RESTRICTED  
  
WT/BFA/W/544  
 
  
25 February  2021 
(21-1628) Page: 1/6 
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration    
 
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM MEMBERS AND OBSERVERS   
AS AT 31 DECEMBER 20 20 
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  This memorandum summarizes the situation with respect to  Members ' and Observers' 
contribution s as at 31 December 20 20. It also provides information and recommendations regarding 
the situation of Members  and Observers  subject to Administrative Measures and Members  following 
a payment  plan as at 23 February  2021. 
2  MEMBERS ' STATUS OF CONTRIBUTIONS AS AT 31 DECEMBER 20 20 
2.1.  The WTO received a tota l amount of CHF 178.5 million  from Members in 20 20. This amount 
comprises of annual contribution s for 20 20 and payment of arrears in contributions  for previous 
years . 
Figure 1 Total a nnual receipt  (in MCHF ) 
 
Table 1 Members' contributions received in 20 20 
Receipt per contribution year  MCHF  
2020 contributions representing 84% of assessed contributions  164.2  
2019 contributions (received in 2020)  13.1 
Contributions for periods prior to 2019 (received in 2020)  1.2 
Total  178.5  
Table 2 Members' outstanding contributions as at 31 December 20 20 
Outstanding contribution s per period   MCHF 
Outstanding contributions for 2020  31.3 
Outstanding contributions for 2019  2.5 
Outstanding contributions for periods prior to 2019  7.4 
Total  41.2 
198.8 198.3
191.1201.8
178.4203.6
197.0
178.5
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020WT/BFA/W/544  
 
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  2.2.  The outstanding  Members'  contributions amount ed to CHF 41.2 million  at the end of 2020, due 
from 54 Members . 
Figure 2 Members' outstanding contributions at year -end (in MCHF ) 
 
 
3  MEMBERS SUBJECT TO ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES  
3.1.  As at 31 December  2020: 
a. 11 Members were subject to Administrative Measures for a total amount outstanding of 
CHF 8.9 million , representing 22% of the total amount outstanding . 
Table 3 Members under Administrative Measures  as at 31 December 20 20 
Cat. I ( 3) Cat. II ( 3) Cat. III ( 5) 
Cuba Congo  Antigua and Barbuda  
Ghana  Democratic Republic of the 
Congo  Burundi*  
Guinea  Senegal  Central African Republic*  
  Guinea -Bissau*  
  Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of  
*  Members not compliant  with payment plan  terms  as their agreed 201 9 contribution  towards clearing 
arrears is still outstanding.            
3.2.  Status a s at 23 February  2021: 
a. At the start of every year, the list of Members subject to Administrative Measures is 
updated with the  annual assessed contributions.  
b. 26 Members are subject to Administrative Measures with a total amount outstanding of 
CHF 17.9 million  including 20 21 contributions .  
c. Of the Members under Category III, five agreed payment plans for their arrears in 
contribution but none of these Members are currently complying with the agreed terms.  
4  OBSERVERS ' STATUS OF  CONTRIBUTIONS AS AT 31 DECEMBER 20 20 
4.1.  The WTO recei ved a total amount of  CHF 678,408  from Observers in 2020. 
31.0
27.6
25.3 25.4 25.9
23.725.925.1
22.0
19.323.7
16.533.8
25.724.241.2
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020WT/BFA/W/544  
 
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  Table 4 Observers' contributions received in 20 20 (in kCHF)  
Receipt per c ontribution year  CHF 
2020 contributions representing 58% of assessed contributions  416 
2019 contributions (received in 2020)  156 
Contributions for periods prior to 201 9 (received in 2020)  106 
Total  678 
 
4.2.  The outstanding  Observers'  contributions amount ed to CHF 763,896 at the end of 2020. 
Table 5 Observers' outstanding contr ibutions as at 31 December 20 20 (in kCHF)  
Outstanding per contribution year  CHF 
Outstanding contributions for 2020  208 
Outstanding contributions for 2019  133 
Outstanding contributions for periods prior to 201 9 423 
Total  764 
 
• Two new Observers in 2020 . 
• Fourte en Observers ha d no outstanding balance  as at 31 December 20 20. 
• Eleven  Observers ha d an outstanding balance amounting to CHF 763,896 . 
• Three Observers were inactive . 
Figure 3 Observers' o utstanding contributions as 31 December 20 20 (in MCHF ) 
 
 
5  OBSERVERS SUBJECT TO ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES  
5.1.  As at 31 D ecember  2020: 
a. Five Observe rs were subject to Administrative  Measures for a total amount outstanding of 
CHF 569,034 , representing 74% of the total amount outstanding.   
Table 6 Observe rs under Administrative Measures  as at 31 December 20 20 
Cat. I ( 2) Cat. II ( 0) Cat. III ( 3) 
Iran  Libya  
Syrian Arab Republic   Sao Tomé and Principe  
  Somalia  
0.840.891.131.24
1.041.16
1.07
0.98
0.560.520.59 0.58 0.590.650.820.76
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020WT/BFA/W/544  
 
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  5.2.  Status a s at 23 February  2021: 
a. At the start of every year, the list of Observers subject to Administrative Measures is 
updated with the annual assessed contributions . 
b. Nine Observ ers are subject to Administrative Measures with a total amount outstanding of 
CHF 966,379 including 202 1 contributions.  
6  MEMBERS SUBJECT TO PAYMENT  PLAN S 
6.1.  The General Council can suspend the application of Administrative Measures for Members in 
Category III which agree to, and abide by, a defined schedule of instalment payments aimed at 
liquidating all arrears.  
6.2.  A new p ayment plan  has been established for one  Member  in 2020: Niger . 
6.3.  The Members following a payment  plan had total arrears amounting to  CHF 3.1 million  at the 
end of 20 20. These Members are  Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Guinea -Bissau , Niger  and 
Sierra  Leone.  
7  RECO MMENDATION  
7.1.  The Committee invites  the General Council to urge Members and Observers under 
Administrative Measures to liquidate their arrears . 
 
