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WT/BFA/204  
 
7 July 2022 
(22-5187) Page: 1/12 
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration    
 
 
REPORT OF THE MEETING HELD ON 24 MAY 2022 
The Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration (CBFA) met on 24 May 2022. Her Excellency 
Ambassador Bettina Waldmann, German Ambassador to the WTO , welcomed Members to the 
meeting.  
1  ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
 
1.1.  The Chair stated that  Members are busy in the run -up to MC12 . She recalled that  the airgram  
and annotated  agenda  for the meeting were released on 1 3 May, bearing the reference s 
WTO/AIR/BFA/52  and JOB/BFA/61 , respectively . 
1.2.  She recalled that during the CBFA meeting on 5 May , she had mentioned that an agenda item 
on revisions to Financial  Regulation 19  would be on the agenda of the next meeting of the CBFA, as 
contemplated in the CBFA Work Plan for 2022. She said that her underst anding had since been that 
delegations would benefit from more time to consult among themselves before discussing this topic 
again. Therefore, she  propose d that agenda  item C  be removed  from the agenda and defer red to a 
future meeting  of the CBFA . 
1.3.  The agen da, as set out in document WTO/AIR/BFA/52 , with the exclusion of agenda item C,  
was adopted.  
2  ORAL REPORT FROM THE CHAIR ON ONGOING WORK  
2.1.  The Chair noted that a very short time had passed since the last CBFA meeting and said that 
she has continued to hold in formal consultations with delegations to gather information regarding 
priorities going forward.  She added that she would continue this practice in the period after MC12, 
holding meetings in different configurations to help make progress on key issues on the CBFA  Work 
Plan. 
3  UPDATE ON THE SECRETARIAT TRANSFORMATION EXERCISE  
3.1.  The Chair recall ed that the Director -General, Deputy Director -General Ellard and Nthisana 
Phillips had, in previous meetings,  provided information and updates to Members regarding the 
Secretariat 's transformation exercise, including most recently at the meeting of the CBFA held on 
5 May. She stated that  a written update had been provided by the Secretariat through a document 
bearing the reference WT/BFA/W/593.  
3.2.  DDG Ellard said she was pleased to provide the CBFA  with an update on the Secretariat's 
transformation exercise and to hear the CBFA's  comments. She said that, a s had been the case after 
the previous CBFA meeting, she would provide  the written version of  her speaking notes to the 
CBFA . 
3.3.  She recalled that, d uring the last CBFA meeting, many delegations had  asked for a wri tten 
document in advance of the CBFA  meeting of 24 May  summarizing the state of the transformation 
exercise . She said that in an effort to be responsive, the Secretariat  circulated a document 15 days 
in advance of the meeting  (as per the practice of CBFA meetings)  bearing the reference 
WT/BFA/W/593  to provide such an update . She added that the document will be update d before  
future  CBFA meetings and circulate d in advance.  She recalled that some delegations had asked that 
items  included in her last report be open for discussion during the ongoing  meeting and that she 
had readily agreed  to this.  WT/BFA/204  
 
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  3.4.  DDG Ellard said  that she did not have a lengthy update  because the last CBFA meeting had 
taken place  less than three weeks before . She a dded that the transformation work  is in the midst of 
a short break to take stock of where the Secretariat is regarding the exerci se and to reflect on 
lessons learn ed to date. She said w ork will resume  the following  week, with design work on the third 
wave of initiatives , on Data, Technology , and Innovation.  
3.5.  DDG Ellard said the Secretariat has  reached the end of the first two of three waves of design 
work, which dealt with staff talent management and ways of working within the Secretariat.  She 
said these wav es are described in the  circulated  document, with the first wave on page 1 and the 
second wave on page 2.  She informed the CBFA that seven  specific topics have gone through the 
full cycle of testing and refinement  and that  the design proposals for the four second wave initiatives  
had been considered by the Steering Committee in the preceding  week. She recalled that the  
Steering Committee  is made up of the DG, the four DDG s, and the Chief of Staff. She added that 
the four initiat ives are closely linked and  relate to attracting, motivat ing, and reward ing staff and 
enabling them to progress and plan their careers with in the Secretariat . 
3.6.  DDG Ellard said d esign proposals that have been approved by the Steering Committee can  now 
procee d to the implementation phase. She informed the CBFA that t he Transformation Office is in 
the process of drawing up implementation plans which , like the earlier phases of th e transformation 
exercise , will involve staff members across the Secretariat. She s tated that, a s she had previously 
explained, implementation will respect existing processes and requirements that apply when 
changes are made to Secretariat rules and policies, including engagement with Members where 
implementation of proposals would have budgetary implications.  
3.7.  DDG Ellard said that during the previous CBFA meeting , she had  reported on the outcome of 
the design work on rewards outside promotion and risk management and outlined some of the 
proposals under consideration regarding the Secretar iat's procurement processes . She added that 
these were part of the first wave and are also summarised in the document that had been circulated 
in advance of the CBFA  meeting  of 24 May . 
3.8.  DDG Ellard  next outline d the recently  approved proposals for procurement and for the four 
second wave initiatives: Career Pathways, Recruitment, Mobility , and Promotions.  
