called "General List", which will be
expanded through spontaneous applications from candidates (mail, e-mail), by suggestions from WTO
Divisions, Members, other IGOs or partners.  Expert s to be considered for inclusion in the Roster will
be essentially former trade policy officials, former GATT/WTO staff members, academics,
recognised experts in a specific field, trainers, officials from other international organizations, andrecognised bodies.
                                                     
1 The development and operation of the new Roster will require the recruitment of one additional staff
member in the Human Resources Section and possibly additional IT facilities.  A budget for this project is
currently being prepared.
2 A few years ago, an initial and basic roster of experts was drawn up by the WTO Secretariat on the
basis of indications provided by the Membership of names of individuals and their areas of expertise.WT/COMTD/W/116
Page 3
11. In the new Roster, experts will be put on the General List on the basis of information
provided through an adjusted Personal History Form (PHF)3 available on the Internet, to be completed
and returned by e-mail.  Delegations will be reminded of the possibility of recommending names for
inclusion in the roster, and the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC) will canvass
Divisions and other sources periodically in order to add names to the roster.  All PHFs submittedwould be assessed by the ITTC and the Human Resources Section, bearing in mind WTO current and
expected needs in the individual expert's area of specialization.  If the profile is in line with WTO's
needs, the person's name would be added to the "G eneral List" of the Roster, coded by nationality,
region and areas of specialization of work.  Under the new procedure, experts would be thoroughly
evaluated after each assignment by a Supervisory Committee comprising the ITTC, the substantive
division involved and the Human Resources Section, taking into account participants' views, under
the supervision of the DDG responsible for Technical Cooperation.
12. The "Selected List" of the Roster will contain only the names of experts already used for at
least two separate and successful assignments.  It will be possible for any Division of the WTO to hire
directly  the consultants on that second list of the Roster for appropriate missions following a
simplified procedure.  The official Roster itself would be under constant review; consultants will be
requested to update their PHF on a regular basis (m aximum every two years), and those who have not
been used for four years would be placed on an inactive list.
13. Under the new approach, the system of compensation is made more predictable to ensure
fairness and transparency.  Each consultant will receive a flat fee
4 of CHF 600 per working day;  if
he/she has to travel, per diem, travel costs and terminal expenses will be paid.
14. In light of experience, the Supervisory Committee will periodically review/elaborate the
procedures dealing with overall legal and administra tive provisions with regard to the selection and
use of outside experts, including related financial aspects (consultancy fees, DSA, optional insurance,
and travel expenses), as well as provisions regarding an overall assessment of WTO outsourcing
practices and a related cost/benefit assessment.  Such assessments would also allow for a further
refinement of relevant provisions, where required.
15. WTO Members might want to consider, in the not too distant future, authorising the
Secretariat to develop a system for on-line applications that also contains automated maintenance and
search tools.5  This would greatly facilitate the management of the outsourcing process.
16. On the basis of the Annual Plan for Training and Technical Cooperation and inputs from
relevant divisions, the ITTC will evaluate the WTO Secretariat's needs in terms of outsourcing and
coordinate the selection of consultants from the roster, in order to ensure effective delivery of
technical assistance and full implementation of  the plan.
B. PARTNER INSTITUTIONS
17. The Secretariat’s current policy is reflected and clarified in the note on "Inter-Agency
Cooperation: State-of-Play" issued in July  2002 (WT/COMTD/W/102) and the 2003 Coordinated
WTO Secretariat Annual Technical Assistance Plan dated 10 December 2002
(WT/COMTD/W/104/Rev2).  In the latest plan, the section on strategic partnerships with agencies
                                                     
3  See Annex I.
4 Following a comparative survey of honoraria provided by UN system organisations and other
international institutions, a flat rate based on an average of a daily fee paid for the level at which the vastmajority of UN consultants are employed  appears to be the most suitable for the WTO in order to be effective
and avoid bureaucratic burdens.  This rate will be reviewed periodically by the Secretariat.
