RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/LDC/SWG/IF/16
4 April 2001
(01-1698)
Sub-Committee on Least Developed Countries
INSTITUTIONAL INTEGRATION OF LEAST-DEVELOPED COUNTRIES INTO THE
MULTILATERAL TRADING SYTEM
Report by the Director-General
I. INTRODUCTION
1. This report focuses on measures taken by the WTO Secretariat to assist the integration of
Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Non-Residents into the multilateral trading system and the
global economy.  The measures taken, which are at various levels of implementation, are also part of
WTO contributions to the Third United Nations Conference on LDCs (LDC-III), as well as
contribution to the preparatory process for the Fourth WTO Ministerial Conference.
2. Since the conclusion of the Uruguay Round and the establishment of the World Trade
Organisation in 1995, there has been increasing concern over the marginalisation of the Least
Developed Countries.  LDCs have been concerned that they have not fully and effectively participated
in the multilateral trading system and, are yet to fu lly enjoy the benefits of membership in the open
rules based system.  WTO rights, obligations and work programs entail significant commitment of
human and material resources by all Members.  LDCs face difficulties engaging fully in the WTO dueto a number of factors, including limited resources, coordination difficulties, the need to improve
understanding of obligations and effective use of the opportunities in WTO Agreements.
3. The challenges facing LDCs are complex.  No single multilateral agency such as the WTO, or
individual development partner can, on its own, address the difficulties facing LDCs.  Collective
efforts and careful coordination amongst agencies are required to assist the LDCs.
4. Many of the challenges facing LDCs are part of the overall complex challenge of
development and, therefore, need to be addressed within a development framework.  The WTO is apermanent negotiating forum whose core business is trade liberalisation within a rules-based system.
It is nevertheless recognised that trade liberalisation and reform together with mutually supportive
national companion policies, should be consistent with development goals of LDCs.
5. Although not a development organisation, the WTO Secretariat is implementing programs
and taking concrete steps and initiatives to accelerate the institutional integration of LDCs into themultilateral trading system.  Other measures such as the improvement of market access opportunity
and trade-related technical assistance are also being taken.  This report focuses only on institutional
integration  programs, measures and initiatives as follows;
(a) Initiatives in Favour of Non-Residents;
(b) Improvements in the procedures of the WTO Trade Policy Review;
(c) Outreach to informal group meetings of the WTO African Group and the WTO
LDCs' Consultative Group;
(d) The installation of WTO Reference Centers;WT/LDC/SWG/IF/16
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(e) The training of officials through:
(i) technical missions
(ii) trade policy courses, and
(iii) regional seminars;  and,
(f) The Internship Programme.
II. PROGRAMS, MEASURES AND INITIATIVES FOR LDCS' INSTITUTIONAL
INTEGRATION
(a) Initiatives in Favour of Non-Residents
6. Initiatives in favour of Non-Residents are an essential component of the WTO's institutional
integration efforts.  As at 31 March 2001, twenty five  WTO Members and nine countries in the
process of accession to the WTO have no permanent representation in Geneva.  Sixteen of these are
LDCs.  Non-Residents face three related concerns: (i) accessing and processing information, (ii)effective participation in the work processes of the WTO, and (iii) representation.  While the last of
these three concerns cannot be addressed directly by the WTO, the different initiatives in favour of
Non-Residents seek to meet the challenges posed by the first two sets of concerns.
7. Part of the WTO's Non-Residents initiative is addressed through technical cooperation
activities which fall within the framework of the WTO's Three-Year Plan for Technical Cooperation,
which is coordinated by WTO Secretariat. Meeting the needs of Non-Residents has received specific
mention in document WT/LDC/SWG/IF/7/Rev.1.  Othe r activities in favour of Non-Residents are
described in detail below.