3.9.  Regarding procurement, DDG Ellard informed the CBFA that several  proposals were endorsed  
by the Steering Committee  to increase both the flexibility and the responsibility given to individual 
Divisions in procurement , while at the same time strengthening capabilities and the culture around 
procurement across the Secretariat. She said, t aking account of inflation and of best pra ctices among 
peer international organizations, increases were approved to  some of  the monetary thresholds for 
smaller purchases , which  determine the procurement process to be followed. She added that, a t the 
same time, more training within the Divisions on how to use procurement, standardiz ation of the 
Secretariat's  processes , and increas ing the use of digital tools to boost the efficiency and 
transparency of procurement processes  were approved. DDG Ellard informed the CBFA that f urther 
increases may be considered in the future  when new accountability procedures are implemented. 
She added that, p ending implementation of the recommendations to strengthen procurement 
capabilities and the culture in the Secretariat , no decision was taken  yet on whether to in crease 
threshold s in a more significant way or on any change to the threshold for review by the Contracts 
Committee (currently set at  CHF 5 0,000). She noted that a  change to the Contracts Committee 
threshold would have to be  considered and approved by  the CBFA as part of the Financial R ules and 
that the Secretariat will engage with the CBFA  if it decide s to pursue such a step.  
3.10.  Regarding Secretariat staff career pathway s, DDG Ellard said  that the idea of introducing a 
split into Expert and Manager tracks at more senior grades was broadly endorsed, recognising the 
need to ensure that both tracks offer equivalent career development opportunities and that there is 
an adequate training portfolio to support both Managers and Experts in their career pathways.  She 
said more detail on this proposal is being developed.  
3.11.  DDG Ellard said the diagnostic revealed that the Secretariat 's recruitment processes are often 
slow and that little information is provided to applicants regarding the status of the recruitment 
processes. She said t he Steering Committee approved several proposals designed to make the 
process faster  without compromising competitiveness or the checks and balances needed to recruit  
the best talent, whether internal or external . She added that the proposals aim to expedite certain WT/BFA/204  
 
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  steps and improve efficiency to provide  candidate s with more information and to implement  more 
advance planning. DDG Ellard state d that the  Steering Committee also recognised that up -to-date 
information  regarding job classification and benchmarks is an essential tool for recruitment as well 
as for the other topics covered in the second wave.  
3.12.  Regarding staff mobility,  DDG Ellard said  the St eering Committee agreed to proceed with 
implementation of formal mechanisms as well as communications, training , and assistance to 
achieve a more positive perception of  mobility as well as increased use of mobility both within and 
outside the Secret ariat. She added that i nternal and external mobility should be encouraged and 
recognised, particularly for staff pursuing a Manager track career pathway.  
3.13.  On promotions,  DDG Ellard said  several proposals to make the existing annual process more 
consistent, objective , and transparent were approved. She added that t he Steering Committee took 
note of the  existing  promotions backlog and asked for more detailed analys es as to how this backlog 
could  be mitigated.  
3.14.  In conclusion, DDG Ellard reiterate d that th e transformation process is designed to strengthen 
the Secretariat to better serve all Members. She added that she will continue to keep the CBFA  
updated about further progress at each of its meetings  and to update and circulate a document 
setting out the state of play in advance of  each meeting.  
3.15.  DDG Ellard then updated the CBFA on the process of filling Director vacancies . She recalled 
that the  Director vacancies are for the Divisions of Languages and Documentation Services , Council 
and Trade Negot iations Committee, Information and External Relations, Human Resources , and 
Economic Research and Statistics.  
3.16.  She said the recruitment process for the Languages and Documentation Services Division has 
been completed  and that the selected candidate  has accepted the offer and will start as of 11 July. 
She said the selection process for Council and Trade Negotiations Committee  is currently underway, 
as the vacancy notice had closed a few weeks before and that t he vacancy notices for Human 
Resources and Informa tion and External Relations will close in the current week. DDG Ellard stated 
that the vacancy for the position of  Chief Economist and Director of Economic Research and Statistics 
was posted two weeks before  and will close in two weeks. DDG Ellard recalled  that, a s she had  
mentioned before , the Secretariat has  been using a search firm to help identify candidates  for some 
of the vacancies, in addition to the vacancy notices.  
3.17.  A Member thanked  DDG Ellard for continuing regular updates as part of CBFA meeting s. He 
said the fact that the Secretariat had shared materials in writing before the meeting was helpful in 
enabl ing Members  to prepare.  
3.18.  The Member said his delegation would be interested in how the Secretariat envisages a 
comprehensive and tailored Secretariat -wide risk taxonomy that is mentioned in the document.  He 
also said his delegation would appreciate it if DDG Ellard  could say a few words on the expected 
outcomes of the changes current ly being implemented  pertaining to  the non -monetary rewards , 
bonus es, and the culture of recognition that she had mentioned. He point ed out that these non -
monetary rewards are part of the conditions of service for WTO staff and therefore should be laid 
down in the staff regulation s. He said  that, for this reason , involvement of Members is  indispensable 
and should take place sooner rather than later.  