5 See Annex II.WT/COMTD/W/116
Page 4
and regional development banks underlines that inter-agency arrangements and strategic partnerships
are essential in order to respond fully to the significant mandate on technical cooperation in the Doha
Ministerial Declaration.  These arrangements are also necessary in areas outside the strict competence
of the WTO.
18. Partner institutions have been progressively identified over the past five years, and many
activities have taken place in areas identified for intensified cooperation.  The partners at the global
level are:  the World Bank;  the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD);
the International Trade Centre (ITC);  the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO);  the
World Customs Organization (WCO);  the International Standards Organization (ISO);  the
International Laboratory Accreditation Coopera tion (ILAC);  the FAO/ WHO Codex Alimentarius
Commission;  the FAO International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC);  the Office International des
Epizooties;  and the United Nations I ndustrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
19. The areas of cooperation include:
• TRIPS:  WIPO already undertakes a vast amount  of technical cooperation activities, most of
which are directly or indirectly concerned with assisting countries in meeting their TRIPS
obligations.
• Customs valuation and rules of origin:  The WCO is mandated to provide technical support
for the implementation of the agreements on customs valuation and rules of origin.  Upon
completion of the initial rounds of technical assistance activities on implementation of the
Customs Valuation Agreement in developing countries requesting such assistance, the WCO
Secretariat would be invited to take up the further work in these countries by itself, keeping
the WTO fully informed.  The same approach could be followed once the negotiations on
harmonization of rules of origin have been completed.
• ISO/ILAC – TBT; FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius/OIE/IPPC – SPS measures:  Concerning
the TBT and SPS Agreements, there are certain technical aspects such as risk assessment,
development of standards and conformity assessment procedures on which work could be
taken up by partner organizations, with the WTO secretariat maintaining a very low, but very
visible, level of presence.
• Trade and investment - trade and competition:  With regard to UNCTAD, joint events on
investment and competition policy are already being organized, in line with the DDA work
programme on these issues.  The World Bank has also participated in these joint activities.
20. Regional institutions were also gradually identified as important and useful partners in the
delivery of trade-related technical cooperation activities.  These include:  UN Economic Commission
for Africa (ECA – Ethiopia);  UN Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP –
Thailand);  UN Economic Commission for Western  Asia (ESCWA – Lebanon);  Inter-American
Development Bank (IADB), through its Institut e for Latin American Integration (INTAL -
Argentina);  the Joint Vienna Institute; and the South Pacific Secretariat.  Collaboration with otherInter-Governmental Organisations such as the International Development Law Organisation (IDLO)
or even private institutions such the Harvard Institute for International Development is being
progressively developed.  An association with the Commonwealth Secretariat is also being considered
for specific technical cooperation projects.
21. Amongst the activities retained for close cooperation are specialized events.  Regional
institutions are invited to undertake all logistical and administrative work on regional events on behalf
of WTO as a first step leading progressively to their increased substantive participation in these
activities as well.  Another promising area for cooperation concerns the regional trade policy courses.WT/COMTD/W/116
Page 5
Regional partner institutions are engaged in an evolving partnership with the WTO.  They are invited
to offer the organizational and logistical infrastructure to run these courses and to identify specialists
throughout the region able and willing to teach courses on a joint basis with the WTO experts.  The
Secretariat is providing training material as well as updates.  Over time, the intention is to rely
increasingly on regional partner institutions and regional expertise to take responsibility for thecourses.
22. The WTO Secretariat has endeavoured over the past 18 months to develop and formalize its
cooperation with different partners at the international and regional level in order to respond
adequately to the DDA mandates.  This cooper ation is generally embodied in memoranda of
understanding (MOU) signed with WTO's partners.  Th e Secretariat has also engaged in reformulating
pre-existing MOUs to render them DDA-relevant.  In negotiating MOUs or other such arrangements,
financing arrangements with collaborating institutions and agencies have always been a sensitiveissue.  To date, the Secretariat has insisted on negotiating appropriate cost-sharing arrangements with
partners to finance jointly organized activities.  The Secretariat is also extremely attentive to the need
to preserve the integrity of WTO Members' negotiating positions.  When policy differences arise in
negotiations with other institutions, partnerships for capacity-building activities are limited to areas of
agreement.