8. The WTO sends information to missions of these countries in Europe, to keep them up to date
with major trade developments.  This includes regular WTO publications.  Non-residents also receiveregular WTO Briefing Notes prepared by the Secretariat.  The Notes are a summary of the selected
issues handled by the WTO, and include a summary of meetings of the various WTO Committees and
Bodies. The WTO Secretariat also forwards to the Non-Residents, daily trade news summaries based
on despatches by wire agencies.
9. The WTO organises "Geneva Week" during which representatives of Non-Residents are
invited to Geneva.  The objectives of the Week are to: brief participants on the state of play of work in
the WTO; familiarise participants with the work processes of the WTO; provide information about the
range of technical assistance on offer; and provide an opportunity for participants – during their stay –
to be involved in the work of WTO bodies.  The first "Geneva Week" was held in November 1999
and was instrumental in assisting Non-Resident Members' preparation for the Third Ministerial
Conference in Seattle.
10. The second Geneva Week was held in October 2000.  A total of 37 non-resident countries
were represented.
1  The Geneva week focused on the on-going work program, including
                                                     
1 The 37 countries invited were: Andorra; Antigua & Barbuda; Armenia; Benin; Botswana; Burkina Faso;
Cambodia; Central African Republic; Chad; Democratic Republic of Congo; Dominica; Republic of the Fiji
Islands; The Gambia; Grenada; Guinea Bissau; Guyana; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Macau, China;Malawi; Maldives; Mali; Namibia; Niger; Papua New Guinea; Samoa; St. Kitts & Nevis; St. Lucia; St. Vincent
& the Grenadines; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Solomon Islands; Suriname; Swaziland; Togo; Tonga; Uzbekistan
and Vanuatu.  Delegations consisted of one senior official from capitals, and a senior official responsible forWTO affairs from a Non-Resident mission in Europe (if any).WT/LDC/SWG/IF/16
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implementation of WTO agreements, mandated negotiations in agriculture, services, intellectual
property, electronic commerce and technical cooperation.  Participants were also provided with
hands-on training in the use of various Information Technology tools.  They also participated in a
seminar organised under the auspices of the Committee on Trade and Development (CTD) on small
economies, and in a formal meeting of the same Committee.
11. Other agencies are also invited to make presentations during the "Geneva week",2 and provide
a further input regarding issues covered in "Gen eva week", as well as information on technical
cooperation services provided.  A third Geneva week is tentatively scheduled for 10 to 14 September
2001.  The forthcoming Geneva Week will be aimed at preparing Non-Residents for the Fourth
Ministerial Conference to be held in Qatar from 9 to 13 November 2001.
12. In implementing efforts in favour of Non-Resi dents, the WTO has worked closely with other
service providers, such as the ACP Office in Br ussels, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Caribbean
Regional Negotiating Machinery, and the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat.  The WTO has also
enjoyed close collaboration and coordination with the Agency for International Trade Information and
Cooperation (AITIC).
(b) Improvements in the Procedure of the WTO Trade Policy Review
13. There have been improvements in the procedures of the WTO Trade Policy Review.  The
Trade Policy Review (TPR) can now be used as a mechanism for trade-related capacity-building, and
for mainstreaming a trade integration agenda in LDCs' national development plans and poverty
reduction strategies.
14. The TPR process has been considerably elaborated for LDCs to provide them with ongoing
contact with, and technical assistance from, the Secretariat, thus improving their knowledge of theWTO, building capacity in their capitals and furthering  their integration into the trading system.  The
WTO Secretariat, in implementing a staged program for LDCs' TPR, will organise a preparatory 4 to
5 day seminar in the capital for senior officials.  This new elaborated procedure will begin with
Uganda and Malawi in the first stage, and thereafter with Haiti and Zambia
15. The result will be a detailed, well-understood report on their trade and related policies, the
mainstreaming of trade policies into the economic decision-making structure and an agenda of
technical assistance needs and priorities for feeding into the Integrated Framework (IF process).