3.19.  The Member also requested  more detailed information as to how the current performance -
based scheme that was i mplemented in 2019  informs the changes that the Secretariat is considering . 
He said this additional information  could be provided  for the next CBFA meeting . 
3.20.  The Member further request ed that , after MC12 , the Secretariat offer interested Members a 
separate in-depth briefing on the transformation exercise . He suggested that this could be done by 
the Head of the Transformation Office . 
3.21.  The Member then stated that, from a  broader perspective, his delegation  would like to support 
the observation  put forward at the previous CBFA meeting  that a strategic plan or vision is an 
essential element for guiding the transformation exercise . He added that this should happen sooner WT/BFA/204  
 
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  rather than later , and that Members should be consistently included in the de velopment of such  a 
plan. 
3.22.  Another d elegation thank ed DDG Ellard  for the information and background provided and 
echoed the request made by the previous speaker  for a more detailed briefing for the next time . 
3.23.  Speaking on behalf of the EU and its 27 Members , a Member  said the  EU condemn s, with the 
strongest conviction , the military aggression against Ukraine by Russia . She said the EU reaffirm s 
of its full solidarity with Ukraine.  
3.24.  The Member then thank ed DDG Ellard for the report on the transformation exercise, especially 
on the second wave, and for the document that was circulated before the meeting . She said her 
delegation w ould like more information about mobility and how civil servants can make use of it. 
She also echoed what had been  said by other Members regarding the importance of  development of  
a strategic vision  in parallel with the Secretariat 's transformation . 
3.25.  After thanking DDG Ellard for the report  and the detailed talking points that had been 
circulated , a Member said her delegation share s the objectives of the Secretariat of improving the  
Secretariat to  better  serve the Members and  appreciates the Secretariat's efforts  in this regard.  The 
Member said her delegation  request s more transparency a nd a briefing on the transformation 
exercise.  She noted that the report mentioned that the second wave is  almost completed and that 
there are a number of proposals to be implement ed. She asked whether those specific proposals 
would  be shared with Members, for transparen cy purpose s. As an example, the Member said her 
delegation  had asked questions pertaining to procurement several times in the previous budget 
review or expenditure review  discussions by the CBFA. She  suggested  that Members be informed of 
any new proposals  for transparency purposes, even if those proposals do not have any budgetary 
implications.  
3.26.  The Member noted that as part of the third wave , it is possible that new units might be 
established , which may affect the budget  as well as the structure and functioning  of the Secretariat. 
She asked whether the Secretariat would  come to the Members for consultation or just to notify  with 
regard to such proposals . 
3.27.  On the subject of risk, the Member asked  what kind s of risks are ref erred to and what the 
responsibilit ies of the Risk Officer would be . 
3.28.  A Member thanked DDG Ellard for the update and said his delegation appreciate s the flow of 
information and the additional documentation that was provided. He echoed previous calls for 
continued engagement and the importance of keeping in touch. He said the CBFA  has been very 
engaged in several human resources and other staffing issues over the years  and so he would, 
therefore, like to be able to bring his government's perspective to bear o n the conversations 
pertaining to the transformation exerci se. 
3.29.  The Member expressed appreciation that the speaking note s from the last meeting were 
circulated in advance. The Member said that as part of the  transformation, there are a lot of new 
process es and new levels and layer s. He added that  some of the issues, particularly in the first wave, 
did not strike his delegation  as things that needed a heavy process . Therefore,  he said  his delegation 
is wondering if empowerment of the human resources  division might be  an alternative way forward 
to handle items such as non-cash bonuses and other matters being  discussed . He asked if this had 
been considered as an alterna tive to creating additional layers of advisory committees and advisory 
boards.  
3.30.  The M ember noted that the documents for the implementation of external auditor 
recommendations  show that the Secretariat staff has come up with solutions . He added,  however, 
that report after report  suggest  that the solutions get lost in the process. He said th at when he sees 
yet more process , he wonder s if it is really productive.  
3.31.  The Member said he wonder s if the McKinsey report  has analyzed  process bottlenecks , not 
just the problems identified . He said i t would be good to know whether there has been some actual 
streamlining of some of these processes to facilitate  implementation  because his delegation know s 
that staff has done the work to resolve a lot of issues but ha s been unable to harvest that work.  WT/BFA/204  
 
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  3.32.  The Member recalled that the CBFA ha s discussed  recruitment  in the past. He said  it is unclear 
whether this is a priority issue, as his delegation would expect. He stated that the financial report 
will, yet again, show that more than 70% of the budget  is spent on short -term staff. He said his 
delegation has repeatedly raised t he issue of the chronic overspending on short term  staff, and the 
justification given in the past is the failure of the recruitment process to move fast enough.  He said 
he does not see that this problem has been addressed yet , noting that it deserves a closer look . He 
added that streamlining  and speeding up  the recruitment process would address the overspending 
and the chronic imbalance between long -term staff and short -term staff.  
3.33.  On pr ocurement, the Member said that several issues have been flagged in the External 
Auditor's report. He said his delegation would like th ese issues given a higher priority  before turning  
to something that is not a problem . By way of example, he said  the External Auditors had noted that 
staff who implement Trust Funds are not trained on procurement processes , resulting in 
irregularities.  
