WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  RESTRICTED 
WT/BFA/W/260 
2 March 2012  
 
(12-1247) 
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration  
  
 
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS FR OM MEMBERS AND OBSERVERS 
 
 
I. INTRODUCTION 
1. This report summarizes the situation with respect  to Members' and Observers' contributions as 
at 31 December 2011.  It also provides informati on and recommendations regarding the situation of 
Members subject to Administrative Measures and those following a Payment Plan as at 
29 February  2012. 
II. MEMBERS CONTRIBUTIONS AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2011 
2. The collection of Members' contributions has b een satisfactory in 2011.  The level of receipts 
has reached its highest amount ever.  The WTO has received a total amount of 192.0 MCHF from 
Members in 2011.  
(a) 180.8 MCHF for 2011 contributions repr esenting 93% of assessed contributions 
(b) 8.5 MCHF for 2010 outstanding contributions 
(c) 2.7 MCHF for contributions prior to 2010  
Total Annual Receipts in MCHF 
183.1177.8182.5190.3 192.0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
 
3. The level of outstanding contributions at yea r-end has increased by 9% compared to 2010 and 
amounted to 25.9 MCHF.  WT/BFA/W/260 
Page 2  
 
  Outstanding Contributions at year-end in MCHF 
22.626.8
24.631.5 31.3 31.0
27.6
25.3 25.4 25.9
23.725.9
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
 
 
Total Outstanding Contributions  
as at 31 December 2011 
 
 
 96 Members have no outstanding balan ce at year-end (63% of Members); 
 57 Members have outstanding balances amounting to a total of 25.9 MCHF: 
o 12.6 MCHF by 38 Members. 
 Among these, 5 Members have more than  100 kCHF outstanding at year-end 
representing 11.7 MCHF: 
 United States of America 7.2 MCHF (30% of 2011 contributions); 
 Spain 2.5 MCHF (50% of 2011 contributions); 
 India 0.7 MCHF (25% of 2011 contributions); 
 Dominican Republic 0.7 MCHF (72% of 2011 contributions and pre-
1988 arrears); 
 United Arab Emirates 0.5 MCHF (24% of 2011 contributions). 
o 6.9 MCHF by the 10 Members subject to a Payment Plan; 
o 5.6 MCHF by the 9 Members subject to Administrative Measures; 
 3.4 MCHF by the 4 Members in Category IV; 
 2.1 MCHF by the 3 Members in Category II; 
 0.2 MCHF by the 2 Members in Category I. 
o 0.8 MCHF relates to a long outstand ing amount from Yugoslavia (not a WTO 
Member).  WT/BFA/W/260 
 Page 3 
 
 
  III. OBSERVERS CONTRIBUTIONS AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2011 
4. The WTO has received a total amount of 1.0 MCHF from Observers in 2011.  
 600 kCHF for 2011 contributions represen ting 66% of the assessed contributions. 
 86 kCHF for 2010 outstanding contributions. 
 300 kCHF for contributions prior to 2010. 
 5. Vanuatu has settled all its arrears in 2011 for a total amount of CHF 333,277. 
6. The level of Observers' outstanding contributions at  year-end has been satisfactory in 2011.  It 
has decreased by 8% to 1.1 MCHF in 2011.  Th e outstanding balance is essentially connected to 
3 Observers with long outstanding arrears.  
Observer's Outstanding Contributions at year-end in MCHF 
0.430.550.580.670.83 0.840.891.131.24
1.041.16
1.07
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
 
 16 Observers have no outstanding balances (52% of Observers); 
 15 Observers have outstanding balances amounting to a total of 1.1 MCHF: 
o 3 Observers (Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome a nd Principe and Sudan) have outstanding 
balances above 100 kCHF representing more than 4 years of outstanding 
contributions for a total amount of CHF 755,200:  These 3 Observers represent 72% 
of the total arrears of Observers. 
 