23. The agreements signed with this large network of organisations, agencies and banks are still
far from being harmonized. Besides the category of MOUs signed by the WTO earlier, including with
the IMF and the World Bank, which were mandated by the provisions of the WTO agreements and
involved WTO Members directly, the WTO has negotiated with other organisations MOUs intended
to implement its work programme under the Doha Development Agenda.  These MOUs fall mainlyinto two categories:
• Texts where the two parties agree to the principle of cooperation on specific matters.  Such
MOUs generally leave it to future "implementing agreements" to define the precise areas of
cooperation and the nature of that cooperation on a case-by-case basis.
• "Framework agreements" where the two parties ex press their wish to cooperate in general or
on specific matters and set out the terms of their cooperation in such a way that most of the
issues that will be recurrent in the course of the implementation of the framework agreements
(e.g., financial arrangements, administrative issues, etc.) are dealt with, leaving only a limited
number of questions specific to an activity to be addressed in each particular case.
24. The Secretariat has prepared some basic elements that summarize a clearer approach to the
main administrative aspects of MOUs in order to  allow a more coherent policy on partnerships with
other organizations.  This will allow the WTO to present its potential partners with a standard
agreement
6 to serve as a basis for negotiations .
(a) The MOUs are designed as legally binding documents for the parties.  Therefore, the
language used in the document has to be precise and can be prescriptive.  The
document also includes an arbitration clause in case an amicable solution cannot be
reached between the parties with respect to disputes on the interpretation or theimplementation of the MOU.
(b) So far, WTO has generally financed a significant portion of the budget of any
technical assistance activity organised jointly with other organisations (more than
50 per cent on average).  The administrative arrangements for the activities covered
in the MOU are in principle designed according to WTO rules and practices when the
                                                     
6 See Annex III.WT/COMTD/W/116
Page 6
WTO provides both funding and logistics and the other party's contribution is limited
to substance and/or partial funding.  When the WTO provides funding (total or
partial) and the other party logistics, several aspects have to be clarified in the MOU:
content of the budget, transfer of funds, statement of account and overheads.
• Budgets:  There are clearly certain types of expenses that the WTO generally refuses to cover,
e.g. costs related to the participation of staff members from the other organisation and
administrative support.  As far as staff members are concerned, each partner should have at
least the resources to finance its own participatio n in the activity for it to remain a partnership
of equals.  This is also a sign that both parties give priority and are equally dedicated to the
activity.  Such costs should in principle be excluded from the budget to be jointly agreed,
which allows each partner to send as many officials as it deems appropriate, without being
constrained by parity concerns and without having to seek the other party's consent.Administrative support should be provided by the other party free of charge, in the same way
WTO provides it when it is responsible for logistics, in a spirit of genuine partnership.
• Transfer of funds:  Once a budget for a joint activity is agreed, funds have to be transferred to
the other party in advance of the start of the activity.  The critical questions are how much
should be transferred and how far in advance.  Both questions have a direct impact on the
cash position of the Global Trust Fund (GTF).  This cash position was considered importantenough by Members to include very precise thresholds for the disbursement of pledged
contributions in the terms of reference of the GTF, and to require the Budget Committee, the
Committee on Trade and Development and the General Council to monitor compliance
closely.  Any funds sent unnecessarily to partners are no longer available to organise other
activities until they have been returned to the WTO.  To avoid unnecessary and expensiveshuttling of funds between institutions, Secretariat policy is to transfer initially 80 per cent
7
only of the approved budget to the other party.   Any balance due is then paid upon submission
and acceptance of the final accounts.  The objective is to maximise the use of WTO funds,
whilst at the same time providing enough funds to our partner to organise the activity and
providing an economic incentive for early submission of the final accounts on the basis ofwhich the final settlement will be made.