3.34.  The Member said, like other delegations, his delegation would  welcome additional information 
on risk management. He requested information to help him better understand the issues as well as 
what a taxonomy of risk means so he can determine how the CBFA could engage on the matter . 
3.35.  A Member thanked the DDG for the update and e choed previous requests for more information 
on the second wave proposals, such as mobility and recruitment. The Member further stated her 
delegation would appreciate more information about how the second phase will proceed and what 
are the timeframes. She  said a separate meeting with the Transformation Unit would be helpful.  
3.36.  A Member thanked the DDG for the update and echoed other Members' requests for more 
transparency and a separate briefing on the transformation process.  
3.37.  DDG Ellard t hanked the delegatio ns for their interventions and comments and for their very 
helpful suggestions.  She clarified that the transformation exerci se is in the midst of the first phase , 
which has three waves. She said p hase 2 has not begun yet  and that  its start is  not anticipat ed to 
begin before  the fall. She further said the  phase 2 process is aimed at the strategic direction of the 
Secretariat. She noted that there is a lot of interest in that particular aspect of the work. She further 
noted that senior management wants to get  some "quick wins, " particularly relating to staff 
management and some processes that require quicker attention . After that point, the focus could 
turn to strategic direction.  
3.38.  DDG Ellard said there is interest considering the establishment of a planning and strategy unit 
as well as a regional and country support unit based in Geneva. She said t hese are not firm ideas 
yet. She noted  that they could  have budgetary imp lications  and that the Secretariat would  certainly 
consult  the CBFA . She sa id she is aware of the considerable interest in the strategic vision for the 
Secretariat  and reassure d the CBFA that they would be consulted.  
3.39.  With respect to the questions about risk  management , and in particular the risk taxonomy, 
DDG Ellard s aid this matter is at a very early stage . She said there is already a position within the 
Secretariat for a Risk Management Officer, which  has not yet been filled . She said the Secretariat 
has launched searche s but has not yet been able to find the right p erson. More broadly, s he said  
that any major organisation should have some type of risk management process to examine mat ters 
such as pension liability, insurance liability , and other matters. She said it is important to determine 
how to address such risks as well as to determine the Organization's tolerance for risk . 
3.40.  DDG Ellard said the goal is to help the Secretariat  foresee and mitigate a range of potential 
negative developments that could pu t the Secretariat and the WTO at risk. She added that t he next 
step is to develop and implement a comprehensive and tailored Secretariat -wide risk taxonomy , 
which she described as a map outlining what potential areas of risk might be and the process for 
assessing risk  in a coordinated way . 
3.41.  DDG Ellard said that the concept of risk awareness must be developed further  within the 
Secretariat's  staff, noting that there is no process in place . She said filling the Risk Management 
Officer position is essential to guide th e work. To that end, the Secretariat is searching for an 
appropriately senior -level candidate with the appropriate level of knowledge  and expertise.  WT/BFA/204  
 
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  3.42.  With respect to procurement, DDG Ellard said the Secretariat will consult  with the CBFA as to 
budget  and matters relating to the F inancial Regulations. S he highlighted the importance of 
procurement . She noted that the Secretariat  already carries out this function  well, but it could be  
improved and made more streamlined, accounta ble, flexible , rapid, and efficient.  She noted that the 
Contracts Committee, which she chairs, handles cases in which the value of the procurement exceeds 
CHF 50,000 , usually meeting weekly . She further noted that CBFA approval is necessary if the 
Secretar iat seeks to increase that threshold.  
3.43.  DDG Ellard noted that the WTO, like other international organizations , have different 
procurement processes depending on the value of the procurement. She said the WTO Financial  
Regulations  assign responsibility to the  Secretariat , in particular  to the DDG in charge of Finance , to 
make certain determinations  depending on the value of the procurement. She assure d Members that 
the Secretariat  will continue to discuss these issues with the CBFA . 
3.44.  In response to the comment about lack of training by some staff implementing Trust Funds, 
DDG Ellard said the Secretariat intend s to implement Secretariat -wide training for staff involved in 
procurement.  
3.45.  As to the comments and questions regarding mobility,  DDG Ellard noted the Secretariat  staff 
should be  able to work for different u nits and divisions , as well as to pursue opportunities outside 
the Secretariat , such as in other international organizations, governments , and the private sector . 
She noted that such opportunities provide additional experience , providing professional growth 
opportunities for staff and benefitting the Secretariat.  
3.46.  DDG Ellard said that the transformation exercise is not meant to create more process that 
could  delay implement ation of  chang e. Instead, s he noted that , during the diagnostic phase , staff 
had expressed the view that they were not  included in many  decisions. As a result, the 
transformation exercise seeks to create processes to involve staff. She added that the J oint Advisory 
Committee  is one important tool to assure that the Secretariat's  policies and processes are consistent  
and transparent to staff, not to creat e bureaucracy . She added that t he Director -General seeks to 
use her long history of management  to implement  useful ideas and allow more participation from 
staff. She noted that the prior Administration was not successful  on this front,  and new 
Administrati on seeks change to create better value for Members.  
