RESTRICTED  
  
WT/BFA/W/619  
 
22 February 2023  
(23-1207) Page: 1/6 
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration  Original: English  
 
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM MEMBERS AND OBSERVERS  
AS AT 31 DEC EMBER 2022  
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  This memorandum summarizes the situation with respect to  Members ' and Observers' 
contribution s as at 31 December 20 22. It also provides information and recommendations regarding 
the situation of Members  and Observers  subject to Administrative Measures and Members following 
a payment plan  as at 31 January  2023. 
2  MEMBERS' STATUS OF CONTRIBUTIONS AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2022  
2.1.  The WTO received a total  amount of CHF 207.3  million from Members in 2022. This amount 
comprises annual contributions for 2022 and payment of contributions in arrears from previous 
years , in some cases . 
Figure 1 Total a nnual receipt  (in MCHF)  
 
Table 1 Members' contributions received in 2022  
Receipt per contribution year  MCHF  
2022 contributions representing 97% of assessed contributions  180.4  
2021 contributions (received in 202 2) 25.2 
Contributions for periods prior to 20 21 (received in 202 2) 1.7 
Total  207.3 
Table 2 Members' outstanding contributions as at 31 December 2022  
Outstanding contributions per period  MCHF  
Outstanding contributions for 202 2 5.3 
Outstanding contributions for 20 21 3.2 
Outstanding contributions for periods prior to 20 21 8.3 
Total  16.8 
191.1201.8
178.4203.6
197.0
178.5198.3207.3
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022WT/BFA/W/619  
 
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  2.2.  The outstanding  contributions due from 44 Members amounted to CHF 16.8 million at the end 
of 2022.  
Figure 2 Members' outstanding contributions at year -end (in MCH F) 
 
3  MEMBERS SUBJECT TO ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2022  
3.1.  17 Members were subject to Administrative Measures for a total amount outstanding of 
CHF 10.7 million,  representing 64% of the total amount outstanding.  
Table 3 Members under Administrative Measures  as at 31 December 2022  
Cat. I ( 7) Cat. II ( 4) Cat. III ( 7) 
Bolivia, Plurinational State of  Antigua and Barbuda  Burundi*  
Cuba Mauritania  Central African Republic*  
Dominica  Papua New Guinea  Chad*  
El Salvador  Yemen  Guinea  
Rwanda   Guinea -Bissau*  
Uganda   Niger * 
Zambia   Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of  
* Members not compliant  with payment plan  terms . 
 
3.2.  Status as at 31 January 2023:  
Table 4 Members under Administrative Measures as at 31 January  2023 
Cat. I ( 9) Cat. II ( 7) Cat. III ( 9) 
Afghanistan  Bolivia, Plurinational State of  Antigua and Barbuda  
Congo  Cuba Central African Republic*  
The Gambia  Dominica  Chad*  
Ghana  El Salvador  Guinea  
Liberia  Rwanda  Guinea -Bissau  
Malawi  Uganda  Niger*  
Senegal  Zambia  Papua New Guinea  
Sri Lanka   Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of  
Suriname   Yemen  
* Members not compliant  with payment plan  terms . 
a. At the start of every year, the list of Members subject to Administrative Measures is 
updated with the annual assessed contributions.  
b. 25 Members are subject to Administrative Measures with a total amount outstanding of 
CHF 12.6 million including 20 23 contributions.  
25.4 25.9
23.725.925.1
22.0
19.323.7
16.533.8
25.724.241.238.4
16.8
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022WT/BFA/W/619  
 
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  c. Of the Members under Category III, three agreed payment plans for their arrears in 
contribution but none of these Members are currently complying with the agreed terms.  
3.3.  At the beginning of 2023, a payment was received from Mauritania. Therefore, Mauritania  is 
no longer under administra tive measures.  
3.4.  The General Council can suspend the application of Administrative Measures for Members in 
Category III which agree to, and abide by, a defined schedule of instalment payments aimed at 
liquidating all arrears.  
a. Burundi made a payment at the be ginning of 2023 clearing the arrears of contributions 
between 2016 and 2022. As a result , Burundi is currently in compliance  with the terms 
of its payment plan.  
b. Due to the fact that Guinea -Bissau has not respected the terms of its payment plan for 
many yea rs, it is now subject to administrative measures under Category III.  
4  OBSERVERS' STATUS OF CONTRIBUTIONS AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2022  
4.1.  The WTO received a total amount of  CHF 541 ,115 from Observers in 2022.  
Table 5 Observers' contributions received in 2022 (in kCHF)  
Receipt per contribution year  CHF 
2022 contributions representing 65% of assessed contributions  403 
2021 contributions (received in 202 2) 30 
Contributions for periods prior to 20 21 (received in 202 2) 108 
Total  541 
 
4.2.  The outstanding  Observers'  contributions amounted to CHF  986,280 at the end of 2022.  
Table 6 Observers' outstanding contributions as at 31 December 2022 (in kCHF)  
Outstanding per contribution year  CHF 
Outstanding contributions for 202 2 213 
Outstanding contributions for 20 21 205 
Outstanding contributions for periods prior to 20 21 568 
Total  986 
 
• 11 Observers ha d no outstanding balance  as at 31 December 20 22. 
• 14 Observers had an outstanding balance amounting to CHF 986,280 . 
• 4 Observers were inactive.  
Figure 3 Observers' outstanding contributions as 31 December 2022 (i n MCHF)  
 
1.24
1.041.16
1.07
0.98
0.560.520.59 0.58 0.590.650.820.760.910.99
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022WT/BFA/W/619  
 