• Statements of account :  Voluntary contributions that fund regional activities are entrusted to
the WTO under a certain number of conditions, which include, for example, respect of WTO
financial rules and regulations on transparency, internal and external financial control, etc.
The level of control of Members has increased in the recent past, as they have requested more
detailed reporting on the implementation of the WTO technical assistance plan.Consequently, the Secretariat requests from partners the submission of accounts presenting an
appropriate level of detail (expenses to be ventilated by type {hotel, airfare, etc.} and by
country, as appropriate;  a list of participants and speakers to be attached) and asks them to be
ready to provide a copy of the supporting documents, upon request.
• Overheads:  WTO statutorily charges overheads equivalent to 13 per cent of direct activity
costs.  This rate is both a maximum and a minimum, which means that in the case of joint
activities both organisations cannot each charge 13 per cent of overheads on the direct activity
costs or any portion thereof.  The decision of the General Council on overheads has been
interpreted as allowing the Secretariat to share the overheads with our partners.  As the actual
                                                     
7 This rate was set on the basis of past experience (average under-spending of 23 per cent in 2002 on
regional activities) and other considerations (certain pa rts of the budget do not require any cash disbursement on
the part of the organiser of an activity (e.g. overheads) or can be paid at a later stage).WT/COMTD/W/116
Page 7
share of the work of each organisation is always difficult to evaluate, overheads are generally
shared on a 50-50 basis.
(c) In the few instances when organising activities financed by another agency, the
Secretariat has agreed to the same terms and conditions as described above.
25. The Secretariat will endeavour to deepen its consultations with partner institutions during the
preparation of future annual plans for training and technical assistance in order to make the best use of
comparative advantage in the area of specialisation as well as in financial and other matters governed
by the provisions of the MOUs in force.  To this end and for coherence purposes, the Secretariat will
also make full use of the Doha Development Agenda Trade Capacity Building Database.8
                                                     
8 See "First Joint WTO/OECD Report on Trade-Related Technical Assistance and Capacity Building"
(November/December 2002).WT/COMTD/W/116
Page 8
1. Family name First name Other names Maiden Name
2. Date of birth (D/M/Y) 3. Present nationality /ies
4. Sex  M  F 5.  Region9
6. Present address:
Telephone:
Fax:E-mail:7. Telephone No. during working hours:
Fax:
E-mail:
8.   Areas of specialization. Please mark in the box(es) (Maximum of 3) and state sub-specialization as appropriate:
 Accession                 Agriculture   Competition Policy
 Customs issues(Import Licensing Procedures, Customs Valuation, Pre-shipment Inspection, Rules of Origin, Trade Facilitation)
 Dispute Settlement  Economics of International Trade
 Government Procurement  Integrated Framework/LDCs   Investment
 Market Access Regionalism
 Rules (Antidumping, Subsidies and Countervailing Measures and  Safeguards)     
Standards (Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary Measures [SPS}, Technical Barriers to Trade {TBT}
                 Services                                           Textiles & Clothing                          Trade and Environment
 Trade and Development                  Trade Negotiations Skills                 Trade-related Intellectual Property Rights
 Other (including sub-specialization):            
9.   Indicate your preferred method of work
 lecturing  conducting workshop (applied skills)  other:
Please return completed form to Director, Administration and General Services Division (Human Resources Section), WTO, rue de L ausanne 154, CH-1211
Geneva 21, Switzerland.  Fax:  +41-22-739 5772 E-mail:  humanresources@wto.org
                                                     
9 For WTO purposes the world is divided in six regions:  Africa;  Asia Pacific;  Eastern Europe and Central Asia;  Latin America  and
the Caribbean;  Middle East and Arab Countries;  Western Europe and Others.ANNEX I
WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATIONAttach a recent photo of yourself
PERSONAL HISTORY / CONSULTANT
(The information contained herein may be submitted to
WTO Members or other International Organizations)
Please answer each question clearly and completely.
