Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation 
2020WTO  
Technical Assistance
Annual Report
Adapting to Digital Learning – 
WTO TA during the Pandemic
Committee on Trade and Development  
WT/COMTD/W/259
Committee on Trade and Development  
WT/COMTD/W/259  
21-42022020WTO  
Technical Assistance  
Annual Report
Adapting to Digital Learning -  
WTO TA during the Pandemic
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WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2020  5
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Contents
Types of Interactive Content 5
Contents 6
List of figures 8
List of tables 9
List of boxes 9
Acronyms 10Chapter 3. Prioritizing Inclusion  55
Driving Change in LDCs 55
Promoting Women’s Participation 58
Inclusion Through Language Diversity 61
Chapter 4. Unpacking Results,  
Tracking Impact  65
Overview of Achievements 65
Training for Results 70
Bolstering Transparency 78
Enhanced Participation in WTO Work 83
Utilizing WTO Data and Information 85
Supporting Accessions 88
On-the-job Training 92
Broadening Engagement through WCP  100
Expanding Audiences 109
Foreword 12 
Summary 13
Chapter 1. Evolution of Management  
and Resources  17
A Framework for Results 17
Result-based Management 19
Lower Spending due to the Pandemic 21
Chapter 2. Evolution of Curriculum  
and Participation 27
Highlights of the Year: Adapting and Advancing 27
Identifying Gaps, Shaping Response 32
Expanding e-Learning and Virtual TA to Sustain  
Participation 38
Different Speeds for Different Needs:  
Progressive Learning in Action 41
Fit-for-Purpose Content and Curriculum 43
Virtual and Interactive – the New Normal 45
Coming Together in Crisis: WTO Partnerships  
in Action 48Annexes  115
Annex 1. Main Results Measured in 2020 115
Annex 2. Activity Matrix 128
Technical Assistance Funding 134
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List of figures
List of boxes
Interviews, Testimonials and Case Studies
List of tables 
Figure 1. Technical Assistance Results and 
Impact18
Figure 2. Number of TA Activities 21
Figure 3. Number of Activites by Mode of TA 
Delivery22
Figure 4. Technical Assistance Resources 23
Figure 5. Finance Highlights 24
Figure 6. Donor Overview 25
Figure 7. Participants by Region 28
Figure 8. National Activity Requests 28
Figure 9. Overview of Participation 39
Figure 10. Participation by Mode of TA 
Delivery40
Figure 11. Overview of TA Mix 40
Figure 12. Evolution PLS Participants Mix 41
Figure 13. Participants in Advanced Activities 42
Figure 14. SCORM Compliance 44
Figure 15. Multimedia Elements Developed 
or Updated in e-Learning Courses46
Figure 16. Partner’s per TA Activity 48
Figure 17. Partners' Contribution 49
Figure 18. Partners Overview 50
Figure 19. LDC Participation 56
Figure 20. Female Participation 60
Figure 21. Rate of Participants by Language 
in each Mode of TA Delivery62
Figure 22. Languages 62
Figure 23. Achievement of Objectives 66
Figure 24. Objectives of TA Activities in BTORs 66
Figure 25. Technical Assistance Sucess Rate 66Figure 26. Success by Key Result 68
Figure 27. ITPC Results 71
Figure 28. Participation Quality 72
Figure 29. e-Learning Results 72
Figure 30. CRN – Beneficiaries' Outstanding 
Notifications79
Figure 31. Beneficiaries Outstanding 
Agriculture Notifications81
Figure 32. Evolution of TBT Notifications 81
Figure 33. Substantive Documents 83
Figure 34. Most Viewed Pages 85
Figure 35. Digital Access by Members and 
Observers86
Figure 36. Participation in Activities on 
Access to WTO Information87
Figure 37. Observers' Participation 89
Figure 38. Obsevers' Participation by Region 
and Subject90
Figure 39. Accession Overview 91
Figure 40. AIP Interns by Region 92
Figure 41. FIMIP Time Allocation 93
Figure 42. RCI Time Allocation 93
Figure 43. NTP Time Allocation 96
Figure 44. WTO Chairs' Research 104
Figure 45. SJR and SNIP Average Rating 105
Figure 46. New or Updated Courses 107
Figure 47. Outreach Activities 109
Figure 48. WTO TA Social Media Followers 110
Figure 49. TMR Volume 111
Figure 50. TMR 112Annex 1. Main Results measured in 2020 115
Key Result 1 116
Key Result 2 123
Key Result 3 124
Key Result 4 125
Annex 2. Activity Matrix 128
Key Result 1 – Government officials are implementing WTO Agreements and fully realising 
Members’ rights and obligations 128
Key Result 2 – Acceding governments are participating in accession negotiations 130
Key Result 3 – Academic institutions and other stakeholders are analysing WTO issues and 
reaching out to policy makers 130
Key Result 4 – Non-governmental stakeholders are aware of and knowledgeable about WTO 
work and issues 130
Other costs – Programme staff and monitoring & evaluation 132
Adapting Together through a Pandemic. Interview with Jorge Castro, Head, Training Section, Institute for 
Training and Technical Cooperation, WTO30
Case Study: A Course in Constant Evolution 36
Climbing The Learning Ladder. Testimonial by Aminata Kane, Head of the Office of Bilateral Affairs, Foreign 
Trade Department, Senegal42
Towards a Greater Understanding of Intellectual Property . Interview with Dalila Hamou, Director, External 
Relations Division, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)52
Transitioning the RTPC to Remote Delivery: a Tale of Foresight, Adaptability, and Teamwork. Interview 
with Roberto Fiorentino, Head of the Regional Trade Policy Course Unit, Institute for Training and Technical 
Cooperation, WTO74
ePing: Making Transparency Work for Members. Testimonial by Teemal Janelle Lydia, TBT Enquiry Point of 
Trinidad and Tobago80
Case Study: Preparing a Generation of Officials for Trade Challenges 94
From Geneva to Beijing: The Remarkable Journey of a Former NTP . Testimonial by Mamadou Sarr, Head of 
the Economic Section Embassy of Senegal in Beijing98
Case Study: Identifying Export Opportunities through the WCP: Lessons from Tunisia. By Professor Leila 
Baghdadi, WTO Chair, ESSECT University, Tunisia102
WCP: Research Initiatives in Support of Pro-Poor Policy-Making. Testimonial by Professor Houcine 
Boughanmi, Sultan Qaboos University, WTO Chair, Oman 106
Training Material Request: a Tool for Private Sector Engagement. Testimonial by Yowa Soso, Business 
Advisor for B&S Group of Companies, Chairman of South Sudan Shippers Council, South Sudan113
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Acronyms
ACP African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States
AIP Accession Internship Programme
ATPC Advanced Trade Policy Course
BTOR Back-to-Office Report
C4 Cotton four 
CARICOM Caribbean Community and Common Market
CEECAC Central and Eastern European, Central Asian and Caucasus
CEMAC Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa
CHF Swiss franc
CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
CRN Central Registry of Notifications
CTD Committee on Trade and Development
DSM Decision Support Model
EBRD European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
EIF Enhanced Integrated Framework
EU European Union
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization
FIMIP French & Irish Missions Internship Programme
GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
GCC Gulf Cooperation Council
GPA Government Procurement Agreement
GRULAC Group of Latin America and Caribbean Countries
GTF Global Trust Fund
IGO Intergovernmental Organizations
IICA Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture
IP Intellectual Property
IT           Information Technology
ITC International Trade Centre
ITPC Intermediate-level Trade Policy Course
ITTC Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation
LDC Least-developed country
M&E Monitoring & Evaluation
MC12 12th WTO Ministerial Conference
MCHF Million Swiss franc
MTS Multilateral Trading SystemMTFR Memorandum of foreign Trade Regime
NGO Non-governmental organization
NSS Notification Submission System
NTB Non- Tariff Barriers
NTP Netherlands Trainee Programme
OECS Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
PIF Pacific Island Forum
PLS Progressive Learning Strategy
RBM Result-based Management
RCI Regional Coordinator Internship Programme
RTPC Regional Trade Policy Course
SCORM Sharable Content Object Reference Model
SJR SCImago Journal Rank
SME Small and Medium-sized Enterprise
SNIP Source Normalised Impact per Paper
SPS Sanitary and Phytosanitary
STC Specific Trade Concerns
STDF Standards and Trade Development Facility
TA Technical Assistance
TAMS Technical Assistance Management System
TBT Technical Barriers to Trade
TMR Training Material Request
TPC Trade Policy Courses
TPR Trade Policy Review
TRIPS Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
UNCITRAL United Nations Commission On International Trade Law
UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
USA United States of America
WCP WTO Chairs Programme
WHO World Health Organization
WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization
WTO World Trade Organization
YP Young Professionals
YPP Young Professionals Programme
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Raise standards of living. Ensure full employment 
and steady growth of real income and effective 
demand. Expand the production of and trade in goods 
and services. Use the world's resources optimally and 
sustainably. With these goals, the 1995 Marrakesh 
Agreement launched the World Trade Organization.
Trade is a means to achieving these goals. But the 
WTO's membership is diverse, with many Members less 
equipped than others to make full use of the Multilateral 
Trading System. Technical assistance is integral to 
narrowing these gaps and enabling all Members to 
participate effectively in the WTO.
Empowerment is at the heart of the technical assistance 
programme. With stronger expertise in trade policy, 
Members and Observers, including the most vulnerable, 
are better prepared to assess and pursue their interests, 
comply with their obligations and use the rights that 
come with WTO membership. This is a prerequisite for 
them to use trade to drive growth and development.
2020 was difficult for all of us. I am proud to say that, 
despite seemingly impossible circumstances, WTO 
technical assistance not only survived but thrived, 
transitioning to virtual delivery of training and support to 
Members and Observers. Online courses remained fully Foreword Summary
available throughout the year and increased in volume 
and diversity. Long-term internships, whether in the 
Secretariat or in the permanent missions of Members 
and Observers, took their course. Participants provided 
positive feedback. Members worked with the Secretariat 
to step up their notifications, subsequently reducing the 
backlog. And as WTO bodies moved online, they increased 
their participation in their meetings too. 
That is an exceptional list of accomplishments and a 
result of our collective work. This report explains the 
transition to virtual delivery and the invisible changes 
that the Secretariat accomplished in executing it. We 
can all learn from this experience and commitment 
to adaptability. At the heart of these operational 
machinations is one simple driving factor: a dedication 
to excellence in service, in the name of collaboration.
The result-driven approach of WTO technical assistance 
ensures that the programme remains on track for 
effective and efficient delivery. The Secretariat 
dramatically revamped the annual report, incorporating 
testimonies from our stakeholders and examples of 
the results produced. Who better to communicate the 
impact of WTO TA than our beneficiaries themselves, in 
their own words? This demonstrates the programme’s 
strong accountability to beneficiaries and to all our 
stakeholders at large.
As WTO Members work to deliver results this year, we 
can be confident that WTO technical assistance will 
continue to help them implement existing rules and take 
advantage of new market opportunities to raise incomes, 
create jobs, and progress towards the Sustainable 
Development Goals. This is solid ground on which to build 
the future of the Multilateral Trading System and proof 
that not even a deadly pandemic can stop the WTO from 
placing its Members and Observers at the centre of all 
that it does.
Bridget Chilala 
Director, Institute for Training and Technical CooperationThis report on the World Trade Organization Technical 
Assistance (WTO TA) prepared by the Secretariat 
underwent a significant change of format in 2020.  As 
a large pool of data is available on the WTO website in 
real time, the revamped report presents a more dynamic 
picture of the programme and its results for the year. The 
report focuses on four types of analysis: the evolution of 
TA management and its resources; the evolution of the 
curriculum and Members’ participation in TA activities; 
prioritising inclusion; and the identification and tracking 
of TA results and its broader impact. The report also 
highlights the challenges and achievements of delivering 
TA during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Evolution of Management and 
Resources
Since 2013, WTO TA is designed and implemented 
according to its capacity to deliver results to its 
beneficiaries. TA activities produce outputs which 
contribute to the achievement of Key Results, which 
are designed to respond to priorities identified by 
beneficiaries. 
In the TA Plan for 2020-21 adopted by Members, four Key 
Results were identified: 
1. governments implement WTO Agreements and fully 
realise Members’ rights and obligations 
2. new Members are acceding to the WTO
3. academic institutions work on trade-related issues 
4. legislators, journalists, and other non-governmental 
stakeholders are knowledgeable about WTO work
2020 was not a typical year. By mid-March, public health 
concerns and travel restrictions prompted by the Covid-19 
pandemic resulted in a suspensions of all WTO TA face-to-
face activities. The logical framework of the TA Plan defines 
the indicators and targets that are used to measure 
performance. Subsequently, the logical framework 
became an inadequate metric to measure performance.TA Dashboards
The backbone of WTO TA’s result-based management 
is the TA Management System (TAMS). In 2020, TAMS 
continued to evolve. Planned developments were 
already significant prior to the pandemic. For example, 
TAMS deployed an online workflow for national 
requests in order to better tailor TA to the needs of 
individual beneficiaries. To increase transparency and 
accountability, a new e-Dashboard was also developed 
to provide Members with real-time access to TA data. As 
the pandemic made clear that the ‘new normal’ of remote 
work would last beyond a few weeks, TAMS developed a 
simplified workflow to organize virtual events.
The monitoring and evaluation of TA results also adapted 
to the pandemic. TA continued to be assessed, but the 
means for assessment shifted to the virtual space. 
The pandemic was a significant presence in WTO TA in 
2020. The year started positively, with 26 face-to-face TA 
activities taking place by mid-March. Unfortunately, all 
activities then came to an abrupt stop. For most of the 
second quarter, online courses were pretty much the 
only TA still available. While many activities transitioned 
to the virtual space, the transition was progressive and 
partial. Thus, despite a 22% increase in the e-Learning 
offer and the rolling out of virtual activities in the latter 
part of the year, the number of WTO TA events in 2020 
decreased by 22% compared to 2019.
2020 saw considerable under-spending. Online courses 
and virtual activities accrue no additional cost once 
connection platforms and event structures are in place. 
Consequently, less and virtual activities led to a 57% 
underspending of TA resources compared to the previous 
year. The vanishing of travel costs as of April accounted 
for a large part of this under-spending. Expenses were 
concentrated on staff and consultants’ time, including to 
engineer the transition to virtual delivery, and on interns 
already present in Geneva and whose programmes 
were not affected by the pandemic. In that context, the 
shrinking of voluntary contributions to a new low was 
without immediate consequences.
Evolution of Curriculum and 
Participation
The WTO capacity for adaptation was tested to the 
extreme in 2020.  Despite the severe disruptions caused 
by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Secretariat overcame a 
myriad of challenges. The Secretariat staff responded 
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with abundant enthusiasm to the many difficulties posed 
by technology, logistics and human resources. The team’s 
quick turnaround and subsequent results, as presented 
in this report, are testimony to its success.
The Secretariat traditionally relies on a multitude of tools 
and sources to identify the TA needs of beneficiaries and 
adjust the support accordingly, to ensure that the TA 
remains relevant and effective. Many communication 
channels were affected by the pandemic. Overall, the 
attention of beneficiaries was fixed on their public health 
emergencies rather than trade-related capacity building. 
Many of them stopped requesting national activities, 
which are traditionally the most popular forms of TA. The 
work of WTO committees was suspended for two months 
and resumed only slowly. Trade Policy Reviews (TPRs) 
and their follow-ups also slowed down dramatically. Pre-
course consultations with beneficiaries that traditionally 
took place informally moved to virtual meetings, whether 
with individuals or groups of Members.
For many beneficiaries, the different modes of TA 
delivery – face-to-face, virtual and online – are clearly 
not interchangeable. Thus, the Secretariat’s efforts to 
develop an alternative virtual offer and increase the 
volume of online courses were met with only limited 
demand.
Online courses remained available throughout the year 
on a 24/7 basis. Overall, the number of eLearners in 2020 
remained stable. A range of new courses were developed 
for mobile devices, and interest in these ‘micro-courses’ 
compensated for the reduced participation in the online 
courses traditionally imposed as prerequisites for face-
to-face activities. 
In the second half of 2020, virtual TA partially replaced 
the suspended face-to-face activities. This development 
helped stabilise the number of WTO TA participants for 
the year despite the reduced number of activities, as 
virtual activities tend to have larger audiences.
The trend towards more specialised training continued 
in 2020. The cancelation of many generalist face-to-
face activities may have also contributed to the trend. 
The number of advanced activities and the size of 
their audience fell dramatically, as most advanced 
activities proved incompatible with virtual delivery. 
Instead, intermediate activities became dominant and 
represented three quarters of the year’s total number 
of activities. A larger number of activities did not fit into 
the Progressive Learning Strategy (PLS) and could not be 
ascribed a specific level.Sustaining participants’ attention in online or virtual TA 
activities for long periods is a challenge. Although WTO 
TA employs a mix of interactive training tools - from 
case studies to live demonstrations, role-plays, videos, 
animations, dynamic graphs, and chats - knowledge 
retention of the participants is not assured. 
The WTO’s network of partnerships played an important 
role in 2020. By helping WTO TA in delivering relevant 
and effective TA, the partners proved to be an invaluable 
asset. Their contribution to the substance of TA activities 
increased, in particular in the areas of intellectual 
property, public health, and food trade.
Prioritizing Inclusion
Strengthening LDC’s participation in the MTS remained 
a priority in 2020.  It was difficult, however, to tailor TA 
specifically to their needs, particularly as LDCs prioritised 
domestic public health in 2020. Overall demand for WTO 
TA fell significantly. Some initiatives emerged related to 
accessions, LDC graduation, technology transfer and the 
impact of Covid-19, and produced encouraging outputs. 
The state of women’s participation in WTO TA was less 
encouraging in 2020.  WTO TA remains committed to 
ensuring gender parity in its activities. However, women’s 
representation in TA activities was one of the casualties 
of the pandemic. It decreased in the Asia Pacific region 
and in CEECAC, where levels were already low. It fell even 
in e-Learning, confirming a general suspicion that women 
have been disproportionately affected by lockdowns. But 
this did not deter the Secretariat from continuing various 
TA initiatives to promote women’s participation. 
A consequence of virtual TA was the increase of global 
multilingual activities offered with interpretation. 
Meanwhile, TA activities offered exclusively in French 
almost disappeared. The number of Spanish-language 
TA remained significant.
Unpacking Results, Tracking 
Impact
The importance of Key Result 1 in 2020 was reinforced 
(86% of WTO TA). It promotes the implementation of 
WTO Agreements and realisation of Members’ rights and 
obligations. Key Result 2, which supports the accession 
of new Members, was in second place at 12%. Key 
Results 3 and 4 on TA in favour of academia and other 
non-governmental stakeholders almost vanished. Overall, WTO TA reached 65% of its agreed targets (53% 
fully and 12% partially). Given the constraints imposed 
by the pandemic and the inadequacy of the metrics 
chosen in pre-Covid-19 times, these results represent a 
remarkable performance. 
Remarkable results were observed in several areas. For 
example, the number of outstanding notifications - for 
Agriculture, TBT, or TRIPS, among others - continued to 
fall in 2020. The improvement may be partly attributed 
to the transition initiated by the WTO more than a decade 
ago towards electronic notification tools and databases. 
During the pandemic, most communications, including 
notifications, were electronic or online. Overall, digital 
tools saw their use increase and became central in 2020.
Developing and LDC Members continued to actively 
contribute to the work of the Multilateral Trading System 
(MTS). They maintained their submissions of working 
documents to WTO bodies.
Accession processes to the WTO and the Government 
Procurement Agreement proved resilient to the 
pandemic. Work continued at about the same pace as in 
previous years. Observers also adjusted well to the new 
modes of TA delivery. 
The various internship programmes were not affected 
by the pandemic. For the most part, they proceeded 
almost as initially planned. Many of the interns were 
already present in Geneva by the time travel restrictions 
began. While the interns worked from home for most of 
the year, they still achieved their objectives of learning by 
doing. Their supervisors evaluated their performance as 
fully satisfactory.2020 was a year of consolidation for the WTO Chairs 
Programme.  Two years after the last grant was paid to 
the Phase II Chairs, its outcomes look set to remain 
sustainable. The Chairs remained influential in their 
countries and impacted trade policy. They also continued 
to update the curriculum of their courses and reported 
an unprecedented level of research output. In November 
2020, the application process for Phase III was launched.
Outreach activities for non-traditional audiences - 
journalists, legislators, private sector or civil society 
- were another casualty of the pandemic. Unable 
to hold in-person events, the WTO turned to other 
communication channels to communicate with these 
communities. Activity increased through social media 
(LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram), 
the WTO website, and the News Bulletin on TA. 
The Training Material Request (TMR) facility 
disseminated WTO teaching materials well beyond the 
traditional circles of beneficiaries. After halving in 2019, 
the TMR bounced back in 2020. The numbers of persons 
accessing TMR returned to their pre-2019 levels, 
especially for academia and the private sector.
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Chapter 1.  Evolution of 
Management and Resources
A Framework for Results
WTO TA is designed on the basis of the Secretariat’s 
managing for results strategy endorsed by 
Members in 2013. Framed by the concepts and terms 
defined by the Result-Based Management (RBM) 
approach, the strategy focuses on achieving measurable 
results through improved planning, decision-making, 
transparency and accountability.
Under the RBM methodology, Key Results feed into a 
higher result level, termed Impact. No causal link is 
expected to be established between TA activities and any 
observable result at the global Impact level. However, 
the TA Plan focuses on defining and measuring the 
Secretariat’s contribution towards agreed Outputs and 
the achievement of Key Results. To do so, it identifies 
sound performance indicators and targets for measuring 
progress towards achieving them. 
The Secretariat strives to ensure that all TA activities 
contribute to achieving the expected outputs that feed 
into the established Key Results.Since the adoption of this strategy, TA Plans outline the 
three result levels and their causal relationships through 
a Logical Framework Matrix, or logframe. This matrix 
provides the detailed performance indicators, baseline 
values, targets, evidence, and assumptions that guide 
the design and implementation of the TA Plan and help 
to measure achievements. (See Annex 1)
The logframe serves as the foundation to monitor and 
evaluate progress towards the expected results. It forms 
the backbone of TA annual reporting to Members around 
which performance is analysed and achievements are 
identified. Monitoring is carried out by the programme 
managers, organizers, and trainers who focus on 
activities’ immediate outputs, and ultimately by the 
Monitoring & Evaluation section of the Secretariat.
Key Results are the outcomes around which the TA 
Plan is structured.  Four Key Results, each comprising 
several outputs, were identified in the TA Plan for 2020-
21 which was adopted by Members at the end of 2019. 
The Plan reflects the lessons learnt from previous plan 
implementation, the results which could be measured 
so far, and the TA needs and priorities of beneficiaries. 
In 2020, several adjustments were introduced in the 
logframe to improve the Secretariat’s ability to measure 
meaningful results under each Key Result.
Key Result 1, which promotes governments’ 
implementation of WTO Agreements and the full 
realisation of Members’ rights and obligations, is at the 
heart of the WTO mandate. Complementing Key Result 1 
are three additional Key Results focused on supporting 
the accession of new Members, and broadening WTO 
support to other categories of beneficiaries such as 
academic institutions, legislators, and non-governmental 
stakeholders.
2020 was a challenging year for WTO TA. The Covid-19 
pandemic halted most international travel in mid-March, 
imposed social distancing and restrictions on meetings, 
leading to the suspension of face-to-face TA activities. 
Such force majeure had not been anticipated in the TA 
Plan. The Key Results identified in the TA Plan remained 
relevant but the means to achieve them had to be 
reimagined. Online courses remained available on a 24/7 
Jean-Marie Paugam
For us, as a donor to WTO Technical 
Assistance, the added-value provided 
by the Secretariat to the management 
of the programmes (expertise, neutral 
countries selection, cross-fertilization and 
synergies between TA activities) relevantly 
complements our bilateral aid-for-trade 
efforts for strengthening capacities in 
beneficiary countries.
Jean-Marie Paugam,  
Permanent Representative of France to the WTO.WT/COMTD/W/259
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WT/COMTD/W/259
Developing and LDC
member s are bene ﬁting
from WTO participa tion  
1 2
3 4Figure 1.  Technical Assistance Results and Impact
Government ofﬁcials 
are implementing WTO 
agreements and fully 
realising Members’ 
rights and obligations    
Academic institutions 
and other stakeholders 
are analysing WTO 
issues and reaching 
out to policy makers   Non-governmental 
stakeholders and 
legislators are aware 
of and knowledgeable 
about WTO work and 
issues     Acceding governments 
are participating in 
accession negotiations  IMPACT
KEY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE RESULTSbasis throughout the year. Face-to-face activities were 
progressively replaced by virtual ones.
The end of face-to-face activities, which normally require 
substantial resources, had at least two consequences: 
underspending of the TA budget by 57% compared to 
2019 and a significant underreporting of TA activities. 
Approximately half of the virtual TA activities were not 
reported, as these activities did not require financial 
resources and could thus easily escape the activity 
preparation workflow and its subsequent reporting 
process. Consequently, the TA data collected was incomplete and 
inconsistent, making results’ indicators initially defined 
for face-to-face activities less relevant and many of the 
targets assigned to TA unrealistic. In sum, the upheaval 
of the WTO TA resulting from the pandemic made the 
standard logframe an inaccurate metric for measuring 
TA performance in 2020.
2020-2021 - Biennial 
Technical Assistance 
and Training Plan
Figure 1.  Technical Assistance Results and Impact
2020 was a year of adaptation and recalibration for 
the WTO TA Management System, or TAMS. The 
system is still evolving. It continued to adhere to its 
guiding principle of Result-Based Management (RBM). 
It promotes best practices through the monitoring & 
evaluation of activities to identify areas for improvement. 
Initiatives in 2020 included outsourcing IT development 
and shifting priorities to address the changes prompted 
by the Covid-19 pandemic. Many scheduled project 
deliverables were deferred to the first quarter of 2021, 
as a result.
While enabling a wider array of technology solutions, the 
recruitment of external IT services required some time for 
adjustment. In parallel, TAMS was tasked to adapt to the 
virtual delivery of TA. This tested the system’s resilience 
and configurability to improve it in unanticipated ways.
TAMS released new functionalities despite the 
disruption caused by the pandemic. The updates helped 
to streamline, simplify, and integrate workflows, enhance 
reporting and access to TA information; and promote 
user-friendliness. By the end of 2020, the TAMS project 
reached a 65% rate of completion. 
As the cornerstone of TA evaluation, the value of 
Back-to-Office Reports, or BTORs, hinges upon an 
efficient system for managing recommendations. 
The online BTOR module was enhanced to reflect the 
new workflow for validating and following up on BTORs’ 
recommendations. 
The deployment of an online workflow for national 
requests was a significant milestone. The platform 
allows all those involved in a national activity, 
beneficiaries, and Secretariat staff alike, to share a 
workspace in a secure environment. The end-to-end 
module records all actions and makes them accessible 
to relevant users, thus allowing beneficiaries to better 
manage their submissions. The platform also improves 
operational efficiency and transparency and facilitates 
follow-up and monitoring. Ensuring the security of the 
system represented the most challenging part of this 
exercise, as it involved the implementation of a restricted, 
secure access for Members that is linked to their WTO 
credentials. 
Several users from beneficiary countries participated in 
usability testing and provided invaluable input to fine-
tune the functionalities and finalize the interface. 
I had the opportunity to participate in the 
test phase of the new TAMS. Right from 
the start, I noticed the value added of the 
new application for national activities - the 
format was simple and user-friendly. It was 
very interesting to contribute my experience 
as a delegate in Geneva and to see how the 
dynamics between my colleagues in Capital 
and the WTO Secretariat helped to produce 
a result that is user-friendly and adapted 
to our needs. The system passed the test 
when our request for a national workshop 
in September 2020 progressed without any 
problems.
 