3.47.  DDG Ellard said that she will continue to update th e transformation document to reflect 
developments, particularly as the Secretariat  enter s the implementation phase . 
3.48.  She thanked Members for their interve ntions and emphasized her commitment to keeping the 
CBFA informed.  
3.49.  The Chair thanked DDG Ellard for her  comprehensive explanations and thank ed Members for 
participating actively in the discussions. The Chair said she will c ontinue to support the request fo r 
transparency, whether in the form of an extra meeting or other information. She thanked DDG Ellard 
for promising to provide information  in writing  and orally.  
3.50.  The CBFA  took note of the statements made and w ill revert to th e topic in July.  
4  Q1 2022 BUDGET AND FINANCE REPORT  
4.1.  An Official of the Secretariat presented the regular budget financial report for the first quarter 
and highlighted that the contributions received as of the end of March 2022 were at a slightly higher 
level than the year before. S he added that 60% of Member contributions and 27% of Observer 
contributions  had been received . 
4.2.  With respect to Members under Administrative Measures as of 24 May 2022, the Official of the 
Secretariat said 11 were under Category I, 5 under Category II , and 9 under Category III. She added 
that, c ompared to the report as of 31 March  2022, contributions from Afghanistan, the Gambia, 
Grenada, Suriname,  and Niger had been received , and those Members had consequently been 
removed from the list.  WT/BFA/204  
 
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  4.3.  She added that an error in Table 5 of the report , pertaining to Members not compliant with 
their Payment Plans, had been correct ed and that a revised report would be issued.  
4.4.  Regarding Observers under Administrative Measures, the Official of the Secretariat informed 
the CBFA that 3 were under Category I, 3 under Category II , and 4 under Category III.  She added 
that s ince 31 March 2022, Sudan had made its payment and thus was no longer under Administrative 
Measures . 
4.5.  Turning to the quarterly expenditure, t he Official of the Secretariat said staffing costs were  
slightly lower than the expected rate , due to a high number of retirements during the first quarter. 
She reported that o ver-expenditure was recorded  for temporary staff, consultants , and interns . 
Furthermore, she stated that expenditure s for General Services included  commitments for several 
annual contracts , and that the level of expenditure s for Travel  was still low due to travel restriction s 
related  to the pandemic . She further observed that the high  rate of Capital Expenditure  reflect s 
purchases of software and hardware as well as document reproduction equipment.  
4.6.  A Member requested that , in case of a time lag between the quarterly report and the CBFA 
meeting, the slides should include the actual  expenditure amounts  as at the date of the CBFA 
meeting . He also requested that the slides be shared before the meeting. The Member  further noted 
the significant overspending on short term resources.  Finally, he requested  more information about 
the expenditure for the International Computing Centre (ICC).  
4.7.  A Member echoed the request for more up -to-date information and the concern regarding short 
term overspending. He noted that short -term resources are being used not only to compensate for 
unfilled v acancies, but also for additional work. He said the CBFA may have to examine this matter. 
He further suggested that savings realized under Travel be balanced  with the expenditure for virtual 
meeting tools.  
4.8.  The Official of the Secretariat  thanked the Membe rs for their comments , noting that the y will 
be reflected in future reports. She said the Secretariat will provide more information on the 
International Computing Centre (ICC) . With respect to expenses on virtual meeting tools, she said 
while the Secretari at intends to resume travel, some activities will continue to take place virtually, 
and therefore both types of expenditure will continue . 
4.9.  The Committee took note of the report and the comments made.  
5  Q1 2022 EXTRA BUDGETARY FUNDS REPORT  
5.1.  An Official of the Secretariat introduc ed the Q1 Extra -budgetary Funds Report  by highlight ing 
that, due to the continued travel  restrictions  emanating from the pandemic , activity has been  rather 
low. She added that, at the same time, significant technical assistance activiti es have been 
conducted virtually .  She noted that there is an expectation that some travel and regional trade 
policy co urses may  begin in an in-person mode  relatively soon . 
5.2.  The Official of the Secretariat said , that in the first quarter, the expenditure ra te for the Global 
Trust Fund was higher than the contribution rate  because the year only recently started , but more 
contributions are anticipat ed as the year progresses . She noted that some contributors have held 
back or reduced their contributions because the spen d rate was low in 2021, adding that some 
countries prefer to contribute only if  they deem the  rate of expenditure to be  reasonable and 
adequate . She anticipated that as travel  restrictions  are lifted  and activity  increas es, there will be 
some catch -up and increased contributions . 
5.3.  The Official of the Secretariat thank ed Members that contribute to the various Trust Funds, 
noting that Trust Funds  do useful work for the  Members , especially develop ing and least developed 
countries . 
5.4.  She encouraged Members to consider making multiannual contributions , which offer more 
stability  because they are not depend ent on trends  and are tied to some extent with the plan s under 
the ITTC for the Global Trust Fund and under  the Agriculture Division  for the STDF . WT/BFA/204  
 
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  5.5.  The Official of the Secretariat said that  contributions and expenditure  for the other Trust Funds, 
particularly those that pa y for internships  and other activities of similar nature, are stable . 