(c) Outreach to Informal group meetings of  the WTO African Group and the WTO LDCs'
Consultative Group.
16. As part of its outreach program,  the WTO provides secretarial services to two informal
Groups;
(i) The WTO African Group; and,
(ii) The newly established WTO LDCs' Consultative Group.
                                                     
2 Agencies that made presentations at the Second Gene va Week were: the African Caribbean Pacific General
Secretariat (ACP), the Agency for International Trade Information and Cooperation (AITIC), the
Commonwealth Secretariat, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the Forum Secretariat, the
International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the International
Trade Center (ITC), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United NationsEnvironmental Programme (UNEP),and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).WT/LDC/SWG/IF/16
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17. Between 2000 and 2001, the WTO has serviced, with interpretation, approximately 60 WTO
African Group meetings.  The Group meets at least once a week to discuss WTO issues and to
exchange views on ways to increase Africa’s participation in the multilateral trading system.   In
addition to servicing the Group, the WTO also arranges briefings for the Group.
18. The newly established WTO LDCs' Consultative Group was set up by LDCs to collectively
and effectively ensure the integration of LDCs into the World Trade Organization, and the rules-based
multilateral trading system, on the basis of their own priorities.  The establishment of this informal
LDC Group is both important and timely particularly as the LDCs prepare for the Fourth WTO
Ministerial in Doha, Qatar in November this year.
(d) Installation of WTO Reference Centers
19. The WTO Reference Centre program was initiated in 1997,   as part of the Joint Integrated
Technical Assistance Program (JITAP) by the ITC, UNCTAD and WTO.  The WTO ReferenceCentre program involves the linking of LDCs to the WTO through the creation of a network of
computerised information centers.   The objective of the WTO Reference Center is to provide LDCs
with an electronic link to the WTO by enabling Government officials, business and the academic
communities and others, to obtain trade-related information and documents from the WTO Internet
web site and databases.  These centers are usually located in the trade ministries and in theheadquarters of regional and subregional organisations.
20. In Least Developed and small island developing countries, the WTO provides each Reference
Center with a computer equipment including a modem, printer and ink cartridges, with resources for
start-up and post installation support.  In addition, the WTO trains trade officials on how to access the
information.  Each center is furnished with a complete library of WTO information and trainingmaterials on CD-ROMs including a step by step trai ning program on how to use the internet to access
WTO documents and information.
21. LDCs without physical representation in Geneva  have acknowledged the significant value and
their daily dependence on the Reference Centers.  These Centers help such countries to obtain equal
access to WTO information including access to inform ation regarding their country's commitments in
relation to the multilateral trade negotiations.  Reference Centres enable countries to access the WTO
internet site that contains up to date information on all WTO activities and access to the Document
Dissemination Facility which features all WTO official documents.
22. To ensure that the reference centers are being used and that technical problems are minimised,
the WTO Secretariat maintains regular contact with  the Centers and provides technical advice by
telephone and e-mail, through the WTO Reference Centre Help Desk.  The maintenance of the WTO
Reference Center is supplemented by the plan ning of training missions carried out by WTO
specialists with expertise in WTO issues and in computer and Internet technology.
23. Currently, there are 96 Reference Centers installed in 78 countries, of which 39 are in LDCs.
The WTO Secretariat will install Reference Centers in two more LDCs, Yemen and Sao Tome, this
year.  This will increase the total number of LDCs in which Reference Centers have been installed to
41 out of the 48 LDCs (49 with the recent inclusion of Senegal). The funding of the establishment ofthe Centers is derived from the special Trust Funds that have been established by WTO Member
States.WT/LDC/SWG/IF/16
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(e) Training of Officials
24. The training of officials is an important means by which the WTO assists LDCs' integration
into the multilateral trading system.  Training activities are carried out in LDCs through technical
missions, national and regional seminars as well as through short and regular trade policy courses.