Type or print in ink.
Read carefully and follow all instructions.WT/COMTD/W/116
Page 9
10. KNOWLEDGE OF LANGUAGES .  Indicate your first language; if not the same, indicate also mother tongue:
Read Write Speak Understand
Other languagesEasily Not easily Easily Not easily Fluently Not fluently Easily Not easily
11. EDUCATION        N.B. Please give exact name of institutions and titles of degrees in original language starting with the most recent.  Please do not 
translate or equate to other degrees.  Exclude primary/secondary school if you have a university degree or equivalent.
Years attended Institution
Name, place and countryFrom ToCertificates, diplomas, degrees and academic
distinctions obtainedMain course of
study
12. List any  publications you have written (do not attach):
13. State any other relevant facts, including membership in professional societies and travel:
14. Teaching Experience
A.    In WTO Training and Technical Assistance: (please give details)
B.    In other Institutions and fields: (please give details)WT/COMTD/W/116
Page 10
15. OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, ( start with present or most recent position):
From : To :
EMPLOYER (Name) : TYPE OF ORGANIZATION :
FULL ADDRESS : FAX N° :
TITLE/GRADE OF POST :
DESCRIPTION OF YOUR DUTIES :A.
NUMBER AND CATEGORY OF EMPLOYEES SUPERVISED :
From : To :
EMPLOYER (Name) : TYPE OF ORGANIZATION :
FULL ADDRESS : FAX N° :
TITLE/GRADE OF POST :
DESCRIPTION OF YOUR DUTIES :B.
NUMBER AND CATEGORY OF EMPLOYEES SUPERVISED :
From : To :
EMPLOYER (Name) : TYPE OF ORGANIZATION :
FULL ADDRESS : FAX N° :
TITLE/GRADE OF POST :
DESCRIPTION OF YOUR DUTIES :C.
NUMBER AND CATEGORY OF EMPLOYEES SUPERVISED :
From : To :
EMPLOYER (Name) : TYPE OFORGANIZATION :
FULL ADDRESS : FAX N° :
TITLE/GRADE OF POST :
DESCRIPTION OF YOUR DUTIES :D.
NUMBER AND CATEGORY OF EMPLOYEES SUPERVISED :
USE ADDITIONAL SHEET(S) IF YOU HAVE HELD MORE POST(S)WT/COMTD/W/116
Page 11
WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION
PERSONAL HISTORY / CONSULTANT
(CONFIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION)
Please answer each question clearly and completely.
Type or print in ink.
Read carefully and follow all instructions.
1. Family name First name Other names Maiden Name
2. Date of birth (D/M/Y) 3. Country of birth
5. Sex  M  F 6. Marital status:    Single      Married      Legally separated      Divorced      Widow(er)  
7. Permanent address:
Telephone:
Fax:
E-mail:8. Present address:
Telephone:
Fax:
E-mail:9. Telephone no. during working hours:
Fax:
E-mail:
10. Do you have any dependants?          Yes      No           If "yes", give the following information:
Name Age Relationship Name Age Relationship
11. Have you previously submitted an application for employment with the WTO?  If so, when?
12. Indicate the name of any relatives working in the WTO or other international organizations:
      Name:                                                            Organization: Relationship:
Please return completed form to Director, Administration an d General Services Division (Human Resources Section),
WTO, rue de Lausanne 154, CH-1211 Geneva 21, Switzerla nd.  Fax:  +41-22-739 5772 E-mail:  humanresources@wto.orgWT/COMTD/W/116
Page 12
13. Have you any objections to our making inquiries of your present employer?                                   Yes           No  
14. Have you any objections to our sharing this form with other international organizations? Yes           No  
15. Are you now, or have you ever been, a permanent ci vil servant in your government's employ? Yes           No  
      If "yes", when?