Carlos Guevara, First Secretary,  
Permanent Mission of Ecuador to the WTO.Result-based Management
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The expansion of features available to TAMS’ external 
users also spurred multiple upgrades which enhanced 
the user experience and boosted traffic. Improvements 
include a new design to match the WTO’s visual identity, 
better responsiveness and compatibility with any modern 
web-viewing device. Links to the WTO TA’s webpage, the 
e-Learning website, and WTO’s social networks were 
added. New or updated user guides were also posted. 
Transparency and accountability were at the forefront 
of the RBM agenda in 2020. E-Dashboards based on 
real-time data were launched, as was the redesign of the 
TA annual report. Launched in November 2020, the new 
generation of e-Dashboards, allows users to visualize 
TA data graphically and according to their interests, by 
type, number and duration of activities, geographical 
spread, and gender distribution. Further enhancements 
will be introduced gradually based on users’ needs and 
feedback. 
Online availability of TA data enabled more dynamic 
reporting, combining user-specific data visualization 
and a more interactive annual report. The Secretariat 
worked with experts, beneficiaries, donors and partners 
to give the WTO TA annual report a complete makeover TA Dashboards
– the first since 2012. Based on a storytelling approach, 
the new format gives a voice to all TA stakeholders 
through interviews, testimonials, essays, and case 
studies. A prototype-report was presented to Members 
at the November meeting of the Committee on Trade and 
Development, or CTD. The new format, which combined 
rigorous performance analysis with qualitative evidence 
of impact outlined by stakeholders’ feedback, elicited a 
favourable reception from Members. 
 
Overall, evaluations were not spared by the Covid-19 
pandemic. Virtual activities limited the possibilities 
for onsite evaluations and in-country assessments. 
Only three evaluations were carried out in 2020: two 
onsite evaluations of regional activities and one ex-post 
evaluation. The evaluation of a face-to-face activity for 
Africa took place before the lockdown. The evaluation 
of a virtual activity for the Caribbean, which served 
as a pilot for long virtual TA courses, helped to fine-
tune the subsequent activities in terms of content, 
delivery methods, and technology solutions. The ex-
post evaluation of the Advance Trade Policy Course 
reviewed results over six years and identified areas for 
improvement as well as evidence of impact. Technical Assistance 
Management System
Introducing more graphs and a story-telling approach into the report 
is very useful, giving Members a better sense on how beneficiaries 
really benefit from the TA activities.
 
Zheng Runa, Third Secretary,  
Permanent Mission of China to the WTO.WTO TA promotes quality over volume to maximise 
potential returns on the invested resources. The 
Secretariat strives to achieve this goal throughout the TA 
project cycle. 
First, TA activity requests are met with a rigorous approval 
process that ensures the activity’s relevance and its 
potential to produce results. Second, data collection 
tools are continually upgraded to measure TA results. 
Third, updated reporting mechanisms allow Members to 
compare financial movements with the agreed TA budget 
and TA measured results. These improvements strive to 
enable Members to better assess the programme’s value 
for money.
Delivering more TA with more topics to more people, and 
with less resources, following the WTO budget freeze 
and the progressive reduction of voluntary contributions 
from donors. All these had become familiar challenges 
for the WTO TA over the recent years, but the Covid-19 
outbreak in 2020 was an outright game changer. 
The Covid-19 pandemic and its consequences 
significantly disrupted WTO TA programme in 2020. 
As social distancing was imposed and international 
travel came to a halt in mid-March, so did all traditional 
face-to-face TA activities. For several weeks in March 
and April, online courses were the only TA on offer. The 
replacement of face-to-face TA with virtual courses was 
progressive and very partial. 
For TA beneficiaries, trade-related TA became less of 
a priority as the pandemic response consumed their 
attention. Few Members responded to the Secretariat’s Lower Spending due to the Pandemic
questions in April 2020 about their most pressing TA 
needs. There were even fewer requests for national 
activities.
The move to virtual learning disrupted the usual WTO TA 
project cycle. As they did not generate any cost, virtual 
activities were often organised without registration in 
the TA management system, and subsequently eluded 
data collection and result measurement. Approximately 
half of the 83 virtual TA events organised in 2020 were 
not registered in TAMS. Excluding e-Learning, this 
represented the sizable share of 38% of all TA offered 
during the year and accounted for half of its audience. 
The TA programme comprises other activities that are 
not TA stricto sensu but that are essential to achieving 
TA results. These - categorized as Other Activities, range 
from evaluations and TA organised by other institutions, 
to conferences and meetings, which frequently lead to 
partnerships for joint TA delivery. The volume of Other 
Activities represented only 12% of the total activities in 
the WTO TA programme. They included board meetings 
of existing partner institutions such as the Middle East 
Centre for Economics and Finance and the Joint Vienna 
Institute. They were equally affected by travel restrictions, 
shifting 83% of their planned events to virtual meetings.
The suspension of all international travel and 
limitations to in-person meetings in March 2020 led 
to a drastic reduction in face-to-face activities and of 
spending. The volume of WTO TA activities stricto sensu 
was lower than in any previous year, and that despite 
a 22% increase in the e-Learning course offer. The 216 
activities in 2020 amounted to a 22% reduction compared 
5012414867
13914035
11915460
10716249
10616843
10016154
12718052
9318433
16629
National Regional/Global Other2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020Figure 2.  Number of TA Activities
Figure 2.  Number of TA Activities
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to 2019. Activities shifted to virtual events soon after the 
general lockdown. Only 26 face-to-face activities were 
held before mid-March and none afterwards, compared 
to 190 in total in 2019, amounting to an 86% decline. 
Excluding e-Learning, more than 76% of TA activities in 
2020 were delivered virtually.
The other consequence of the shift to virtual learning is 
that regional and global activities increased to 77% of all 
activities in 2020; courses of the e-Learning programme 
have a global reach by definition. 
Due to no face-to-face activities after March, few 
costs were incurred in 2020 beyond spending on staff, 
interns, and consultants. Once the required platforms 
were operational, online courses and virtual TA activities 
were organised at little cost, irrespective of their reach 
- national, regional or global, and their volume had no 
impact on TA costs. As a result, 80% of TA expenses for 
2020 were registered during the first quarter, when in-
person activities were still available.
Expenditure related to staff financed by TA funds 
and to long-term internship programmes was not 
affected. Long-term internships took place as initially 
planned, since the participants had arrived in Geneva 
prior to travel restrictions. The related expenses were 
consequently in line with the original budget and with 
previous years’ average.All in all, total TA expenses more than halved compared 
to the previous year. As little as 20% of the regular 
budget for TA could be spent in 2020, a 78% decline from 
2019 levels. With an expenditure reaching 81% of their 
resources, the Secretariat made a comparatively much 
higher use of the earmarked contributions financing the 
AIP , FIMIP and NTP than of its other types of TA resources. 
Voluntary contributions received during the year shrank 
to a new low. In 2020, Canada, Korea and Chinese Taipei 
returned as donors to the GTF and Germany refrained 
from contributing. As regular budget funds contribute 
only 12% of WTO TA financing, voluntary contributions 
from donors, earmarked for specific programmes (26%) 
or not (62%), are key to operational continuity. However, 
as TA expenses were so low in 2020, the level of TA 
resources was unexpectedly less consequential for the 
TA operations.  
More information 
on the WTO TA 
Donors’ webpage
E-Learning Face-to-face VirtualFigure 3.  Number of Activites by Mode of TA Delivery
107
1337 414
932
Regional e-Learning Global National
Figure 3.  Number of Activites by Mode of TA Delivery
Earmarked 
Trust Funds
Non-earmarked 
Trust Funds
Regular Budget 5 10 15 20 25Millions C HF
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 0Figure 4.  Technical Assistance Resources
Figure 4.  Technical Assistance Resources
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GTF Target
Year-end balanceGlobal Trust Fund
Contributions
Expenses
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 5 10 15 20 25
0Millions C HF
Activities Expenses by Region (MCHF)  
0.04
0.120.15
0.170.020.03
0.664.01
1.23
GlobalMiddle East
Latin America0.06
CEECAC
0.060.09
Caribbean Asia-Paciﬁc
Africae-LearningNational Regional
0.03Figure 5.  Finance Highlights
Figure 5.  Finance Highlights
0.21
0.45Figure 6.  Donor Overview
0.2
0.060.01
0.02
1.1
0.48
1.11.1
0.1
0.04
0.10.3
0.05
0.4
2
0.640 0.5 1 1.5 2.0 2.5
0.870 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 (MCHF)
0.86Australia
Austria
Estonia
European
Union
Finland
France
Germany
Japan
Korea
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United States
France
Ireland
Netherlands
China2020201920182017
Only 2020 values labelled5.97 MCHF 7.37 MCHF 6.24 MCHF 5.58 MCHFTotal Contributions 
Received2020 2019 2018 2017(MCHF)
Canada
Global Trust Fund (GTF)
French-Irish Internship Programme (TIMM1)
Netherlands Trainee Programme (TNL05)
China LDCs & Accessions Programme (TCLAP)
Figure 6.  Donor Overview
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The legacy of WTO TA can be 
assessed not only in the impact that 
it has doubtlessly had on trade policy 
development in our region, but also and 
critically, in the number of high quality 
trade policy professionals making 
significant contributions to trade policy 
development across the globe.
HE. Ambassador Stephen Fevrier,  
Permanent Delegation of the Organisation of Eastern 
Caribbean States (OECS) to the United Nations. Chapter 2. Evolution of  
Curriculum and Participation
Highlights of the Year: 
Adapting and Advancing
Multiple components underpin the success of WTO 
TA. First is the programme’s commitment to reflect 
the diversity of all TA beneficiaries. WTO TA prioritises 
participants from LDCs and Africa as well as a curriculum 
that imbues a more inclusive approach to trade 
policy. Continuous feedback offered by Members and 
Observers on the curriculum - both in terms of method 
and substance - informs the updating of TA content. 
Diverse types of TA partnerships and collaborations 
bring additional expertise and contextual knowledge 
that ensure the relevance of the trainings delivered. The 
following pages will highlight the methods of training, 
from e-Learning to face-to-face and virtual activities, to 
the importance of interactivity and continued innovations 
in the coursework. Evolution of participation will also be 
discussed.The only constant in the trajectory of WTO TA is 
change, and the Secretariat’s proven ability to adapt to 
changing environments. The capacity for adaptation was 
tested to the extreme in 2020, as the world succumbed to 
pandemic lockdowns. 
After a start to 2020 that mirrored other years, many 
parts of the programme came to an unexpected halt 
in March. Face-to-face TA activities became impossible 
as travel restrictions and social distancing were enacted 
globally. WTO offices closed and did not reopen again 
until the middle of May. Most of the machinery for 
multilateral trade idled for a while. Beneficiaries stopped 
requesting TA, even national activities, the most popular 
of all. Requests for these activities halved compared to 
2019 and their frequency fell to an all-time low.
Midway through 2020, the TA programme became 
mainly virtual. Since virtual events can accommodate 
far more participants than face-to-face ones, it became 
possible to open many of them globally. The resulting 
higher volume of participants per activity partially offset 
the decline in national activities, which traditionally 
capture the largest audience. Interaction amongst 
participants and with the trainers took a different form, 
for example through the chat functionality. However, 
many beneficiaries preferred to postpone their requests 
for TA until face-to-face activities can resume.
After halving in 2019, participation in online courses 
grew by only 9% in 2020 - a moderate climb considering 
the 22% increase in the number of online courses 
offered. The figures confirm that beneficiaries do not 
consider the different modes of TA delivery as entirely 
interchangeable from a qualitative point of view. Virtual 
TA activities are based on a hybrid model that blends 
synchronous and asynchronous online learning. Real-
time web-conferences and chat sessions with the 
trainers account for the synchronous part while the 
asynchronous portion includes self-study, group work at 
participants’ own-pace, and forum discussions. Reading 
materials are made available online, as are videos, 
recorded lectures, exercises, tests, quizzes, etc. To suit 
the new world of remote virtual learning, the pedagogy 
was fundamentally transformed both in terms of content 
and methodology. This transformation is highlighted 
throughout this annual report.
HE. Ambassador Stephen Fevrier
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2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020050100150200250300Figure 8.  National Activity Requests
Figure 7.  Participants by Region
145
754 780647
550836832801 664
2 3984 407
92
GlobalMiddle East
Latin America212523
CEECAC
264637
48
CaribbeanAsia-Paciﬁc
Africa e-Learning269206National E-Learning Regional
Figure 7.  Participants by Region Figure 8.  National Activity Requests 
Highlight
WTO TA 
Resources: 
-40 % 
since 2011
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How did the Secretariat handle 
the uncertainty around the 
looming threat of a pandemic and 
its possible repercussions on TA 
activities?
By March 2020, two major trade 
policy courses were taking place: a 
regional course in Côte d’Ivoire and 
an advanced course in Geneva. Our 
immediate concern was protecting 
the people taking part in our 
activities: participants, trainers, and 
Secretariat staff. We terminated 
both courses early so they could all 
return home safely.
We did not immediately cancel 
face-to-face activities that had 
been planned for the year. Instead, 
we monitored the evolving situation, 
including travel restrictions Adapting Together through a Pandemic
Interview with Jorge Castro, Head, Training Section, Institute for Training and  
Technical Cooperation, WTO.
and lockdowns, and consulted 
with beneficiaries and with our 
partners, including host countries, 
academic institutions, and other 
intergovernmental organizations. 
Initially, planning for each activity 
continued until it became evident 
that it would be impossible or 
unreasonable to deliver it face-to-
face.
How did the transition towards 
virtual delivery of TA unfold as 
lockdown became a reality?
Beginning in March, we looked 
at each face-to-face training 
activity programmed for 2020, to 
assess which could be delivered 
remotely. At the time, other than 
our e-Learning programme, all 
our activities were delivered face-to-face. Reconfiguring them for 
remote delivery was a considerable 
challenge for everyone involved.
The Secretariat demonstrated 
amazing adaptability. Trainers 
quickly started to deliver technical 
assistance remotely. This involved 
working with beneficiaries, trainers, 
and partners, to redesign our 
training activities. Fortunately, and 
despite all the constraints they 
faced, many of our beneficiaries 
were receptive.
By June 2020, we felt ready to 
launch our first virtual trade policy 
course for the Caribbean. It was 
extremely successful and provided 
many useful lessons. We have 
now launched the second virtual 
regional trade policy course, for 
Jorge Castro joins Bulgaria’s WTO 
Permanent Representative, Atanas 
Paparizov, at the March 2020 Advanced 
Trade Policy Course, shortly before face-to-
face activities were suspended.Adapting Together through a Pandemic. Interview with Jorge Castro, Head, Training Section, 
Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation, WTO.
Middle East countries. More are in 
the pipeline. We are banking on the 
experience gained to innovate. For 
instance, we will soon launch a new 
executive trade policy course for 
senior government officials, which 
will be largely asynchronous.
Any lessons learned?
This last year has been tough 
on everyone. International trade 
is crucial in helping developing 
countries to overcome the Covid-19 
pandemic and its economic and 
social consequences. Countries 
will need continued training to 
strengthen their human and 
institutional capacity.
Teamwork is very important. I am 
proud of how quickly and effectively 
we were able to reconfigure our 
face-to-face training. Despite 
facing tremendous constraints, 
beneficiaries continued to indicate 
their training needs and were open 
to experiment with new modalities. 
On the Secretariat side, IT  and the Conference Services helped us to 
try out different online platforms. 
Human Resources organized 
courses to help our trainers improve 
their skills for remote delivery. The 
library made available guides for 
remote training. Trainers creatively 
adjusted the activities and used 
every opportunity to share their 
experiences and practices amongst 
themselves. 
The lessons learned this year will 
be useful for years to come. We are 
all more comfortable using remote 
communication technologies. 
Hopefully, once our face-to-face 
activities can resume, we will 
incorporate some of these skills. 
This should allow for a better 
learning experience, with added 
flexibility for participants, as well as 
a more efficient use of resources.
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An accurate assessment of recipients’ needs and 
priorities ensures that WTO TA remains relevant 
and effective. The Secretariat employs different 
means to identify capacity gaps among beneficiaries 
including periodic broad questionnaires, topic-specific 
questionnaires and/or discussions, national activity 
request forms, trade diagnostic studies by other 
organisations, and Trade Policy Reviews (TPR). 
TA questionnaires help setting the programme’s 
direction. Responses to the questionnaire circulated 
prior to the preparation of biennial TA Plans give 
valuable insights into TA beneficiaries’ priorities. SPS, 
Trade Facilitation, and Market Access Issues (including 
Customs Valuation, Import Licensing and Rules of Origin), 
are the top three priorities for the 2020-21 biennium. 
The rest of the priorities are, in order of decreasing 
importance: TBT, e-Commerce, Agriculture, Trade and 
Services, Trade remedies, General capacity building, 
Development issues, Notifications, Trade Negotiation 
Skills, TRIPS and Transfer of Technology, TPR follow-up, 
and Accessions/Post Accessions issues.
Members’ preoccupation with the pandemic diverted 
attention away from the task of building institutional 
capacity on trade. The Secretariat used every possible 
means to inquire about any adjustments that Members 
deemed necessary to their TA priorities. A formal 
communication in April reminded Members that WTO TA 
plays a key role in supporting efforts to bolster economic 
recovery and inquired about possible emerging new 
needs. The replies received and discussions held in 
various committees confirmed that the needs identified 
in the biennial Plan remained relevant. Covid-19-specific 
TA needs were addressed as part of relevant activities, 
such as TRIPS-related courses covering access to 
medical technology and innovation, GPA courses outlining 
flexibilities for procuring medical supplies, and SPS/
TBT activities addressing trade restricting or facilitating 
measures introduced by Members during the pandemic.
There are other means of identifying beneficiaries’ 
needs, such as informal consultations. These were not 
immune from pandemic-induced disruptions, however. A 
request for a national TA activity usually triggers several 
rounds of consultations between the Secretariat and 
the requesting beneficiary: these discussions tailor 
the content of the training according to recipient’s 
specific needs and interests. The launch in 2020 of an 
online platform for national activity requests is likely to Identifying Gaps, Shaping Response
Leveraging Needs Assessments
improve these needs’ record-keeping. As the pandemic 
temporarily reduced demand for such activities, it is 
too early to measure the impact of this new platform. 
Appetite for national activities remained relatively low 
despite the Secretariat’s bid to deliver them virtually. In 
2020, the topics requested most frequently related to 
general capacity building, Accession, TBT, Agriculture, 
Market Access, SPS, Services, Trade Remedies, and 
TRIPS. 
Travel restrictions also deprived the Secretariat of an 
invaluable information source: country-based impact 
assessments, their field surveys and focus group 
discussions with national stakeholders which identify 
areas for in-depth or additional training. 
Pre-course questionnaires that shape a course’s 
content to participants’ needs proved useful too. 
They helped to gauge Members’ concerns about 
the impact of the pandemic. In preparation for the 
workshop “An Integrated Health, Trade and Intellectual 
Property Approach to Address the Covid-19 Pandemic” , 
Members were asked to share the priorities of officials 
working at the intersection of health, IP and trade, 
specifically pertaining to Covid-19. The survey responses 
enabled the Secretariat to plan TA on these topics, in 
collaboration with WHO and WIPO Secretariats. A pre-
course questionnaire also prompted the restructuring of 
the Regional Virtual SPS Workshop on Transparency for 
Latin America to better tailor and adapt it to participants’ 
level of knowledge.
The WTO Chairs Programme (WCP), gearing up for its 
third phase in 2021, was also active in conducting 
needs assessment. As part of the 2019 external 
evaluation of the programme, the WCP carried out 
field surveys. Based on their preliminary findings, the 
Secretariat consulted with potential beneficiaries, 
donors and academic networks in 2020 to further refine 
the programme. These consultations were bilateral with 
heads of delegations and relevant institutions, or with 
regional grouping, such as the LDC Group, the African 
Group, GRULAC, the Paradisus Group, and Article XII 
Group of countries that joined the WTO after 1995. Group 
coordinators stressed governments’ firm belief that 
engagement with academia enhances domestic policy 
making. Together with less restrictive eligibility criteria, 
these consultations heightened the interest of potential 
beneficiaries. By the end of 2020, the WCP received 126 
expressions of interest for its phase III. 
The Trade Policy Reviews, or TPRs, continue to identify 
TA needs and priorities. The identification can be part 
of the review itself or during subsequent TPR follow-
up activities. In recent years, TPRs directed TA to areas 
where trade policy reform is most needed. Unfortunately, 
the 2020 pandemic did not allow for many TPRs, with 
only 7 completed against 16 in 2019. Four concerned TA 
beneficiary Members (Macao, Indonesia, Thailand, and 
Zimbabwe). 
Zimbabwe’s TPR report exemplifies good practice in 
examining national TA needs. National activities were 
identified as the most suitable option to train the 
maximum number of officials, thus potentially meeting 
the demand of a decade-worth of TA backlog. Agriculture, 
SPS, import and export licensing and procedures, trade 
taxation, and TBT were identified as TA priority topics. 
The report also covered more granular TA needs, such 
Over the past decades, developing countries and economies in transition 
have gained a larger share of global trade flows. Yet they still face various 
constraints in accessing global markets. The WTO Chairs programme 
identifies the main challenges faced in the Chairs' respective countries and 
examines the best ways to overcome them.
 
H.E. Ambassador Eduardo Sperisen-Yurt,  
Permanent Representative of Guatemala to the WTO.as those notified under Articles 15 and 16 of the Trade 
Facilitation Agreement. These include training to enhance 
the capacity of focal points and the coordination of their 
work, and assistance to develop legal frameworks to 
coordinate border agencies.
TPR follow-ups are very interactive events by nature. 
Hence a virtual follow-up was not an appealing option 
to beneficiaries and no such activity took place in 2020. 
WTO TA lost another opportunity to explore and identify 
gaps in trade-related capacity. 
 
