WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/COMTD/W/127 
27 April 2004  
 
(04-1585) 
Committee on Trade and Development  
   
ANNUAL REPORT ON TRAINING AND TECHNICAL COOPERATION 
(1 JANUARY TO 31 DECEMBER 2003) 
 
Note by the Secretariat
 
  I. INTRODUCTION 
1. This annual report provides an overview of th e WTO Secretariat's Training and Technical 
Cooperation activities undertaken durin g the year 2003.  It complements the information provided in 
the reports by the Director-General to Ministers, under paragraph 41 (WT/MIN(03)/3) of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, as well as the quarterly reports
1 on implementation of activities.  A more  
in-depth assessment of the Secretariat's training and technical assistance can be found in the Technical 
Cooperation Audit Report for 2003 (WT/COMTD/W/125). 
2. It is recalled that, within the WTO Secretaria t, the Institute for Training and Technical 
Cooperation (ITTC) was established in the early Spring of 2003.  This brings under one roof the two 
core tasks, i.e. Training and Technical Assistance.  The Institute is fully operational and, as indicated 
in the Audit Report, is the driving force behind training and technical assistance. 
3. Working with it is the Technical Assistance Management Committee (TAMC), representing 
all WTO Divisions, which has continued to serve as a useful mechanism for coordination, monitoring, 
and generating innova tions.  It provides essential input to the overall management of the Technical 
Assistance (TA) Plan, both in its preparation phase and for its implementation.  
4. This report will first provide summary informa tion on all the main TA activities that were 
undertaken during 2003, with regard to the volume of activities, their regional spread, and the subject 
matters covered.  It then gives more specific in formation on the training activities, including those 
conducted in Geneva and in the field, and on other activities and programmes undertaken in the 
course of the year. 
A. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING  
5. The efforts undertaken in the implementation of  WTO's technical assistance and training 
activities have mainly been geared  towards sustainable human and institutional capacity-building in 
beneficiary countries.  In response to the Doha Ma ndate, particular emphasis has been given to the  
least-developed countries (LDCs), which is reflected in their coverage in WTO activities.  Moreover, 
the partnership arrangements that have been establishe d have been used as much as possible.  It can 
be noted that various partners were associated w ith most of WTO's TA activities, primarily at the 
regional, but also at the national level.  More over, new arrangements have  entered into effect, 
including a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU ) between UNIDO and the WTO, which was 
signed by the Directors-General of the two organi zations at Cancún.  Subsequently, modalities were 
put in place to initiate the implementation of th is MOU.  Also, as will be discussed further, 
partnership arrangements with academic ins titutions were gradually put into effect. 
                                                      