5.6.  A Member  thanked  the Secretariat for the presentation  and said his delegation is  pleased to 
make a further contribution to the S TDF over a period of three years . He stated that  the STDF aims 
to support developing countries in complying with international  food s afety as well as  animal and 
plant health standards . He said access to global and regional markets should be improved through 
the work of the S TDF, which would  contribute to sustainable economic growth through security and 
poverty reduction . 
5.7.  The Member said th e COVID -19 pandemic highlights how easily and quickly pests and diseases 
can spread around the world and how closely connected global supply chains are . He said t he crisis 
makes it clear that the STDF's global partnership and its contribution  to supporting  LDCs in the SPS 
sector as well as its involvement in the international market is more important than ever . He said 
this is  why his country continues  to contribute to the S TDF, and he thank ed the Secretariat for its 
good work.  
5.8.  A Member noted his delegation's  support for the Global Trust Fund and STDF over the course 
of many years . He said that he appreciate s that it appears that some of  the dormant  Trust Funds 
his delegation had identified  in the past have now been closed . He further noted that as of 31 March  
2022, the ASYCUDA  database project had finally begun to disperse some  money . He added that the 
initial contribution was  CHF 1.1 million , with an expected life span of 36 months , and that it was 
designed to help developing and least developing Members meet notification obligations . The 
Member said that  as of the m iddle of 2022, which is well beyond the 36 -month life span, more than 
half of the initial amount remains. He said  expenditure s do not seem to be  moving at a pace 
indicating success . The Member asked if there is any report available on the outcomes that have 
been achieved and whether there is any additional status report to provide to Members . He said it 
is important for Members  to make sure that , as money is given and projects are rec ommended , it is 
actually feasible for the WTO to achieve the goals for which it is accepting contributions . He said 
that the ASYCUDA database project seems to have struggled . He said that it is a worthy cause and 
thus it is worth investigating why expendit ure has been so slow . He said ASYCUDA clearly will exist 
far beyond its original mandate . 
5.9.  An Official of the Secretariat thank ed the Member that had indicated plans to  contribut e to the 
STDF for 3 years for their contribution . 
5.10.  In response to the question o n Trust Funds, and in particular ASYCUDA,  the Official of the 
Secretariat said that the Secretariat would be presenting the Financial Performance Report for 2021 , 
which will include a narrative concerning the ASYCUDA database project and all other Trust Fu nds, 
at the next CBFA meeting . She thank ed the Member for his observation and for appreciating that 
the Secretariat has closed some of the Trust Funds without activity . 
5.11.  A Member thank ed the Secretariat  for the report and the Members who have contributed  to 
the Trust Funds , adding that some countries have  benefited from assistance on capacity building . 
The Member said that his delegation has said repeatedly  that the challenges faced by developing 
countries in not regular ly comp lying with  transp arency or notification obligations  are due to 
structural problems . 
5.12.  A Member said that his delegation share s the value of notifications to the WTO. He said the 
General Council  is working on a draft decision for the full membership to promote notifications.  He 
said the remarks made by the previous speaker were  also made in the General Council and that 
some Members face critical situation s. He said  while capacity building is appreciated , there is more 
of a structural problem . 
5.13.  The Member said a follow -up discus sion would be  worthwhile at  the CB FA because the WTO 
spends  substanti al funds , both from the regular budget and extra-budgetary , on notification s. He 
requested that the Chair engage Members to  see whether th e issue could be dealt with  in a more 
fundamental way at the CBFA.  
5.14.  The Committee took note of the report and the comments  made . WT/BFA/204  
 
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  6  WTO SECRETARIAT'S STAFF LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME 2021 – 
WT/BFA/W/590  
6.1.  An Official of the Secretariat  informed Members th at synchronous on -line learning continued 
to be the key form of professional development in 2021. She said t his included foundation 
programmes on Delivering Technical Assistance Virtually , which focused on designing and delivering 
engaging virtual learning  initiatives for government officials.  
6.2.  She said that, i n 2021 , emphasis was placed on Leadership and Change  learning initiatives  and 
that the cornerstone of the Leadership and Change programme was the first ever in -house Executive 
Change Leadership program me. She explained that t he aim of th e 5-day modular executive 
programme was to build an agile leadership community capable of quickly responding to the 
demands of an increasingly complex and uncertain external environment.  
6.3.  The Official of the Secretariat s aid the 2021 Leadership Speakers Series  was another 
cornerstone of the Leadership and Change suite of programmes. She added that i t consisted of brief 
webinars , with a diverse mix of academics and practitioners , aimed at engaging all Secretariat staff 
in conversations about various aspects of leadership, innovation , and change.  
6.4.  Concerning Ethics, the Official of the Secretariat said the Open Dialogues on Ethical Issues , 
using WTO -specific scenarios , provided participants with an opportunity to reflect on the 
commonality and differences of thinking regarding the ethical issues raised. She stated that t he 
sessions also addressed staff members' role in creating and supporting a culture of integrity, tru st, 
honesty , and fairness.  She mentioned that w ebinars on Microaggression and Courage & Speaking 
Up had also been conducted for staff.  
6.5.  The Official of the Secretariat said r eference was made to training on Gender and Inclusion  and 
the importance of having clear messages about "Inclusion" from senior management. She 
highlighted that the Director -General has emphasised that under her leadership , "the WTO will 
remain firmly committed to diversity and respect."  