Observers' Total Outstanding Contributions  
as at 31 December 2011 
 
 WT/BFA/W/260 
Page 4  
 
  IV. MEMBERS SUBJECT TO ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES AS AT 31 DECEMBER 
2011 
7. The Membership has established a number of Administrative Measures for Members that 
have one full year or more of assessed contributions  remaining outstanding at the end of the financial 
year.  There are four categories of Administrative Measures depending on the number of years of 
outstanding contributions. 
Category Administrative Measures 
I After one full year's assessed contribution rem ains outstanding at the end of the financial 
year: 
- documentation will not be poste d to delegations in Geneva, 
- representatives will not be nominated to preside over WTO bodies. 
II 
 After more than one but less than two full year s' assessed contributions remain outstanding at 
the end of WTO's financial year, in addition to the above measures: 
- at the start 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 are under 
Administrative Measures in Categories II through IV; 
- each year the Director General will contact directly the minister  of the Member responsible for 
the WTO emphasizing the question of arrears and report on his results to the General Council. 
III 
 After two but less than three full years' asse ssed contributions remain outstanding at the end 
of WTO's financial year, in addition to the above measures: 
- documentation will not be posted to members; 
- use of the WTO Members' Web site will not be available; 
- recommendations  by the Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration to the 
General Council on financial matters w ill be acted on only by Members whose 
contributions are paid or who have less th an two full years' assessments outstanding; 
- at each meeting of the General Council, the Ch airman will request Members in Categories III 
and IV to inform him/her before the next meeting of the General Council as to when the payment of arrears may be expected.  The Ch airman will report on Members' replies at each 
subsequent meeting. 
IV After three full years' assessed contributions rema in outstanding at the end of the financial 
year, in addition to the above measures: 
- a Member will be designated as an Inactive Member; 
- the list of Inactive Members will be notified to the General Council by the Committee on 
Budget, Finance and Administ ration at the beginning of each calendar year with a 
recommendation that these members be urged to liquidate their arrears; 
- inactive Members will be denied access to trai ning or technical assistance other than that 
necessary to meet their WTO Article XIV-2 obligations; 
- inactive Members taking the floor in the General Council  will be identified as such. 
8. At the end of 2011: 
 Nine Members were subject to Administrative Measures as at 31 December 2011 for a total 
amount outstanding of 5.6 MCHF. 
 This is the lowest number of Members s ubject to Administrative Measures since 1995. 
 Ten Members have accepted a Payment Plan in th e last 3 years that suspends Administrative 
Measures.  WT/BFA/W/260 
 Page 5 
 
 
   
Category I (2) Category II (3) Category III (0) Category IV (4) 
FYROM 
Malawi  
 Dominica 
Nicaragua Bolivarian Republic of 
Venezuela 
  Chad 
Djibouti Guinea-Bissau 
Sierra Leone 
 
 
Evolution of Total Outstanding  
1995-2011 
9.512.3 12.2 12.513.412.814.313.817.1 16.8
14.2
12.813.3 13.6 13.4
7.5
5.62627
25 252423242830
28
20 192122
19
11
9
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Amount Outstanding  Members  (MCHF)
Number of Members  in Category I ‐ IV 
 
Total Arrears from Members subject  to Administrative Measures 
as at 31 December 2011 
 
 
  
0.2 2.13.4
Cat. I (2) 
Cat. II (3) 
Cat. III (0) 
Cat. IV (4)WT/BFA/W/260 
Page 6  
 
  V. MEMBERS SUBJECT TO ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES AS AT 29 FEBRUARY 
2012 
9. At the start of every year, the list of Member s subject to Administrative Measures is updated 
with the new annual assessed contributions 
 15 Members are subject to Administrative Measures as at 29 February 2012, compared to 23 
as at 28 February 2011. 
 The total amount outstanding of Members unde r Administrative Measures is 6.5 MCHF 
including 2012 contributions 
 Seven new Members become subject to Ad ministrative Measures in 2012 (in italics) 
 There are no new Members entering in category IV  
 
Category I (5) Category II (2) Category III (4) Category IV (4) 
Antigua and Barbuda 
Bolivia 
Lesotho 
Nepal Papua New Guinea 
 
 Grenada 
Solomon Islands  Dominica 
FYROM 
Nicaragua 
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela 
 Chad 
Djibouti 
Guinea-Bissau 
Sierra Leone 
 