Trade Policy 
Reviews Page
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Harnessing Feedback Loops and Evaluations
2020 was a testing time for the WTO TA curriculum, 
which adjusts content, pedagogical approaches, 
training tools and materials, following a learning by 
doing approach. Trainers’ assessments and Members’ 
feedback are valuable information sources for analysing 
and shaping the TA offer.
Back-to-office reports, or BTORs, are the key tool for 
evaluating the activities. Significant time is dedicated to 
making reporting systematic, comprehensive, structured 
and coherent. In recent years, these organizational 
improvements brought the reporting rate up to nearly 
100%. In 2020, adapting the reporting format to virtual 
delivery encountered some teething problems, such as 
under-reporting and inconsistent reporting. 
BTORs are also action-oriented tools, as they contain 
recommendations calling for specific actions to improve 
performance. The introduction of an electronic workflow for recommendations in TAMS helped to follow-up on 
their implementation; staff are notified in real-time when 
recommendations refer to them. Recommendations no 
longer wait for periodic stocktaking and assignment to 
relevant persons for action and follow-up. Consequently, 
the course enhancements can take place more 
frequently. 
Evaluations under the Secretariat’s M&E programme 
inform course changes. The case study included in this 
chapter shows how the Advanced Trade Policy Course 
was adjusted in response to the recommendations of 
each evaluation it went through over the past decades. 
The latest evaluation conducted in 2020 assessed the 
ATPC’s impact over a six-year period and lauded the 
course’s best practices. It also suggested to adjust the 
curriculum to invest more time in horizontal and multi-
thematic case studies.
#4  
TBT
#5  
e-Commerce#6  
Agriculture
#7  
Trade  
in Services#8  
Trade  
Remedies
#9  
General  
Capacity  
Building#10  
Development 
Issues
#11  
Notifications#12  
Trade  
Negotiation 
Skills#3  
Market Access 
for Goods#1  
SPS#2  
Trade  
Facilitation
Beneficiaries'  
Top TA Priorities  
for 2020-2021
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Case Study:  
A Course in Constant Evolution
To understand what makes 
WTO TA unique, consider the 
Advanced Trade Policy Course.  
Commonly referred to as ATPC, 
the course embodies the goals 
of WTO TA: to be complementary, 
sequential, and adaptive to changing 
environments, needs, and evolving 
pedagogy. While the process of 
adaptation is never-ending, it also 
affords WTO TA a chance to turn 
challenges into opportunities for 
improvement. 
Today, the ATPC is a sought-after 
credential for mid-level and senior 
officials around the world. Demand 
outstrips WTO TA resources, as only 
67% of demand for the ATPC is met. How does a course whose origins 
pre-date the WTO remain so 
popular? The answer is simple: 
evolve, stay relevant, and stay 
current.
Officials tasked with trade policy and 
negotiations face a considerable 
task. Trade policy cuts across multiple WTO Agreements and 
topics, too diverse for any one person 
to master. Officials responsible for 
WTO issues are required to have a 
knowledge of trade and trade policy 
that is both robust and broad. This 
is the audience targeted by WTO's 
Trade Policy Courses, or TPCs. 
TPCs date back to the early days of 
the GATT. The most recent ancestor, 
however, is a course designed in 
1995 shortly after the establishment 
of the WTO. Intended to be the 
organization’s sole comprehensive 
trade policy training for trade 
generalists, from 2002 to 2010 the 
course was offered in Geneva and in 
the regions. 
That all changed in 2010, when the 
Geneva course was updated to be 
more in-depth than its regional 
counterpart. The course was 
rebranded as the Advanced TPC. 
This step heralded a new approach 
applying progressivity in learning, 
which was subsequently named the 
Progressive Learning Strategy, or 
PLS. 
The current abridged eight-week 
format was adopted in 2014. Since 
then, the ATPC is held three times 
each year - twice in English and 
then in French or Spanish every 
other year. Adjustments continued, 
often in response to comprehensive 
performance evaluations. The 
Case Study: A Course in Constant Evolution
programme’s structure has been 
simplified around key trade policy 
subjects and the objectives have 
been made clearer. Participants are 
selected based on a more refined 
mix of criteria. The participants’ 
previous learning is capitalized 
upon through refresher sessions 
and pre-course tests. Trainers then 
adjust the content based on the 
audience’s actual level and needs. 
ATPC's most recent evaluations 
suggest that greater differentiation 
from intermediate-level TPCs 
would further affirm the course's 
value-added. In particular, this 
would bring-out more prominently 
the advantages of its global 
coverage and assert the "advanced 
generalist" concept – a concept 
that may seem like a contradiction 
in terms and one that is very 
challenging to roll-out in practice. 
Today, the Trade Policy Project 
Presentation occupies 10% of 
course time. Its focus on analytical 
and problem-solving skills is highly 
regarded by 95% of ATPC alumni. 
Recalling it, Mr Odinaev Jamshed, 
an ATPC alumnus from the Ministry 
of Economic Development and Trade 
of the Republic of Tajikistan, noted: 
"It was a great opportunity for me to 
experience how to evaluate and look 
for any loopholes and opportunities 
in trade policies. I learned that it 
is key for my country to consult 
both WTO Agreements and market 
access commitments of other 
Members, as well as to focus on the 
benefits for consumers, producers, 
institutions, etc. and to analyze any 
spillover effects on the environment 
or the economy prior to making any 
changes in legislation."
Participants praise other features 
of the ATPC, such as the "WTO 
experience" enabled by being in 
Geneva. To ensure that participants 
make the most out of being at WTO 
headquarters, since 2018 trainers 
require participants to report on the 
committee meetings they attend. 
The goal is for participants to reflect 
on their expectations and internalize 
the knowledge gained. It also puts 
them in the shoes of delegates after 
a meeting on which they must report 
to capital or colleagues.
Following decades of pursuing 
progress, the ATPC stands the test 
of time. A 2020 ex-post evaluation 
asked participants if the course 
was relevant to their professional 
needs. Some 94% of ATPC alumni It was a great opportunity for 
me to experience how to evaluate 
and look for any loopholes and 
opportunities in trade policies.
 said yes, and their supervisors 
concurred. ATPC training, they 
agreed, had a positive ripple effect 
on overall institutional capacity. 
"After returning from the ATPC in 
2014, I became a member of the 
Trade Policy Team where I worked 
along with other colleagues from 
the Directorate to draft the Belize 
Trade Policy Framework from which 
Belize's National Trade Policy 
2019 - 2030 emanated", shared 
Mr. Maximiliano Ruiz from Belize's 
Directorate General for Foreign 
Trade.
After returning from the ATPC in 
2014, I became a member of the 
Trade Policy Team.
 
Participants in the ATPC of January-March 2020.
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Expanding e-Learning and Virtual TA to Sustain 
Participation
In times of restricted mobility, e-Learning courses 
proved indispensable. Available throughout the year 
on a 24/7 basis and covering a large range of WTO topics, 
e-Learning shepherded participants through their 
training journey. Promotion of e-Learning was stepped 
up in 2020, to ensure that beneficiaries were aware 
that online courses remained fully operational. This 
promotion took place through advertisements in social 
media and dedicated broadcast campaigns.
Other initiatives took place to boost participation 
in e-Learning, after its halving in 2019 following the 
reconfiguration of the platform. The collection of 
participants’ feedback was intensified and informed the 
preparation of new material. New ‘micro courses’ , suited 
for mobile learning, were launched. Through a moderate 
growth in attendance in 2020, e-Learning drew 43% of 
total TA participants, confirming its significance in terms 
of audience’s size by course.
Various challenges remained, however, for e-Learners. 
The number of participants who completed their 
course declined by 7%. With no face-to-face activities, 
beneficiaries had less incentives to attend and 
complete e-Learning courses which also constitute 
their prerequisite. Consequently, participation in online 
courses, both generalist and specialist, severely dropped 
in the first half of 2020. It picked up in the second part of 
the year as virtual activities replaced face-to-face ones 
and mandated the same pre-requisites. 
The lockdown obliged many trade officials around the 
world to work from home where their internet connection 
was generally more limited than in their office. Together 
with the higher pressure of domestic life, this certainly 
prevented a wider recourse to e-Learning courses and 
explains why the end of face-to-face TA in March did not 
trigger a higher growth of the e-Learning audience.
Participation in in-person activities that took place 
during the first three months of 2020 was mostly 
captured by national workshops. Only long-term 
internships were hardly affected by the pandemic. 
Interns joined prior to travel restrictions and could 
perform their on-the-job training tasks remotely during 
the lockdown.
I was introduced to 
the WTO e-Learning 
courses by a colleague 
at my workplace, the 
Intellectual Property 
Office in Trinidad 
and Tobago. At 
first, I thought that 
I could only do one 
course, that is, the 
Introduction to the WTO. I was delighted to find out 
about all the e-learning courses offered and took ten 
courses in one year to learn a wide range of issues. 
Some of the topics relate directly to my work and 
helped me to understand the issues better and 
disseminate information on IP more effectively to the 
public. 
I want to learn new things that would benefit me, 
the office, and the country at large. Increasing 
one’s knowledge in different disciplines is always 
a plus, one can never finish learning. I will always 
recommend these courses to my colleagues, not least 
because they are free, so why not invest in yourself?
 
Hemraj Dookie, Trademarks Procedure Assistant, 
Intellectual Property Office, Trinidad & Tobago.
 5 000 10 000 15 000 20 000 25 000
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 0Figure 9.  Overview of Participation
e-LearningVirtual
Face-to-face
Travel restrictions and social distancing measures 
shifted TA to a virtual space. Adapting, planning and 
organizing was not easy, nor was it possible to avoid a 
drop in the volume of activities. Consequently, achieving 
performance targets was challenging. Fortunately, fewer 
TA activities in 2020 did not lead to a commensurate drop 
in TA participation. Total participation remained almost 
unchanged between 2019 and 2020 even with much 
less activities, as virtual activities have a large audience 
capacity. 
While they were not very popular prior to the pandemic, 
virtual activities came into their own in 2020. There were 
83 virtual activities benefiting 44% of TA participants. 
In terms of knowledge transfer, virtual learning is less 
effective than their in-class equivalents. But they were 
and are a cost-effective stopgap, absorbing barely one-
fifth of the total WTO TA expenditure.
Virtual activities were offered at national, regional and 
global level. Going virtual shifted the balance, however. 
The proportions of the three types of activities in the 
mix were relatively different, as was the size of their 
respective audiences. National activities remained 
the most popular among beneficiary countries. Global 
activities followed closely behind; traditionally, the gap 
between the two is larger.Audience size varied according to event type. In a virtual 
setting, global seminars manifested their immense 
potential. In 2020, these events took the lion’s share of 
the TA audience, attracting 64% of the participants. 
Meanwhile, hosts of national events preferred smaller 
groups in order to achieve optimal interaction and deliver 
more targeted content. While they are traditionally 
larger in scale, national activities drew 23% of the total 
participants in 2020. Meanwhile, virtual regional events 
gathered 13% of the total audience - a percentage that 
is not a marked departure from previous years. 
 
More information 
on e-Learning
Figure 9.  Overview of Participation
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0100020003000500060007000Figure 10.  Participation by Mode of TA Delivery
E-Learning Face-to-face Virtual
Regional e-Learning Global National4000
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 20200%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%Figure 11.  Overview of TA Mix
Figure 10.  Participation by Mode of TA Delivery Figure 11.  Overview of TA Mix
Different Speeds for Different Needs: Progressive 
Learning in Action
gradually adapted to virtual delivery. Excluding those 
pertaining to the e-Learning programme, 37% of the 
activities held during the year skipped the registration 
workflow in TAMS and were hence assigned a level ex-
post. The proportion of the year’s activities that were not 
assigned a level was 13% - consistent with the trend of 
last year. These are activities deemed by the Secretariat 
to not easily fit into the PLS, such as collaboration with 
universities or outreach events. 
Intermediate courses (both generalist and specialist) 
represented 74% of coursework - the largest share. 
Introductory and advanced courses accounted for only 
5% and 8% of courses, respectively. The halving in the 
proportion of advanced courses compared to last year 
resulted from the limited compatibility of their content 
and pedagogy with remote learning. 
In 2020, introductory level accounted for 5% of all 
activities delivered but attracted 11% of all participants. 
There is still appetite for introductory courses amongst 
beneficiaries, as completing the introduction course is 
a prerequisite to register for higher level activities; and 
acceptance is greater for introductory courses as they do 
not require compliance with any prerequisite. Since its initiation in 2013, the Progressive Learning 
Strategy (PLS) has changed the trajectory of WTO TA.  
A progressive multi-modular approach with two learning 
paths (generalists and specialists) and three training 
levels (introductory, intermediate and advanced), the 
PLS helps participants to master the core substantive 
elements of each level before moving to the next. 
Tracking the progression of participants through PLS can 
be complex, however. Complete integration of the PLS 
across all TA programmes is not always possible.
In principle, WTO TA strives to strike a balance between 
generalist and specialized training. Data collected in 
recent years tell a different story. As per beneficiaries’ 
demand, TA activities are trending towards specialist 
learning. In 2020, the importance of specialist activities 
increased to 54% of TA, while generalist activities dropped 
from 39% to 33%. This may be partially attributed to the 
cancellation of many Trade Policy Courses which were 
much harder to adapt to virtual delivery. 
Ensuring that all coursework is assigned the right level 
within the generalist or specialist paths is challenging. 
In 2020, the process became more complex as activities 
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 20200%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%Figure 12.  Evolution PLS Participants Mix
N/A Introduction Intermediate Advanced
Figure 12.  Evolution PLS Participants Mix
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The e-Learning course offering continued to be 
dominated by the intermediate level in 2020 as it does 
not offer advanced trainings. However, the expansion of 
new course offerings that do not fit into the PLS (mainly 
outreach and other fit-for-purpose courses) observed 
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020050010001500200025003000Figure 13.  Participants in Advanced Activities
in recent years continues to erode the proportion of 
intermediate courses that accounted for 80% of the 
catalogue against 83% in 2019. Their share of the 
e-Learning audience remained constant, however, 
attracting 70% of the e-Learners during the year.
My personal experience has helped 
me to measure the usefulness of 
the PLS, which is calibrated to meet our 
needs at the right time.  The first stage, 
which is when we become familiar with 
the concepts, is very rewarding. This 
is a moment of “preparation” and the 
accessible style of teaching helps a 
novice with limited experience. 
This first step makes it easier to 
navigate an intermediate course. The pre-requisites make it possible to better 
follow and deepen our understanding of 
the issues despite their higher level of 
difficulty. In a face-to-face course, the 
quality of the exchanges is a relevant 
indicator of the level of the participants. 
In my particular case, this progressive 
strategy has made it easier for me 
to participate in advanced courses 
in English which is not my working 
language.Climbing The Learning Ladder 
Testimonial by Aminata Kane, Head of the Office of Bilateral Affairs,  
Foreign Trade Department, Senegal
Figure 13.  Participants in Advanced ActivitiesPLS: Climbing The Learning Ladder. Testimonial by Aminata Kane, Head of the Office of Bilateral 
Affairs, Foreign Trade Department, Senegal
Fit-for-Purpose Content and Curriculum
While adapting to the new TA normal was 
challenging, 2020 also prompted initiatives that 
enrich the TA offer.  The Secretariat developed a new 
concept for courses to outlive the pandemic and coexist 
with face-to-face courses. The e-Learning catalogue 
was also diversified by adding new courses and updating 
others. In 2020, 107 e-Learning courses were available, 
compared to 88 in 2019. 
Short courses called micro-courses and fast-track 
courses were introduced to help Members address 
challenges caused by the pandemic. These courses - 11 
in all - represented 73% of new courses. With a format that 
fosters active engagement and more efficient knowledge 
retention, micro-courses use multimedia and focus on 
a specific issue within a broad WTO topic; for example, 
the protection of Intellectual Property rights. Fast track 
courses, which include interactive exercises, are more in-
depth. For instance, one course takes the learner through 
Subsidies and Countervailing Measures in the WTO.
Other new releases include the French and Spanish 
versions of the course series ‘Mainstreaming Trade’ 
and the update of modules of the courses ‘Multilateral 
Trade Agreements’ and ‘Regional Trade Agreements’ . 
The monolithic English version of the SPS course was 
also replaced by a series of four interactive courses on 
Overview of the SPS Agreement and Committee” , “The SPS 
Agreement and Science” , “Trade Facilitating Operational 
Provisions of the SPS Agreement” and “Implementation, 
Administration and Enforcement” (French and Spanish 
versions are upcoming).All the e-Learning courses launched in 2020 were 
interactive,  adhering to the SCORM standard or the 
animation format. By the end of the year, interactive 
courses represented 70% of the e-Learning catalogue - 
a 37% increase compared to 2019, well above the target 
assigned in the TA Plan. All courses will continue to be 
updated in order to increase interactivity.
 
The new e-Learning platform, launched only a year 
earlier, was further enhanced in 2020 to improve users’ 
experience. In response to participants’ feedback, course 
attendees can now study the modules and the training 
material in the order of their choice, which gives them 
more flexibility and autonomy in learning.
Course content in 2020 reflected current issues. The 
impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was covered in several 
activities. A Trade Dialogue on Food addressed the future 
of food, food trade logistics, global value chains, and 
food insecurity in Africa, through the lens of pandemic 
implications. The pandemic was at the forefront of the 
TRIPS discussions, particularly the relationship between 
intellectual property and the response to the pandemic. 
The second edition of the Trilateral Study “Promoting 
WTO e-Learning 
Platform
I have completed around 25 WTO eLearning courses. I was excited to find out 
about the new micro-course series released during the pandemic period in 
2020. I have completed four micro-courses, covering issues ranging from trade 
facilitation agreement to protection of Intellectual Property Rights, during the 
lockdown period in Bhutan. I found this format very convenient to study as 
it is very short, concise, and easy to understand with great illustrations and 
examples. I would recommend it to both beginners and intermediate learners 
because it helps us move forward and refresh, and it keeps us on track as we 
learn more about the WTO and the multilateral trading system.
 
Jigme Norbu, Trade Officer, Regional Office of Economic Affairs,  
Ministry of Economic Affairs, Bhutan.
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Access to Medical Technologies and Innovation: 
Intersections between Public Health, Intellectual 
Property and Trade” - a collaboration with WHO and WIPO 
Secretariats, includes a section mapping the challenges 
posed by the pandemic in relation to health, trade and IP 
policy frameworks. 
The curriculum had to adapt to the shift from face-
to-face to virtual activities. Presentations were 
reorganized, and their content modified to fit into shorter 
sessions. For the e-Regional Trade Policy Course for the 
Caribbean, training materials were repackaged to be 
virtual-friendly. Presentations were reduced in number, 
length, and backed with fit-for-purpose asynchronous 
study material that prepared participants in advance. 
Several activities relied on pre-recorded presentations 
so that more time could be spent on in-depth and 
spontaneous discussion during the live sessions.
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020Figure 14.  SCORM Compliance
10,9%22,4%36,5%55,6%61,4%69,2%
When WTO moved to virtual training in 2020, I 
quickly realized that lecturing the traditional way 
without interactive tools was not an option. This 
was particularly evident for the Regional Trade 
Policy Course, which became the e-RTPC. Our task 
was to present two separate Agreements - SPS 
& TBT - with respective provisions and concepts 
that sometimes overlap; a presentation by a single 
speaker may confuse participants. Fortunately, 
my colleagues and I were able to explore ways to 
share knowledge in a lively and entertaining way. 
For example, we used poll questions and practical 
exercises to engage participants. Presentations 
made jointly by two or three speakers in a 
dialogue format enabled each speaker to jump in 
at any time - this allowed different perspectives 
to come forward. This collaborative approach 
was enriching for participants and us too. We are 
now preparing for the next e-RTPC and we look 
forward to replicating this experience, adding 
Mentimeter to our mix of interactive tools.
 
Rolando Alcalá, Agriculture and Commodities 
Division, WTO.Figure 14.  SCORM Compliance
Virtual and Interactive – the New Normal
Sustaining participants’ attention in a virtual 
classroom was a challenge that WTO TA tackled 
throughout 2020. Fo rtunately, recent years witnessed 
an expansion in techniques and technologies that 
helped the transition to remote learning. WTO Trainers 
increasingly embraced interactive training techniques 
and incorporated digital innovations in face-to-face 
activities, resulting in traditional lecturing taking up less 
than half of training time by 2019. With more time spent 
on questions & answers, exercises and case studies, 
participants became more engaged – making knowledge 
transfer more effective.
Video conferencing became the norm in 2020. Remote 
learning is known to induce greater distractibility and 
shorter attention spans, however. As a result, live web-
Some sessions are easier to follow and lend themselves well to virtual learning 
including breakout sessions and sessions regarding assignments. The more 
difficult sessions, however, require more face to face and personal interactions. 
In such a setting, participants may be better able to articulate queries and 
request more details that may not necessarily work in a virtual setting.
 
Orlando Pearce, Trade Liaison Officer, Ministry of Industry, Commerce, 
Agriculture and Fisheries of Jamaica.
conferences were coupled with a panoply of interactive 
methods aimed at sustaining the interest and active 
participation of learners. For instance, SPS workshops 
employed a mix of dynamic tools, such as interactive 
presentations, group work, live demonstrations of SPS-
related IT tools, quizzes and exercises to encourage 
active participation.
The virtual classrooms became indispensable. They 
served as a repository for self-study materials, tests, 
evaluations, and a valuable complement for live sessions. 
They also allowed participants to work collectively on 
shared documents.
Case studies and role-play were among the features that 
the Secretariat strived to maintain in a virtual setting as 
Keeping the attention of participants is challenging in any training activity. 
It is even harder in a virtual environment. Finding new ways to interact with 
participants is key in ensuring a successful course. Since it is more difficult to 
break up presentations for questions and interactions with the audience, we 
need to adapt our training tools. Often participants do not know each other and 
find difficulty in sharing experiences among themselves in a virtual set-up. So, 
we opted for pre-recorded presentations instead of a live lecture, which freed 
ample space for group work, quizzes, and competitions through online polling 
tools. With these tools, we kept participants' attention and promoted a fun and 
relaxed learning environment.
 
Marti Darlan and Simon Neumueller, Market Access Division, WTO.
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they were integral to various courses. For example, the 
module on Market Access, delivered during the e-Regional 
Trade Policy Course for the Caribbean Region, featured 
a role-play simulation requiring participants to act as 
members of the National Trade Facilitation Committee. 
The module sought to illustrate the functioning of this 
Committee and its role in coordinating the work of all 
national agencies involved in border procedures and 
trade facilitation. It proved to be an audience favourite. 
To maintain staff’s drive and enthusiasm for coursework 
innovations, the Secretariat introduced in 2020 a new 
award scheme for trainers and other staff involved in TA 
delivery. “Although the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted our 
TA programme, we found a silver lining amid the crisis. 
WTO trainers went above and beyond to adopt new training 
techniques and learning aids while becoming conversant 
with virtual delivery of courses. Before Covid, I had been 
thinking of ways to recognize the best practices of trainers 
and prompt their further enhancement and replication 
across the TA programme. It took a pandemic to finally 
launch the Special Awards for exceptional performances 
related to the Trade Policy Courses. The awards recognize 
other forms of support beyond training, all of which play 
a critical role in making the courses so effective” , noted 
Bridget Chilala, Director of the Institute Training and 
Technical Cooperation. These awards included: best 
module; most innovative module; participants’ preferred 
session; and valuable support. They were given for the 
first time in December to those who excelled in the 
e-RTPC for the Caribbean.
The e-Learning programme included almost 600 
multimedia elements, such as audios, interactive 
exercises, videos, animations interactive maps, and 
dynamic graphs. Their aim was to sustain participants’ 
interest and enable them to apply what they learned. For 
participants, the insertion of interactive and multimedia 
elements makes the learning process more stimulating 
and appealing.
Chat sessions were held twice a week on average. Half of 
them addressed procedural matters such as certificates, 
interactive activities, pre- and post- course tests, course 
catalogue and promotion of new courses. This helped 
participants to understand the programme’s main 
features. The recurring concerns of participants in 2020 
were linked to the pandemic - for example, their evolving 
needs and particular challenges - and these were 
discussed. Specific trade-related topics were the focus 
of the other chat sessions with Secretariat’s experts. 
These sessions updated participants on the latest news 
from the WTO and on on-going substantive issues.
59
AnimationFigure 15.  Multimedia Elements 
Developed or Updated in 
e-Learning Courses
14  
Video  
2  
Interactive 
graph
1  
Interactive 
map
1  
Trailer313  
Audio
127  
Interactive 
exercise
23  
Videoclip 23  
Avatar
Figure 15.  Multimedia Elements Developed or Updated in e-Learning Courses
Launched in 2019, the WTO e-Learning Community 
really came into its own during the pandemic. The 
online platform, available in the three WTO languages 
allowed participants to share views and expand their 
professional network. Discussion groups were lively 
- 24 in all - and addressed a range of topics, from 
trade facilitation to the WTO 25th Anniversary and the 
Handbook on Notification Requirements. Community 
members also discussed study tips, new courses, and 
feedback on studying during the pandemic.
We conceived a series of 5 animated video clips as tutorials for the training module 
on RTAs. Intended to introduce the main features of the WTO Database on RTAs in 
a visual and practical way, they were fun to design and watch, and easy to produce. 
We initially designed these videos for the e-RTPC. They were posted in the virtual 
classroom so that participants can access them at any time. Now the videos are 
permanent features of the RTA Portal on the WTO website and as official tutorials 
of the WTO Database on RTAs.
 
