WT/INF/192  
 
12 July 2013  
(13-3730)  Page: 1/2  
 Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration    
 
 
SELECTION OF THE EX TERNAL AUDITOR  
MANDATE FOR THE PERIOD 2014-2019 
INVITATION TO BID 
1.1.  The General Council of the World Trade Organization (WTO) is seeking to appoint the 
external auditor to perform the audit of the a ccounts of the WTO Secretariat and of the WTO 
Pension Plan for a six-year period starting with the accounts of 2014. 
1.2.  The external auditor shall be the Auditor-Gene ral, or officer holding the equivalent title, of a 
Member of the WTO or another person of high competence. It is usually a supreme audit institution, member of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), 
such as a National Audit Office or a Court of Auditors.  
1.3.  The French Cour des Comptes, the current exte rnal auditor of the WTO, will be completing its 
six-year mandate with the accounts of 2013. 
1.4.  Applications to bid shall be submitted in writing and shall be received at the WTO not later 
than 20 September 2013.  
 
1.5.  The tenders are to be sent by registered mail in sealed envelopes marked " SELECTION OF 
THE EXTERNAL AUDITOR MANDATE FOR THE PERIOD 2014-2019– CONFIDENTIAL – DO NOT OPEN" to the following address:   
Mr Michael Stone  
Chair of the Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration World Trade Organization 
Rue de Lausanne 154 
1211 Geneva 21 Switzerland 
 
1.6.  The Committee on Budget, Finance and Administ ration will then review the bids received in 
view of making a recommendation the General Counc il to appoint an external auditor before the 
end of 2013. 
1.7.  The selection criteria will be based pursuant to WTO Financial Rule 10.5 "Wherever tenders 
have been sought or an assessment of competitive prices has been made, contracts shall normally be awarded to the supplier quoting the lowest price for an acceptable offer". The selection will not 
be done on a basis of costs alone. 
1.8.  The written information to provide in the application bid is set out in the following Annex.   1.9.  Interested Delegations are invited to contact their supreme audit institutions to ascertain 
whether they would be in a position to consider  the appointment as the external auditor of the 
WTO.  
1.10.  Bidders may address any queries pertaining to this Invitation to Bid to Mr Tristan Bauswein, 
Secretary of the Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration to Tristan.bauswein@wto.org, 
telephone: + 41 22 739 5510. He can also provide the latest WTO Financial Rules and Regulations, 
financial statements and external audit reports. WT/INF/192 
 
- 2 - 
 
   
ANNEX: INFORMATION TO PROVIDE 
The following information shall be submitted as part every written application: 
a. A description of the audit institution including its experience with International Public 
Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and in au diting international organizations. It is 
expected that external auditor performing the audit should be familiar with financial practices of international organizations.  
b. A description of the audit approach envisaged including the number of missions each 
year and the number of auditors involved. The external auditor normally undertakes two  
audit missions per year: i) in March/April after the closure of the accounts of the previous year and ii) during the second part of the year when they undertake an interim 
audit of the current year and a performance audit of a particular aspect of the 
Secretariat. The audit of the WTO Pension Plan is normally undertaken in April or May. It should also disclose a description of any supplementary audit measures, not expressly 
set out in the pertinent WTO Rules and Regulations, which in the opinion of the external 
auditor should be carried out in the performance of his duties. 
c. Information on key members of the foreseen audit team including their technical, 
professional and language competences. The auditors should have an excellent 
knowledge of English which is the language primarily used for the organization's daily financial transactions, with a good understanding of French. Knowledge of Spanish would be considered as an additional asset in the final selection of the auditors. 
d. The cost that will have to be borne by the WTO for an annual audit exercise including the 
preparation and presentation of external audi t reports. The External Auditor should also 
be readily available for advice or consultation at minimal cost.  The cost of travel and 
daily subsistence allowances in Geneva shall be excluded, as it will be borne directly by 
the Organization in accordance with the WTO official travel policy. The specific costs associated to the audit of the WTO Secretaria t and of the WTO Pension Plan need to be 
identified.  
 
__________