16. REFERENCES: List three persons, not related to you, who are familiar with your character and qualifications.
Do not repeat names of supervisors listed under item 24 .
FULL NAME FULL ADDRESS OCCUPATION
17. Have you ever been arrested, indicted, or summoned into a court as a defendant in a criminal proceeding, or convicted, fine d or imprisoned for the
      violation of any law (excluding minor traffic violations)?
      No               Yes  
      If "yes", give full particulars of each case in an attached statement.
18. I certify that the statements made by me in answer to the foregoing questions are true, complete and correct to the best of  my knowledge and belief.
      I understand that any misrepresentations or material omission made on a Personal History form or other document requested  by WTO renders a
     staff member of WTO liable to dismissal.
Date:  _______________________________               Signature:  _________________________________________________
For WTO use only
Last revision: Status:
Number and date(s) of mission(s) for WTO: Nature of mission(s):
Comments/observations:
N.B. You will be requested to supply documentary evidence which supports the statements you have made above.  Do not, 
however, send any documentary evidence until you have been aske d to do so by the Organization and, in any event, do not 
submit the original texts of references or testimonials unle ss they have been obtained for the sole use of the Organization.WT/COMTD/W/116
Page 13
ANNEX II
E – RECRUITMENT
1. The United Nations, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Health
Organization (WHO) have adopted the e-recruitment system.  After an initial trial period, they are
satisfied with their experience.  Other United Nations agencies are actively considering it.  For a goodunderstanding of the system, its main features are briefly identified below.
2. The purpose of the new system is to create vacancy announcements online (including
translations), to allow candidates to apply online, and to enable the organization to manage all
Personal Histories (PHs) online and to produce a roster of candidates.
• Online vacancy announcements mean the replacement of typed vacancy announcements, as
well as the reproduction and distribution of vacancy announcements.  This makes it possible
to do away with paper almost entirely.  The vacancy announcements are created online and
automatically posted on Internet and intranet sites.
• The fact that candidates make online applications translates into a drastic reduction in the
number of PHs sent by post (and fax).  Moreover, candidates all around the world can view
vacancies and apply.  Once they complete an online application form (including coveringletter and photo), the material remains in the da tabase for future reference.  In other words,
candidates can return to their online PH at any time in the future and update it in the light of
new developments.  The most recent PH is available in the database.
• Management of online PHs means doing away  with the binders enclosing such documents
sent to managers.  For each particular recruitment process, it is possible to send PHs to
managers through the system for their consideration.  Online PHs are automatically converted
into PDF documents and sent by e-mail.  The system also makes it possible to rate candidates
and add notes to their online PHs (e.g. interview notes) that can be consulted by Human
Resources only.
3. E-recruitment opens the door to many improvements but also has a few drawbacks.  On the
one hand, it seems to be a logical evolution of Human Resources Section (HRS) work that allows:
o A shift in the focus of recruitment from simple paperwork to substantive aspects of
recruitment;
o A HR service-oriented approach (acknowledgement letters sent automatically and possibility
of making further enquiries; online consultations);
o A global overview of the whole monitoring process (PHs accessible from HR desk);
o Streamlining of candidates' PHs (always up-to-dat e; consistent format; essential information;
easy access), in addition to distribution of PHs to divisions for consultation;
o Possibility of searches for candidates with particular skills;
o Considerable gain of time, and ability to cope with peak recruitment periods;
o Easy retrieval of statistics or reporting lists (by gender, nationality, etc.).