Jean-Daniel Rey, Trade Policy Review Division, WTO.
WTO Database on 
RTAs - Tutorial Series
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One partner Two partners Three or more partnersFigure 16.  Partner’s per TA Activity
118 119109
271823
11167 5 6 3105155
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Coming Together in Crisis: WTO Partnerships in Action
Government authorities represented slightly over half 
of the partners, proportional to the share of national 
activities in the TA mix, and consistent with prior 
trends. Partnerships with International Organizations 
accounted for 37% of the remaining collaborations while 
the rest was comprised of partnerships with a variety of 
institutions and civil society. 
As was the case in previous years, most of the activities 
- 69% - were conducted with only one partner. Another 
18% were supported by two partners and only 13% of 
activities had multiple partners.
The goal of sustaining existing collaboration 
complements the pursuit of new partnerships. In 2020, 
19 partners from the previous year continued to work 
with the WTO, whereas 22 had not been involved in any 
activity in 2019. Of the latter, nearly 60% were involved in 
national trainings and 32% in regional events. 
WTO’s 25th Anniversary illustrated the longevity of 
the collaboration with the WIPO Secretariat, one of 
its oldest TA partnerships. On average, around a dozen 
activities are held each year with WIPO’s involvement in 
varying extents and forms. WIPO’s perspective on this 
partnership is shared in the interview below. 
Variety of Contributions
Partnerships can significantly vary in range, depending 
on partners’ contribution to substance, cost-sharing, 
logistics, and outreach. The contribution is based on each 
partner’s terms of agreement with the WTO. The overall By bringing additional expertise and knowledge, 
partnerships help offering context-sensitive TA.  
They are also instrumental in promoting the benefits 
of WTO TA and delivering activities more efficiently. To 
achieve its goals of relevance and effectiveness, the WTO 
TA maintains an extensive network of partnerships and 
collaborations.
Evolving Collaborations
WTO TA maintained its extensive partnerships in 2020. A 
total of 41 different partners worked with the Secretariat 
to organize and deliver 38 TA activities. The EIF , TFAF 
and STDF , which also contribute to the implementation 
of TA and the achievement of its objectives, were not 
considered as separate partnerships. The EIF was 
involved in the delivery of TA activities in favour of LDCs, 
TFAF in TA activities on Market Access for goods and 
STDF in TA activities on SPS. In turn, the Secretariat 
was a partner in four TA activities organized by other 
institutions.
As half of the virtual activities delivered during the year 
were not registered in TAMS, the number of partnerships 
was underestimated. In this context, partnerships 
remained commensurate with the volume of activities 
offered during the year, indicating that the pandemic did 
not affect the Secretariat’s capacity for collaboration. 
Partnerships proved strategic when shifting to 
virtual delivery and facing new TA needs. The many 
collaborations allowed the Secretariat to ease Members’ 
concerns about the application of Covid-19-related 
trade measures and their relevance to WTO disciplines.Figure 16.  Partner’s per TA Activity
0 1% - 25% 26% - 50% 51% - 75% 76% and aboveFigure 17.  Partners' Contribution
14243132
6879
215
10
7
Substance Logistics Cost
contribution of partners has improved, with 21% of them 
making a high contribution – the biggest proportion 
since 2016, and 5% fewer than in 2019 making a low 
contribution.
The Secretariat must be responsible for most of an event’s 
substance f or the activity to be considered as WTO TA. 
Partners’ contribution towards substance is increasing; 
the number of partners making no contribution has 
declined by 13% in 2020. 
The year’s dynamic led to a significant reduction in 
partners’ contribution to costs and logistics: 35% 
and 27% more partners than in 2019 made zero such 
contributions, since virtual events require no expenditure 
and less logistics in the absence of travel, and accounted 
for over 50% of TA delivered with a partner.
Partnerships Foster TA Resilience 
and Responsiveness
The partnerships enabled WTO TA to act swiftly during 
the Covid-19 pandemic. Whether when developing 
new training content, modifying content to address 
the changing needs of Members, or changing the mode 
of delivery, existing partnerships made it possible to 
respond quickly and effectively by providing input and 
assistance. Numerous new materials and TA activities 
attest to the fruitful collaborations. Policies and measures to secure medical technologies 
and supplies were high on the agenda of governments 
during 2020. Understanding how the WTO rules can help 
in this regard became a TA priority for many Members. 
The pre-existing collaboration between the Secretariats 
of the WHO, WIPO and WTO on the interface between 
public health, trade and intellectual property allowed 
the Secretariat to respond adequately and promptly to 
Members concerns by including Covid-19 pandemic-
related content in the updated trilateral study “Promoting 
Access to Medical Technologies and Innovation” , and 
in the course held in October “An Integrated Health, 
Trade and Intellectual Property Approach to Address 
the Covid-19 Pandemic” . In December, the Advanced 
Global e-Workshop on the Plurilateral WTO Agreement 
on Government Procurement discussed the legal and 
practical aspects of emergency procurement and the 
flexibilities under the GPA with numerous external 
experts.
Members, particularly net food importers, grew 
concerned about the impact of global trade disruptions 
on agriculture and food security. In response, the WTO 
collaborated with its long-term partners the FAO and the 
Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for a 
one-day workshop in July to consider food security and 
global trade during the pandemic.
Figure 17.  Partners' Contribution
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2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 20200%20%40%60%Figure 18.  Partners Overview
Average
HighNone
Low
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 20200%20%40%60%Partners' Logistics
Average
HighNone
Low80%
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 20200%20%40%60%Partners' Costs
Average
HighNone
Low80%
0%20%40%60%Partners' Overall Contribution
80%
AverageLow
High
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020Partners' Substance
Figure 18.  Partners Overview
Highlight
87% 
of participants 
followed a virtual 
or online TA 
activity in 2020
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WIPO’s collaboration with the 
WTO is in its third decade. 
What are the origins of this 
partnership and what drives it?
The milestone Agreement on Trade-
Related Aspects of Intellectual 
Property Rights, now known as 
TRIPS, forms the basis of WIPO’s 
excellent collaboration with WTO, 
with the incorporation of the Paris 
and Berne Conventions into the 
TRIPS Agreement as a significant 
step. This collaboration has been 
guided by the understanding that 
Member States can fully benefit 
from the IP system’s interaction 
with international trade if policy 
tools are adapted to national 
circumstances. Our TA programmes 
greatly facilitate the Agreement’s 
implementation in developing 
countries. The Agreement’s 25th 
anniversary in 2020 prompted us to 
reflect on the remarkable journey of Towards a Greater Understanding of  
Intellectual Property
Interview with Dalila Hamou, Director, External Relations Division, World Intellectual Property 
Organization (WIPO)
this collaboration and how far we 
have come in supporting countries’ 
participation in the international IP 
and trading systems.
The collaboration encompasses 
an array of IP issues, from general 
IP law to more specific topics such 
as public health. What makes this 
collaborative approach valuable? 
Since the adoption of the TRIPS 
Agreement, the demand for IP-
related TA has been on the rise. 
WIPO’s response is to deliver 
technical cooperation activities that 
not only cover traditional IP topics 
but also the interface between 
IP , trade, and public health. The 
collaboration has led to training that 
is tailored to the needs of Members. 
For example, WIPO’s participation 
in the WTO’s annual Workshop 
on Trade and Public Health and 
related WTO workshops allow our 
organizations to share perspectives 
on policy issues that are specific 
to local circumstances and legal 
frameworks. The trilateral cooperation between 
WIPO, WTO and WHO Secretariats 
has also led to a series of events to 
promote our joint publications. For 
example, the Promoting Access to 
Medical Technologies and Innovation 
study. Since 2016, our three 
organizations have jointly hosted an 
Executive Distance Learning Course 
on Promoting Access to Medical 
Technologies and Innovation 
(DL-701) on the WIPO Academy’s 
eLearning platform.
A highlight of our capacity-building 
collaboration is the annual WIPO-
WTO Colloquium for Teachers of 
Intellectual Property, which helps 
teachers and researchers become 
more familiar with the IP system. 
Another highlight is the annual 
joint training course on IP issues for 
government officials.
The WIPO Lex database of IP laws, 
treaties, and judgments is also 
enriched through our collaboration, 
ensuring that relevant IP laws 
notified to either organization 
are made publicly available. 
Towards a Greater Understanding of Intellectual Property. Interview 
with Ms Dalila Hamou, Director, External Relations Division, World 
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
Overall, beneficiaries get a unique 
opportunity to gain insight from our 
complementary technical expertise. 
What are some specific outcomes 
that result from the WIPO-WTO 
collaboration?
TA activities co-organized by 
WIPO and WTO are often designed 
around planned policy, legislative, 
or regulatory updates and serve 
as a platform to explore pressing 
issues in beneficiary countries. The 
activities also enable Members 
to integrate IP into their overall 
national development and public 
policy in areas such as public health, 
trade, and technology transfer.
For example, since 2010 alumni 
of the WIPO-WTO Colloquium 
have contributed to an annual 
compendium of research papers 
that responds to the diverse 
challenges in implementing the 
broad principles of IP law. What is the future of WIPO-WTO 
collaboration in the delivery of TA? 
As the international IP system 
will be increasingly called upon to 
help provide meaningful solutions 
to the world’s challenges, it is 
critically important to deepen our 
collaboration with WTO, especially 
in the interlinked areas of IP , trade, 
and public health.
WIPO and WTO could create a 
directory of Colloquium alumni that 
includes information on individuals’ 
specific areas of expertise, which 
could be used for national and 
regional IP-related activities. 
We can also pursue a closer 
collaboration between WTO and the 
WIPO Lex database, including by 
means of identifying gaps between 
the collections, in order to expand 
the coverage of relevant IP laws 
available to users. It may also be 
useful to develop better outreach practices to encourage submissions 
by Members.
As WTO Members share their 
experiences in innovation, WIPO can 
support them by developing their 
IP and innovation ecosystems to 
drive enterprise growth, especially 
for SMEs. That is an area of 
collaboration that we look forward 
to deepening with WTO.
 
World 
Intellectual 
Property 
Organization
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Inclusivity and responsiveness to the needs 
of the weakest and vulnerable Members must 
remain the focus of WTO's TA approach. The 
integration of the LDCs into the multilateral 
trading system has been aided through bespoke 
TA products designed by the Secretariat to 
address their systemic and evolving needs 
in the WTO. Similar priority must also 
continue to be accorded to strengthening 
women's participation in TA initiatives to 
empower them to maximize their gains from 
international trade.
Shishir Priyadarshi, Director, Development Division, WTO.
Chapter 3.  Prioritizing Inclusion
Shishir Priyadarshi
Driving Change in LDCs
Fostering the participation of LDCs in the Multilateral 
Trading System is a WTO TA priority . The goal is to 
strengthen the role of LDCs in the global discussions 
of world trade matters and ensure their greater 
participation in decision making.
LDCs themselves are working towards a stronger role. 
Whilst trade of LDCs was hit hard by the pandemic, this 
will only show in the 2020 statistics. In 2019, the latest 
year for which full data was available, LDCs saw their 
share of global trade increase to 1.15% compared to 
1.11% in 2018 - above the expectations of the TA plan.
In 2020, LDCs submitted 113 substantive documents, 
on their own or together with other Members, which 
exceeded the TA Plan target, even if 7% below the 2019 
level. The transition of WTO bodies’ meetings and their 
preparation to virtual mode may have contributed to 
For us, officials from LDCs, WTO TA is essential to 
enable us grasp developments in the multilateral 
trading system and analyse the need to adjust 
our trade policies accordingly. Thanks to WTO 
trainings, I grew more confident in my ability to 
contribute to my country's active participation in 
WTO's work and in trade negotiations.
 
Ramanankieferana Andrianary Lalaharisoa 
Andoniaina, Manager of WTO Reference Centre, 
Ministry of Industry, Trade and Craft, Madagascar.this decline. It is no small feat, however, that LDC’s share 
in global submission of documents increased to 3.5%. 
All gains can be attributed to the hard work of those 
Members. 
Overall, WTO TA activities targeting LDCs are achieving 
their goal of bestowing them greater benefit from their 
active participation in the WTO. Stronger participation by 
LDCs is driven mostly by Africa and Asia Pacific, home to 
most LDC Members and Observers. 
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Fluctuating Demand
In 2020, LDCs increased their share of e-Learning to 
30%, which is an 11% increase from the previous year. 
This is in line with LDCs’ average rate of participation in 
online courses over the past decade. However, gains in 
e-Learning can be overshadowed by the lower number of 
LDCs benefitting from TA in 2020, which was 14% below 
target - consistent with the overall drop in the number of 
TA activities delivered during the year. 
The lower number of TA activities for the year, notably 
at the national level had a particularly severe effect on 
LDC participation. The setback in demand due to the 
pandemic was probably combined with connectivity 
challenges when trying to attend virtual events. Such 
was the impact of the pandemic on the WTO’s capacity 
building efforts.LDCs continued to actively participate in the long-
term internship programmes. Except for the Young 
Professionals Programme (YPP), which does not 
prioritize LDCs nationals, LDCs represented 45% of total 
participation in internships. 
This figure is significantly above the share of LDCs 
amongst TA beneficiaries (less than a third). Yet, it is 
a decrease from the 52% of 2019 and below the 55% 
average of the last ten years. What caused the change? 
The NTP , which on average hosted two-thirds of LDC 
interns over the last decade, offers a clue. In 2020, the 
number of LDC participants recruited under the NTP was 
reduced by half.
 
Trade and 
Development
Internships e-Learning0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%Figure 19.  LDC Participation
2011 2010 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Figure 19.  LDC Participation
Tailoring the Response
Despite limited LDC-focused activities in 2020, 
those that were undertaken were well received. 
Approximately 80% of the year’s TA activities were open 
to the participation of LDCs, a much higher rate than in 
previous years, as many virtual activities had a global 
reach.
Some LDC-focused national activities took place, 
particularly for LDCs undergoing accession, such as 
Timor-Leste, Ethiopia, and Sudan. The events included 
a national seminar for Chad on the preparation of the 
12th WTO Ministerial Conference and issues of interest 
to LDCs. Another took place in Bangladesh, entitled 
Graduation from LDC status and the WTO. 
With the support of the EIF , the WTO is assisting LDCs 
to understand fully the trade-related implications of 
graduation from the LDC status. They issued in 2020 
two reports on the trade impact of LDC graduation. 
The findings of these reports were shared publicly in 
Bangladesh and considered in several webinars to 
engage stakeholders and stimulate their reflection.
LDCs are a priority target for TPR follow-up activities. 
However, in 2020 the pandemic postponed to 2021 all 
planned TPRs that involved LDC Members. The Myanmar 
Review was scheduled for February 2021 and the 
dates of the CEMAC Review are yet to be determined. 
Subsequently, no TPR follow-up activity took place either, 
which regrettably deprived LDCs of another source of 
very tailored TA.
The face-to-face Introductory Trade Policy Course for 
LDCs was cancelled. LDC participants were instead 
directed to the equivalent online course ‘Introduction to 
the WTO’ . 
Some events took place as planned. For example, the 
workshop on the Implementation of Article 66.2 of the 
TRIPS Agreement: Incentives for Technology Transfer, 
was held in February. Capital-based officials from 
LDCs were invited; in total, 21 attendees from 15 LDCs 
participated in the Workshop. Geneva-based delegates 
from LDCs also attended the event.
Towards the end of 2020, a webinar on Covid-19 and 
LDC trade – the first event of its kind – was organized in 
collaboration with Geneva-based delegates. The activity 
outlined the challenges and opportunities facing LDCs in 
the new pandemic context.  
In my view, workshops like this one are 
crucial to enhance Art. 66.2 reporting and 
transparency. It provides us Least Developed 
Countries with a good platform to learn from 
each other's experience. For an LDC like 
Cambodia, support from developed countries 
is direly needed. Such a workshop enables both 
LDCs and Developed countries understand 
each other's contexts and exchange views and 
opinions for better future cooperation
 
Seychanly Tith, Deputy Director of the 
Department of Intellectual Property,  
Ministry of Commerce, Cambodia.
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Promoting Women’s Participation
The WTO is committed to fully inclusive TA activities. 
Gender balance is highlighted in the Secretariat’s 
invitation letters to national authorities to nominate 
candidates and prioritized during the selection process. 
The nomination process itself is determined by Member 
governments. 
Further efforts are made to strengthen female 
participation in TA activities. That said, it was challenging 
to monitor participation in 2020. Nearly half of the 
activities delivered virtually were not registered in TAMS. 
Because information could not be collected ex-post, 
gender data was not recorded for these activities and 
women’s participation may have been under-reported. 
Women comprised 45% of participants in TA activities for 
which data is available. While this figure does not fully 
reflect the situation in 2020, it remains close to the 47% 
average in 2017-19.
Differences persist between regions. Women’s 
participation is robust in Latin America and the 
Caribbean, reaching 55% and 63% respectively. Women’s 
participation saw an encouraging increase in the Middle 
East, rising to 43%, and in Africa. The Asia Pacific 
and CEECAC regions, however, observed a downturn. 
Women’s participation in the CEECAC region decreased 
for the fourth consecutive year (-15% compared to 2019). 
The ratio of women’s participation in e-Learning had 
remained relatively stable over the years, but declined by 
10% in 2020. The numbers of women who did sign up for 
the courses but did not complete them increased, by 17% 
compared to 2019. Furthermore, those who successfully 
completed the courses reported grades that were 2% 
lower than their male counterparts. The trends aligned 
with studies that found women and girls as particularly impacted by the pandemic. Shouldering the bulk of 
childcare and household work, women had less time to 
study during lockdown. 
That said, women retained an edge in terms of distinction 
grades. 2020 confirmed more frequent distinction among 
female learners - by 8%. Trends observed in earlier years 
had already suggested that when women are able to fully 
participate in training, their level of engagement results 
in excellent learning outcomes. 
Incorporating Gender Issues in TA
Inclusivity also permeates the TA curriculum, since 
inclusive trade can increase employment opportunities 
for women. WTO TA strives to include a gender 
perspective in the content of training and in trade-
related discussions. TA with more women’s participation 
will lead to a more gender-sensitive training and greater 
understanding of trade and gender issues can drive 
policy reforms to support more participation by women 
in trade to promote more inclusive economic growth.
In 2020, WTO TA maintained its focus on trade and 
gender issues in the curriculum. WTO TA’s Trade and 
Gender Focal Point continued to diagnose and analyse 
Members’ policies. Following a study in East Africa and 
South Asia in 2019, a survey of women entrepreneurs 
in Latin America was conducted in 2020. The survey 
gathered data about their business profile, trade-related 
difficulties, and the impact of Covid-19 on their work. The 
results will feed into the formulation of bespoke training 
packages for the region. 
Interestingly, LDCs are the most interested and very active 
during the training sessions. Trade and gender is part of 
their priorities.
 
Anoush der Boghossian, Trade & Gender focal point, WTO.
Gender issues were discussed in e-Learning chat 
sessions. Three “Women and Trade” online discussions 
took place and addressed a range of topics, including 
trade agreements, the impact of trade on women, 
WTO’s work on trade and gender matters, and gender-
responsive trade policies.
With UNCTAD and ITC, the Secretariat also organized 
a webinar entitled “Applying Gender Lens to WTO” 
which was attended by participants from a hundred TA 
beneficiary countries. Four experts explained key gender 
terminology, concepts, and methodologies for conducting 
gender analysis. They also discussed possible ways to 
integrate gender in the WTO work and apply a gender 
lens in the Agreements.
The input gathered through these events and surveys 
informed the preparation of a new training strategy, the 
implementation of which is expected to start in mid-
2021.
A number of TA activities incorporated a gender 
approach in addressing trade issues. The Trade Policy 
Courses that took place prior to the pandemic included 
the training module on gender. Feedback collected from 
the deployment of the module since 2019 was considered 
in the update that began in late 2020. 
Members’ needs are another incentive to approach a 
topic with a gender perspective. This was the case for 
the SPS webinar delivered as part of the Dominican 
Republic’s Eighth Conference of Women Leaders in 
Trade and Export. Specifically targeting issues faced 
by women-run businesses, the activity attracted strong 
female participation from the private sector.
The Secretariat has also contributed to a study of women-
led businesses in public procurement. The resulting 
research paper was presented in an online seminar 
organized by the European Bank for Reconstruction and 
Development, or EBRD, during which the Secretariat 
outlined ways to use the GPA to support the participation 
of women-led businesses.
 
Women and Trade
Achieving gender equity and the 
empowerment of women and girls will 
allow for the creation of more equitable, 
sustainable, inclusive economies with greater 
growth potential. A full understanding 
of SPS by our women agro-exporters is 
vital to improve their competitiveness and 
effective participation in global markets. 
The comprehensive view provided by this 
workshop will allows us to access more 
countries and make better use of the treaties to 
which we are party.
 
Elizabeth Mena, President of the Dominican 
Association of Exporters, Dominican Republic.
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Africa Asia Paciﬁc Caribbean CEECAC Global Latin America Middle East Total0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%Figure 20.  Female Participation
Women among Participants in all TA Activities
Women among Participants in e-Learning
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
English French Spanish Total0%10%20%30%40%50%60%
Figure 20.  Female Participation
Inclusion Through Language Diversity 
Multilingualism is a tool to achieve diversity .  The 
Secretariat delivers TA in the three WTO working 
languages: English, French and Spanish. In 2020, the 
distribution of the WTO TA differed compared to the 
official working languages of Members and Observers, 
although it continued to follow their preferences.
English remained the predominant language in all TA 
activities, followed by French and Spanish. In face-
to-face and virtual courses, 50% of all participants 
were trained exclusively in English, while 13% learned 
in French, and 8% in Spanish. The remaining 29% of 
participants attended in a multilingual activity with 
interpretation - that is almost double the proportion in 
2019. This distribution was one of the results of the shift 
toward virtual activities. 
During the first three months of 2020, half of the 
participants attended face-to-face activities delivered 
exclusively in French, 4% took part in multilingual 
activities, and none in Spanish, as there were no Spanish 
language events before travel restrictions. Subsequently, 
37% of all virtual activities’ participants were trained in 
multilingual events, 10% in Spanish language events, 
and only 3% in French, as only two virtual events were 
held in French.
With simultaneous interpretation services, multilingual 
activities can help reach a wider audience. They 
became more important in 2020 because the number of global activities doubled to 37% of TA activities. As 
most of the activities were delivered remotely, providing 
interpretation was easier, even if still constrained by the 
availability of interpreters and not devoid of challenges; 
the ease of interpretation for in-person courses also 
depends on the facilities of the venue. Part of the costs 
was absorbed by the WTO budget. As a result, courses 
with interpretation represented only 10% of total TA 
expenditure.
Language preferences for e-Learning followed the 
same pattern as in 2019, with some variations. The 
audience for English-language courses increased from 
64% in 2019 to 69% of participants. Meanwhile, uptake 
of French and Spanish courses decreased from 20% to 
19% and from 16% to 12% respectively. 
Often participants in e-Learning courses can choose 
their training language on a case-by-case basis. 
However, in 2020 only 65% of the catalogue was available 
in the three official languages, further to the launch of 
15 new courses available only in English. The French and 
Spanish translations will be available in coming months. 
During 2020, the courses on mainstreaming trade were 
made available in French and Spanish, and the “Trade 
Facilitation Agreement” course was released in French.
Even chat sessions promoted language diversity. Some 
81% of chat sessions allowed multilingual exchange 
between attendees and hosts.
Figure 21.  Rate of Participants by Language in each Mode of TA Delivery
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Highlight
+80 %
Participation 
in multilingual 
activities with 
interpretation 
almost doubled  
in 2020
Multilanguage Spanish French English French English
Global National e-LearningFigure 22.  Languages
Number of Activities
by LanguageMembers' and Observers' 
Language Preference
2030
3136121646
12
Regional2
2470%
Spanish12%18%
Figure 22.  Languages
Face-to-face Virtual e-LearningFigure 21.  Rate of Participants by Language in each Mode of TA Delivery
50%4%
46%10%
69%19%37%
50%12%
Spanish English Multilanguage French3%
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The highest expectation turned 
to reality. We could get very 
precious support.
Nurbek Maksutov, Counsellor,  
Permanent Mission of the Kyrgyz Republic to the 
United Nations in Geneva.Chapter 4. Unpacking Results, 
Tracking Impact 
Overview of Achievements
The mission of TA is to strengthen Members’ capacity 
to fully benefit from their WTO membership.
In the theory of change that guides the WTO TA, ‘impact’ 
is manifested through Key Results (see “A framework 
for results” above). The programme’s design itself is 
geared towards activities that can help to achieve these 
Key Results, consequently bolstering Members’ trade 
potential.
At the disaggregated level, achievements are measured 
based on the attainment of the objectives assigned to 
individual activities. Specific needs inform the design 
and objectives of TA activities, and the immediate results 
of an activity indicate how each assigned goal has been 
met. An assessment is based on multiple performance 
indicators drawing upon data compiled and organized in 
the TA management system. Consequently, measuring 
results requires the activities and their details to be 
registered in TAMS. Hence, no result was visible for the 
virtual trainings not registered in 2020. 
Nurbek MaksutovTo gain a better understanding of WTO Agreements 
is the most frequently cited objective - and one of an 
average of three objectives per activity. The number of 
objectives focused on explaining and implementing WTO 
Agreements was greater than in previous years. This is 
a logical consequence of the TA’s focus on Key Results 
1 and 2 in 2020. Some 86% of activities contributed to 
Key Result 1 - that is,  promoting the implementation of 
WTO Agreements by government officials and the full 
realization of Members’ rights and obligations. Key Result 
2 - or promoting the accession of Observers to the WTO - 
was a distant second, representing 12% of activities. In 
2020, TA that would contribute to Key Result 3 (outreach 
to academia) and Key Result 4 (outreach to legislators, 
journalists, or civil society) almost vanished.
Trainers were mostly positive when assessing the 
activities’ overall results in the Back-to-Office Reports 
or BTORs. They considered that 69% of the objectives 
had been fully achieved and the remaining achieved to 
a large extent. In general, participants are even more 
enthusiastic when assessing the results of TA activities.
On-site evaluations provide an independent assessment 
to verify the trainers’ self-evaluation. In 2020, two “on-
site” evaluations took place and concerned the e-RTPC 
for the Caribbean and the 3rd regional dialogue on WTO 
accessions for Africa. Whilst more critical than the 
trainers’ self-evaluations, they confirmed the results 
measured by the trainers and hence the credibility of the 
BTOR-based system.
At an aggregated level, the WTO TA fully met 53% of its 
planned targets and partially met 12% of them. These 
figures are considerably lower than in previous years. 
However, they are satisfactory given the unprecedented 
circumstances. Many assumptions underlying the TA Plan 
lost relevance. The progressive shift to virtual activities, 
partial as it was, prevented a further deterioration of a 
difficult situation.
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Figure 24.  Objectives of TA Activities in BTORs
Implementation of WTO AgreementsExplanation of WTO Agreements
Accessing WTO information
Identify TA needsImprove general understanding of WTO
MiscellaneousDevelopment of analytical skills5%17%40%
12% 6%9%11%
Figure 25.  Technical Assistance Sucess Rate
0%20%40%60%80%
Target Met Target partially met Target not met Data not available
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Figure 23.  Achievement of Objectives
69%
Fully1%
Average1%
To a limited
extent
29%
To a large
extentFigure 23.  Achievement of Objectives Figure 24.  Objectives of TA Activities in BTORs Figure 25.  Technical Assistance 
Sucess Rate
Pandemic-era constraints impacted the Key Results 
unequally . Key Result 1 achieved only 61% of its targets 
(47% fully and 14% partially). That is significantly less 
than the 2016-2019 average, when 73% of the targets 
were fully met. Many of the quantitative targets were not 
met (31% against 11% on average in 2016-19). Fewer 
events were organized. In 8% of the cases, activities 
related to the performance metrics simply did not take 
place.
Key Result 2 achieved 60% of its targets. That is an 
improvement from the 50% average in 2016-19. Because 
Observers limited their engagement in accession 
negotiations due to Covid-19, other targets were not 
met. Given the specific needs and particular negotiating 
situations of acceding countries, two thirds of Key Result 
2 activities were implemented nationally.In the absence of TA involving academia in 2020, Key 
Result 3 met 67% of its targets - an improvement from 
the two previous years, when on average only 44% of the 
targets were met. In 2019, the WTO Chairs Programme, 
or WCP reached the end of its Phase II. Consequently, the 
Secretariat measured in 2020 the sustainability of the 
academic capacity built by the programme since 2014.
Key Result 4 achieved 71% of its targets (43% fully and 
29% partially) - a performance largely in line with the 
average of recent years. In 2020, TA targeting legislators, 
journalists, or civil society was compensated by more 
virtual communication with these groups. The Young 
Professional Programme (YPP) also contributed to 
sustaining positive results for this Key Result.
During the course, we worked on the issue of modifying Members' lists of 
commitments. Upon my return to Uruguay, I was able to use this knowledge 
to analyse the situation of the EU and the United Kingdom. In view of Brexit, I 
worked on the legal arguments that my country would present to demonstrate 
its interest in subsequent negotiations.
 
