RESTRICTED  
  
WT/BFA/W/463  
 
2 November  2018 
(18-6861) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration    
 
 
GATT ARCHIVE MATERIA LS 
PROPOS AL FOR PUBLIC ACCESS  
 
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  The WTO Secretariat holds historical records relating to the GATT dating from the mid -1940s 
to end 1995.  These records, referred to as GATT non -official materials, include all records except 
official GATT 1947 documents1.  The records can originate from within the Secretariat  or from outside 
- from contracting parties, academics, the public , etc. 
1.2.  The GATT CONTRACTING PARTIES, the Preparatory Committee for the WTO and the Interim 
Commission for the International Trade Organization (ICITO), agreed inter alia for the transfer of 
assets and records of the GATT /ICITO  to the W TO (WT/L/36).  
1.3.  In 2006 Members  decided to give  public access to all restricted official GATT 1947 documents 
(WT/L/647) .  By their Decisions of 18 July 1996 and 14  May 2002, the Members emphasiz ed the 
importance of greater transparency in the functioning of the WTO by deciding that all official WTO 
documents shall be unrestricted  (WT/L/160/Rev.1 and WT/L/452 ).  In line with these decisions the 
WTO Secretariat would like to proceed to the disclosure  of GATT non -official materials .   
1.4.  The International Council o n Archives (ICA/SIO) in its Guide to Archives of International 
Organizations recommends  "public access to the archives of international organisations should be 
given after a maximum general delay of 30 years . In specific cases a delay longer than 30 years 
may be necessary."  (ICA/SIO  1981 - 7th Session – Rome) .  To date  no procedures for public access 
to GATT non -official records have been agreed and consequently GATT non -official materials are not 
available outside the Secretariat.  
2  PROCEDURES  
2.1  Disclosure standard  
• Some materials may be exempted from this rule and remain classified ;2 
• Eligibility of GATT non -official materials for disclosure will be based on the classification 
categories in the WTO Confidentiality Classification Policy ; 
• All GATT non -official materials, regardless of their medium (paper, images, electronic files 
etc.) will be eligible for disclosure . 
                                                
1 GATT 1947 o fficial documents carry a document symbol.  Symbols are typically based on either the 
issuing body or the subject matter of the document  and serve as a unique identifier  for the document.  GATT 
non-official materials do not carry a symbol.  
2 Routinely institutions l imit access to information that is considered confidential or secret .  These 
records often include  staff records, financial records and files that if divulged might injure reputation, affect 
privacy or endanger safety  which remain classified indefinitely . For G ATT non -official records this could include 
inter alia certain accession, disput e settlement and negotiating records  as well as legal instruments.  WT/BFA/W/463  
 
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  2.2  Disclosure process  
2.1.  The Records and Archives Management Section (RAMS) will identify and organize for disclosure 
GATT non -official materials.   
2.2.  RAMS  will organize y early reviews of GATT non-official materials and take into account 
confidentiality and privacy concerns; Secretariat staff in other divisions will be consulted as 
appropriate. Thereafter  Disclosure Circulars will be prepared and circula ted for the consideration of 
Members.3  
2.3.  Members will have 3 months to request the removal of an item from the Disclosure Circular.  
Items so removed will be labelled confidential and will not be eligible again for disclosure for a period 
of three years.  A t the end of this time, they will be included in a new Disclosure Circular for 
consideration by Members, following the same procedure. This procedure may be repeated 
indefinitely until no Member objects to the disclosure of the materials in question.  
2.3  Acces sibility  
2.4.  Following disclosure, the Disclosure Circulars will be made available on the internet.  
2.5.  Disclosed GATT  non-official materials  will be available for consultation  in the Secretariat , 
Monday to Friday, by appointment only, from 9:00 to 12:00 and 14:0 0-17:00 . Requests for 
consultation and enquiries should be addressed to the Records and Archives Management Section  
(central.repository@wto.org ).   
3  PROPOSAL  
3.1.  Based on the above,  it is proposed that the Committee on Budget, Finance and 
Administration  recommend to the General Council to agree  the procedures for disclosure 
of GATT non -official materials .   
 
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3 External non -official materials include correspondence, communications from contracting parties, 
bilateral  exchanges among contracting parties, job documents, etc.  Internal  non -official materials include 
notes and memos, mission reports, correspondence, etc.  See also Annex 1 . WT/BFA/W/463  
 
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  ANNEX 1  
PRINCIPAL FONDS, SERIES AND DOCUMENT TYPE S 
 
PRINCIPAL FONDS AND SERIES  
 
United Nations Conference on Trade and Employment (Havana Conference)  
(1946 -1948)   
 First Session of the Preparatory Committee (London)  
 Session of the Drafting Committee for the Draft Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (Lake 
Success).  
 Second Session of the Preparatory Committee (Geneva)  
 International Conference on Trade and Employment (Havana)  
  
Interim Commission for the International Trade Organization. (1948 -1952)  
 
 Administration  
 Information files  
 Instruments of acceptance  
 Meetings  
 Relations  
 Working party ] 
  
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade . (1948 -1994)  
 
 Accession and withdrawal  
 Administration  
 Application of the Agreement  
 Articles of the Agreement  
 Conferences  
 Conferences of other Organizations  
 General  
 Information  
 GATT Legal Instruments  
 GATT Documents  
 ICITO/GATT Relations  
 Non-technical Subjects  
 Public Information Unit  
 Relations  
 Relations with other Organizations  
 Statistics  
 Schedules  WT/BFA/W/463  
 
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   Technical Assistance to Developing Countries  
 Trade Intelligence Matters  
 Technical Subjects  
 Trainee Scheme  
 World Trade Organization  
  
GATT General  (1948 -1994)   
 Accessions  
 Agriculture and Commodities  
 Balance of Payments  
 Budget Control  
 Civil aircraft  
 Consultative Group of Eighteen  
 Dispute settlement  
 Environment  
 Government Procurement  
 Information and Media Relations  
 Legal Affairs  
 Market Access  
 Ministerial Sessions  
 Personnel  
 Staff files  
 Policy Affairs  
 Textiles  
 Training and Technical Cooperation  
 Uruguay Round  
 
 
PRINCIPAL DOCUMENT T YPES  
administrative communication  
audit and travel related documents  
background paper  
correspondence  
dispute material  
draft 
financial documents  
handwritten note  
journal  
legal instrument  
list 
meeting document  
memoranda  
newsletters  
non-symbol document  
note for file  
notification  
personal working file  personnel form/notice  
photo  
press material  
promotional material  
proposal  
report  
resolution  
sound reco rding 
speech  
staff records  
statement  
statute  
submission  
terms of reference  
training material  
transcription  
video recording  
working paper/ white paper/i ssue paper  
 
 
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