RESTRICTED  
  
WT/BFA/W/551  
 
11 May 2021  
(21-3958) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration   
 
 
REPORT FROM THE CHAIR OF THE WORKING GROUP ON COHERENCE IN THE 
ESTABLISHMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF WTO TRUST FUNDS  
1.1.  The Working Group (WG ) on Voluntary Contribution/Trust Funds has met twice and has a third 
meeting scheduled for 19 May 2021 at 14:00. Below is a summary of the activities of the WG so far. 
The WG chair will provide an oral update on the meeting planned for the 19th of May.  
1.2.  The Terms of Reference (ToR) that the WG has agreed to guide its work are attached as an 
annex to this note.  
1.3.  The Members who have indicated their interest in participating in the WG include the following:  
Delegations  Name s 
AUSTRALIA  Ms. Patricia Holmes  
BRAZIL  Mr. Braz Baracuhy & Ms Julia Vita  
CANADA  Mr. Martin Moen & Ms Marie Gagne  
CHILE  Mr. Sergio Toro Mendoza  
CHINA  Ms. Yihong Li  
CZECH REPUBLIC  Ms. Lenka Šustrová  
EU Mr. Hiddo Houben & Ms. Kristina Grutschreiber  
FRANCE  Ms. Ellen Verdure  
GERMANY  Ms. Anna Mikeska  
INDIA  Mr. P.S. Gangadhar  
IRELAND  Mr. Eugene Forde  
JAPAN  Mr. Kenya Uehara  
KOREA  Ms. Yoon Jehong Baek  
NEPAL  Mr. Buddhi Upadhyaya  
NETHERLANDS  Mr. Marcel Vernooij  
NIGERIA  Mr. Adamu Mohd Abdulhamid  
NORWAY  Ms. Benedicte Fleisher & Ms. So Mei Hou  
SINGAPORE  Mr. Darryl Leong  
SWITZERLAND  Ms. Sonja Hürlimann  
CHINESE TAIPEI  Ms. Lianron Lin & Ms. Vivi Chiu  
UK Mr. Ryder Thomas and Ms. Kathleen McNally  
US Mr. David Bisbee  
 
1  FIRST MEETING - 26 APRIL 2021  
1.4.  The WG  met for the first time on Monday 26 April. Members expressed some preliminary views 
and expectations for the working group in the first part of the meeting.  For example, the idea that 
the objectives and impact of voluntary contributions must be kept in mi nd in addition to focusing on  
administrative processes and management.  It was also observed that the views of beneficiaries 
should be considered given there was limited participation of beneficiaries in the WG so far.  WT/BFA/W/551  
 
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  1.5.  There was also the suggestion that the  Secretariat put together a matrix of all funds and how 
they operate. It was suggested the matrix could include things such as objectives, contributor, 
intended beneficiaries, main activities, management structures and use of WTO resources.  
1.6.  Next the Chair shared some draft elements and questions that could be developed into a ToR 
for the group.  Members shared some initial reactions.  Principally, that they did not often agree with 
the assumptions imbedded in the questions to be addressed.  For example, that e armarking should 
not be automatically perceived as negative.  It was also suggested that some concepts should be 
disaggregated into separate questions.  
1.7.  Participants were invited to share further comments and reactions as well as offer suggestions 
in the nex t several days.  They were encouraged to keep the group in copy so that work could 
progress effectively between meetings rather than waiting for another meeting to provide new inputs 
or comments. The Chair also stressed her availability for consultations an d bilateral exchanges.  
1.8.  There was interest in convening at least one additional meeting in May.  Subsequently an 
additional meeting was scheduled for 19 May. There was also some doubt as to if the work could be 
done before the summer break.  
1.9.  The meeting close d agreeing that a more formally drafted ToR based on further comments an 
inputs received during the week would be circulated before the next WG meeting.  
2  SECOND MEETING - 4 MAY 2021  
2.1.  The meeting opened by reviewing a draft structure for a matrix to collect s ummary information 
about existing trust funds. Members shared comments and further ideas. It was agreed that the 
structure would be circulated to the group for information while the Secretariat began work on 
populating the fields contained in the matrix.  
2.2.  Next the Chair turned to the draft ToR and indicated that she had received specific comments 
on the draft from only one Member. The comments were regarding the order of the questions.  
Following discussion within the group, it was agreed that the order of th e questions did not imply 
priority or sequence and  could stand as they were  with the understanding that they are inter -related 
and would likely be explored in different ways.  
2.3.  Based on a couple minor clarifications, the group agreed that the ToR were an acceptable basis 
for guiding its work.  
2.4.  Finally, the Chair opened the floor to begin exchanging substantively on the questions that had 
been agreed. Members offered some prelimina ry views and were again encouraged to share any 
subsequent thought with the group between meetings.  
  WT/BFA/W/551  
 
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  ANNEX 1  
 
WORKING GROUP CONCERNING  COHERENCE IN THE MANAGEMENT AND 
ADMINISTRATION OF VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS  
 
TERMS OF REFERENCE AGREED BY WORKING GROUP  
1. The Working Group is open to all Members.  
2. Members have engaged over many months in deliberations and exchanges regarding the role 
of voluntary contributions and the trust funds that result from those contributions at the WTO. In 
order to  constructiv ely advance those discussions it has been decided to establish a working group 
that can serve as an informal format for Members to freely exchange ideas and develop convergence 
around how the WTO Secretariat manages and administers trust funds on behalf of  Members (both 
contributors and beneficiaries). Additionally, the most recent external auditor report recommended 
that the WTO review its trust fund landscape to consolidate small and similar funds and harmonize 
main processes to ensure consistency and tra nsparency.  
3. The aim of the Working Group is to examine financial and administrative aspects of the 
changing landscape for voluntary contributions, bearing in mind objectives and impact of those 
contributions on beneficiaries and the WTO. The Working Group w ill consider whether to make 
recommendations intended to improved management/governance and administration both within 
the WTO Secretariat and among the Members.  
4. Questions the Working Group may wish to consider include (but are not limited to):  
a. What role s hould written plans (like the Biennial Technical Assistance Plan) play in 
voluntary contributions and trust fund activities?  
b. Under what circumstances should there be committee oversight of trust fund plans and 
activities?  
c. What factors have led to the incre asing number of dedicated funds and earmarking?  
d. When are earmarks or dedicated trust funds appropriate and effective?  
e. Under what circumstances would it be appropriate to encourage more consolidation of 
activities under the Global Trust Fund or similar vehi cles? 
f. What kinds of administrative harmonization would increase consistency and transparency?  
g. Are there ways to improve how overhead and cost recovery are implemented to better 
mitigate potential direct or indirect impacts on the Secretariat staff and othe r resources?  
h. What are the roles and responsibilities of Members, contributors, beneficiaries, and the 
Secretariat?  
5. The WTO Secretariat  will be available to support the Working Group . 
6. The Working Group will keep the CBFA and other stakeholders informed on t he status of its 
work.  
7. The target date for the Working Group  to submit a report  to the CBFA will be 30 June 2021.  
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