RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/GC/W/470
20 March 2002
(02-1453)
General Council Original: English
INTERNATIONAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
Status of the Organizations that have requested observer status
in the General Council
Communication from the Chairman of the General Council
The issue of outstanding requests by international intergovernmental organizations for
observer status in the General Council has been on the General Council's agenda for quite some time
without resolution.  As General Council Chairman, I am keen to try to move this issue towards a
resolution in a way that could be beneficial both to the work of the WTO and to the organizations
involved.  In this context, and given delegations' inte rest in this matter, I would like to share with you
the following information, prepared by the WTO Secr etariat, on the status of the organizations that
have requested observer status in the General Council, both in terms of their existing participation in
WTO work and in terms of the WTO's participation in their work, as well as useful relatedinformation.
_______________
I. Organizations granted observer status (8)
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International Trade Centre (ITC)
Organization for Economic Coope ration and Development (OECD)
United Nations (UN)United Nations Conference on Tr ade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank
World Intellectual Prope rty Organization (WIPO)
II. Organizations whose requests for observer status are pending (27)
African, Caribbean and Pacific Group (ACP)
Arab Maghreb Union (AMU)
Arab Monetary Fund
 (AMF)
Arab Trade Financing Program (ATFP)
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
Cooperation Council for the Arab  States of the Gulf (GCC)
Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)
European Bank for Reconstr uction and Development (EBRD)
European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
International Textiles and Clothing Bureau (ITCB)WT/GC/W/470
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International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
International Vine and Wine Office (OIV)
Islamic Development Bank (IDB)
Latin American Economic System (SELA)
League of Arab States (LAS)Organization of African Unity (OAU)
Organization of Amer ican States (OAS)
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)
Secretariat for the Central American Economic Integration (SIECA)
South Centre
South Pacific Forum (SPF)
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
United Nations Industrial Deve lopment Organization (UNIDO)
West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)
World Customs Organization (WCO)
World Health Organization (WHO)
III. Status of the Pending Organizations in other WTO bodies
Regular observer status
Ad hoc observer status Request pending
ACP BOPS
CTD
CTE
Market Access
Rules of OriginVAL
Financial Services
Domestic RegulationADP
SCM
Safeguards
SPS (granted at each
meeting)TBTGC
CTG
CTS
AG
LicensingTRIMS
TCA
AMF ( Arab Monetary
Fund)GC
CTG
CTS
AMU (Arab Maghreb
Union)CTD (granted at each
meeting)GC
CTG
CTS
CRTA
ATFP (Arab Trade
Financing Program)GC
CTG
CTSWT/GC/W/470
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Regular observer status Ad hoc observer status Request pending
COMESA (Common
Market for Eastern
and Southern Africa)GC
CTG
CTS
ADP
SCMSafeguards
AG
CRTA
Market Access
Rule of Origin
TRIMS
VALGPA
EBRD TPRB
BOPSGC
CTG
CTS
CRTA
ECO (Economic
Cooperation
Organization)CTD (granted at each
meeting)GC
CRTA
EFTA TPRB
BOPS
CRTA
CTDCTE
Rules of OriginSPS (granted at each
meeting)
TBTGC
CTG
CTS
TRIPSGPA
GCC CTD GC
TPRB
CTG
TRIPS
AG
CTE
IDB (Islamic
Development Bank)CTD (granted at each
meeting)
CTEGC
CTG
CTSTRIPS
TRIMS
ITCB CTG
Market Access
Rules of OriginGC
ITU CTS GCWT/GC/W/470
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Regular observer status Ad hoc observer status Request pending
LAS (League of Arab
States)GC
CTG
CTS
CRTA
CTDCTE
OAS (Organization ofAmerican States)CRTA
CTDGC
CTGCTS
TRIPS
Working Group on the
  Relationship between
  Trade and Investment
OAU CTD (granted at each
meeting)GC
CTG
CRTAWorking Group on the
  Relationship between
  Trade and Investment
OIC (Organization of
the Islamic
Conference)CTD (granted at each
meeting)GC
TPRB
CTG
CTS
TRIPSCRTA
CTE
Working Group on
  Transparency in
  Government  Procurement
Working Group on the
  Relationship between
  Trade and Investment
Working Group on the
  Interaction between
  Trade and  Competition Policy
OIV (International
Vine and Wine Office)GC
TRIPS
SPS
TBTWT/GC/W/470
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Regular observer status Ad hoc observer status Request pending
SELA (Latin American
Economic System)CTD
CTESPS (granted at each
meeting)GC
CTG
CTS
TRIPS
AGCRTA
Market Access
TRIMS
Working Group on
  Transparency in
  Government
  ProcurementWorking Group on the
  Relationship between
  Trade and Investment
Working Group on the
  Interaction between  Trade and
  Competition Policy
SIECA (Secretariat for
the Central American
Economic Integration)CTD GC
CTG
CTS
TRIPS
South Centre CTD (granted at each
meeting)GC
CTG
CTSTRIPS
AG
Working Group on the
  Relationship between
  Trade and Investment
Working Group on the
  Interaction between  Trade and
  Competition Policy
SPF (South Pacific
Forum)CTE CTD (granted at each
meeting)GC
AG
UNDP CTD
CTEGC
UNEP CTE CTD (granted at each
meeting)GC
TRIPSWT/GC/W/470
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Regular observer status Ad hoc observer status Request pending
UNIDO CTD
CTETBT
Working Group on
  the Relationship
  between Trade and