Total Arrears from Members under Administrative Measures 
as at 29 February 2012 
 
 
VI. MEMBERS WITH A PAYMENT PLAN 
 Ten Members have a Payment Plan with to tal arrears amounting to 6.9 MCHF as at 
31 December 2011. 
 As of today, 6 Members are not complying with the Payment Plans and have amounts due for 
2011 greater than CHF 10,000: Burundi, Cent ral African Republic, Congo, Democratic 
Republic of Congo, Gabon and Gambia  for a total amount of CHF 329,872. 
 The savings applied against Members amounted to CHF 609,999 in 2011. 
 Chad and Sierra Leone shall be the 11th and 12th Member subject to a Payment Plan once 
approved by the next General Council. 
 
10. As at 29 February 2012, the total outstanding from Members with payment plan amounts to 
6.8 MCHF. 
 
0.4 
0.13.0 3.0
Cat. I (5) 
Cat. II (2) 
Cat. III (4) 
Cat. IV (4) WT/BFA/W/260 
 Page 7 
 
 
   
Members 
Swiss Francs Plan 
duration 
in years End of 
plan Last 
payment 
received Amount 
due 
before 
payment 
plan Saving
(misc. 
income) Saving 
applied 
as at 
date of 
report Amount 
Outstanding 
for 2011 Amount 
Outstanding 
for 2012 Total 
Outstanding 
Contributions 
Burundi 20 31/12/2030 03-Mar-11 1,189,888 297,141 233,765 14,344 65,605 799,612 
Central African 
Republic 30 31/12/2039 28-Jul-11 1,096,836 297,141 - 55,802 55,802 1,128,469 
Congo 5 31/12/2014 13-Apr-10 1,112,836 297,141 297,141 73,832 215,601 615,708 
Côte d'Ivoire 10 31/12/2019 15-Feb-12 828,578 n/a n/a - - 600,136 
Democratic 
Republic  
of the Congo 5 31/12/2015 15-Nov-10 757,854 296,941 - 154,359 160,188 888,035 
Gabon 3 31/12/2012 25-Aug-11 352,245 n/a n/a 12,260 158,218 170,479 
Gambia 10 31/12/2019 17-Nov-11 995,455 297,141 297,141 19,261 98,976 607,058 
Mauritania 25 31/12/2034 13-Jan-12 1,237,988 297,141 152,949 - 65,118 1,037,255 
Niger 15 31/12/2024 20-Jan-12 899,452 194,652 152,949 - 37,221 642,754 
Togo 5 31/12/2014 01-Jul-11 506,436 73,153 73,153 14 115,802 289,128 
Total 10 Members      329,872 972,531 6,778,634 
 
 
Total Outstanding at year-end for Members  
Subject to Payment Plans (in MCHF) 
0.44.76.96.8
2009 2010 2011 Feb ‐12 
 WT/BFA/W/260 
Page 8  
 
  Number of Members subject to Payment Plans  
at year-end 
1710 10
04812
2009 2010 2011 Feb ‐12 
 
 VII. IMPLEMENTATIONS OF ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES BY THE 
SECRETARIAT 
11. The Director-General officially informed all Directors of the implementation of 
Administrative Measures by the Secretariat in  a memorandum issued on 16 August 2011. The 
Secretariat has fully implemented all the admini strative measures under its responsibility as of 1
st 
September 2011. 
12. The Budget & Finance Section is  responsible for the timely updating and communication of 
the list of Members subject to Administrative Measures. 
13. In February 2012, the Director-General wrot e to all Members who became subject to 
Administrative Measures or have changed category.  
14. Under the Administrative Measures, a Member is  declared as an Inactive Member if more 
than three full years of assessed contributions remained  outstanding at the end of the financial year.  
The Administrative Measures also required that: "t he list of Inactive Members be notified to the 
General Council by the Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration at the beginning of each 
calendar year with a recommendation that these Me mbers be urged to liquidate their arrears". 
15. The Committee therefore recommends to the General Council that Inactive Members be 
urged to liquidate  their arrears.  
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