6.6.  With respect to  personal development training , the Official of the Secretariat  informed  Members 
that, in 2021 , 244 staff  members  attended IT webinars in English and French . She said 30-minute 
IT Expresso Webinars  were conducted on various aspects of MS Office , such as the use of Mail Merge 
and Creating & Customizing email templates in MS Outlook , and that webinars on various MS Office 
IT applications such as TEAMS and YAMMER  were also held for staff.  
6.7.  With respect to on -the-job learning,  the Official of the Secretariat stated that  62 staff members  
had received coaching support in 2021 to address issues relating primarily to performance, change 
management and career development.  She said o ff-line mentoring was also provided, especially for 
new recruits . She added  that m entoring assists staff members to gain new perspectives on an issue 
and ensures that colleagues are networked across the Secretariat.  
6.8.  A Member thank ed the Secretariat  for the presentation and said his delegation has  taken good  
note of  the information that had not been in the document that was circulated ahead of the CBFA 
meeting. He said his delegation support s the Secretariat's  approach to fully support ing and 
respect ing the critical importance of integrity  and gender. He said these is sues are very critical to a 
modern well -functioning organization and that he commends Secretariat's work.  
6.9.  The Member recalled his  earlier remark on the importance of video conferencing and the 
structural changes that it has introduced . In this regard , he congratulate d the Secretariat for  training 
Managers on how to effectively use these tools given the fundamental changes required in the way 
Managers have to operate when many of the staff are not  working from the  WTO headquarters  on 
a daily basis . He encour aged the Secretariat to  keep up the good work.  
6.10.  A Member expressed support for the statement that had been made by an earlier speaker  
regarding Russia's  invasion of Ukraine.  Regarding  the agenda item, t he Member said his delegation 
takes the opportunity to  celebrate the messages imparted by the Official of the Secretariat . He added 
that he is very happy to see work against all forms of discrimination in the WTO.  WT/BFA/204  
 
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  6.11.  The Member recalled that  mention had been made of some  IT courses conducted in English 
and French and asked if these would be made a vailable in Spanish . He underscored the importance 
of providing  to Spanish speakers within the WTO  opportunities similar to  those  for English and French 
speakers . 
6.12.  A Member thank ed the Official of the Secret ariat and said that the previous year's report was 
equally encouraging . He said that he always enjoy s getting the updates . The Member echoed what 
other  Members  had said about the importance of this critical work . He said the CBFA has discussed 
a wide range  of issues related to staff 's development and  well-being , and that it is really heartening 
to hear the enthusiasm with which the Secretariat has approached and tackled some of the 
questions , which were  made more urgent after  two years of isolation . He noted that global events 
have raise d the importance of  issues related to equality and discrimination . 
6.13.  The Member said his delegation is looking at  the document in more detail and that the 
presentation surpassed the document . He expressed appreciation for some of the anecdotes  
presented by  the Official of Secretariat and added that he had not quite appreciate d the relevant  
paragraph on t he website until he understood what the  actual  impact was . He said his delegation  
will come back if it has  additional questions on some of these practices . In closing, he expressed his 
delegation's encourage ment and support for the Secretariat to  continue to work and advance on 
these important issues . 
6.14.  A Member thank ed the Secretariat  for all its efforts in conducting the  various programmes . 
He said his delegation particularly welcome s the topics such as  divers ity, inclusion , and gender , 
which go beyond the traditional provisions  on development programmes . The Member said his 
delegation would be interested to hear where the Secretariat sees the greatest challenges in this 
type of  work, with a particular focus on diversity, inclusion , and gender . 
6.15.  The Official of the Secretariat thanked the Members for their  support.  Responding to a 
question concerning the work on integrity  and managing virtual teams, the Official of the Secretariat 
said that training programmes are being packaged around values, ethics, diversity and inclusion, 
gender,  and LGBTQ+. She said the Secretariat has continued its work to help Managers to m anage 
virtually and she thanked the Director  of the Administration and General Services Division , who had 
requested that all Division Managers  be trained on how to manage  staff virtually.  She said the work 
will continue.  
6.16.  The Official of the Secretariat sai d a lot more training was being done in Spanish and added 
that all the Secretariat's mandatory training on respect and harmony  at the WTO, diversity and 
inclusion, values sessions , and others were  offered in the three official languages . She added that 
the Secretariat will  continue to engage colleagues via Spanish -speaking learning initiatives . 
6.17.  The Official of the Secretariat said  that the transformation work will create more items to 
implement . She said t his includes work on strategic planning , strategic w orkforce planning , and 
resource allocation. She said work must be done around competencies and the competency 
framework  to assess what skills will be needed in the  future . She clarified that she is not talking 
about things like teamwork and communication , but about digital literacy , collective intelligence , 
and collective leadership. She said, go ing forward , training will have more of a corporate focus , in 
addition to individual , divisional , and team needs.  
6.18.  The Chair t hanked the Official of t he Secretariat for her  additional explanation s and the 
delegations for  their encouragement and support.  