1  WT/COMTD/W/112 (dated 22 April 2003);  WT/COMTD/W/118/Rev.1 (dated 12 November 2003); 
WT/COMTD/W/120 (dated 13 November 2003);  and WT/COMTD/W/126 (d ated 8 April 2004). WT/COMTD/W/127 
Page 2  
6. As is reported in Tables 1 and 2 in the Annex,  a total of 451 technical assistance and training 
activities were undertaken in 2003, compared w ith a demand submitted by Members of over one 
thousand and compared to 488 activities undertaken in th e year 2002.  It is recalled that at mid-year, 
nearly two hundred (i.e. 199) field activities had been  implemented, which means that more than half 
of all activities (252) were effectively undertaken in the second half of the year.  This strong 
acceleration in the activities has a variety of explanat ions, including the late approval of the Plan, the 
uncertain situation in the Gulf region, health alerts  in Asia in the first part of the year, as well as 
instability/security concerns in some beneficiary count ries.  Moreover, preparations for the Ministerial 
Conference in Cancún required that priority be given to many Geneva-based tasks and necessitated 
the presence of Secretariat staff at headquarters.   
7. The majority of activities were held at the re gional or global level (265), including regional 
seminars and workshops, participation in conf erences, symposia and meetings, whereas some 
40 per cent of all activities (186) took place at the na tional level.  Broadly speaking, the geographical 
spread of activities has remained comparable to prev ious years, with the largest number of activities 
having taken place for Africa (138).  This number corr esponds to nearly a third of all activities and 
includes both national and regional seminars.  It represents a five per cent increase compared to the 
previous year, the highest number of WTO-related TA provided to this continent in any year.  
8. It is also interesting to note that the LDCs have been associated with nearly half of all 
activities undertaken.  Moreover, nearly one quarter (102) of all activities reported took place in 31 different LDCs, including 71 national activities, 20 regi onal seminars, two meetings at Minister level, 
as well as several conferences and symposia which we re held in these countries with the participation 
of WTO officials.  
9. As to the other regions, in Latin America and th e Caribbean, a total of 96 activities were held 
followed by Asia, including the Pacific, with 89 activities, corresponding to 20 per cent of the total.  The share of Central and Eastern European Countri es and Central Asia, as well as the share of Arab 
and the Middle Eastern Countries, in the total num ber of activities was 10 per cent for each region. 
10. Finally, 59 activities were held at WTO headquart ers, as well as at the global level.  More 
than half of these were training activ ities and/or workshops.  This includes inter alia  the 14  
Geneva-based training activities held at the Institu te, 12 workshops that took place at the WTO, and 
the "Geneva Weeks". 
11. As to the subjects covered, a quarter of all activities were geared towards capacity building, 
basically covering a cluster of activities, including National Trade Policy Courses, Seminars on WTO Agreements, Workshops for the Academic Communi ty, as well as Trade Policy Review missions.  
Another area for which there was much demand c oncerns the Singapore issues, which were covered 
51 times, representing 11 per cent of all activities.  This relatively high number can be explained by 
the fact that there are several distinct subjects (trade-related investment, trade and competition, 
transparency provisions in government procur ement, and trade facilitation), but also because 
Members wanted to be more fully informed and ad equately prepared for the Ministerial Conference 
held in Cancún.  
12. Also, there was a strong demand for seminars, both at the national and regional level, in the 
area of services, with 31 activities undertaken.  This  can be explained by the ongoing negotiations in 
that field.  In addition to providing both broa d and specific information, many activities were 
specifically geared towards supporting countries in the drafting of their offers and requests. 
  WT/COMTD/W/127 
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B. GENEVA -BASED TRAINING ACTIVITIES  
13. WTO training activities were geared towards assisting recipient countries in their 
understanding and implementation of  agreed international trade rules and to contribute towards 