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  5  OBSERVERS SUBJECT TO ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2022  
5.1.  Ten Observe rs were subject to Administrative  Measures for a total amount outstanding of 
CHF 865,588 , representing 88% of the total amount outstanding.  
Table 7 Observe rs under Administrative Measures  as at 31 December 2022  
Cat. I ( 4) Cat. II ( 2) Cat. III ( 4) 
Comoros  Iran Libya  
Ethiopia  Iraq Sao Tomé and Principe  
Lebanese Republic   Somalia  
South Sudan   Syrian Arab Republic  
 
5.2.  Status as at 31 January 2023:  
Table 8 Observe rs under Administrative Measures  as at 31 January 2023  
Cat. I ( 1) Cat. II ( 4) Cat. III ( 5) 
Bahamas  Comoros  Iran 
 Ethiopia  Iraq 
 Lebanese Republic  Sao Tomé and Principe  
 South Sudan  Somalia  
  Syrian Arab Republic  
 
a. At the start of every year, the list of Observers subject to Administrative Measures is 
updated with the annual assessed contributions.  
b. Ten Observ ers are subject to Administrative Measures with a total amount outstanding 
of CHF 1,245,774 including 2023 contri butions.  
6  RECOMMENDATION  
6.1.  The Committee invites the General Council to urge Members and Observers under 
Administrative Measures to liquidate their arrears.  
_______________  WT/BFA/W/619  
 
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  ANNEX 1  
 
ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES FOR MEM BERS AND OBSERVERS IN ARREARS  
Category  Admini strative Measures  
I After one but less than two full year's  assessed contributions remain outstanding 
at the end of the year:  
1. Representatives of Members will not be nominated to preside over WTO 
bodies . 
2. Documentation will not be posted to delegations in Geneva nor to the 
Members' and Observers' capitals.  
3. At the beginning of each year, the Director -General will notify the Ministers 
of the Members and Observers responsible for the WTO of the applicable 
administrative measures.  
4. The Director -General will contact annually the Minister of the Members' and 
Observers' responsible for the WTO, or any other official at the appropriate 
level emphasizing the question of arrears.  
5. The Secretariat will report annually to the Committee on Budget,  Finance 
and Administration on the implementation of administrative measures.  
6. Members and Observers will be subject to specific reporting at the General 
Council meetings.1 
II After two but less than three full year's  assessed contributions remain 
outstanding at the end of the year, in addition to the measures of Category I:  
1. The access of the WTO Members' web site will be discontinued.2 
2. The ability of Members to act on the recommendations by the Committee on 
Budget, F inance and Administration to the General Council on financial 
matters will be removed.  
3. Observers will be denied access to training or technical assistance.  
The Chairs of the accession working group of Observers will remind the delegation of 
Observers, duri ng their working group meeting, of their financial obligations.  
III After three full year's  assessed contributions remain outstanding at the end of the 
year, in addition to the measures of Categories I and II:  
1. Members and Observers will be designated as Inactive Members and 
Inactive Observers, respectively.  
2. Inactive Members will be denied access  to training or technical assistance 
other than that necessary to meet their WTO Article XIV -2 obligations.  
3. The accession working groups do not meet either formally or informally. 
WTO will suspend its request for annual contributions from Inactive 
Observer s. Request for annual contributions will resume the year the 
Observers are not anymore designated as Inactive.3 
4. Inactive Members and Observers taking the floor in the General Council will 
be identified as such.  
 
  
 
1 See General Council procedures.  
2 Applicable to Members and Observers. Under current policy, Observers have a differentiated access to 
documents posted on the Members' Website.  
3 To be enforced starting 1 January 2013.  WT/BFA/W/619  
 
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GENERAL COUNCIL PROCEDURES FOR MEMBERS AND OBSERVERS  
SUBJECT TO ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES  
 
At the beginning of each calendar year,  the Committee on Budget, Finance and 
Administration will notify to the General Council the list of Members and Observers under 
Administrative Measures, with a  recommendation that these Members and Observers be urged to 
liquidate their arrears.  
 
At the end of each meeting of the General Council , the Chairman of the Committee on 
Budget, Finance and Administration will provide information with regard to which Memb ers and 
Observers are under Administrative Measures. The Chairman of the General Council will request 
Members and Observers in Categories II and III to inform the Secretariat as to when the payment 
of arrears may be expected.  
 
Each year  the Director -Genera l will report on the results of his contacts with Members ' and 
Observers ' authorities on the issue of arrears.  
 
* * * * * * *  
 
 
SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR THE SUSPENSION OF ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES  
FOR INACTIVE MEMBERS AND OBSERVERS  
 
 
The General Council can suspend the application of Administrative Measures for Members in 
Category III which agree to, and abide by, a defined schedule of instalment  payments aimed at 
liquidating all arrears.4 
 
Those Members with pre -1988 arrears that wer e assessed at the minimum contribution may 
benefit from a reduction in those arrears to the level of the 1989 minimum contribution. For each 
full payment of an annual contribution between 1988 and 1994, any contracting party with pre -1988 
arrears may cance l an equal number of assessments for 1987 and earlier years upon payment of 
the 1989 minimum contribution amounting to CHF  19,137. The difference between a pre -1988 
assessment and the payment of CHF  19,137 would be funded by the Miscellaneous Income of 
the WTO.5 
 
The General Council can suspend the application of Administrative Measures for Observers 
that are in Category III on 1 January 2013, which agree to, and abide by, a defined schedule of 
installment payments aimed at liquidating all arrears.  
_______ ___ 
 
4 Amend earlier decisions of the General Council  in 1988 ( C/M/226 ) and 1994 (C/M/273) to reflect the 
reduced number of categories.  
5 As approved by the General Council in 1994 (C/M/273).