Marcos da Rosa, Second Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Uruguay  
to the WTO, Third Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Montevideo  
at the time of the ATPC.
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Government ofﬁcials are implementing 
WTO agreements and fully realising 
Members’ rights and obligationsAcceding governments are participating 
in accession negotiationsFigure 26.  Success by Key Result
Key Result 1 Key Result 2
0%20%40%60%80%100%
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Academic institutions and other 
stakeholders are analysing WTO issues 
and reaching out to policy makersNon-governmental stakeholders and
legislators are aware of and knowledgeable 
about WTO work and issuesKey Result 3 Key Result 4Target Met Target partially met Target not met Data not available
0%20%40%60%80%100%
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Figure 26.  Success by Key Result
Highlight
65% 
of targets met in 
2020, totally or 
partially
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Training for Results
Leveraging Action Plans and Coaching
ATPC boosted my knowledge regarding what is provided for under the WTO 
legal texts. I was able to use the skills acquired to provide input to the national 
position on tobacco issues under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco 
Control, as well as on a variety of regional trade issues.
 
Mwamina Ngwale, Trade and Investment Promotion Officer, Ministry of 
Commerce, Trade and Industry, Zambia.Course interactivity keeps participants engaged. When 
face-to-face TA activities were suspended, interactivity 
had to be entirely reconsidered. Maintaining interactivity 
in virtual training is a challenge, as most interactions 
take place in writing through the platform’s chat 
function. Another difficulty is how to objectively measure 
participation.
In the pre-pandemic era, BTORs offered a good glimpse of 
participation levels across the TA face-to-face activities. 
In 2020, these activities represented only 12% of the 
WTO TA. At 97%, participation remained at the same 
satisfactory level as in previous years and even reached 
100% in advanced activities. This information was not 
available for TA activities delivered virtually.
Examinations help to improve participants’ 
engagement. Beyond online courses which already 
employ exams, the only activities in 2020 that included 
examination were intermediate TPCs. The pre-tests at 
the start of the year’s sole advanced TPC simply assessed 
knowledge gaps among the participants. The goal was to 
adjust the course accordingly and trigger participants’ 
engagement and ownership of their learning.
Only two intermediate TPCs took place in 2020 – in 
Côte d’Ivoire, for French-speaking Africa, prior to 
travel restrictions, and virtually for the Caribbean. 
In mid-March, the French-speaking Africa course The practical application of learned knowledge 
is an important gauge of the impact of WTO TA 
training. The vast majority of WTO TA focuses on the 
implementation of the WTO Agreements in a general 
sense. Prior to the pandemic, a number of face-to-face 
courses employed teaching methods that encouraged 
‘learning by doing’ . The predominance of virtual training 
in 2020 suspended activities utilising pedagogical 
methods such as developing action plans, individual 
in-course and post-course coaching of participants, 
simulations, and follow-up over the long-term.
A swift replication of these training methods for virtual 
delivery proved impossible. Any effort would require 
a significant investment, with only a low probability 
of achieving similar results. Consequently, advanced 
thematic training activities of this kind did not take place 
in 2020, whether face-to-face or remotely.
Stimulating Learners’ Engagement
Trade policy courses accept, and pass participants 
based on merit. Enrolment in the advanced courses 
depends on an applicant’s fulfilment of the pre-requisites, 
including the successful completion of the intermediate 
level course. As a result, participants graduating from 
these courses build a deeper understanding of trade 
rules.
20% 40%60%80%100%
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 0%Figure 27.  ITPC Results
Correct Answers
ParticipationSuccess Rate
Distinction Rate
I believe virtual trainings have limitations, especially regarding the 
interaction among participants. In a residential setting, one also has more 
time to dedicate to the training and hence able to do more research.
 
Joan Thomas Edwards, Under Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and 
Foreign Trade, Jamaica.
was shortened by one week to allow participants to 
return home safely. The final revision workshop, which 
traditionally prepares participants for the final exam, 
was cancelled. Unfortunately, this lowered the success 
and distinction rates of the participants, which were 82% 
and 13% respectively. Success required at least 60% of 
correct answers in the final exam administered online, 
and a distinction required more than 90%.
The pilot eRTPC for the Caribbean converted the 8-week 
curriculum of a traditional Regional TPC into a 14-week 
programme, as the format assumed that participants would follow the course part-time. An onsite evaluation 
concluded that the eRTPC had been successful in 
achieving its more limited objectives. The success 
and distinction rates were 90% and 33% respectively. 
However, its efficiency was negatively affected by the 
smaller size of its audience (20 participants instead of 
the usual 30).
Whilst entirely satisfactory considering the pandemic 
situation, the overall success rate of intermediate TPCs 
was below target. In contrast, the eRTPC distinction rate 
was in line with the TA Plan target.Figure 27 ITPC Results
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Exams are mandatory for online courses, which 64% 
of participants passed in 2020. This is a high rate for 
non-paying online education but below last year’s rate 
and below the target in the TA Plan. The distinction rate 
was also high at 55%, well above last years’ level and the 
target of the TA Plan.
Interactivity is critical in e-Learners completing their 
online courses. The introduction of shorter and more 
focused courses may have played a role in e-Learners’ 
accomplishments. Whatever the metrics - overall 
20% 40%60%80%100%
2013 2014 2011 2012 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 0%Figure 29.  e-Learning Results
Correct Answers
Distinction RateSuccess Rate
Dropout Ratesuccess, level of distinction, dropout rate - the most 
successful courses were the new, highly interactive 
short or micro courses. Titles included Agriculture IMS, 
DocOnline, CITES & WTO, and micro TRIPS.
In contrast, text-based courses on Agriculture, 
Market Access for Goods, TBT or TRIPS charted lower 
than average results. Why? The courses offer limited 
interactivity and multimedia and cover a vast field of 
knowledge in one single course.Figure 28. Participation Quality
All Activities Advanced Activities
67%
Fully83%
Fully17%
To a large
extent
30%
To a large
extentTo a limited
extent4%
Figure 28.  Participation Quality Figure 29.  e-Learning Results
In 2020, the dropout rate was 28%,  in line with the 
average over the last six years and with the TA Plan 
target. The higher rate compared to 2019 shows that the 
pandemic made it difficult to keep e-Learners engaged 
for the duration of the courses.  This suggests that 
interactive and multimedia elements, such as videos, 
animations, audios and interactive exercises, positively 
impact participation and consequently the participants’ 
results when they finish their course. Other factors that 
may impact participants’ capacity to finish their work are 
external.
Joining WTO short online courses is always a fantastic learning experience. 
The seamless blending together of historical background, technical aspects, 
and best practices in a very succinct and goal-oriented manner makes for 
an interesting and incredibly useful e-learning format. It avails learners of a 
unique opportunity to continue life-long learning while meeting their work 
commitments. Thus far, I have enrolled in seven courses covering cross-cutting 
aspects. I look forward to joining more courses with passion, enthusiasm, and 
aspiration to advance my career.
 
Mustafa Sakr, Principal Program Officer, African Union Development Agency 
(AUDA-NEPAD), Egypt.These consistent results vindicate WTO TA’s strategy to 
upgrade existing courses to SCRORM standards, make 
them more interactive, and slice them into shorter, 
focused pieces that participants can easily absorb, 
complete and digest. 
Lastly, e-Learning satisfies participants, who were near 
unanimous in rating the website’s effectiveness and the 
quality of content as good or excellent. These results 
were also well above the targets defined in the TA Plan.
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Tell us a bit about your personal 
experience with the RTPC? 
I have been involved in RTPCs 
since their inception; I served as 
an expert on several trade topics in 
numerous RTPCs. Since my joining 
the unit as a staff member in 2014, 
I have been responsible for the 
planning and running of RTPCs. I 
help to ensure that the curriculum 
keeps abreast of new issues and 
priorities. These priorities include 
notifications and transparency, 
trade and gender, the strengthening 
of monitoring and evaluation tools, 
and expanding partnerships. I took 
over the management of the RTPC 
Unit in January 2020 and became 
responsible for the strategic 
planning and evolution of RTPCs.
You had planned seven RTPCs for 
2020, and six were cancelled due 
to the Covid-19 pandemic. How 
did you decide to hold the RTPCs 
virtually?Transitioning the RTPC to Remote Delivery:  
a Tale of Foresight, Adaptability, and Teamwork
Interview with Roberto Fiorentino, Head of the Regional Trade Policy Course Unit, Institute for Training and 
Technical Cooperation, WTO
The introduction of measures by 
countries around the world to 
protect human health and life 
against Covid-19 caught us all by 
surprise and worryingly unprepared. 
It forced me to rapidly shift gears 
and focus on two priorities. My 
priority was to safeguard the RTPC 
that was on its way and the fate 
of those scheduled for the year 
ahead. My second priority was to 
continue training officials despite 
the impossibility of organizing face-
to-face activities.
The first matter was dealt with 
pragmatically. We continued 
organizing RTPCs as scheduled and 
were ready to run them if prevailing 
conditions allowed. Addressing 
the second question was more 
complicated. The only answer was 
to convert the face-to-face RTPC to 
an online course. 
Initial brainstorming within the 
RTPC Unit made us ponder the 
enormous challenge presented by 
such an endeavour. Not knowing 
how long the pandemic would last 
made us wonder whether an online 
course could be designed within 
a viable timeframe. But we were 
undeterred. We quickly drafted 
a concept note for a pilot eRTPC 
for the Caribbean region which I 
submitted to ITTC management for 
their consideration and approval. 
We then consulted with the various 
stakeholders to assess whether 
there was appetite for such an event. We talked to officials from the 
Caribbean region, the RTPC partner 
institution in Trinidad and Tobago, 
regional trade experts from the 
Caribbean region, and colleagues 
from across the Secretariat. They all 
embraced the initiative and spurred 
us to push ahead. 
How was the preparation of the 
first virtual eRTPC? What were 
the challenges and how did you 
overcome them?
Our main challenge was to design 
a rapid and viable programme 
which could deliver and achieve 
most of the RTPC's objectives 
while also preserving the TA Plan's 
guiding principles of Result-Based 
Management and Progressive 
Learning Strategy. We didn't want 
to invest time and resources in a 
one-off event. Rather, we aimed 
for a training concept that could 
be replicated and adapted in other 
TA activities and regions, and that 
would remain relevant post-Covid. 
Having these goals led to several 
difficulties:
• The first related to conceptual 
design. Our challenge was 
to replicate online an RTPC 
curriculum that is structured 
around six hours of face to-face 
training, five days a week for 
eight weeks. The curriculum also 
required a regional trade focus 
shepherded by multiple partners 
and regional trade experts.
Transitioning the RTPC to Remote Delivery: a Tale of Foresight, Adaptability, 
and Teamwork. Interview with Roberto Fiorentino, Head of the Regional Trade 
Policy Course Unit, Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation, WTO
• The second challenge involved 
the pedagogical approach. 
How to include the gamut 
learning techniques of in-
person courses? For example, 
how do we incorporate question 
and answer sessions, group 
exercises and simulations, 
revision sessions, quizzes and 
exams, within the constraints of 
online training?
• IT issues and related 
considerations made up the 
third challenge. What virtual 
platforms do we use and what 
are the licenses? How do we 
train ourselves to use the 
platforms? How do we ensure 
that participants have access 
to fast and reliable internet 
connectivity and to a laptop/
desktop, especially if they are 
required to work from home?
With these considerations in mind, 
we conceived a programme that 
blended existing WTO e-Learning 
training and uses a self-study 
methodology with live webinars for 
lecturing and coaching. We extended 
the course curriculum from 8 to 
14 weeks and shifted to a weekly 
module template with built-in 
flexibilities that can accommodate 
various training needs. 
The main weekly components were 
self-study time, three two-hour live 
webinars with WTO experts, and a session devoted to group exercise 
and case studies. By inviting trade 
specialists from the region to offer 
a Caribbean perspective, the eRTPC 
also preserved the unique regional 
trade policy focus and its linkages 
with the WTO. A virtual round-table 
discussion involving key negotiators 
and decision makers from the region 
also presented perspectives on the 
challenges facing the multilateral 
trading system and their impact on 
the Caribbean region.
In terms of IT solutions, it was 
decided that we use the existing 
e-Learning platform to host the 
eRTPC's virtual classroom and rely 
on in-house tools and licenses 
for the live sessions. The eRTPC 
was to launch on 10 August and 
invitation letters were sent in July 
to Members and Observers from the 
region. This preparatory phase was 
riddled with uncertainties, there 
was doubt about whether we would 
receive sufficient nominations for 
the course. We also faced doubts 
about our ability to complete 
the monumental work ahead of 
us within the time constraints 
and with the Unit’s few available 
resources while adapting to working 
remotely and learning new digital 
technologies and online training 
methodologies.
How was the experience? What 
were some lessons learned?
The eRTPC was not an easy ride. We faced unexpected challenges. They 
ranged from loss of connectivity due 
to hurricanes circling the region, 
crashes of the digital platforms, and 
trial and error while using digital 
learning techniques. The learning 
curve was steep and at times 
painful, yet it was necessary and 
unavoidable to meet the target we 
had set for ourselves. 
Through commitment, determination, 
and a large dose of improvisation, 
the eRTPC was a success. Twenty 
participants from ten Caribbean 
Members were in attendance, and 
18 successfully completed the 
course. Of these, six participants 
received a diploma with distinction. 
Because the eRTPC was non-
residential, it was accessible to 
a broad and diverse audience, 
including government officials who 
had been unable to attend it in the 
past due to professional and private 
reasons. The participants said they 
were grateful for the opportunity 
to benefit from this first ever 
eRTPC, which had broadened and 
deepened their understanding of 
the multilateral trading system. 
All participants viewed the course 
as helping them to better engage 
in trade-related discourse and 
make better informed interventions. 
One participant reflected that the 
eRTPC showed international trade 
as less daunting than previously 
believed but it requires careful 
study and attention and should be 
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fully embraced, especially by public 
officials from developing countries. 
The participants were also grateful 
for the opportunity to meet and 
interact with a wide range of WTO 
professionals, regional experts, and 
wonderful colleagues, with whom 
they hope to continue engaging. 
The eRTPC was a collective 
achievement for the Secretariat. 
It mobilised colleagues from 
across divisions, including support 
divisions while working remotely. It 
shined light on what was possible 
rather than casting shade on what 
was deemed as impossible. Soon 
after, a feedback session was 
organized to take stock of the main 
lessons learnt. Key takeaways 
included: 
• First, manage the course’s 
ambition by taking into account 
participant’s available time to 
digest the training material 
while working part time. Develop 
new asynchronous training 
material to facilitate the self-
study process. Avoid PowerPoint 
presentations for live webinars.
• Second, think out of the box 
and be innovative in training 
methodologies to spur attention 
and interactivity among 
participants. Keep the message, 
clear, simple and concise and 
embrace digital interactive tools 
to bring participants from a 
sitting audience to the central 
stage.• Third, assess the viability of 
digital solutions for the tasks 
at hand, choose the most user-
friendly IT solutions and ensure 
that proper training for all the 
users is provided. 
• Finally, hope for the best, plan for 
the worst. The eRTPC’s success 
highlighted the importance 
of advanced, structured 
planning and the need to have 
a back-up plan for all possible 
eventualities.
Any thoughts about the way 
forward? 
In addition to the challenges and 
difficulties, the eRTPC gave us a 
foretaste of the possibilities that 
online training provides and their 
potential application in the post-
Covid era. These include outreach 
to a more diverse audience without 
the constraints of time, travel 
and distances; more flexibility in 
curriculum design by including 
interesting topics that were 
previously excluded due to travel and 
costs considerations of experts; and 
the applicability of online training 
tools in future hybrid training offers 
combining self-study with online 
and face-to-face sessions.
After the positive feedback, we 
launched in quick succession an 
eRTPC for Middle East Members. 
Taking place from 7 December 
2020 to 25 March 2021, the eRTPC incorporates several of the lessons 
learned from the pilot eRTPC. Most 
notably, it utilises a more user-
friendly online platform for live 
webinars and includes innovative 
elements. For example, an 
academic assistant from the region 
assists participants and moderates 
webinars. Practical online work 
receives increased focus. The 
flexible modular approach of 
the eRTPC also allowed us to 
quickly adapt the programme to 
accommodate the different working 
times and days prevalent in the 
region. 
The virtual course has equipped the 
RTPC Unit with the means to deal 
with the ongoing pandemic and the 
confidence to continue innovating 
this programme for future needs. 
It has laid out a framework for 
online WTO training that can be 
adapted to the different TA needs 
of beneficiaries and constraints 
of the Secretariat. In so doing, we 
are empowered with tools and 
techniques that allow us to remain 
effective during uncertain and 
challenging times.
Highlight
e-Learning offer 
increased by 
17 % 
in 2020
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Bolstering Transparency
Transparency is a recurring theme for WTO TA. 
Whether illustrated through national, regional, or 
global activities, the importance of transparency is 
clear. The focus on transparency also echoes Members’ 
efforts to improve compliance with the provisions of 
WTO Agreements including notification obligations. 
When Members do not comply with their transparency 
obligations, the WTO often turns to external sources for 
trade data.
Online initiatives striving to improve transparency 
shepherded the progress towards more notifications.  
Electronic tools introduced in recent years played a 
key role and the pandemic reinforced the importance 
of these tools. WTO TA increasingly relied on virtual 
channels of communication to move ahead.
When all face-to-face TA activities were suspended 
in March 2020, the online systems developed to ease 
the preparation, submission, tracking and analysis of 
notifications acquired a new significance. They were 
central in achieving this policy objective during the year 
and transparency-related TA focused exclusively on 
promoting the use of these tools.
Such tools take years to develop and implement. Their 
users may also require years to become familiar with the 
tools and to integrate them in their work processes. Since 
the WTO shifted towards online notification systems 
many years ago, the pandemic had only limited impact 
on transparency.
Transparency remained central in TA activities. In 2020, 
14 courses specifically focused on transparency. Other TA 
activities also often included specific modules dedicated 
to transparency provisions. Many online systems that 
facilitate the analysis, preparation and submission of 
notifications continued to be rolled-out. In 2019, the 
Handbook on Notifications was revised and converted 
into an electronic tool. Today, the Handbook is widely 
used during training of the transparency provisions of 
different Agreements and as a guide for Members to 
fulfil their notification obligations.
National activities highlighted transparency . In 
2020, six virtual national activities - for El Salvador, 
Guatemala, Mongolia, St Kitts & Nevis, Trinidad & Technical Cooperation 
Handbook on Notifications 
Requirement
Tobago and Uzbekistan – focused on notifications 
and the transparency provisions of WTO Agreements. 
The targeted audience were stakeholders tasked with 
collecting data that authorities need to fulfil their 
notification obligations or who may want to analyze other 
Members’ notifications. Depending on the countries, 
they addressed Agriculture, SPS and TBT, or Subsidies 
notifications and the electronic tools available for 
submission and analysis.
Regional and global activities, specifically those 
focused on SPS and TRIPS, sought to improve 
skills in implementing transparency obligations. 
Organized jointly with IICA, a regional workshop on SPS 
transparency for Latin America was inspired by the 
action plan of a 2018 Advanced SPS Course participant 
from Chile. In addition to strengthening the capacity of 
national notification authorities, the event stimulated 
coordination amongst SPS notification authorities in 
Latin America.
Two global activities on the SPS and TBT ePing alert 
system were organized at six-month intervals. The 
courses sought to familiarize interested stakeholders 
with this free online tool, which enables public and 
private stakeholders to access immediately and discuss 
SPS or TBT notifications affecting products and markets 
of interest to them. ePing also facilitates sharing the 
information notified with interested institutions and 
businesses.
A virtual ePing course was developed in response to the 
health crisis challenges to track relevant notifications. 
It explained how to set up an email alert on Covid-19 
related SPS/TBT notifications and how to liaise with 
domestic and international stakeholders through ePing. 
It was delivered five times, three times in English, once in 
French and once in Spanish, to accommodate different 
time zones and language preferences. Video tutorials 
on how to set up an ePing alert on Covid-19 related SPS 
and TBT notifications and how to share comments on 
notifications were also developed.How to use ePing to share 
comments on SPS & TBT 
notifications?
How to create an ePing 
alert on COVID-19?
Encouraging Results on Notifications
market access for goods (19.5%), Services (11.2%), and 
trade remedies (9.8%).
The pandemic cancelled an important event: the 
advanced workshop on agriculture notifications hosted 
annually in Geneva for Members with many outstanding 
notifications, LDCs and recently acceded Members. 
Hands-on training does not lend itself easily to virtual 
delivery. Members still struggle in this particular area 
of notifications. In the absence of a workshop, the 
submission rate for outstanding agriculture notifications 
ebbed in 2020. For many Members, the main challenge 
when preparing domestic support notifications remains 
data collection, as many agencies and ministries are 
responsible for actions in the notifiable domain. During 
a pandemic, data collection is harder.
The pandemic also impeded the Secretariat from 
extending TA designed to help Members reduce their 
notification backlog in areas other than agriculture. 
However, the WTO leveraged the TA in previous years 
and the Committees’ efforts to simplify procedures 
and define standardized templates, for example, on 
Import Licensing. On trade remedies, a large part of the According to the Central Registry of Notifications (CRN), 
2020 closed with 3,487 outstanding notifications. 
This is a large figure and represents an increase of 
331 notifications compared to the previous year. The 
figure does not tell the entire story, however. Factor 
in the annual increase in agricultural notifications 
and neutralise methodology changes introduced in 
counting outstanding notifications in the CRN and the 
figure declines by 6.2% compared to 2019. As a result, 
the average number of outstanding notifications per TA 
beneficiary Member was 23.5, which meets the planned 
target for reduction.
Some Members attribute the improvement to consistent 
assistance from WTO TA; such encouragement, say 
Members, help them to comply with the notification 
requirements. For example, in February 2020 the Côte 
d’Ivoire delegation stated that the Secretariat “must be 
commended for its invaluable support. ”
At a disaggregated level, Agriculture notifications 
represented 57.2% of total outstanding notifications in 
2020.  This figure is a marginal decline from the previous 
year. The remaining outstanding notifications were for 
2223242526272829
20202128002900300031003200330034003500
2700Figure 30.  CRN – Beneﬁciaries' Outstanding Notiﬁcations
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Average per Member Outstanding Notiﬁcations
Figure 30.  CRN – Beneficiaries' Outstanding Notifications
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Having benefitted from an ePing 
training session, I see clearly 
the value of such activities. Being 
able to network and learn from 
other Members is very important 
to smaller developing states. As 
small economies, we depend on 
these events to engage in one-on-
one discussions with counterparts 
who understand better how things 
should work. We learn from their 
experiences. That helps us to avoid 
making the same mistakes and 
enable us to collaborate on possible 
solutions. 
ePing is very popular among 
Members for several reasons. First, 
because it is provided though the 
WTO, it is a free and accessible means 
for disseminating information. It is 
one system available equally to all. Before ePing, we had no online tool 
for information dissemination at the 
national level. The cost of acquiring 
one was prohibitive. 
Being able to use ePing has helped 
me to reach national stakeholders 
on issues that may affect their 
industry. 
It also gives my stakeholders a 
sense of importance to know that 
they receive the notifications the 
same time as the National Enquiry 
Point. Due to resource constraints, 
in the past the Enquiry Point was not 
able to reach out to stakeholders 
about notifications that may affect 
their trade. Now the stakeholders 
sometimes reach out to let us know 
if there is a notification that they 
may need additional information 
for. They may also want to submit 
questions to the Member bringing 
the measure. 
Because my organization sits on 
various trade-related committees, 
when trade concerns are raised the ePing benefits are shared and 
its practical application is readily 
realised. 
For me, it is reassuring to know 
that there is an administrator 
on the ePing platform. It means 
that when I submit a comment or 
request information, someone will 
respond. It is frustrating when you 
send out correspondence seeking 
information, but no one even 
acknowledges your request. That 
can definitely be a barrier to trade. 
There is definitely room for growth 
and improvement with ePing. But 
we need more Members to actively 
inform their local stakeholders 
about the tool. Then stakeholders 
can use the platform and identify 
areas for improvement.
 ePing 
Platform
ePing: Making Transparency  
Work for Members
Testimonial by Teemal Janelle Lydia, TBT Enquiry Point of Trinidad and TobagoePing: Making Transparency Work for Members. Testimonial by Teemal Janelle 
Lydia, TBT Enquiry Point of Trinidad and Tobago
Number of notiﬁcations
200400600800100012001400
0Figure 32.  Evolution of TBT Notiﬁcations
20122011 2013201420152016 20062005 2007200820092010 20042003 1998199719961995 1999200020012002 2017201820192020
Developed Members Developing Members Least-developed Members
50100150200250300350
20200Figure 31.  Beneﬁciaries Outstanding Agriculture Notiﬁcations
2017 2018 2019
Figure 31 Beneficiaries Outstanding Agriculture Notifications Figure 32 Evolution of TBT Notifications
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notification-related TA is provided in the context of trade 
policy reviews, to help the Members under review submit 
their missing notifications ahead of the publishing of the 
report.
Despite the pandemic, Members submitted more TBT 
notifications in 2020 than in any previous year. African 
Members led the way. Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, 
and Egypt were among the top 10 notifiers. Overall, African 
Members submitted 1,071 notifications, a large share of 
which are related to food and beverages standards. Some 
93% of all TBT notifications were submitted through the 
online platform, in constant progression.
Through ePing, TBT and SPS notifications are 
disseminated to over 12,500 public and private sector 
stakeholders in 182 countries. This includes SMEs that 
make up nearly 20% of ePing users.
Following the launch of the e-TRIPS Submission System 
in 2019, TRIPS-related notifications in some areas saw a 
significant increase in 2020. For example, the number of 
submitted IP law notifications climbed from 92 in 2019 
to 137 in 2020. Explanations of various amendments to 
Members’ IP laws and regulations are becoming more 
detailed during TRIPS Council meetings. Members 
also used the eTRIPS Submission System to submit 
notifications and transparency related documentation 
more often. This can be attributed in part to TA. 
The percentage of reports submitted through the system 
also increased, from 58% in 2019 to 73% in 2020. 
Meanwhile, the percentage of notifications of IP laws 
and regulations submitted increased from 73% in 2019 
to 93% in 2020.Twenty-Sixth Annual Review 
of the Implementation and 
Operation of The TBT Agreement
Central Registry of Notifications
Enhanced Participation in WTO Work
By enhancing Members’ knowledge of WTO 
Agreements, most TA activities boost beneficiaries’ 
effective participation in the Multilateral Trading 
System, and in the work of the WTO in particular.
Submission of Substantive Documents is a proxy 
indicator for Members’ participation in WTO bodies. 
Statistics extracted from DocsOnline - the WTO database 
of documents - show an increase in the submission of 
substantive documents prepared fully or in part by 
at least one developing or LDC Member. The work of 
WTO bodies is based on the documents submitted by 
Members. Hence Members’ capacity to present in writing 
their views and proposals on key issues indicates their 
capacity to actively contribute to deliberations - and 
shape any potential consensus.
Many of the documents are presented by more than one 
Member. Often, they also involve developed Members in 
the preparation. This shows that developing Members 
can work constructively with other Members on these 
issues and find allies to defend their views. These are 
some of the fundamental techniques required to operate 
in a consensus-based organization like the WTO.
Figure 33.  Substantive Documents
LDCs Developing Countries514113
201552352
201655499
201753391
2018747122
2019534113
202082%18%
91%85%85%86%
83%9%15%15%14%
17%
The pandemic of 2020 slowed down the progress of 
many WTO bodies. These include the closure of the WTO 
for two months in the spring; the subsequent reduction 
in meeting capacity for technical reasons; the move 
to virtual interactions amongst delegations; and the 
postponement of MC12 in 2020. 
Despite these externalities, the overall volume of 
substantive documents submitted by at least one 
developing or LDC Member or Observer remained 
relatively high in 2020. The figure was stable for 
developing country Members and Observers compared 
to the 2016-18 average and increased by almost 40% 
for LDCs. The TA Plan targeted an increase in both cases. 
That these Members held their ground in the WTO bodies 
clearly shows their self-confidence and their capacity - 
built over many years of WTO TA.
Documents Online
Figure 33 Substantive Documents
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Having taken part in the Trade Policy Course, I am now better positioned 
to contribute more to the work of the Ministry of International Trade in 
understanding WTO Agreements and the functions, rules and procedures of 
the WTO. Our Ministry is policy based. Armed with the understanding of these 
agreements, a more wholesome approach can now be taken in addressing 
national, regional and international trade-related matters and their impact on 
my country.
 