4. On the other hand, e-recruitment does not eliminate human intervention.  It requires Internet
access and technical support (the system requires someone to manage the application and database
servers), which are not always easily available in some countries.  And a breakdown of the system
interrupts all action.  Introducing e-recruitment to WTO is not without a cost.  The collaboration of akey HR professional, someone literate in IT interface issues and an external recruitment consultant
would be needed, in addition to a designer at a later stage.  The system would require one year to
develop:  six months to customize features and resolve practical issues and six more months as a trial
period.  The estimated cost of the project would be around CHF 200,000, to be included in the IT
budget.WT/COMTD/W/116
Page 14
5. In conclusion, if and when a decision is taken by the membership on this issue, WTO would
benefit from the United Nations, ILO and WHO experience and might be able to save time and
money.WT/COMTD/W/116
Page 15
ANNEX III
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN
THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION
AND [ORGANIZATION]
The World Trade Organization, represented by its Director-General (hereafter the "WTO")
and [ORGANIZATION] , represented by its [HEAD] (hereafter the "[…]"), referred to collectively
as the "Parties";
Recalling  the Doha Development Agenda (DDA);  the New Strategy for WTO Technical
Cooperation for Capacity Building, Growth and In tegration; the WTO Annual Plans for Technical
Cooperation and Capacity Building;
Recalling [OTHER CONSIDERATIONS IN RELATION TO THIS MOU]
Have agreed as follows:
Article I
Purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding
The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding is to [PURPOSE OF MOU] ;
Article II
Field[s] of Cooperation
[1. The Parties agree to cooperate, within the lim its of their respective mandates, policies and
resources, in the following fields:
(a) […];
(b) […];
2. The Contact Persons referred to in Article VI below shall meet as necessary but no less than
[…] times per year to review the field[s] of cooperation listed in this Article.  Any result of such
reviews affecting the operation of this Memorandum of Understanding shall be transcribed in writing
in the form of an amendment to this Memorandum of Understanding, as provided in Article VIII
below.
Article III
Agreed Activities
1. Within […] month[s] of the entry into force of this Memorandum of Understanding, and as
necessary thereafter, the Contact Persons referred to in Article VI below shall meet to establish a listof activities falling within the scope of Article II  above (hereafter the "Agreed Activities") for the
following 12 months.WT/COMTD/W/116
Page 16
2. The administrative and financial modalities applicable to each of the Agreed Activities which
are not provided for in this Memorandum of Understanding shall be contained in an exchange of
letters between the Contact Persons referred to in Article VI below to be concluded before the Agreed
Activity concerned takes place.
Article IV
Forms of Cooperation
1. The Parties shall agree in advance on the programme or content of any Agreed Activity.  The
Parties shall co-operate in selecting participants to any Agreed Activity.
2. Agreed Activities shall in principle be organised10 by the Party providing the resources to
finance them.  When this proves impossible, either  of the following forms of co-operation may also be
envisaged:
(c) The Agreed Activity is organised by one of the Parties and financed by the other;
(d) The Agreed Activity is organised by one of the Parties and its financing is shared
between the Parties.
Article V
Administrative and Financial Modalities Applicable to each Form of Cooperation
1. The Party having the responsibility to organise an Agreed Activity under this Memorandum
of Understanding, shall apply its own administrativ e and financial regulations and comply with its
own practices, unless provided otherwise in this Ar ticle.  It shall apply its own practice in terms of
organization, logistical arrangements and other activity-specific matters, unless otherwise agreed
between the Parties.
2. For Agreed Activities organized by a Party and financed, in full or in part, by the other party,
the following administrative and financial modalities shall apply in all instances:
(a) The parties shall agree in advance on a detailed budget for the Agreed Activity.  The
budget shall include overheads equivalent to 13 per cent of all direct costs for the
Agreed Activity.  These overheads shall be shared equally by  the Parties.
(b) The Party financing the Agreed Activity shall transfer 80 per cent of the budget to the
Party organising that Agreed Activity no later than one month prior to the beginning
of the activity.  Any balance owed to the organising Party once the Agreed Activity
has been completed shall be settled upon presentation by the organising Party and
acceptance by the other Party of the final accounts for the Agreed Activity.