  Investment (granted ateach meeting)GC
WAEMU (West
African Economic andMonetary Union)CTD (granted at each
meeting)GC
CRTAMarket Access
WCO CTG
TRIPSCTE
Market Access
Rules of Origin
VAL
ITAGC
WHO SPS
TBTCTS
TRIPSGC
CTE
IV. Pending Organizations in which the WTO has observer status (7)
International Textiles and Clothing Bureau (ITCB)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
United Nations Industrial Deve lopment Organization (UNIDO)
World Customs Organization (WCO)
World Health Organization (WHO)
V. Pending Organizations in which the WTO has a participatory relationship (16)
African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group)
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)Cooperation Council for the Arab  States of the Gulf (GCC)
Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)
European Bank for Reconstr uction and Development (EBRD)
European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
International Vine and Wine Office (OIV)Islamic Development Bank (IDB)
Latin American Economic System (SELA)
Organization of African Unity (OAU)
Organization of Amer ican States (OAS)
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)
Secretariat for the Central American Economic Integration (SIECA)
South CentreSouth Pacific Forum (SPF)
West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)WT/GC/W/470
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VI. Pending Organizations with whom WTO has signed MOUs for cooperation in technical
assistance and capacity building activities (4)
Arab Maghreb Union (AMU)
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Islamic Development Bank (IDB)
VII. Pending Organizations with whom MOUs are under negotiation (1)
Arab Monetary Fund (AMF)
VIII. Pending Organizations that could contribute to the WTO's technical assistance and
capacity-building activities and/or to their financing, and with which MOUs are not
signed or under negotiation (11)
African, Caribbean and Pacific Group (ACP)
Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC)
European Bank for Reconstr uction and Development (EBRD)
Latin American Economic System (SELA)Organization of Amer ican States (OAS)
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)
Secretariat for the Central American Economic Integration (SIECA)
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)United Nations Industrial Deve lopment Organization (UNIDO)
World Health Organization (WHO)
IX. Pending Organizations that participate in the Integrated Framework
1
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)X. Pending Organizations that have either observer status or a participatory or other
cooperative relationship with the other organizations with requests pending
(Indicative List)
Organization
Relationship with
African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States
(ACP Group)UNIDO
Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) UNIDO
Arab Monetary Fund  (AMF) IDB
Arab Trade Financing Program (ATFP) LAS
                                                     
1 The other IF organizations are:  IMF, ITC, UNCTAD, World Bank and WTO.WT/GC/W/470
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Organization Relationship with
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
(COMESA)UNDP
Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf
(GCC)UNIDO, UNEP, ITU, OIC
Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) UNDP, IDB, UNIDO
European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (EBRD)UNIDO
European Free Trade Association (EFTA) GCC
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) UNDP, UNIDO, WHO, GCC, LAS
Islamic Development Bank (IDB) WHO, UNIDO
Latin American Economic System (SELA) UNDP, UNIDO, WHO
League of Arab States AMF, UNIDO, WHO, OAS, OAU, ITU
Organization of Ameri can States (OAS) UNIDO
Organization of African Unity (OAU) WHO, UNEP, LAS, WAEMU
Organization of the Islamic Conference (O IC) UNIDO, UNDP, UNEP, WHO, AMU, AMF,
ECO, GCC
Secretariat for the Central American Economic
Integration (SIECA)UNIDO
South Pacific Forum (SPF) ITU
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) ITU, IDB, UNEP, UNIDO, WHO, ATFP
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) LINKS WITH UN AGENCIES, OAU
United Nations Industrial Development
Organization (UNIDO)UNEP
West African Economic and Monetary Union
(WAEMU)OAU
World Customs Organization (WCO) UNDP, UNEP, UNIDO, WHO, ACP,
COMESA, EFTA, LAS, OAS, SIECA,
WAEMUWT/GC/W/470
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Organization Relationship with
World Health Organization (WHO) EBRD, ITU, IDB, LAS, OAU, OAS, OIC,
UNDP, UNEP, UNIDO, OIV, SELA
XI. Pending Organizations which had observer status in GATT bodies
GATT
CONTRACTING
PARTIESGATT
COUNCILGATT
Committee on
Trade and
Development
ACP XX -
AMF ( Arab Monetary Fund) XX -
AMU (Arab Maghreb Union) -- -
ATFP (Arab Trade Financing Program) -- -
COMESA (Common Market for Eastern
and Southern Africa)-- -
EBRD XX -
ECO (Economic Cooperati on Organization) - - -
EFTA XX X
GCC XX X
IDB (Islamic Development Bank) -- -
ITCB -- -
ITU -- -
LAS (League of Arab States) X- -
OAS (Organization of American States) XX X
OAU -- -
OIC (Organization of the Islamic
Conference)X- -
OIV (International Vine and Wine Office) -- -
SELA (Latin America n Economic System) XX XWT/GC/W/470
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GATT
CONTRACTING
PARTIESGATT
COUNCILGATT
Committee on
Trade and
Development
SIECA (Secretariat for the Central
American Economic Integration)XX X
South Centre -- -
SPF (South Pacific Forum) -- -
UNDP -- -
UNEP -- -
UNIDO X- -
WAEMU (West African Economic and
Monetary Union)-- -
WCO X- -
WHO -- -
__________