RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/VAL/W/82
3 April 2001
(01-1672)
Committee on Customs Valuation Original:  English
WORK PROGRAMME ON TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR CAPACITY BUILDING
AS REGARDS THE IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF
THE WTO AGREEMENT ON CUSTOMS VALUATION.
The following communication, dated 30 March 2001, has been received from the permanent
mission of the European Communities.
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To actively contribute to the principles set out in the Chairman's Statement of 13 November
2000 on technical assistance, the WTO Committee on Customs Valuation [the Committee] should
pursue a role in improving technical assistance in order to enhance developing countries capacity to
implement and administer the WTO Agreement on Cu stoms Valuation [the Agreement]. In doing so,
the Committee can build on past achievements in the history of work on technical assistance1.
The promotion of co-ordination and co-operation between donors, which implies a full
exchange of information on activities of technical assistance provided in the field of customs
valuation, is part of this role. Following its recent  work involving transitional measures pursuant to
Article 20 and Annexe III § 1 of the Agreement, the Comm ittee is also well positioned to develop and
contribute to related aspects, such as follow -up and monitoring, and finally, post implementation
(effective administration). Developed and developing country Members will actively participate in thework of the Committee in these areas pursuant to Article 20 § 3 of the Agreement
2.
The Committee recalls, on the one hand, that technical assistance related to customs valuation
is and must remain demand-driven, and, on the other hand, that the grant and delivery of such
assistance remains  under the responsibility of the various providers and donors – developed country
Members, WTO Secretariat, other international organisations (i.e. WCO, UNCTAD), and regional
organisations.
Those efforts to reinvigorate and improve the provision of technical assistance in customs
valuation to developing countries should be achieved through the Work Programme consistently with,and taking into account the new strategy for technica l assistance in the process of being defined by the
WTO Committee on Trade and Development
3.
In order to maintain momentum in this work , the Chairman of the Committee will initiate
consultations on the organisation of a seminar in the first semester 2001, to bring together the relevantorganizations and bodies working in this area.
                                                     
1 G/VAL/W/70 of 16 June 2000 - Technical assistance activities: Note by the Secretariat.
2 “Developed country Members shall furnish, on mutually agreed terms, technical assistance to developing country
Members that so request. On this basis developed country Members shall draw up programmes of technical assistance
which may include, inter alia, training of personnel, assistance in preparing implementation measures, access to sources ofinformation regarding customs valuation methodology, and advice on the application of the provisions of this Agreement ”.
3 WT/COMTD/W/78 of 29 January 2001- A strategy for technical assistance in WTO: Note by the Secretariat.G/VAL/W/82
Page 2
The Committee underlines the importance of adequate funding of technical assistance,
recognising the contributions made from both the regular WTO budget and the wider community of
voluntary sources.
The Committee’s activities on trade related technical assistance customs valuation shall
include the following matters.
I. Co-operation and co-ordination
The Committee has a role in promoting co-ordination and co-operation and exchange of
information on technical assistance planning. The Committee will periodically invite relevant parties4
to give suitable advance information of their planned or proposed technical assistance activities in
customs valuation. The Secretariat will provide all relevant information about activities carried out
within the WTO. The Secretariats of other relevant international or regional organizations are
regularly contacted with a view to creating an environment conducive to increased information
sharing and co-operation. This particularly applies to the assistance activities of the WCO5 Technical
Committee on Customs Valuation.
The Secretariat will also brief the Committee on the scope, scale and progress of relevant
WTO actions undertaken at regional level. Other organisations and developed country Members
planning or participating in such actions will al so share their experiences with developing and
developed country Members.
II. Country Work Programmes
The Country Work Programmes represent the best basis and indicator of needs, see the
example of countries which have requested an extension of the transitional periods provided under the
Agreement (Annexe III § 1). The Committee would monitor the technical assistance components of
such programmes and identify, at an early stage, any areas which require particular attention and
enhanced co-operation and co-ordination.
III. Follow-up and evaluation
The Committee should maintain an overview of the implementation of technical assistance
programmes and seek to promote the use, on a mutually agreed basis, of performance indicators (e.g.
measuring progress or success of TA measures) to assist in monitoring that the objectives of
individual country programmes are met.
IV. Post Implementation (administration issues)
In the period following implementation of the Agreement, the Committee will where
requested promote the further application and delivery of technical assistance to address issues such
as professional development, enhanced capacity in the use information technology, and specificcustoms functions requiring specific skills in areas such as valuation compliance (including risk
analysis, post importation auditing and control).
V. Stocktaking Actions
                                                     
4 Inventory of priority activities based on checklist on implementation.
5 G/VAL/8/Add.7 of 2 November 2000 Information on technical assistance activities (WCO).G/VAL/W/82
Page 3
The Committee, with the support of the Secretariat, will maintain an inventory of technical
assistance activities and update the situation with  respect to current demands for assistance, with
particular reference to the Country Work Programmes of developing country Members.
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