The WTO Secretariat staff regularly undertake missions to LDCs.  The purpose of the missionsincludes the dissemination of information as well as advising officials on various areas of the work of
the WTO, in particular the implementation of WTO Agreements by individual countries.  The
Secretariat also participates in events organised by other institutions such as the private sector,
regional or sub-regional institutions like Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
25. The training activities are aimed at increasing the capacity of developing countries,
particularly the least developed countries, to participate in the multilateral trading system.  Trainingactivities are also carried out through the Trade Po licy Courses (TPC).  Since their inception in 1955
under the GATT, 94 residential trade policy courses have been held and 2,000 officials have
benefitted.
26. During the twelve-week duration of the TPC, participants attend lectures, workshops, study
tours and simulations on WTO Agreements.  The training courses are designed to provide participantswith a better understanding of trade policy matters and the work of the WTO, thereby assisting in the
promotion of a more active and effective participation of their countries in the multilateral trading
system.
27. In addition to the 12-week courses, short trade policy courses of three weeks duration are held
each year specifically for participants from the Least Developed Countries.  These courses are heldboth in English and in French.
28. A number of seminars are held throughout the year to further integrate LDCs into the global
trading system.  In the year 2000, more than 30 seminars were held.  In January 2001, the WTO, in
collaboration with the 5 other agencies, IMF, ITC, UNCTAD, UNDP, and World Bank, organised a
seminar on the Policy-Relevance of Mainstreaming Trade into Country Development Strategies-
Perspectives of LDCs .   The objective of the seminar was to review the concept, methods and process
of mainstreaming trade priorities, including the implementation of WTO obligations and
commitments, into the overall development plans and poverty reduction strategies of LDCs.  In
addition, the WTO recently completed a first-ever trade policy course in Fiji for small-island pacific
countries.
(f) The Internship Programme
29. The final component of WTO's efforts to assist the institutional integration of LDCs into the
trading system is the proposed Internship Programme.  The Secretariat has been asked by several
members to consider the creation of “WTO Mission Internships,” as a process for building trade
policy capacity in young professionals from selected countries to enhance their knowledge of the
multilateral trading system, strengthen their understanding of the WTO, and support their mission in
participating more actively in the daily activities at the WTO.  The trained individuals wouldthereafter be involved in the exercise of trad e policy either in their capitals or in Geneva.
30. These internships would be different from ex isting internship programmes in that the
candidates would work in their own country Mission in Geneva and not in the WTO Secretariat and
would represent their respective country on selected WTO Committees.  The type of assignment
envisaged would be typically of 10/12 months  duration.  This hands-on approach would be
supplemented by three or four one-day seminars each year organized by the WTO Secretariat to
provide these interns with a stocktaking of the activities taking place at the WTO.WT/LDC/SWG/IF/16
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31. This project is planned to be financed through voluntary contributions and coordinated by the
WTO.  The selection of candidates would be done jointly by the WTO and the missions in question.
III. CONCLUSION
32. The institutional integration of LDCs into the multilateral trading system is a major challenge
for LDCs, agencies and the international community.  The programs, measures and initiatives,reviewed above, which have been taken by the WTO Secretariat, will contribute to assisting the LDCs
to meet many of the challenges that they continue to face.  However, these programs and initiatives
are only a beginning, and more needs to be done to expand and strengthen the on-going initiatives as
well as to seek new ways of accelerating LDCs’ institutional integration.  To this end, more resources
will be needed.
33. The benefits of the multilateral trading system should be extended as widely as possible to the
LDCs.  Improved coordination is required amongst donors, LDCs, and agencies in order to achievethe objective of strengthening the capacity of LDCs to participate fully and effectively in the open
rules-based system, and to seize its opportunities and benefits.  Improved coordination and the
provision of trade-related technical assistance for institutional integration will need to be delivered
within a coherent policy framework.
34. The WTO, in partnership with the LDCs and other agencies, will continue to build on the
programmes, measures and initiatives outlined in this report.
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