6.19.  The Committee took note of the report and the comments made.  
7  AI-BASED TRANSLATION TOOLS AT THE WTO: AN UPDATE – WT/BFA/W/591  
7.1.  An Official of the Secretar iat informed the CBFA that the WTO has been and continues to be a 
pioneer , among international organizations , in terms of testing, experimenting , and investing in 
computer -assisted translation (CAT) tools and language technologies. She said th ese include t he 
commercial  off-the shelf product Trados , a WIPO -developed machine translation tool customized for 
the WTO , and a speech recognition software that automatically converts audio files into 
transcriptions.  WT/BFA/204  
 
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  7.2.  The Official of the Secretariat said e arly experime ntation has given way to a more strategic 
and concrete implementation of an overall vision aimed at harnessing A rtificial Intelligence  (AI) and 
human intelligence across the entire document production workflow, and especially in related 
translation and language services, to make efficiency gains. She added that a  toolbox approach has 
been adopted , allowing human translators to choose a combin ation of tools to assist them in their 
work based on their judgement of the context and constraints such as volume and deadlines.  She 
said that d uring the COVID -19 pandemic, because translators have been working and continue to 
work on an exclusively virtu al platform, there was zero loss in productivity.  She said even more 
senior translators , who had been previously tech-timid, were won over by the ease and simplicity of 
working remotely. She mentioned that th ose translators will be servicing MC12 exclusive ly remotely.  
7.3.  The Official of the Secretariat said t he development and more systematic use of AI in language 
and documentation services is not only resulting in a better service for Members in terms of deadline 
compliance but is also leading to the developm ent of new services such as automatic transcription, 
machine translation , and human post -editing  as well as inter-agency collaboration and a more 
modern workforce that is upskilling to adapt to the changing realities. She added that l anguage 
services at th e WTO have an agile workforce at the service of the WTO  and that language services 
facilitate multilingualism, a core value of any international organization that is committed to 
multilateralism. She concluded her presentation by saying that l everaging bot h human intellect and 
AI is already leading to more automation and greater efficiencies.  
7.4.  A Member thanked the Official of the Secretariat for her  presentation  and added that i t really 
helps Members  to better understand the development s in the Secretariat in the area of AI 
applications. She said i t is very good to know that  there is notable  return on investment in this area. 
The Member recall ed that when her delegation raised the request on the AI application s a couple of 
years ago after looking at  the budge t and expenditure report, the chronic issue of the high cost on 
short-term staff still exist ed and still exists  to date. She said, as a result, Members who at that time 
were also covering  WIPO recognized that WIPO had introduced A I translation , which is wh y her 
delegation asked that information be provided to  the CBFA . 
7.5.  The Member said it is good that the work has already started and that there is progress . The 
Member said  while she understood the benefits , she has not heard any assessment of the 
implications on the budget . She said that the Official of the Secretariat had mentioned that there is 
cost reduction and asked whether there is  any assessment o f whether there is a reduction in short-
term staff after application of AI, especially AI transl ation. 
7.6.  A Member thank ed the Official of the  Secretariat for the very detailed report. He asked that 
the points covered in the presentation be reflected in writing . He said that  he draws the conclusion 
that AI is used to facilitate  the work of human transla tors, not replacing them . He concluded that 
this is the most intelligent approach . 
7.7.  The Official of the Secretariat thanked Members for their comments and questions. Responding 
to the question o n implications of AI for the budget, she said that there has been  good return on 
investment for language technolo gies. She said that figures are not available regarding how this 
affects the short -term staff at the Secretariat. She said the  focus is not so m uch on replac ing human 
translators but on complement ing their work with technology,  and allowing them to work under 
better conditions . She added that, in the short term, the goal is to focus on harness ing the benefits 
of AI and finding the right balance be tween AI and human translators . She added that perhaps , in a 
medium to long -term scenario, cost savings and efficiency  gains can be assessed . 
7.8.  The Official of the Secretariat said that the Director -General of WIPO , after seeing the process  
of the speech to text and machine  translation technologies , has publicly pointed to millions of 
Swiss  francs in savings for very specific type s of document s such as verbatim records of some WIPO 
Committees . In this regard, the Official of the Secretariat said,  in the future , such uses can be 
considered for the WTO  if Members are open, which would facilitate an assessment of cost savings.  
7.9.  The Official of the Secretariat thanked the delegation for its comments and stated that, indeed, 
the Secreta riat's focus has been to strike a balance between the human being  and technology . She 
said the Secretariat is  very lucky to have the opportunity to implement AI. She noted that the use 
of AI reflects the change in the management  and the mentality of transl ators, who sometimes are WT/BFA/204  
 
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  afraid of technology as threatening their jobs. She emphasized that the focus is to find 
complementarity between the two , not to replace translators . 
7.10.  The Committee took note of the report provided and the comments made . 
8  CLOSING REM ARKS  
8.1.  The Chair thanked the Members for their active participation in the meeting , despite the busy 
times . She then informed the Committee that the next formal meeting will take place on 15  July. 
She asked the CBFA to note that this is a change from the schedule  that was  discussed earlier in the  
year. 
8.2.  The Chair wished Members a  successful  MC12  and closed the meeting . 
__________