Desiree Huggins, Trade Policy Officer, Ministry of International Trade, Industry, 
Commerce and Con-sumer Affairs of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Utilizing WTO Data and Information
For WTO matters, access to data is critical. The WTO’s 
numerous data management tools are designed 
and developed to enable Members and Observers to 
access relevant and quality data in a timely manner. 
Increasingly, beneficiaries depend on these tools to 
analyze trade-related trends, keep abreast of the latest 
developments at the WTO or with other Members, and 
actively participate in the multilateral trading system. 
The suspension of in-person WTO activities during the 
pandemic reinforced the centrality of these tools and 
prompted the Secretariat to expand their use.
Greater awareness among TA participants of the content 
of the WTO website has increased visitor traffic in recent 
years. Indeed, the WTO website remains the best source 
of information for many Members and Observers across 
the world. In 2020, the website registered 67,409 visits 
from Members (+12%) and 654 visits from Observers 
(+48%). These figures account for visits from delegates 
and government officials. The number of visits and views 
by the general public is much higher.
Website’s accessible features and functionalities vary 
according to the categories of users. More than 1 million 
searches were performed on the website during the year. 
The WTO and country-related news, particularly about 
China and Hong Kong, remained popular reads. Other 
frequently searched subjects include WTO financial 
rules and regulations – an interest probably sparked 
by the approval of the WTO budget; regional integration; 
security exceptions – invoked by some Members during 
the year; the precaution principle; trade in services; and, 
ahead of the appointment of the organization’s chief, 
past WTO Directors General.
English was the website’s most used language. Some 
81% of users accessed the English-language pages, 13% 
the Spanish and 6% the French version.
Many TA activities are designed to help beneficiaries 
access WTO data and related information. In 2020, 
the Secretariat organized 44 virtual and face-to-face 
activities at the global, regional, and national level to 
address this need. While the number of activities fell by a 
third compared to the previous year, the total number of 
participants remained stable, with some 2,600 officials 
trained, as virtual events drew larger audiences.
Depending on the target audience, the activities varied in 
depth and complexity. Generalist activities were geared 
for Young Professionals (YPs) and long-term interns. 
Specialist training mostly targeted governments officials. 
For example, the activities on SPS and TBT often included 
Figure 34.  Most Viewed Pages
9.2MHome Page
Main News 
Gateway8.9M 
News Archive
2.5M
Search Page
2.3M
Economic Research
Gateway
610k
Fact File
900k
Publications 
Page
799k
COVID-19 Gateway
456k
Members
Gateway
891k
About WTO
2.1M 
Ressources 
Gateway
337kDisputes4.2M
DG Azevêdo 
Page
503k 
Figure 34.  Most Viewed Pages
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training on ePing (the alert and discussion platform), 
online notification tools (the Notification Submission 
System, or NSS), and the new e-Agenda platform, which 
can be used to raise Specific Trade Concerns (STCs). 
Several virtual activities were organized specifically to 
promote these tools. Activities on TRIPS and Government 
Procurement did the same for the e-TRIPS Gateway 
(a portal on TRIPS to submit notifications or search 
information) and the e-GPA portal.
A Services Trade Policy Database jointly developed with 
the World Bank and ITC was launched at the beginning 
of 2020. It contains information on the services trade 
policies and regulations applied by around 80 economies 
010 00020 00030 00040 00050 00060 00070 000
0100200300400500600700Figure 35.  Digital Access by Members and Observers
Members Observers
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Training helped me a lot to understand how the WTO Secretariat continues 
to report and arrange the transparency tool for the reporting. I also gained 
sufficient experience to raise awareness and inform my government on such 
important obligation in the TRIPS agreement for WTO Members.
 
Iapatu Railau Sam, Senior Patents and Designs Officer, Vanuatu Intellectual 
Property Office.and 31 service sectors; on Members’ commitments 
under the GATS; on services commitments in 
regional trade agreements; and on services 
statistics.
Four online courses on using WTO data and 
information remained available in the three WTO 
languages throughout the year. The courses were: 
Agriculture Information Management System; 
Documents Online e-Subscriptions; Transparency 
and the WTO: Notification Obligations; and WTO 
Market Access Intelligence Online.Figure 35.  Digital Access by Members and Observers
Figure 36.  Participation in Activities on Access to WTO Information 
931
8671653
1297
316620
215336
105421466523594835
377421465
2693441339
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020Regional e-Learning Global National
Figure 36.  Participation in Activities on Access to WTO Information
WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2020  87 86  WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2020
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Supporting Accessions
Advancing Towards Membership
As they are not part of the multilateral trading 
system, Observers were concerned by the 
complications sparked by the pandemic in global 
trade. Many expressed significant interest to advance 
their accession, as shown by their participation in 
accessions and related TA activities during the year. 
With 973 Observer representatives taking part in 94 TA 
activities in 2020, participation was in the same order of 
magnitude as in 2019. Virtual activities predominated in 
2020 and drew 49% of participation, following a small 
number of face-to-face activities that took place prior to 
the enacting of travel restrictions in March. 
As their Members' peers, 41% of participants from 
acceding countries took part in e Learning activities. 
Some 37% of total participation was in national TA 
activities, which address the specificities of individual 
accession processes. Such events were delivered for 
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Curaçao, Ethiopia, Sudan, Timor-
Leste, Turkmenistan (new Observer) and Uzbekistan, 
mainly through virtual channels. They focused on the 
accession process for SPS, Services and TRIPS. Two 
regional activities targeted the regions with the largest 
number of ongoing accessions: Africa and CEECAC. Due 
to the non-payment of their contribution to the WTO, 
Libya, Sao Tomé & Principe and Somalia were restricted 
by administrative measures from participating in these 
activities.
Two global virtual activities were also organized in 2020. 
The first was the Accessions week, which was open to 
all Members and Observers. The second was a training 
course on Agriculture in the WTO, which targeted officials 
from acceding governments.Ongoing accessions saw mixed progress in 2020. 60% of 
the planned targets were met, but overall the accession 
processes did not pick up pace during the year. Granted, 
they did not slow down either - a remarkable feat to 
achieve during a pandemic. For several years, the 
accession of Comoros and Bosnia & Herzegovina have 
been strategic priorities that can conclude very soon 
given their level of technical advancement. Actions were 
taken to reactivate the accessions of Iraq, Lebanon and 
Serbia and to activate the accession process of Curaçao, 
Equatorial Guinea and Somalia.
As in 2019, the accessions of Algeria, Andorra, Bhutan, 
Iran, Libya, Sao Tomé & Principe and Syria remained 
inactive.
Four formal Working Party meetings took place on the 
accessions of Ethiopia, Uzbekistan, Comoros and Timor-
Leste. Four documents were prepared or revised in 2020, 
compared to six in 2019. These documents include the 
Memorandum of the Foreign Trade Regime (MTFR) 
of Somalia and Uzbekistan, and draft reports for the 
Working Parties of Belarus and Comoros. In addition, six 
roadmaps were prepared or revised for Ethiopia, Iraq, 
Somalia, South-Sudan and Timor-Leste, in line with the 
TA Plan target.WTO Accessions – 2020 Annual 
Report by the Director-General
Following the TA training, Ethiopia’s accession process restarted - after eight 
years of stalling. I was able to play a great role in the preparation and in the 
negotiation as well.
 
Lisanework Gorfu Wubachev, Former participant of ATPC, Ministry of Trade and 
Industry, Ethiopia.
Figure 37.  Observers' Participation
202041%37%
12%10%201930%
43%
13%
14%201843% 40%
13%4%
Regional
e-Learning GlobalNational
12th Meeting 
of the Working 
Party on the 
Accession of 
Belarus
Figure 37.  Observers' Participation
WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2020  89 88  WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2020
WT/COMTD/W/259 WT/COMTD/W/259
By Subject
2696
655961164
33136Middle East202
58
CEECAC
177
Caribbean
Asia-Paciﬁc
Africa1812172Figure 38.  Obsevers' Participation by Region and Subject
E-Learning Global Regional National
By Region
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450TRIPSTrade RemediesStandardsServicesOtherMarket Access for GoodsGovernment ProcurementGeneralDispute SettlementAgricultureAccession
Figure 38.  Obsevers' Participation by Region and Subject
Supporting GPA Accession
Accession to the Government Procurement Agreement 
(GPA) is another important indicator for this Key Result. 
GPA accession negotiations remained active in 2020 for 
China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, North Macedonia, 
Russia and Tajikistan. Brazil initiated its GPA accession 
in May 2020. 
Training to support GPA accessions also targets capacity 
building for non-GPA observers, to help them decide 
on a possible GPA accession. In 2020 for example, Côte 
d'Ivoire became a GPA observer after attending a series 
of TA events.
A face-to-face regional TA activity in the Caribbean and 
two national seminars for China and Aruba were held 
prior to the lockdown. Two virtual global workshops 
were organised later in the year. The Secretariat also 
participated in virtual events organised by some of its 
partners on the accession to the GPA of Brazil and China.The circulation of GPA accession-related documents 
served as a proxy to measure TA’s contribution to the 
conclusion of accession negotiations. In 2020, the number 
of documents circulated declined significantly. The 
average number of documents per active GPA acceding 
Member fell from the 2016 18 average of 6.8 to 1.1. 
Two main reasons explain the decline. First, the 
pandemic affected the work of governments, as 
GPA acceding countries reported during Committee 
meetings. Second, several acceding countries in the 
final phase of negotiations addressed remaining issues 
directly in bilateral discussions and did not circulate 
further documents. For these countries, an absence of 
new documents should not be equated with an absence 
of progress in the accession process. 
 Government Procurement 
Agreement
Figure 39.  Accession Overview
Accession Documents Accession Meetings
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 20207
210
3
2
41
23
1
41
4 446
2
Plurilateral 
meetingsInformal 
meetingsFormal
meetings41
Figure 39.  Accession Overview
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On-the-job Training
WTO internships were the only WTO TA programmes 
preserved from the impact of the pandemic in 
2020. As the participants had arrived in Geneva before 
travel restrictions were in place, the programmes 
were implemented almost as originally planned. In 
encouraging ‘learning-by-doing’ , the programmes foster 
a pool of professionals who will return to their countries 
with detailed knowledge of the multilateral trading 
system and improved trade-related skills. 
Measuring learning results can be a challenge. The proxy 
indicator to assess the internships’ impact is the time 
the interns allocate to five categories of outputs: WTO 
meetings; meetings of regional groups; training sessions; 
research, briefing notes and needs' assessments; and 
other activities. The compilation of the monthly reports 
provides a snapshot of interns' work in Geneva and forms 
the basis of this analysis. 
Given the length and costs of the long-term internships, 
they are excluded from some analysis in this report in 
order to prevent distortion of the overall results of TA 
activities. Long-term internships average 10 months 
in duration while other TA is counted in days. They cost 
CHF 2 million per year while other TA activities cost  
CHF 40,000 on average.
Long-term internship programmes are regarded as part 
of the global face-to-face activities held in Geneva and 
cover five different programmes: 
• Accession Internship Programme (AIP)
• French & Irish Missions Internship Programme (FIMIP)
• Netherlands Trainee Programme (NTP)
• Regional Coordinator Internship (RCI) 
• Young Professionals Programme (YPP)
Except for the RCI and the YPP funded entirely through 
the Global Trust Fund, the number of long-term interns 
in any given year depends on the level of voluntary 
contributions received from donors for these specific 
programmes. These include China for the AIP , France and 
Ireland for the FIMIP , and the Netherlands for the NTP . 
The timing of these contributions in the year also plays a 
role in the duration of the internships.
The findings of a recent ex-post evaluation of the 
performance of the AIP , FIMIP , NTP and RCI since 2011 are summarized in the case-study included in this report. It 
explains their specificities and their achievements over 
the review period.
Accession Internship Programme 
(AIP)
A total of 35 interns have participated in this programme 
since its inception in 2011. It generally lasts 10 months 
and may spread over two calendar years. The interns are 
posted in the Accessions division of the Secretariat. 
Due to pandemic-induced travel restrictions, interns 
who were completing the programme in Spring 2020 had 
their contracts extended beyond 10 months. Three new 
interns already based in Geneva started in the Autumn. 
Until 2018, most AIP interns hailed from LDCs. In 2019, 
however, only 25% represented LDCs. None of the three 
interns who joined in 2020 was from an LDC.
At the start of the internship, the interns set their 
objectives in consultation with the supervisor and 
director of the division. Accession interns then report 
weekly to the Director on their activities and progress 
in achieving their objectives. The four interns who 
completed their internships in 2020 were evaluated as 
fully satisfactory, thus meeting the year’s target of a 
100% success rate for the final evaluation.
Figure 40.  AIP Interns by Region
28%
CEECAC9%
Latin 
America
3%
Middle East
37%
Africa 23%
AsiaFigure 40.  AIP Interns by Region
French-Irish Mission Internship 
Programme (FIMIP)
In 2020, 19 interns were selected to participate in the 
FIMIP , slightly over the 2012-19 average of 17.6 interns. 
Thirteen hailed from LDCs. 
The interns spent 9.5 months on average working in the 
permanent mission of their country, under the authority 
of their Ambassador. 
Despite the pandemic, the programme reached its 
intended objectives. As the interns act as delegates of 
their country, they participate in the work of different 
WTO bodies and negotiation sessions in addition to 
webinars and dialogues organized by the Secretariat. In 
keeping with social distancing guidelines, a visit to the 
permanent mission of France and a discussion on the 
major issues of French trade policy and development 
cooperation and multilateralism within the EU were 
conducted virtually.
Monthly reports provide an understanding of how interns 
allocate their time. On average, they spent 51% of their 
time on meeting-related work (WTO bodies or Regional 
Groupings), including attending and performing the 
underlying preparatory and follow-up work. This task is 
particularly important for small understaffed permanent missions as it supports their ability to attend such 
meetings. They also spent 15% of their time attending 
training sessions, including monthly meetings with the 
Secretariat, e-Learning courses, and presentations 
by divisions. Some 10% of their time was spent on 
preparing research, briefing notes, needs assessments 
and notifications. The remaining 24% of their time was 
spent on other WTO related duties such as administrative 
tasks.
The trainees are evaluated by their supervisors at the 
missions at the end of their stay. Eleven interns were 
evaluated as "fully satisfactory" and eight "significantly 
exceeded performance requirements” , thus meeting the 
programme’s target of 100% satisfactory appraisal.
Regional Coordinator Internship 
Programme (RCI)
The allocation of an intern to a regional coordinator 
is entirely demand-driven and thus depends on the 
requests received from those Members who act as 
coordinators for a region or a group of Members. Of the 
six interns initially selected for the 2020 intake, three 
were unable to travel to Geneva. Meanwhile, three of the 
2019 interns stayed in Geneva for part of 2020.
Figure 41.  FIMIP Time Allocation
24%
Other
10%
Research,
brieﬁng
notes needs
assessment,
notiﬁcations15%
Training 
Sessions18% 
Regional 
Group
Meetings33%
WTO 
Meetings
Figure 42.  RCI Time Allocation
21%
Other
5%
Research,
brieﬁng
notes needs
assessment,
notiﬁcations3%
Training 
Sessions47% 
Regional Group
Meetings24%
WTO 
Meetings
Figure 41.  FIMIP Time Allocation Figure 42.  RCI Time Allocation
WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2020  93 92  WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2020
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Case Study:  
Preparing a Generation of Officials for  
Trade Challenges
Long-term internship programmes 
are the most compelling 
examples of TA ’s learning-by-
doing approach. Each year, some 
40 professionals arrive in Geneva 
to spend an average of 9 months 
absorbed in WTO operations.
The initiative started in 1998 
with the Netherlands Trainee 
Programme, or NTP , which offers 
trade officials a first-hand exposure 
to the functioning of the Secretariat 
by working as a staff member. In 
2001, the French and Irish Mission 
Internship Programme, or FIMIP , 
began and coupled this hands-on 
training offer to participants with 
the opportunity for understaffed 
permanent missions to have 
additional staff by hosting an intern. 
The Regional Coordinator Internship 
programme, or RCI, launched a year 
later was modelled on the FIMIP , 
but with a slightly different focus. 
RCI trainees are tasked to help the 
permanent missions cope with the 
additional workload generated by 
their roles as regional coordinators. 
In 2011, the Accessions Internship 
Programme (AIP) further enriched 
WTO's on-the-job training offerings 
by targeting young graduates 
and focusing on supporting the 
accession process.The specificity of the internship 
programmes cements their 
relevance to beneficiaries. Each 
internship is designed to address 
needs that would otherwise be 
insufficiently attended. Combined 
with the stability of donor funding 
over time, the WTO's unique position 
enabled these programmes to be 
among the Organization's most 
effective TA initiatives, according to 
external evaluators. 
The internships have evolved 
through the years. Changes to 
the programmes embrace the 
requirements of Result-Based 
Management and reflect the 
feedback collected from ongoing 
monitoring and evaluations. Efforts 
to strengthen them continue, 
through sharpening the selection 
process, record-keeping, and 
reporting procedures. 
The internships are accessible 
to candidates from a wide array 
of countries around the world. 
Promotion of the programmes 
coupled with the expansion of the 
pool of suitable candidates resulting 
from successful completion of lower 
level TA, and an improved selection 
process that strives for balanced 
participation across Members, has led to unprecedented geographical 
representation. Since 2011, 93 
developing countries have had the 
opportunity to join the programmes 
and enhance their institutional 
capacity. Today, the programmes 
count more than 500 trade 
professionals as alumni. 
Demand continues to outstrip 
capacity. According to a 2019 ex-
post evaluation of the internships, 
the FIMIP is able to respond to only 
half of the permanent missions’ 
needs, and the AIP and NTP are 
constrained by the absorption 
capacity of the Secretariat. 
Measuring the programmes’ 
long-term impact on Members 
and Observers is a challenge, 
with testimonials comprising the 
primary metric. However, the volume 
and consistency of testimonials 
and success stories compiled by 
the recent evaluation confirm that 
the FIMIP , NTP and RCI positively 
impact beneficiary countries. Many 
former interns progressively gained 
higher responsibilities in their 
governments and are considered by 
their supervisors as key providers of 
trade policy advice. As they progress 
through their careers, internship 
alumni help elaborate their 
Case Study: Preparing a Generation of Officials for Trade Challenges
countries' positions on trade issues, 
support the implementation of WTO 
obligations such as notifications, 
coordinate national committees 
or trade policy reviews, and lead 
trade negotiations. They make use 
of the extensive network of useful 
contacts developed during their 
internships and do not hesitate to 
share knowledge with their peers.
Many of the observed results 
are sustained over time. Going 
forward, WTO TA is exploring ways to 
maximize the internship experience, 
for example, by optimizing the 
placement of AIP and NTP interns 
within WTO divisions and fine-
tuning their assignments and time 
allocation.
FIMIP Interns in a meeting.
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The duration of the RCI interns' stay in Geneva depends 
on the Coordinator's mandate. The LDC, ACP and 
CARICOM interns who started in 2019 stayed for 6, 10.5 
and 8.5 months respectively. The PIF , C4 and GRULAC 
interns who arrived in 2020 remained for 6, 10 and 9.5 
months, respectively. They all left Geneva at different 
times in 2020 after completing their internship.
The interns’ monthly reports show that, on average, 
they spent 71% of their time on regional group and 
WTO meetings and related work (preparation or follow-
up). The interns spent 5% of their time working on 
research or briefing notes, 3% on training sessions, and 
the remainder on other tasks and requests made by 
regional coordinators. These figures confirm that the RCI 
reinforces the capacity of the missions acting as regional 
coordinators.
Interns were evaluated positively by their supervisors. 
Two exceeded expectations, two were fully satisfactory 
and two evaluation reports were missing. This fell short 
of the set target of 100% satisfactory appraisal.
Netherlands Trainee Programme 
(NTP)
With the exception of two participants who could not 
join the programme because they could not travel to 
Geneva before the start of Covid-19 lockdown, the NTP 
proceeded per usual. Sixteen interns participated in 
the NTP , which started on 9 March and concluded on 18 
December. Seven participants were from LDCs. In terms 
of regional representation, 6 were from Africa, 5 from 
Asia, 3 from the Caribbean, and 2 from the Central and 
Eastern Europe and Central Asia region. The interns were 
posted in ITTC and worked for different divisions of the 
Secretariat.
While there were adjustments to the new normal of 
Covid-19, the programme achieved its planned objective 
of giving interns an on-the-job practical experience of 
working in the WTO. The cessation of in-person meetings 
just one week into the internship meant that the interns 
also worked remotely from their places of residence. 
What was supposed to last only a few months ended up 
being the norm for most of the duration of the internship. 
The traditional study tour to The Hague was replaced by 
a virtual event over two weeks in November.
Monthly reports indicate that interns spent 33% of their 
time working for their assigned divisions and only 10% 
preparing for and attending meetings. They spent 21% 
of their time attending trainings and 22% working on 
research or briefing notes. The remainder of their time was spent preparing their country’s TA needs assessment 
and updating its list of outstanding notifications.
All interns and supervisors evaluated the programme 
positively, concluding that it was a success despite 
the challenges. Fifteen interns were evaluated as 
"fully satisfactory" and one "significantly exceeded 
performance requirements” , thus meeting the year’s 
targets. The programme also met its target for the 
number of interns participating in the year. 
Figure 43.  NTP Time Allocation
14%
Other
22%
Research, 
brieﬁng 
notes, 
notiﬁcations 33%
Work in
divisions21%
Training 
Sessions1% 
Regional Group
Meetings9%
WTO 
Meetings
Young Professionals Programme 
(YPP)
The purpose of the Young Professionals Programme 
(YPP) is to empower nationals from developing countries 
and LDCs by building their technical knowledge of WTO-
related issues and skills related to WTO work. Priority is 
given to candidates from Members with no professional 
representation in the Secretariat.
Following a competitive selection process based on merit, 
12 participants were selected from more than 1,200 
candidates to be part of the fourth cohort that started in 
January 2020. There were two main reasons for missing 
the target of 15. First, priority was given to candidates 
from Members with no professional representation in 
the Secretariat and who had not yet benefited from the 
YPP . Second, only one single candidate could be selected 
from the same country.Figure 43.  NTP Time Allocation
Hosted in 12 different Secretariat divisions, 
the YPs had specific objectives defined jointly 
with their respective supervisors. YP-supervisor 
meetings were regularly held during the year to 
monitor progress and provide feedback to fine-
tune the programme. To mitigate the difficulties 
caused by Covid-19, these meetings were 
conducted virtually and their frequency and 
coverage were increased.
Despite the challenges of 2020, all twelve YPs 
integrated easily into the work of their divisions. 
They contributed to ongoing Secretariat work, 
such as servicing meetings of WTO bodies, and 
preparing reports and working papers. They also 
helped to deliver TA activities and other public 
events such as the World Cotton Day and the WTO 
25th anniversary. 
The YP programme has been eye opening and 
engaging, Covid-19 notwithstanding. The year 
in Geneva has allowed me to explore the role of 
trade in international relations and geopolitics, 
exposed me to the trade issues of greatest urgency 
and interest to developing countries, and further 
clarified my long-term professional goals.
 
