RESTRICTED  
  
WT/BFA/W/ 623 
22 February  2023 
(23-1211) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration    
 
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SECRETARIAT'S RESPONSES TO THE REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT EXTERNAL AUDITOR 
ON THE PERFORMANCE AUDIT ON GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT  
OF EXTRA -BUDGETARY TRUST FUNDS  
1  PURPOSE  
1.1.  This document presents the Secretariat's responses to the External Auditor' s recommendations 
related to the  2022 Performance Audit on the Governance and Management of Extra -Budgetary 
Trust Funds . 
  
 
  WT/BFA/W/ 623 
 
- 2 - ANNEX 1: RESPONSES TO EXTERNAL AUDITOR 'S RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE AUDIT OF THE ON THE 2022 PERFORMANCE AUDIT OF THE 
GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT OF  EXTRA -BUDGETARY TRUST FUNDS  
 
__________  No Cour  des Comptes  Recommendation  WTO Secretariat's Response  
1 Close the support fund of the Independent Entity – Pre-Shipment 
Inspection, inactive since 2006, and terminate the agreement that 
created it because it is no longer needed.  The Secretariat takes not e of the recommendation and will seek 
Members approval to close the fund . 
2 Establish a suitable steering body with access to management, 
financial and operational information in order to ensure the overall 
coordination of and coherence in the trust funds' strategies and 
activities, as well as the information provided on this activity to 
Members, whether contributors or not.  The Secretariat accepts the recommendation as it is consistent with 
recommendations endorsed by Members in the CBFA.  
3 Include in the quarterly and annual trust fund activity monitoring 
reports submitted to the Committee on Budget, Finance and 
Administration (CBFA), a statement of the income collected, and 
expenditure recorded shown against future budget estimates.  The Sec retariat accepts the recommendation and will undertake the 
necessary steps to implement it during the coming year.  
 
4 Supplement biennial technical assistance plans so as to present all 
technical assistance activities of the World Trade Organization (WTO) 
in the broad sense, including capacity -building activities, thereby 
providing Member States and stakeholders with comprehensive 
information, beyond technical and legal specificities, that can be 
correlated with the activities of the vari ous funds contributing to the 
technical assistance strategy.  The Secretariat accepts the recommendation as it is consistent with 
recommendations endorsed by Members in the CBFA.  
5 Accept the consequences of the particular relationship between the 
regular budget and the Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility (TFAF) 
by reincorporating the Facility's assets and the financing for 
implementation of the Trade Agreement Facility (TFA) into the regular 
budget, with any subsequent financial needs covered by calls for 
contributions.  The Secretariat takes note of the recommendation and will assess 
the feasibility among its stakeholders.  
6 Introduce cost accounting for trust funds so as to ensure a clear and 
comprehensive understanding of the full costs of each  fund, 
identifying, among other things, the costs, in particular staff costs, 
borne by the regular budget.  The Secretariat takes note of the recommendation and will assess 
the feasibility with regards to costs, time , and resources implications.  
The Secret ariat will also consult with Members.