human resource development.  Thus several trad e-policy or training courses of various length and 
scope were held in Geneva for officials mainly from developing countries.  These courses were aimed 
at widening the participants' understanding of the mu ltilateral trading system (MTS) and international 
trade law, and of the activities, scope and structure of the WTO, in order to allow them to improve the 
effectiveness of their work in their own administrations. 
14. In addition, the Institute pursued numerous pr ogrammes initiated over the recent years, such 
as distance-learning, training of trainers and univers ity-networking projects, as well as the continuous 
fine-tuning of both the internal and external ev aluation processes for all the Geneva-based training 
activities and of the didactic material. 
15. Four Trade Policy Courses (TPCs) took place in Geneva.  Two TPCs were  held in English, 
one in Spanish, and one in French.  Overall, 105 participants from developing countries and LDCs as 
well as economies in transition attended these c ourses which lasted twelve weeks each.   
16. Two Introduction Courses were he ld in Geneva;  one was conduc ted in English and one in 
French.  Most of the 43 participants who attended these activities were representatives of LDCs.  Each 
Course lasted three weeks. 
17. Three Specialized Courses on Dispute Settlement  were conducted in Ge neva.  Two of these 
one-week Courses were held in English and the othe r in French.  Overall, 84 participants attended 
these activities which were open to all WTO Members. 
18. Two other Specialized Courses, lasting two we eks each, were conducted in Geneva.  The 
Specialized Course on Trade Negotiations was, fo r the second time, delivered jointly with the 
Graduate Institute for International Studies, Gene va.  Twenty-five participants from LDCs and other 
developing countries as well as economies in transiti on attended this activity, which was held in 
English.  A Specialized Course on Trade in Services  was organized for the fi rst time and was attended 
by 26 participants from developing countries and LDCs as well as economies in transition.  These 
specialised courses included simulations of negotiatio ns, with the support of an outside consultant. 
19. A training week on WTO was conducted for repres entatives participating in the Internship 
Programme.  This programme has been set-up to allow Permanent Missions of developing countries 
and LDCs based in Geneva to increase, for a limited period, the number of staff covering  
WTO-related issues. 
20. Two Introduction Days were organized.  They acquaint national delegates newly arrived in 
Geneva with the WTO and its functioning.  These ac tivities were also open to WTO staff and interns 
as well as to representatives of NGOs. 
21. A series of follow-up activities were held in  the context of the Training-of-Trainers 
programme initiated in 2002.  It allowed WTO st aff involved in conducting training and technical 
cooperation missions to improve the efficiency of their work. 
22. The internet-based course on WTO, started as a pilot project in 2002, was assessed and 
improvements were made to the content of th e course, which will be reactivated in 2004. 
23. Substantial work continued to be made on harm onizing training material on the WTO.  It is 
expected that the ITTC training support library w ill become effectively operational in the course of 
2004. WT/COMTD/W/127 
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C. R
EGIONAL TRADE POLICY COURSES (RTPC S) 
24. The concept of RTPCs resulted from the increased  focus attributed to technical cooperation 
and capacity-building following the commitments made  in that respect by Ministers at the Doha 
Ministerial Conference.  In 2003, the second RTPC for English-speaking Africa was held in Nairobi, Kenya, and the groundwork was undertaken for a wide ning of the regional coverage of the courses in 
2004.  While the key objectives of RTPCs are the same  as for the regular trade policy courses held in 
Geneva, the initial thinking behind them led to th e development of four additional interlocking 
elements: 
• in each region covered, increase the number of government officials with a solid 
foundation of knowledge on the WTO.  Throug h these courses, officials can build and 
expand their expertise in particular ar eas of the WTO, thereby strengthening the 
capacity of governments to pursue their national policy objectives; 
 