Roberta Allport, Young Professional, Dominica.All YPs confirmed that their understanding of the WTO 
significantly improved during their time in Geneva. 
Their supervisors rated their performances as 'fully 
satisfactory', hence meeting the target set in the TA plan. 
Several former YPs were subsequently recruited by the 
WTO or other IGOs dealing with trade issues. One of 
them now works as Commercial Attaché at her country's 
permanent mission in Geneva. This confirms that the 
YPP fulfils its objective of building the capacity of its 
participants to work on WTO-related matters.
Trainee Programmes and 
Internships
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I learned about the Netherland 
Traineeship Programme, or NTP , 
in 2007 from the late Jean Marc 
Fortin, who was then Counsellor 
at the WTO's Institute for Training 
and Technical Cooperation 
(ITTC). Impressed, I applied for 
the internship to strengthen my 
knowledge about the multilateral 
trading system (MTS) and its rules.
Participating in the programme 
followed a logical pathway. I had 
benefitted from several training 
courses, thanks to ITTC and 
Senegal's Ministry of Commerce. 
I had attended the e-Learning 
introduction course and a course 
on the Agreement on Agriculture - 
a field of great interest - and other 
trade policy courses. Due to its 
practical approach and immersion 
in WTO's day-to-day work, the internship offered a unique way 
to consolidate and deepen my 
knowledge. In sum, it was a golden 
opportunity to sharpen my skills and 
contribute to fulfilling my country's 
commitments at the WTO. 
When I was nominated by the 
Senegalese authorities for the NTP in 
July 2009, I was a technical advisor to 
the Minister of Commerce. I oversaw 
trade negotiations, including the 
Economic Partnerships Agreements 
with the EU, and regional integration. 
My professional experience and 
successful completion of WTO 
courses helped my selection as an 
NTP for 2012. 
During a welcome session, I 
was struck by the Secretariat's 
determination to keep the WTO at 
the centre of various international 
discussion fora. Through the 
internship, I learned about the 
state of play during the Doha 
negotiations. I attended internal 
meetings and workshops, meetings 
of the WTO bodies including the 
General Council, meetings of the 
African Group and the permanent 
mission of the African Union in Geneva. I also took part in relevant 
meetings of other Geneva-based 
organizations, such as UNCTAD's 
Trade and Development Council. 
My experience at the WTO work 
prompted me to question why my 
country has not availed itself of 
the opportunities and flexibilities 
offered by WTO rules. Senegal, it 
seems to me, does not take full 
advantage of its participation in 
the MTS. The internship helped 
me develop competencies in 
elaborating and implementing trade 
and development policies. It also 
offered tremendous opportunities 
for networking. I was able to 
exchange views with a wide array of 
experts on topics of interest. 
NTP interns have the opportunity 
to collaborate directly or indirectly 
with WTO divisions of their choice. 
I was interested in capacity 
building issues and naturally 
drawn to the Secretariats of the 
Standards and Trade Development 
Facility (STDF) and the Enhanced 
Integrated Framework (EIF). Both 
are partnerships with several 
development actors but housed From Geneva to Beijing:  
The Remarkable Journey of a Former NTP
Testimonial by Mamadou Sarr, Head of the Economic Section Embassy of Senegal in Beijing
From Geneva to Beijing: The Remarkable Journey of a Former NTP . Testimonial by Mamadou Sarr, 
Head of the Economic Section Embassy of Senegal in Beijing
within the WTO Secretariat.  
I thoroughly enjoyed working with 
the STDF Secretariat, including 
being exposed to Aid Effectiveness 
principles in-action, and learning 
about best practices in coordinating 
national authorities for work related 
to the SPS Committee.
I successfully made use of these 
best practices in coordinating the 
implementation of the EIF in my 
country. Working with, and receiving 
advice from, the EIF Secretariat 
helped me to understand the 
challenges of implementing the EIF 
in Senegal. I was also able to learn 
from the experiences of other LDCs 
that have fully benefited from the 
EIF . 
Upon my return to Dakar armed 
with this newly acquired experience 
in Aid for Trade, I was appointed 
as the Coordinator of the EIF’s 
National Implementation Unit. 
Learning the working methods of 
the EIF and STDF Secretariats were 
instrumental in implementing the 
EIF effectively in Senegal, updating 
the Diagnostic Trade Integration 
Study, and elaborating Tier II projects. Senegal also participated 
in the third Aid for Trade Global 
Review and the completion of 
multiple sectoral studies of export 
promotion. 
In November 2013, I was assigned 
to the Senegalese Embassy in 
Beijing as the commercial attaché, 
a job that requires an advanced 
knowledge of trade, investment, and 
international development issues. 
My understanding of the MTS rules 
and its flexibilities for LDCs proved 
particularly useful for market 
access negotiations. By facilitating 
the expansion and diversification 
of the exportable offer to Asia, 
Senegal's exports to China grew 
by 600% since 2013. I was able 
to contribute meaningfully to the 
development of my country.
My proficiency in WTO matters 
was useful at the multilateral level 
as well. For example, in meetings 
of the G20 Working Groups on 
Trade and Investment, Finance 
and Agriculture, where Senegal 
participated as a guest country. My 
internship gave me more confidence 
in working and expressing myself in English, which proved to be an asset 
for my work.
Progress charted by the NTP 
programme is also a challenge for 
the WTO. Ideally, with the crisis 
due to Covid-19 the NTP should 
occupy a central position in WTO 
TA more than ever before to enable 
countries to take advantage of MTS 
flexibilities.
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Broadening Engagement through WCP
The partnership between the WTO and academia 
is vital: When academics analyse and promote 
WTO issues, the conversation returns to policy 
makers. The WTO Chairs Programme (WCP), 
comprising of influential academics and their teams, 
has an important strategic goal: through teaching, 
research and outreach activities, create a sustainable 
pool of expertise to analyse trade issues and impact 
policy making beyond the lifetime of the programme. 
WCP Chairs are tasked with developing curriculum to 
train future trade experts, and producing research to 
advise governments and other stakeholders on trade 
policy. Welcome as it may be, TA from exogenous 
sources is rarely entirely tailored to local specificities 
or needs. Outreach efforts by the WCP also enabled 
WTO TA to reach an audience beyond government 
officials.
Following the conclusion early 2019 of the WCP’s 
Phase II, the Chairs presented their final reports in 
mid-2019. The findings of an independent evaluation 
of the programme’s eight years, released in August 
2019 included recommendations which subsequently 
informed the design, in 2020, of Phase III. 
The last disbursements to Phase II Chairs took place 
in 2018. Hence any outcome or output under this Key 
Result was the result of support provided in previous 
years and of the Chairs' own contribution. The six 
Phase II Chairs met almost all the targets set by the 
TA Plan. Overall results in 2020 were significantly 
better than in the previous year, likely due to a more 
comprehensive reporting by the Chairs.
The independent evaluation had described WCP 
financing as, in most cases, complemented by 
significant efforts by the Chair [holder]s and their 
host institutions to ensure that planned activities 
and outputs were achieved.The contributions of host institutions foreboded the 
programme’s sustainability - a prediction confirmed by 
the results described below. 
The evaluation was a testimony to the programme’s 
long-lasting impact on the participating countries. The 
Chairs maintained an active dialogue with WTO experts, 
discussed their WTO-related work plans during the 
year, and maintained a fruitful collaboration amongst 
themselves that produced positive results in their 
respective countries. The WCP brand also boosted the 
reputations of the Chairs, playing a crucial role in their 
good positioning with senior policy makers. 
WTO Chairs Programme
Policy Influence
The Chairs’ impact on their countries’ trade policy was 
evident in 2020. The six Phase II Chairs were involved in 
19 national-level consultative processes, addressing a 
range of topics from legislative reforms, to trade policy 
dialogues and administration of trade disputes. The 
Chair in Turkey advised on the reform of the National 
Competition Act to align with international competition 
law developments, which have evolved while the Act 
has not since its passing in 1995. The Chair in Oman 
contributed to the country’s strategy towards providing 
food security to its population, in response to falling 
government revenue from oil exports and rising food 
prices. This led to a reform of subsidies for food products. 
The Chair in Tunisia contributed to a series of trade 
policy dialogues with different private sector institutions 
representing local producers, such as the Tunisian Union 
for Industry, Trade and Handicraft, the US Chamber of 
Commerce, and the Arab Institute of Business Leaders. 
With the Chair in South Africa, they promoted trade 
opportunities in Africa for local SMEs. The Chair in Brazil 
was equally involved in the promotion of external trade 
in services. Finally, the Chair in Benin advised a public-
private consortium promoting the use of solar cookers in 
rural areas to foster economic autonomy among women.
The Chairs’ impact could also be discerned by their 
participation in consultations and subsequent policy 
influence. Describing the Chairs and their teams as influential individuals with good access to policy 
makers and regional/international organizations, the 
independent evaluation reported that the WCP “achieved 
impact at the policy level,” even if occasionally ‘behind 
the scenes’ .
In 2020, the Chairs continued to serve in prestigious 
and influential national institutions, as repeatedly 
reported in previous years. The deputy Chair in Brazil was 
appointed as the Secretary of Foreign Trade. The Chair in 
Tunisia is a member of the Central Bank Executive Board 
and of the Council of Economic Analysis, reporting to 
the head of government. The Chair in Oman works with 
the Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre and the 
Chamber of Commerce for economic analysis. The Chair 
in South Africa advises the federal and several provincial 
governments. In Turkey, the Chair is advising the Minister 
of Trade and the Competition Authority.
The Chairs organized a total of 59 outreach events 
in 2020, representing an average of ten events per 
Chair. Because of the Covid pandemic, most of these 
events were virtual events, demonstrating the Chairs’ 
adaptability in outreach. However, not all Chairs reported 
on the audience size of the events, nor whether high-
level policy makers or key decision makers participated 
- proxy metrics for assessing the impact of outreach.
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Case Study:  
Identifying Export Opportunities through  
the WCP: Lessons from Tunisia
By Professor Leila Baghdadi, WTO Chair, ESSECT University, Tunisia
Entrepreneurialism persists 
even during a pandemic. While 
the Covid-19 virus r aged across 
the world, the WTO Chair of Tunisia 
ramped up in 2020 a new project 
that will open-up export markets for 
small businesses. 
The project began with a partnership 
between the WTO Chairs of Tunisia 
and South Africa. Large international 
companies have significant human 
and financial capacity to identify 
and pursue export opportunities. 
SME exporters generally have 
much less resources. The partners 
sought to close this gap. With small 
businesses and policy makers as 
their target audience for identifying 
export opportunities across Africa 
and beyond the continent, the 
partners used in this initiative the Trade Decision Support Model 
(DSM), a tool launched in December 
2019.
The DSM uses a sequential filtering 
process to determine products and 
destination countries for export 
activities. It can be commissioned 
by various government ministries 
- including trade, industry, and 
agriculture - or investment 
promotion agencies and businesses 
or industry associations. By making 
a scientific and tested methodology 
available to guide SMEs, the DSM 
boosts the exporters’ prospects of 
success. 
The viability of the DSM has been 
robustly tested. South Africa and 
Rwanda provide two examples. 
The International Growth Centre 
commissioned the DSM to 
identify export opportunities 
for Rwanda. Meanwhile, the UN 
Economic Commission for Africa 
commissioned South Africa’s WTO 
Chair to advise on the revision 
of Cameroon's industrialisation 
plan in the context of the African 
Continental Free Trade Area, based on a TRADE-DSM model developed 
for Cameroon. 
Overall, the DSM’s application 
in various African markets has 
identified ‘untapped’ export 
opportunities across 27 industries 
valued at hundreds of millions of 
dollars. 
In Tunisia, for example, the DSM 
identified some 590 products that 
can be exported to 36 of Africa’s 54 
markets. It identified many more 
Tunisian products - 650 in all - that 
can be exported to 160 markets 
worldwide; some 570 products 
have export potential for the top 15 
markets. Northern Africa was the 
top potential market for half of the 
products, and Western Africa was 
another top market. When applied 
to the EU's 27 markets, the DSM 
identified some 640 products with 
export potential. 
In summary, the DSM provides 
SMEs with specific information 
on opportunities in the region, in 
Africa and beyond and improves 
trade facilitation. Importantly, it Case Study: Identifying Export Opportunities through the WCP: Lessons from Tunisia. By 
Professor Leila Baghdadi, WTO Chair, ESSECT University, Tunisia
also builds the capacity of the 
universities’ trade specialists to 
construct the TRADE-DSM for a 
country and apply the outcomes in 
the export environment. 
The Chairs are working with SMEs, 
business associations, and policy 
makers focused on export promotion 
strategies. The engagement 
with SMEs strengthens the 
continent’s building block for export 
capabilities. Several chambers of 
commerce have expressed interest 
in the project. Tunisia’s largest 
trade unions, the Tunisian Union 
for Industry, Trade and Handicraft, 
or UTICA requested assistance in 
identifying export opportunities and 
facilitating access of its members 
to new markets. The American Chamber of Commerce in Tunisia, 
in which the Chairholder serves as 
Secretary, requested an assessment 
of export opportunities to the USA 
for products under the GSP , while the 
Japanese Chamber of Commerce 
hopes to present a study on Tunisia’s 
export opportunities at the Tokyo 
International Conference on African 
Development. Lastly, Tunisia’s main 
private-sector think-tank the Arab 
Institute requested to use the DSM 
to generate new opportunities for 
industry development and export 
diversification, and to strengthen 
the resilience of Tunisia’s supply 
chains.
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Trade-Related Research
The WCP also boosts in-country expertise on WTO 
matters and supports policy making by generating 
trade-related research. The Chairs usually publish 
through a variety of channels, including working papers, 
books (including book chapters) and journal articles. The 
volume of publications does not necessarily convey the 
extent of impact, as Chairs also serve as supervisors of 
Masters’ and PhD theses. In 2020, despite the absence 
Books Thesis Working papers Published articles TotalFigure 44.  WTO Chairs' Research
By CountryBy Type
Benin Brazil Oman99
19
88
911
South Africa Tunisia Turkey
157 7 6151822126
26455071
4554
20131311567486111
97
37234
1117
Published articles Thesis Working papers Books35
512
3 3
31 116
17
14 6
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
of grants, Chairs reported the highest level of research 
output since the inception of Phase II, thus confirming 
that research may take time to get published.
A proxy for the quality of WCP research is the ranking of 
the peer-reviewed journals featuring the Chairs’ articles. 
WTO TA uses two systems of journal ranking as reference, 
even if not entirely adequate for developing countries Figure 44.  WTO Chairs' Research
Figure 45.  SJR and SNIP Average Rating
SNIP Average Ratings 00,10,20,30,40,50,60,7SJR Average Ratings 
South Africa Tunisia Oman2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
00,20,40,60,811,21,4
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
and LDCs. The first - the SCImago Journal Rank, or SJR 
- measures a scholarly journal’s “scientific influence” by 
accounting the number of citations and the prestige of 
the journals citing the article. The second - the Source 
Normalised Impact per Paper (SNIP) rating - measures 
how often a journal is cited in light of the citation potential 
of its subject. The SNIP and SJR scores of the Journal 
of International Economics, which is the primary outlet 
for theoretical and empirical research in international 
economics, are provided as benchmarks.In 2020, the average SNIP rankings of the Chairs’ 
articles increased, with average ratings well above the 
target in the TA Plan. However, SJR ratings decreased to 
below-target levels. Overall, WCP research has tended to 
improve over the years. The impact of this improvement 
could be measured beyond the end of the grant period 
under Phase II.Figure 45.  SJR and SNIP Average Rating
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WCP: Research Initiatives in Support of  
Pro-Poor Policy-Making
Testimonial by Professor Houcine Boughanmi, Sultan Qaboos University, WTO Chair, Oman 
To assess the quality of research, 
the academic community often 
uses metrics such as the h-index or 
journal impact factors. The success of 
research work, however, can transcend 
the metrics. Another measure of 
success is on-the-ground impact, or the 
degree to which research results have 
been directly utilized in the formulation 
of trade and economic policy, or at the 
very least have inspired policy design. As one of the Chairs of the WCP , I took 
part in the collaboration with other 
research units to support public policy-
making. In this case, we provided the 
government with a simulation model 
that enables the estimation of poverty 
indicators. The work assisted policy 
makers in shaping and implementing 
measures to support households facing 
newly introduced pricing policies. This 
vindicates the crucial role played by our 
research in providing decision makers 
with an array of policy options to offset 
the impact of the price changes and to 
preserve purchase power.WCP: Research Initiatives in Support of Pro-Poor Policy-Making. Testimonial by 
Professor Houcine Boughanmi, Sultan Qaboos University, WTO Chair, Oman 
Raising Interest through the Curriculum
Benin Brazil Oman South Africa Tunisia Turkey TotalFigure 46.  New or Updated Courses
2015 2016
 2017 2018
 2019
 2020
22 2 3 33 3 37
2 2 2 244 4 4814 14 1412253948
44
28
15
11999
1 1 1 1 1
WCP Chairs are tasked to actively boost the interest 
and expertise of the next generations of trade experts. 
New or updated courses could have ceased with the 
end of the WCP grants. However, a significant number 
of new or updated courses, especially in South Africa 
and Tunisia, were designed in 2020. Meanwhile, new or 
updated courses introduced in previous years continued 
to be offered by the Chairs, prolonging the reach of the 
WCP beyond Phase II.As with other WTO TA programmes, the WCP had to adjust 
to the pandemic. Most of the Chairs adapted training 
materials, the teaching pedagogy, and methods of 
assessment for virtual learning. In general, however, the 
Chairs maintained levels of student participation that 
were above the target. This confirms the Chairs’ success 
in keeping their curriculum up to date and attracting new Figure 46.  New or Updated Courses
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Our objective is to get many more universities from LDCs into the WTO Chairs 
programme. By strengthening academic research, education, and training, 
and thanks to a greater outreach to policy makers and the private sector, the 
WCP will enhance the level of collective expertise available to us on strategic 
multilateral trade issues.
 
H.E. Ambassador Ahmad Makaila, Coordinator of the WTO LDC Group, Chad.Way Forward for the WCP
Preparation for Phase III of the WCP went full steam 
ahead in 2020. This preparation involved taking stock of 
the evaluator’s recommendations and discussing details 
of their implementation with the Secretariat, potential 
donors, and beneficiaries. As previously explained, 
consultations took place with regional country groupings 
and individual Members to assess their needs in relation 
to WCP in order to adjust the programme to local 
contexts and needs. Notable adjustments included, 
increased focus on more participation from academia in 
LDCs, previously under-represented regions, academic 
networking and on the support of governments for 
participating institutions. These adjustments were 
reflected in the Phase III application process launched 
in November. The selection is scheduled to follow the 
March 2021 closing date for applications.Other Support to Academia 
Beyond the WCP , the WTO is supporting academia 
through other means, such as the PhD support 
programme and participation in the John Jackson Moot 
Court competition. 
While some who registered for the Moot Court 
Competition were discouraged by its virtual format in 
2020, participation from developing countries and LDCs 
increased, surpassing the programme’s target of stability.
The WTO also selected six PhD students to support while 
they complete their theses. Travel restrictions impeded 
their journey to Geneva, however, leading only half of the 
students to take part in the programme through virtual 
channels. This result was below the target defined in the 
TA Plan.Expanding Audiences
Public Outreach
Public outreach, which helps to build public buy-in 
of the WTO, was hard hit by the 2020 health crisis. 
Public outreach encompasses a spectrum of activities, 
from large events such as the Public Forum to smaller 
activities tailored to a specific audience, such as 
journalists or legislators.
Mandated social distancing measures and the closing 
of the WTO for two months led to a suspension of all 
outreach activities. Traditionally the largest outreach 
event gathering hundreds of participants from academia, 
civil society and the private sector, the Public Forum 
was cancelled, as shifting to a virtual format seemed 
incompatible with its nature. 
TA for government officials was prioritized and 
events for other audiences were called off. Demand 
from these other audiences was not significant either, 
as the pandemic consumed their attention. Interest 
in MC12 subsided due to its postponement to 2021. 
Consequently, the 2020 targets for this Key Result were 
either not met at all or only very partially. These targets 
included the diversity of WTO-related topics covered 
by statements, reports, and papers produced by non-
governmental stakeholders and legislators; the number 
of seminars, workshops conducted; or the number of 
key non-governmental stakeholders reached during the 
year. When requested by Members, some outreach - for 
example, to legislators, the private sector, or civil society 
- was maintained through virtual channels.
2017 2018 2019 2020Figure 47.  Outreach Activities
Global National Regional11171
52
2
4Diversifying Promotion Channels
Social media is increasingly important for achieving 
Key Result 4, which seeks more public awareness and 
familiarity with the WTO and related issues. This became 
more evident in 2020 as traditional outreach channels 
ceased to operate. Social media remained available for 
outreach to the general public and non-governmental 
communities interested in trade issues.
For WTO TA, social media functions as outreach to non-
specialists such as academics, journalists, NGOs, and 
businesses and as a vehicle for micro-learning and for 
promoting the TA offer to audiences across the board. 
Social media is particularly important for the e-Learning 
programme. In 2020, WTO TA social media accounts were 
an important source of information on new e-Learning 
courses, chat sessions, other TA activities, and events 
organized by the WTO.
In 2020, I stumbled upon the e-Learning courses 
in a LinkedIn post by the WTO. I then visited the 
website and immersed myself in the content. As 
a young trade practitioner, I need continuous 
learning to keep abreast of trade-related 
developments and contribute meaningfully 
to the policy decision-making process of my 
government.
 