                                                     
10 Throughout this Memorandum of Understanding, the word "organize" shall be deemed to relate to all
the aspects of the organization of an Agreed Activity.  This is without prejudice to the right of either Party to
take all necessary actions regarding the participation of its own staff in the Agreed Activity.WT/COMTD/W/116
Page 17
(c) The accounts shall be presented by the organising Party.  The statement of account
shall at least ventilate expenses by nature (hotel, airfare, etc.) and by beneficiary
country, as appropriate.  A list of participants and speakers shall also be attached.
The organising Party shall stand ready to respond to any question of the other Party
about the accounts and to provide a copy of the supporting accounting documentsupon request.
3. In all instances, each Party shall cover the expenses related to the participation of its staff in
the Agreed Activities out of its own financial resources.  In the case of paragraph 2 above, the related
cost shall be excluded from the budget to be agreed in advance between the Parties.
4. Other administrative and financial modalities not provided for in this Memorandum of
Understanding and which the Parties deem necessary for the conduct of an Agreed Activity may beincorporated in the Exchange of Letters provided for in Article III.2 above.
Article VI
Contact Persons
The Contact Persons for each of the Parties for the purposes of this Memorandum of
Understanding shall be:
For the WTO:
Director
Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation
WTOCentre William Rappard
Rue de Lausanne, 154
CH-1211 Geneva 21
Switzerland
For the [ORGANIZATION] :
[…]
Article VII
Consultations
1. Each party shall accept to enter promptly into consultations at the request of the other party
with respect to any matter ar ising in relation to this Memorandum of Understanding.
2. Each party shall, at the request of the other party and in accordance with its financial rules
and regulations, provide any documentary information that the other may require.WT/COMTD/W/116
Page 18
Article VIII
Amendments
This Memorandum of Understanding may be amended by mutual written agreement of the
Parties.  Unless otherwise agreed, amendments may apply only to Agreed Activities which have not
yet been implemented.
Article IX
Dispute settlement
In case of dispute as to the interpretation or application of this Memorandum of
Understanding or of any exchange of letters concluded in relation to this Memorandum of
Understanding, Parties shall first seek to reach an amicable solution.  Any dispute which cannot be
solved amicably shall be brought before the Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague, Netherlands,
in conformity with the arbitration clause annexed to this Memorandum of Understanding.
Article X
Scope of this Memorandum of Understanding
No provision of this Memorandum of Understanding shall be construed so as to in any way
interfere with the decision-making processes of the WTO and [ORGANIZATION]  with regard to
their own respective affairs and operations.  This Memorandum of Understanding does not represent a
commitment of funds on the part of either the WTO or [ORGANIZATION] .
Article XI
Entry into Force and Duration
1. This Memorandum of Understanding shall enter into force on the date of its signature by both
Parties.
2. This Memorandum of Understanding shall remain into force until […] and may be extended
through written agreement of the Parties.  Either party may terminate this Memorandum of
Understanding by giving six months' written notice to the other party.
3. In case of termination of this Memorandum of Understanding, the Parties shall cooperate
during the period of notice to ensure orderly completion of all pending Agreed Activities.
Done at Geneva, on […] 2003, in two originals in the English language.
For the World Trade Organization For the [ORGANIZATION]WT/COMTD/W/116
Page 19
ATTACHMENT TO ANNEX III
Arbitration clause to be used together with the Permanent Court of Arbitration Optional Rules
for Arbitration Involving International Organizations and States
1. Any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to the interpretation, application
or performance of this Memorandum of Understanding, including its existence, validity or
termination, which was not solved amicably in accordance with Article IX of this Memorandum of
Understanding, shall be settled by final and binding arbitration in accordance with the Permanent
Court of Arbitration Optional Rules for Arbitration Involving International Organizations and States,
as in effect on the date of this Memorandum of Understanding.
2. The number of arbitrators shall be [one/three].
3. The language to be used in the arbitral proceedings shall be English.
4. The appointing Authority shall be the Secretary- General of the International Bureau of the
Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague, The Netherlands.
[Optional Rules included by reference, applicable text may be included in Annex III if
requested by the Donor].
____________