• develop a partnership between the WTO and institutions in the region, thus 
establishing a regional hub for training.  With a view to transferring ownership, the local institution will increasingly assume r esponsibility, adapting the existing course 
to the specificities and needs in the region;  
 
• provide teaching jointly by trade policy sp ecialists linked to institutions of higher 
learning and policy think-tanks in the region and officials from the WTO Secretariat;  and, 
 
• foster and strengthen the research links be tween universities and other institutions in 
the region and international organizati ons, including the WTO.  Exchange 
information on WTO-related trade policy research, ensure better regular access to 
such research results and further explor e possibilities for joint research activities.  
 25. In order to prepare for the RTPCs (Nairobi  and Jamaica), three-day workshops were 
organised with the participation of 20 regiona l specialists.  The workshop programme included 
discussions on joint research projects, methods of delivering the RTPC, and a series of bilateral 
meetings between WTO lecturers and the regional sp ecialists involved in the joint delivery of the 
course. 
D. R
EGIONAL WORKSHOPS FOR UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS AND ACADEMICS  
26. During 2003, the WTO undertook a series of activities with a view to further developing 
cooperation links with the academic community in developing countries, economies in transition and 
LDCs, and in doing so, enhancing its capacity to deliver more training and technical cooperation 
activities, specifically those contributing to long-term capacity-building in both government and 
academic institutions.   
27. The agenda for these workshops was structur ed around discussions and presentations made by 
WTO officials, officials of other internati onal or regional agencies (UNCTAD, World Bank, 
United Nations University, IaDB, Arab Moneta ry Fund, ESCWA, and OAS), and by prominent 
regional academics.  The main focus was on issues  related to research conducted by international 
agencies and academic institutions on internatio nal trade and WTO-related matters, and on the 
teaching and course curricula.  In some inst ances (Caribbean and French-speaking African 
academics), the focus of the workshop was also on  the RTPCs to be held in those regions during 
2004.  In all cases, participants were provided with a basic set of WTO printed and electronic 
publications and training materials.    WT/COMTD/W/127 
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E. INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK (IF) 
28. In Autumn, the recommendations from the se cond major evaluation of the IF were 
extensively discussed both in th e Integrated Framework Steering Committee (IFSC) at its session on 
27 October and the Integrated Framework Work ing Group (IFWG), at its formal session on 
29 October and in an informal brainstorming session on 4 to 5 December.2  The evaluation found that 
the IF approach is fundamentally sound.  It focu sed on eight broad areas of the IF where fine-tuning 
was required:  IF Scope;  Country Selection;  LDC Participation and Ownership;  Consultant 
Selection;  Planning, Management, Monitoring and Evaluation;  Capacity development;  
Communication;  and Governance.    
29. The debates in the IFSC and IFWG laid the gr ound work for the Integrated Framework Work 
Programme of actions approved by the IFSC on 13 Fe bruary 2004.  The Work Programme sets out the 
actions which the IFWG aims to achieve by 31 December 2005, and is based on the recommendations 
of the evaluation, taking into account the views expr essed by the IF stakeholders during the evaluation 
debate as well as the lessons learned and experiences gained in the implementation of the IF since May 2001.
3  Decisions were also taken on the extension of  the IF to new applicants.  At its meeting on 
27 October, the IFSC gave its green light to th e IFWG to resume the extension of the IF.   
30. In terms of progress in the first 14 countries to which the revamped IF is being applied, by the 
end of 2003, DTIS have been completed for 11 countries, namely Burundi, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Guinea, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Nepal, Senegal, and Yemen.  Workshops to 
discuss the findings of the DTIS have been held in  all 11 countries.  Regarding the remaining three 
countries (Djibouti, Eritrea, and Mali), work is ongoi ng and nearing completion in Djibouti and Mali 
while the IFWG accepted the decision of the Government  of Eritrea to take a pause at this time.  In 
addition to the 14 countries, implementation of fo llow-up activities to the IF Round Table meetings 
held under the "old" IF scheme in Bangladesh, the Gambia, Haiti, Tanz ania, and Uganda was 
completed by the end of 2003.   
F. J
OINT INTEGRATED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME (JITAP) 
31. It is recalled that the JITAP for selected Afri can and LDCs is a capacity-building programme 
put in place by the WTO, United National Conf erence on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and 
the International Trade Centre (ITC) to address trade -related capacity constraints of African countries.  
It is a unique joint endeavour by the three multilate ral trade agencies to build trade and trade-related 
capacities, drawing on their complementary stre ngths, respective expertise, and comparative 
advantages. 
32. The second phase of JITAP (JITAP II) was launched in  January 2003.  It runs for four years 
until 2006 and covers eight a dditional countries, namely Botswana, Cameroon, Malawi, Mali, 
Mauritania, Mozambique, Senegal,  and Zambia.  The estimated budget is US$12 million.  The sixteen 
countries that are covered under JITAP represent a careful balance among LDCs , non-LDCs, different 
sub-regions in Africa, and diverse linguistic groupings. 
33. JITAP II aims to build and/or strengthen in partner countries, human, institutional and 
entrepreneurial capacities in several main areas.  Th ese are, firstly, trade negotiations, implementation 
of WTO Agreements, and related trade policy form ulation through the inter-institutional committees 
for national stakeholder discussion and decision- making;  secondly, MTS reference centres and 
national enquiry points for provision of reliable te chnical information on MTS, with attention to 
standards and quality requirements;  thirdly, development of nationa l knowledge base on MTS 
                                                      