Lydia Dariah, Trade Officer, Ministry of Commerce, 
International Trade, Investment, Enterprise 
Development and Consumer Affairs, Saint Lucia.Figure 47.  Outreach Activities
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Videos and infographics contributed to this 
communication strategy . Most users who provided 
feedback found the information and topics 
communicated through infographics and video useful 
and highly relevant to their needs. 
For the 25th anniversary of the WTO, an international 
online quiz was launched. The game, in which players 
tested their knowledge of the WTO through six successive 
levels of difficulty and shared their results through social 
media accounts, reached a broad audience beyond the 
WTO’s traditional stakeholders.
WTO TA ’s five social media accounts grew significantly 
in 2020.  The number of new followers on LinkedIn 
reached 1,011, 457 on Twitter, 453 on Facebook, 710 on 
YouTube, and 370 on Instagram. The number of posts or 
videos shared was stable on average, if not marginally 
lower, as the focus shifted to quality over quantity.
The WTO website also saw a dramatic increase in usage 
during the year. Webpages visits in 2020 were seven 
times their 2016-18 average, when the TA Plan had only 
targeted stability.
Lastly, the TRTA Newsletter, published since 2009, is 
vital for communication. After a redesign, the newsletter 
was relaunched in 2020 as the News Bulletin on TA. 
It remains available in the three WTO languages. The 
October 2020 edition focused on the TA provided during 
the pandemic and the transition to virtual events . The 
issue also included a list of TA activities planned for the 
rest of the year. 
News Bulletin – WTO 
Technical Assistance
Figure 48.
WTO TA Social Media Followers
3625
+39%LinkedIn
2200
+48%YouTube2251
+25%Twitter5673
+9%Facebook
Instagram
715
+107%
Figure 48.  WTO TA Social Media Followers
Reaching Beyond Traditional Audiences
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020Figure 49.  TMR Volume
450153324915
19964619
The profile of learners continued to evolve. In absolute 
numbers, interest from academia more than doubled 
compared to 2019. Requests from the private sector 
more than tripled and accounted for nearly a quarter 
of requests in 2020. Demand from NGOs and other 
representatives of civil society was also robust; their 
requests comprised nearly 13% of the total - a high point 
for the group. However, demand from developed country 
officials remained at one tenth of its level two years ago. 
As for their origin, most self-learners were from the 
Asia Pacific region, followed closely by Latin America 
and developed countries. Interest from Africa recovered 
compared to 2019 although it was still below the levels 
of previous years. 
Areas of interest vary greatly among this audience. 
The three most sought after courses remained the 
same as last year; they are “Introduction to the WTO” , 
“Trade Facilitation Agreement” , and “The WTO Dispute 
Settlement System” .Sustained use of the Training Material Request (TMR) 
shows that many groups beyond WTO’s traditional 
audience are keen to learn more about the organization 
and its work. A facility for self-study that is available 
on the e-Learning platform, the TMR saw a decline in 
volume in 2019 due to changes on the platform. In 2020, 
subscription bounced back to its previous level and met 
its target of volume stability.
The new platform enables participants, once registered, 
to gain automatic access to the materials for self-study 
without any need for further approval. Thus, all the new 
TMRs were satisfied. WTO TA anticipates that the TMR 
will encourage more engagement in the future.
Figure 49.  TMR Volume
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Figure 50. TMR
By Proﬁle
10031351 12982645
350 389 376 341108129733374
2991
273 297178 218293
845961255
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
239463
Middle East
Latin AmericaCEECAC
Caribbean Asia-Paciﬁc
AfricaBy RegionPrivate sector Other Public sector Academia
Developed
1245195
37124
73
98112021322
86159925
331
1358384
1336
169253229
11921626112674
31828698
10861550396
89383
559
331
534
Figure 50.  TMR
In 2018, I was selected to 
represent South Sudan’s private 
sector in the Second Regional 
Dialogue Conference on WTO 
Accession for Africa, held in 
Djibouti. South Sudan was starting 
the accession process and had only 
basic knowledge about the WTO and 
international trade agreements. 
When I asked the Secretariat for 
advice on how to help our country 
team, they introduced me to the 
e-Learning Programme. 
A world of knowledge opened. Since 
then, I have studied five courses 
thanks to the Training Material 
Request (TMR) ranging from WTO 
Trade Economics Theory and Polices 
to Understanding Rules of Origin. 
The module Accession to the 
WTO  provided a good overview, by 
illustrating concepts in a simple way 
and showcasing the experiences of 
graduates of the process. Learning about trade economics 
and polices was crucial in helping 
me understand the concepts 
underlying the Memorandum on 
the Foreign Trade Regime (MFTR) 
that South Sudan drafted. The 
learning also helped to answer 
some questions raised during the 
MFTR submission. The Rules of 
Origin explained how to identify the 
origin of a particular product and 
whether it is covered in Preference 
Agreements. Currently, our National 
Chamber of Commerce, Industry 
and Agriculture is responsible 
for issuing Certificates of Origin. 
Understanding these issues is 
critical if we are to export goods 
originating from South Sudan. 
My favourite was the Trade 
Facilitation Agreement course, 
which helped me improve in my 
engagements concerning intra-
regional trade policies. I am currently 
the Private Sector Focal Point for the 
EAC Regional Monitoring Committee 
for the elimination of Non-Tariff 
Barriers (NTBs). Whether regional 
or global, trade’s biggest challenge 
is dealing with NTBs as they appear 
in different formats even after their 
supposed removal. Training Material Request:  
a Tool for Private Sector Engagement
Testimonial by Yowa Soso, Business Advisor for B&S Group of Companies, 
Chairman of South Sudan Shippers Council, South Sudan
I have no doubt that e-Learning is 
one of the best learning tools during 
the pandemic. TMR Self-study is 
great but requires tremendous 
self-discipline; the material 
can be daunting. E-Learning, 
conversely, has built-in instruments 
to ensure course completion. 
It should be part of continuing 
professional development for 
government officials and company 
representatives alike in developing 
countries. After all, both parties 
are equally responsible for the 
economic development of their 
countries. Coming from the private 
sector myself, I have noticed that 
stakeholder engagement with the 
WTO has grown over time.Training Material Request: a Tool for Private Sector Engagement. 
Testimonial by Yowa Soso, Business Advisor for B&S Group of Companies, 
Chairman of South Sudan Shippers Council, South Sudan
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Annexes
The information contained in the Measure and 
Assessment columns in this annex summarises 
the analysis of the results of TA performed by the 
Secretariat, based on the Logical Framework adopted 
by Members as part of the TA Plan for 2020-21. The 
statements included in the table do not present any 
background or explanation of the circumstances or 
reasons leading to the measured result. Therefore, 
they should be read in conjunction with the more 
comprehensive analysis provided in the rest of the 
report.  The following codes have been used in the table:
• Target met: the target identified in the TA Plan 
logframe has been fully met or has been exceeded;• Target partially met: the target identified in the TA 
Plan logframe has been missed by a small margin, 
as significant progress has been made towards its 
achievement;
• Target not met: the target identified in the TA Plan 
logframe has been largely missed and progress 
towards its achievement has been limited;
• Data not available: the data available to the 
Secretariat is incomplete, if not missing completely, 
or is not reliable or strong enough to support a 
conclusion one way or the other;
• Not applicable (N/A): The TA activities which should 
have been used to measure results did not take place, 
depriving the Secretariat of an assessment basis.Annex 1. Main Results Measured in 2020
Type Expected 
ResultsIndicators Baseline Targets 2020  
Measure2020  
Assessment
Impact Developing and 
LDC Members 
are benefiting 
from their active 
participation in 
the WTOShare of 
developing 
Members’ total 
trade (imports 
and exports)2015-17 
average: 40.4%> 40% 2019: 41.10% Target met
Impact Developing and 
LDC Members 
are benefiting 
from their active 
participation in 
the WTOShare of LDC 
Members’ total 
trade (import 
and exports)2015-17 
average: 1.07%> 1.00% 2019: 1.15% Target met
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Type Expected 
ResultsIndicators Baseline Targets 2020  
Measure2020  
Assessment
 Key Result 1
Outcome 1: Government 
officials are 
implementing 
WTO Agreements 
and fully realising 
Members’ rights 
and obligationsNumber of 
documents 
submitted by 
beneficiary 
developing 
Members to WTO 
BodiesAnnual average 
2016-18: 537Increase 534 Target partially 
met
Outcome 1: Government 
officials are 
implementing 
WTO Agreements 
and fully realising 
Members’ rights 
and obligationsNumber of 
documents 
submitted by 
beneficiary LDC 
Members to WTO 
BodiesAnnual average 
2016-18: 81Increase 113 Target met
Outcome 1: Government 
officials are 
implementing 
WTO Agreements 
and fully realising 
Members’ rights 
and obligationsNumber of 
outstanding 
notifications by 
TA beneficiary 
Members28 per 
beneficiary 
Member on 
average in  
2016-18Decrease 23.36 Target met
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsNumber of 
participants 
completing PLS 
level 1Annual average 
2016-18: 4,271Stability 1,661 Target not met
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsNumber of 
participants 
completing PLS 
level 2Annual average 
2016-18: 12,408Stability 10,283 Target not metType Expected 
ResultsIndicators Baseline Targets 2020  
Measure2020  
Assessment
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsNumber of 
participants 
completing PLS 
level 3Annual average 
2016-18: 1,802Increase 1,623 Target not met
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsNumber of 
national 
activities 
requested2016-18 
average: 147Increase 67 Target not met
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsNumber of 
beneficiary 
Members and 
Observers 
participating in 
TA courses2016-18 
average: 174Stability 149 Target not met
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsNumber of 
beneficiary LDCs 
participating in 
TA courses2016-18 
average: 46Stability 40 Target not met
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsInteractive 
training methods’ 
share of time 
in each activity 
(exercises, 
case studies, 
simulations, 
Q&A, 
participation 
in Committee 
meetings, etc.)2016-18 
average:  
57% interactive 
methodsIncrease to 
an average of 
60%Interactive 
methods: 64%Target met
WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2020  117 116  WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2020
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Type Expected 
ResultsIndicators Baseline Targets 2020  
Measure2020  
Assessment
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsSuccess rate in 
8-week RTPCs 
and ATPCs2016-18 
average: 95%Stability ATPCs: N/A 
RTPCs: 90%; 
82%Target not met
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsDistinction rate 
in 8-week RTPCs 
and ATPCs2016-18 
average: 32%Stability ATPCs: N/A 
RTPCs: 33%; 
13%Target partially 
met
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsPercentage of 
participants 
giving a top mark 
to the overall 
content and 
results in RTPCs2016-18 
average: 61%Increase to 
80%RTPC20-2: 94% 
RTPC20-7: 100%Target met
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsPercentage of 
participants 
giving a top mark 
to the overall 
content and 
results in ATPCs2016-18 
average: 83%Stability ATPC20-1: 100% Target met
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsPercentage of 
participants 
giving a top 
mark to the 
overall content 
and results 
in advanced 
thematic courses2016-18 
average: 87%Stability No Advanced 
thematic course 
held in 2020N/AType Expected 
ResultsIndicators Baseline Targets 2020  
Measure2020  
Assessment
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsNumber of 
participants 
trained in 
advanced trade 
negotiating skills 
courses2016-18 
average: 290Stability No Advanced 
trade negotiating 
skills course held 
in 2020N/A
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsNumber of 
advanced 
thematic 
courses using 
pre-diagnostics, 
coaching, 
leadership, 
action plans or 
follow-ups2018: 4 Stability No Advanced 
thematic course 
held in 2020N/A
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsNumber of 
interns in NTP2016-18 
average: 16Per year: 16 16 Target met
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsNumber of 
interns in FIMIP2016-18 
average: 16Per year: 16 19 Target met
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsNumber of 
interns in RCI2016-18 
average: 7Per year: 7 6 Target partially 
met
WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2020  119 118  WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2020
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Type Expected 
ResultsIndicators Baseline Targets 2020  
Measure2020  
Assessment
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsFinal evaluation 
rate of each 
FIMIP intern100% at least 
fully satisfactory 
in 2016-18100% at 
least fully 
satisfactory8 Exceeding 
expectations 
11 Fully 
satisfactoryTarget met
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsFinal evaluation 
rate of each NTP 
intern100% at least 
fully satisfactory 
in 2016-2018100% at 
least fully 
satisfactory15 Fully 
satisfactory 
1 Exceeding 
expectationsTarget met
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsFinal evaluation 
rate of each RCI 
intern100% at least 
fully satisfactory 
in 2016-2018100% at 
least fully 
satisfactory2 Exceeding 
expectations 
2 Fully 
satisfactory 
2 UnavailableTarget partially 
met
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsNew, revised or 
translated online 
courses released 
during the year2016-18 
average: 10Stability 15 New 
3 Revised 
5 TranslatedTarget met
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsPercentage of 
online courses in 
SCORM format56% in 2018 Increase 69% Target metType Expected 
ResultsIndicators Baseline Targets 2020  
Measure2020  
Assessment
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsPercentage of 
participants 
rating the quality 
of the online 
courses content 
with the two top 
marks2016-18 
average: 85%Stability 98% Target met
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationsPercentage of 
participants 
rating the 
effectiveness of 
the e-Learning 
website with the 
two top marks2016-18 
average: 93%Stability 97% Target met
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationse-Learning 
success rate2016-18 
average: 67%Stability 64% Target not met
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationse-Learning drop-
out rate2016-18 
average: 28%Stability 28% Target met
Output 1.1: Government 
officials have 
enhanced 
knowledge 
about the WTO 
Agreements, 
formulation of 
trade policies and 
conduct of trade 
negotiationse-Learning 
distinction rate2016-18 
average: 51%Stability 55% Target met
WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2020  121 120  WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2020
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Type Expected 
ResultsIndicators Baseline Targets 2020  
Measure2020  
Assessment
Output 1.2: Effective 
partnerships 
established 
resulting in 
substantive 
contributions 
of human 
and financial 
resources for TA 
activitiesProportion of 
activities with 
the involvement 
of a partner2016-18 
average: 54%Stability 39 out of 69 
57%Target met
Output 1.2: Effective 
partnerships 
established 
resulting in 
substantive 
contributions 
of human 
and financial 
resources for TA 
activitiesProportion 
of partners’ 
contribution to 
the TA activities2016-18 
average: 
46% low 
contributionsDecrease 
proportion 
of low 
contributions57% of low 
contributionsTarget not met
Output 1.3: Members’ 
needs and 
priorities 
identifiedNumber of 
responses to TA 
questionnaires2017-19 
average: 76Stability 71 Responses Target partially 
met
Output 1.3: Members’ 
needs and 
priorities 
identifiedNumber of TPR 
Follow-ups2017-18 
average: 8Stability 0 Target not met
Output 1.4: WTO data 
accessed and 
used by Members 
to analyse trade-
related mattersVisits by 
Members’ logging 
in to the WTO 
website49,927 in 2018 Increase 67,409 Target met
Output 1.4: WTO data 
accessed and 
used by Members 
to analyse trade-
related mattersNumber of 
TA activities 
including 
training on WTO 
databases as 
one of their 
objectives2016-18 
average: 63Increase 44 Activities Target not metType Expected 
ResultsIndicators Baseline Targets 2020  
Measure2020  
Assessment
Key Result 2
Outcome 2: Acceding 
governments 
are participating 
in accession 
negotiationsNumber of 
formal or 
informal Working 
Party meetings 
held for acceding 
beneficiary 
governments2016-18 
average: 6Increase 4 WP meetings Target not met
Output 2.1: Acceding 
governments 
participants’ 
knowledge on 
WTO substantive 
and procedural 
matters 
enhancedNumber of 
participants 
from acceding 
governments 
attending 
TA activities 
focused on 
accessionsTo be collected 
in 2019: Face-
to-face: 197 
e-Learning: 152Stability Face-to-face/
virtual: 403
e-Learning: 28Target met
Output 2.1: Acceding 
governments 
participants’ 
knowledge on 
WTO substantive 
and procedural 
matters 
enhancedNumber of 
roadmaps and 
endgame plans 
designed2016-18 
average: 5Stability 1 new roadmap 
5 revised 
roadmapsTarget met
Output 2.2: Accession 
Internship 
programme 
participants’ 
knowledge 
enhancedFinal evaluation 
rate of each AIP 
intern100% at least 
fully satisfactoryStability 4 Fully 
satisfactoryTarget met
Output 2.3: Interested 
Members’ 
expertise on GPA 
rules, accession 
negotiations 
enhancedNo. of GPA 
accession-
related 
documents 
circulated for all 
currently active 
GPA accessions 
involving TA-
eligible Members2016-18 
average: 6.8Stability 1,1 Target not met
WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2020  123 122  WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2020
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Type Expected 
ResultsIndicators Baseline Targets 2020  
Measure2020  
Assessment
Key Result 3
Outcome 3: Academic 
institutions 
and other 
stakeholders 
are analysing 
WTO issues and 
reaching out to 
policy makersNumber of 
consultative 
processes 
between WTO 
Chairs and Policy 
makersConsultative 
processes in 
2016: 13Stability 19 Target met
Outcome 3: Academic 
institutions 
and other 
stakeholders 
are analysing 
WTO issues and 
reaching out to 
policy makersNumber of 
National TA 
Requests for 
Academic 
institutions To be collected 
in 2019: 11Stability Programme 
suspendedN/A
Output 3.1: Research 
on trade policy 
and WTO-
related matters 
generatedNumber of 
publications in 
internationally 
peer-reviewed 
journals13 in 2016 Increase 56 Target met
Output 3.1: Research 
on trade policy 
and WTO-
related matters 
generatedQuality of 
research papers 
as measured 
by SJR and 
SNIP ratings of 
the journals in 
which the Chairs’ 
research is 
publishedAverage SNIP 
rating in 2016: 
0.69 
Average SJP 
rating in 2016: 
0.38Increase SNIP: 0.93 
SJR: 0.30Target partially 
met
Output 3.2: Courses with 
WTO content 
developed by the 
WCP Number of 
students in WTO-
related courses 
or getting a 
degree per year2,091 students 
trained by the 
Chairs in 2016Stability 2 Target met
Output 3.3 Students 
trained on WTO 
work and issuesNumber of teams 
participating 
in the regional 
rounds2018-19 
average: 53.5 
teams from 
developing 
countries and 
LDCsStability 58 Target metType Expected 
ResultsIndicators Baseline Targets 2020  
Measure2020  
Assessment
Output 3.3 Students 
trained on WTO 
work and issuesNumber of 
PhD students 
supervised5 Students 
graduate with a 
PhDStability 3 Target partially 
met
Output 3.4: WTO Chairs 
research papers 
disseminated 
to other 
stakeholders and 
policy makersNumber of 
outreach events 
per year54 in 2016 Increase 59 Target met
Output 3.4: WTO Chairs 
research papers 
disseminated 
to other 
stakeholders and 
policy makersInvolvement 
of key policy 
makers383 in 2016 Increase Data not 
available
   Key Result 4
Outcome 4: Non-
governmental 
stakeholders 
and legislators 
are aware of and 
knowledgeable 
about WTO work 
and issuesDiversity of 
WTO related 
topics covered 
by statements, 
reports, and 
papers produced 
by this group of 
stakeholders26 reports in 
2017Stability 1 report Target not met
Output 4.1:  
Understanding 
of WTO work and 
issues by non-
governmental 
stakeholders 
improved Number of 
seminars, 
workshops 
conducted2016-18 
average: 26Stability 1 seminar Target not met
Output 4.1:  
Understanding 
of WTO work and 
issues by non-
governmental 
stakeholders 
improved Number of 
key non-
governmental 
stakeholders 
reached during 
the year2016-18 
average:  
437 legislators 
66 journalists 
32 civil societyStability 160 legislators 
77 private sector 
52 civil societyTarget partially 
met
Output 4.2: Improved 
access to WTO 
issues through 
online training 
material for self-
studyNumber of 
training material 
consulted2016-18 
average: 3,157Stability 4,619 Target met
WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2020  125 124  WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2020
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Type Expected 
ResultsIndicators Baseline Targets 2020  
Measure2020  
Assessment
Output 4.3 Information 
on WTO trade-
related TA 
accessedNumber of views 
of the web pages 
on technical 
assistance 
including news 
items on this 
subject2016-18 
average: 59,105Stability 415,552 Target met
Output 4.4: Young 
professionals are 
exposed to WTO 
work and issues Number of Young 
Professionals 
engaged 
annually by the 
WTO15 in 2018 Stability 12 Target partially 
met
Output 4.4: Young 
professionals are 
exposed to WTO 
work and issues Final evaluation 
rate of each 
intern’s 
performance by 
their supervisor100% at least 
fully satisfactory 
in 2017-18Stability 12 fully 
satisfactoryTarget met
Highlight
100%
of TA activities are 
reported uponNearly 
WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2020  127 126  WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2020
WT/COMTD/W/259 WT/COMTD/W/259
Key Result 1 – Government officials are implementing WTO Agreements and fully realising 
Members’ rights and obligations
Level Path Language Title RegionRegular Budget GTF Other TFs1 Total 
Budget Expenses Budget Expenses Budget Expenses Budget Expenses 
Introduction Generalist E/F/SGeneva-based Courses for LDCs - Introduction 
and Focus Activities - Geneva weeksGlobal 462      462  -   
Advanced Generalist E/F/S Applied Advanced Trade Policy Courses Global 1,367     454     1,367    454 
Intermediate Generalist E/F/SIntermediate level activities for: Africa; Asia 
Pacific; Caribbean; CEECAC; Latin America; 
Middle EastAll regions    2,972     398   2,972  398 
Intermediate/ 
AdvancedSpecialist E/F/SGeneva-based Advanced Thematic Courses 
and topic specific symposia for Capital-based 
officialsGlobal 1,814      90   950      87    2,764    177 
Advanced Specialist E/F/S Advisory Role on Legal Issues (Art. 27.2 of DSU)      60        53          60      53 
Intermediate Generalist E/F/SRegional and/or sub-regional general capacity-
building activitiesAll regions      370       370       -   
Intermediate/ 
AdvancedGeneralist / 
Specialist E/F/SNational seminars and workshops and 
monitoring & evaluationAll regions  695      108     40       735      108 
Intermediate Specialist E/F/SRegional and sub-regional topic-specific 
seminarsAll regions    3,000       83    3,000       83 
E/F/SChina’s LDCs and Accessions Programme: 
Participation of LDCs in selected WTO meetings; 
LDCs TPR follow-up; South-South DialogueAll regions        95         5      95       5 
Advanced Generalist E/F/S Netherlands Trainee Programme Global        774      939    774        939 
Advanced Generalist E/F/SRegional Coordinator Internships programme 
(RCI)Global       210     147      210        147 
Advanced Generalist E/F/SFrench-Irish Missions Internship programme 
(FIMIP) Global       970       926    970      926 
Introduction Generalist E/F/S Online courses: Introduction level
Capital-based 
officials x                    -   
IntermediateGeneralist /
Specialist E/F/SOnline courses: intermediate Level (Generalists 
and Specialists) x                    -   
Sub-total  4,398       705   7,542        715  1,839    1,870  13,779    3,290 Annex 2. Activity Matrix
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Key Result 2 – Acceding governments are participating in accession negotiations
Level Path Language Title RegionRegular Budget GTF Other TFs1 Total 
Budget Expenses Budget Expenses Budget Expenses Budget Expenses 
Intermediate/ 
AdvancedGeneralist /
Specialist E/F/S Seminars, courses and workshops on Accessions All regions     80             8       313           60        393           68 
EChina’s LDCs and Accessions Programme: WTO 
Accession Round Table meetingsGlobal         230          23      230         23 
Introduction Generalist E/F/SChina’s LDCs and Accessions Programme: WTO 
Accessions Internship Programme (AIP)Global         100           60     100          60 
Intermediate Generalist E/F/S Online course: Accession to the WTO Global  x                    -   
Sub-total      80             8     313         60   330        83    723      151 
Key Result 3 – Academic institutions and other stakeholders are analysing WTO issues  
and reaching out to policy makers
Level Path Language Title RegionRegular Budget GTF Other TFs1 Total 
Budget Expenses Budget Expenses Budget Expenses Budget Expenses 
Generalist E/F/S WTO Chairs programme All regions  50  9  50  9 
E/F/S Support programme for doctoral students  65  65  - 
E/F/SDonation of WTO publications to Academic 
Institutions and other academic activities 5  -  5  - 
Sub-total  5  -  115  9  -  -  120  9 
Key Result 4 – Non-governmental stakeholders are aware of and knowledgeable about WTO 
work and issues
Level Path Language Title RegionRegular Budget GTF Other TFs1 Total 
Budget Expenses Budget Expenses Budget Expenses Budget Expenses 
E/F/SOutreach for legislators, journalists, civil society 
and businessesAll regions      605        19        605       19 
Specialist E/F/S Young Professionals’ programme      657        509      657      509 
E/F/S Online training material for self-study All regions            -               -                -   
Sub-total     -              -    1,262      528       -             -   1,262       528 
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Other Costs – Programme staff and monitoring & evaluation
Other Costs TitleRegular Budget GTF Other TFs1 Total 
Budget Expenses Budget Expenses Budget Expenses Budget Expenses 
L-Posts 1,900  1,684 1,900 1,684
Implementation of RBM and development of eLearning courses  65  205  65  205 
Transfer balance from TDA19  130  130 
Sub-total  65  205 1,900  1,814  -  - 1,965 2,019
Summary Grand TotalRegular Budget GTF Other TFs1 Total 
Budget Expenses Budget Expenses Budget Expenses Budget Expenses 
Sub-total 4,548  918 11,132 3,126 2,169 1,953 17,849 5,997
Overheads @13%  - 1,447  406  282  254 1,729  660 
Total 4,548  918 12,580 3,532 2,451 2,207 19,579 6,657
1  Other trust funds include those financing the French-Irish Mission Internship Programme (FIMIP), Netherlands 
Trainee Programme (NTP) and China LDC & Accession Programme, which are under the sole authority of the WTO 
and which it can use to finance its TA activities. The Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF), the Enhanced 
Integrated Framework (EIF) and Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility (TFAF) trust funds are consequently excluded. 
These trust funds have their own governance and reporting mechanisms
WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2020  133 132  WTO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ANNUAL REPORT 2020
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WTO TA is financed through the regular budget of 
the WTO (32%) and voluntary contributions from 
the following donors for the surplus:
Sweden
China
Korea
Netherlands
Norway
Australia
Japan
European Union
Ireland
France
Germany
Austria
Finland
Estonia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
United States
Technical Assistance Funding
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Enhancing Understanding and Knowledge of the Multilateral 
Trading System
This report was prepared on behalf of the WTO Secretariat 
by the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC), 
the division managing, coordinating, and evaluating the 
organization and delivery of WTO technical assistance (TA) 
activities. It benefitted from the input provided by all divisions 
involved in the implementation of the TA programme. As a 
tool to assess WTO TA performance and communicate on 
its achievements, the report identifies a variety of concrete 
results produced, and which could be measured during the 
year. It highlights how the WTO responds to the evolving needs 
of its developing and least developed Members and Observers 
through a constant adaptation of its offer for a an ever-greater 
relevance and quality. Throughout the report are testimonials 
recounting the perspectives and experiences of those by and 
for whom WTO TA makes a difference.