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 WT/BFA/W/544  
 
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  ANNEX  1 
ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES  FOR MEMBERS AND OBSERVERS IN ARREARS  
 
Category  Administrative Measures  
I After one but less than two full years  assessed contributions remain outstanding at 
the end of the year:  
1. Representatives of Members will not be nominated to preside over WTO bodies .  
2. Documentation will not be posted to delegations in Geneva nor to the Members' 
and Observers' capitals.  
3. At the beginning of each year, the Director -General will notify the Ministers of 
the Members and Observers responsible for the WTO of the applic able 
administrative measures.  
4. The Director -General will contact , annually , the Minister of the Members' and 
Observers' responsible for the WTO, or any other official at the appropriate 
level emphasizing the question of arrears.  
5. The Secretariat will report annually to the Committee on Budget, Finance and 
Administration on the implementation of administrative measures.  
6. Members and Observers will be subject to specific reporting at the General 
Council meetings.1 
II After two but less than three full years  assessed contributions remain outstanding 
at the end of the year, in addition to the measures of Category  I: 
1. The access of the WTO Members' web site will be discontinued.2 
2. The ability of Members to act on the recommendations by the Committee on 
Budget, Finance and Administration to the General Council on financial matters 
will be removed.  
3. Observers will be denied access to training or technical assistance.  
4. The Chairs of the accession working group of Observers will remind the 
delegat ion of Observers, during their working group meeting, of their financial 
obligations.  
III After three full years  assessed contributions remain outstanding at the end of the 
year, in addition to the measures of Categories I and II:  
1. Members and Observers will be designated as Inactive Members and Inactive 
Observers, respectively.  
2. Inactive Members will be denied access  to training or technical assistance other 
than that necessary to meet their WTO Article XIV -2 obligations.  
3. The accession working groups do not meet either formally or informally.  
WTO will suspend its request for annual contributions from Inactive Observe rs.  
Request for annual contributions will resume the year the Observers are not 
anymore designated as Inactive.3 
4. Inactive Members and Observers taking the floor in the General Council will be 
identified as such.  
 
  
 
1 See General Council procedures.  
2 Applicable to Members and Observers. Under current policy, Observers have a differentiated access to 
documents posted on the Members' Website.  
3 To be enforced starting 1 January 2013.  WT/BFA/W/544  
 
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  GENERAL COUNCIL PROCEDURES FOR MEMBERS AND OBSERVERS  
SUBJECT TO ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES  
 
 
At the beginning of each calendar year,  the Committee on Budget, Finance and 
Administration will notify , to the General Council , the list of Members and Observers under 
Administrative Measures, wit h a recommendation that these Members and Observers be urged to 
liquidate their arrears.  
 
At the end of each meeting of the General Council , the Chairman of the Committee on 
Budget, Finance and Administration will provide information with regard to  which Members and 
Observers are under Administrative Measures. The Chairman of the General Council will request 
Members and Observers in Categories II and III to inform the Secretariat as to when the payment  
of arrears may be expected.  
 
Each year  the Dire ctor General will report on the results of his contacts with Members’ and 
Observers’ authorities on the issue of arrears.  
 
 
* * * * * * *  
 
 
SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR THE SUSPENSION OF ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES  
FOR INACTIVE MEMBERS AND OBSERVERS4 
 
 
The General  Council can suspend the application of Administrative Measures for Members in 
Category III which agree to, and abide by, a defined schedule of instalment  payment s aimed at 
liquidating all arrears.5 
 
Those Members with pre -1988 arrears , that were assessed at the minimum contribution , 
may benefit from a reduction in those arrears to the level of the 1989 minimum contribution. For 
each full payment  of an annual contribution between 1988 and 1994, any contracting party with 
pre-1988 arrears  may cancel an equal number of assessments for 1987 and ea rlier years upon 
payment  of the  1989 minimum contribution amounting to CHF  19,137. The difference between a 
pre-1988 assessment and the payment  of CHF  19,137 would be funded by the Miscellaneous Inc ome 
of the  WTO.6 
 
The General Council can suspend the application of Administrative Measures for Observers 
that are in Category III on 1 January 2013, which agree to, and abide by, a defined schedule of 
installment payment s aimed at liquidating all arrear s.  
 
 
__________  
 
 
 
 
 
 
4 Notwithstanding  the WTO Financial Regulations (WT/L/156/Rev 2).  
5 Amend earlier decisions of the General Council  in 1988 ( C/M/226 ) and 1994 (C/M/273) to reflect the 
reduc ed number of categories.  
6 As approved by the General Council in 1994 (C/M/273).