2 The Evaluation is contained in document WT/IFSC/6/Rev.2.  A Summary is contained in  
WT/IFSC/6/Rev.2/Add 1.  The Terms of Reference for the second evaluation are contained in document 
WT/IFSC/3/Rev.1. 
3 The Work Programme is contained in document WT/IFSC/7, dated 17 February 2004. WT/COMTD/W/127 
Page 6  
through training of trainers and formation of trai ners networks;  fourthly , develop goods, commodities 
and services policy framework and sectoral strategi es including market knowledge of exporting and 
export-ready enterprises to de velop production and exports. 
34. In line with JITAP II objectives, achievements include:   
• progress of implementation arrangements for activities in JITAP countries; 
• progress on the development of modules and toolkits; 
• the delivery of technical support for the follow-up to the 5
th Ministerial Conference at 
Cancún; 
• the initiation of formulation of sector strategies; 
• the preparation for JITAP's participation in the upcoming UNCTAD XI Conference 
in Sao Paolo, in June 2004.  
II. CONCLUSIONS 
35. As the various reports on training and techni cal assistance show, the implementation of 
WTO's TA programme is making steady progress, cove ring the broadest range of topics, and, while 
maintaining a regional spread, putting strong emphasi s on Africa and more particularly on the LDCs.  
Specific programmes, including JITAP and the IF, have been reviewed and expanded in scope.  
Partnership arrangements have been broadened and deepened, sometimes through formal 
arrangements (e.g. MOUs), in other cases through enhanced cooperation in the implementation of 
activities in Geneva and/or in the field.  
36. The experience gained with the implementation of the TA Plan over the last two years, and 
the total number of activities undertaken in 2003, suggest that 450 activities roughly correspond to a 
natural limit in terms of Secretariat capacity at whic h the quality in the delivery of the activity can be 
assured.  This number has thus served as a guide in the preparation of the TA Plan for 2004. 
37. In light of experience in previous years, the preparations for a new TA Plan for 2004 
(WT/COMTD/W/119/Rev.3) were initiated well before  the summer of 2003.  This process comprised 
of internal Secretariat-wide consultations, followed by consultations with donors and beneficiaries.  
Also, the design of the Plan per se  was thoroughly reviewed, in orde r to cover more adequately the 
increasing demands of all beneficiary countries.  Th e Plan was considered twice in the Committee on 
Trade and Development (October and November 2003).  Following the discussions the Plan was 
revised and it was agreed that the implementation of  the TA Plan would be initiated immediately in 
the new year of 2004, pending a solution for one outstanding issue, relating to the venue of the RTPCs.  This issue was eventually resolved, thus removing all barriers to a timely start of 
implementation. 
38. Finally, a process of regular (informal) c onsultations between the Secretariat and the 
Members, including beneficiaries and donors, was initia ted, to address all issues of direct concern to 
the Members in relation to training and technical assistance.   WT/COMTD/W/127 
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ANNEX 
 
Table 1:  Implementation of technical a ssistance and training activities, by region 
1 January to 31 December 2003 
Region Implemented Activities  Total 
Implementation 
 National Regional (1) Total Per cent 
Africa 74 64 138 31 
Arab Countries and the Middle East 15 19 34 8 
Asia and Asia/Pacific 35 54 89 20 
Central and Eastern European and Central Asian Countries 18 17 35 8 
Global (Western Europe and North America) - 59 59 13 
Latin America and the Caribbean 44 52 96 21 
TOTAL 186 265 451 100 
Table 2:  Implementation of technical assist ance and training activities, by subject matter 
1 January to 31 December 2003 
Subject matter Implemented Activities  Total 
Implementation 
 National Regional (1) Total Per cent 
Accessions 3 1 4 1 
Agriculture 3 11 14 3 
Capacity Building 62 47 109 24 
Customs Valuation 7 7 14 3 
Dispute Settlement 5 7 12 3 
Implementation Issues 3 4 7 2 
IT / WTO Reference Centres 21 1 22 5 
IF / Least-developed countries 6 4 10 2 
Mainstreaming 1 27 28 6 
Market Access 7 8 15 3 
Regional Trade Policy Course (RTPC) - 1 1 0 
Preparatory meetings for RTPCs - 6 6 1 
Rules 11 3 14 3 
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures 8 14 22 5 
Services 21 10 31 7 
Short Trade Policy Courses 0 12 12 3 
Singapore Issues 12 39 51 11 
Technical Barriers to Trade 5 10 15 3 
Textiles and Clothing - 9 9 2 
Trade and Environment - 8 8 2 
Trade Negotiation Skills 7 13 20 4 
TRIPS 4 3 7 2 
TOTAL 186 245 431 96 
Outreach activities - 6 6 1 
Geneva-based training activities - 14 14 3 
TOTAL 186 265 451 100 
(1)  Regional activities include regiona l seminars and workshops, as well as  conferences, symposia, meetings, etc.  
Note:  Outreach and Geneva-based training activities are shown separately, as they were part  of the Addendum to the TA 
Plan, or included in the (then) separate plan for Training Activities in 2003. 
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