RESTRICTED  
  
WT/BFA/W/295  
 
18 March 2013  
(13-1514)  Page: 1/4  
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration   
 
UTILIZATION OF THE MEMBERS' TRANSITION OPERATING FUND 
 
1  INTRODUCTION 
1.1.  The Members' Transition Operating Fund (the Fund) was established in December 20081 to 
provide funding for the installation of furniture and equipment related to the Building Project. In conformance with the guidelines of the Fund, this document presents the financial situation of the 
Fund.  
2  FINANCIAL SITUATION OF THE FUND 2.1.  The financial situation of the Fund as at 28 February 2013 is provided below:  Source of Funding        Amount in Swiss francs 
 
 2007 Surplus 8,051,716 
 2009 Surplus 1,036,988 
 2010 Surplus 10,527,319 
 
 Total Funding received  19,616,023  
 
  Balance of the Fund as at 28 February 2013    
 
 Total Funding received 19,616,023 
 Projects authorized by the Committee (18,609,445) 
 
 Remaining balance of the Fund  1,006,578  
 
2.2.  The table on the next page presents the de tails on the financial situation for each of the 
authorized projects as at 28 February 2013. The second column presents the preliminary cost 
estimates provided to the Committee in June 2011 for a total amount of CHF 21.3 million. The third column presents the approved amounts by  the Committee for each project. The last two 
columns present the amounts engaged with the different service providers and the amounts 
already invoiced and settled. 
                                               
1 WT/BFA/W/178/Rev.1.     WT/BFA/W/295 
 
- 2 - 
 
   
Common Facilities 
Projects   
(in CHF) Preliminary 
Cost 
Estimates 
2011 Amounts 
Authorized by 
CBFA Actual 
Commitment  
28/02/2013 Actual 
Expenditure 
28/02/2013 
South Courtyard 
Conference Centre  4,400,000 2,509,4452 2,424,445 2,193,033 
Common Area & ITTC 
Furniture  1,400,000 900,000 886,042 875,770 
Archive Rooms 900,000 900,000 124,000 124,000 
Signage  200,000 200,000 75,400 55,828 
Catering Facilities in 
CWR  400,000 400,000 340,625 332,932 
Renovation & Equipping 
of North Wing 
Conference Rooms 8,000,000 6,200,000 5,450,000 4,588,856 
Data Centre  500,000 700,000 594,000 220,000 
Catering Facilities in 
New Building 2,100,000 1,700,000 1,523,500 500,000 
New Building Furniture & 
Furnishings  1,800,000 2,200,000 1,736,711 1,440,877 
Security Facilities  1,100,000 800,000 567,105 177,428 
Accreditation Facility  0 2,100,000 2,100,000 0 
Villa Rappard (former 
Crèche) 0       
Project Director & 
Architect Fees  500,000      
Total  21,300,000 18,609,445 15,821,827 10,508,724 
 
2.3.  The only key remaining project to be funded  relates to the renovation of the Villa Rappard, 
formerly occupied by a crèche and currently used as small meeting rooms. The Secretariat is currently studying options for renovation of this building to maintain a configuration with small meeting rooms. 
2.4.  The Project Director and Architect Fees were financed through savings in the execution of the 
regular budget of the WTO. No funding will be requested for this item. 
2.5.  It is still unclear if the Secretariat will have to finance some landscaping work between the 
security perimeter currently being erected and the WTO buildings. Discussions are currently taking 
place on this matter.   
3  STATUS OF AUTHORIZED PROJECTS  
3.1  South Courtyard Conference Centre  
3.1.  The South Wing Conference rooms are operational since 2012. Some technical modifications 
have to be executed by Axians, the new audio-visual sub-contractor of the main contractor, DEGW. This includes the functional implementati on of the electronic Member plates that is 
expected to be completed by the end of summer 2013. 
                                               
2 Additional financing of the South Courtyard Conference Centre from the 2010 budgetary savings in the 
amount of CHF 1,990,555 - WT/BFA/W/261. WT/BFA/W/295 
 
- 3 - 
 
  3.2  Common Area and ITTC Furniture 
3.2.  The remaining furniture to be installed will arrive in the coming weeks as the renovation 
around the North conference rooms is being completed. This includes furniture for the Salle de Pas Perdus. We would like delegates to be aware that as part of the Furniture purchase we have 
created two new rooms exclusively for the use of delegates in the corridor just past the main 
entrance lobby. One room (located in the former bookshop) has three workstations with computers, as well as a table and armchairs. Th e second is a small meeting room with a round 
table (located in the former Conference Services office).  
3.3  Archive Rooms  3.3.  The existing contractor of the South Conference Centre, HRS, completed the project study. 
The execution of the project, including the equi pment for ventilation, temperature and humidity 
controls will be carried out by Techdata, the general contractor of the WTO renovation works under 
the supervision of Fondation des Immeubles pour les Organisations Internationales (FIPOI). FIPOI also agreed to partially finance the completion of this project. 
3.4  Signage  
3.4.  The Haute école d'art et de design (HEAD) , is now in its final phase of the project. The 
realisation of the signage throughout the WTO site will include the Accreditation Facility (BCI), the 
Villa Rappard (former Crèche), and the entire securi ty perimeter. Full delivery is expected before 
the end of the year. 
3.5  Catering Facilities in the Centre William Rappard (CWR) Building     3.5.  The coffee shop in the atrium has been comp leted. The Secretariat is currently investigating 
how it could upgrade the set-up to enhance service. 
3.6  Renovation and Equipping of the North Wing Conference Rooms    3.6.  The renovation of rooms D and E has been completed. Those rooms were put back in service 
on 15 March 2013. Room W will be available by late April. The other remaining rooms A, B, C, X, Y 
and Z are expected to be completed and operational by mid-May 2013. 
3.7  Data Centre   
3.7.  The data centre in the new administrative building started operations early December 2012. 
The final payment should take place in March. 
3.8  Catering Facilities in the New Building 3.8.  The new building general contractor Implenia delivered the kitchen and the cafeteria areas. 
The new restaurant will start operation on 8 April 2013. This new self-service restaurant has a 
seating capacity of some 250.  
3.9  New Building Furniture and Furnishings   
3.9.  The furniture and furnishings for the administrative floors has been delivered in December 
2012. The cafeteria furniture will be setup first week of April. The remaining terrace furniture will be ordered and setup before summer 2013. 
3.10  Security Facilities  
3.10.  Installation of the security equipment was completed in the new administrative building and 
the underground car park in December 2012. The next phase is to equip the security perimeter and the new Sécheron parking. WT/BFA/W/295 
 
- 4 - 
 
  3.11  Accreditation Facility 
3.11.  The permit was delivered by the Swiss authorities December last year for the construction 
of the new accreditation facility. The architect Wittfoht and the general contractor Implenia have started the construction on 7 March 2013. The cons truction is expected to be completed by the 
end of June 2013.   
 
__________