WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  RESTRICTED 
WT/BFA/W/251 
21 October 2011 
 (11-5300) 
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration  
  
 
UTILIZATION OF THE MEMBERS' TRANSITION OPERATING FUND 
  
1. In conformance with the guidelines set-up for the establishment of the Members' Transition 
Operating Fund (the Fund) , this document presents: 
a) a financial situation of the Fund; 
b) an update of the progress of the Common Facilities projects;  and  
c) a request for approval of the Committee to finance the next Common Facilities 
Projects following  the completion of the renovated facilities.  
 
2. It is to be recalled that the Fund was created to set aside funding for the specific expenditures 
of the building project, that is, costs pertaining to the installation and equipment of these facilities 
with furniture and audio-visual equipment. 
3. The current financial situation of the Fund  as at 30 September 2011 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   19,616,023    
 
Projects authorized 
South Courtyard Conference Centre (partial financing)   (3,000,000) 
Common Area Furniture (1,000,000) Institute for Training and Technical Co-operation furniture    (400,000) Archive Rooms (900,000) 
Total projects authorized as at 30 September 2011     ( 5,300,000)   
    Funding returned to the Fund  
South Courtyard Conference Centre 490,555 
Common Area Furniture 500,000 
Total funding returned to the Fund as at 30 September 2011     990,555   
 
Balance of the Fund  
Total Funding 19,616,023 
Projects authorized (5,300,000) Funding returned to the Fund 990,555 
Remaining balance of the Fund as at 30 September 2011 15,306,578 
 
4. The first project financed by the Fund is the modular 400 seating South Courtyard Conference 
Centre.  The Secretariat presented to the Committee the preliminary estimated costs of 
CHF 4.5 million for the furnishing and equipping of this new conference facility.  The Committee 
authorized at the end of 2010 an amount of up to CHF 3 million from the Fund to partly finance the WT/BFA/W/251 
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  installation of audio-visual and interpretation equi pment, Wi-Fi network and furniture for the South 
Courtyard Conference Centre.  The remaining part of the funding was financed from 2010 budgetary savings.  
5. The South Courtyard Conference Centre is almost complete and shall enter in operation at the 
end of the year. The total expenditure incurred on the project amount to CHF 4,500,000.  The project 
has been financed from 2010 budgetary savings  amounting to CHF 1,990,555 and CHF 2,509,445 
from the Fund.  The project faced additional expe nditure on the initial tendered contract due to 
changes in the specifications for the podiums a nd the delivery of a conference room reservation 
system.  The full approved financing from the Fund was not required and an amount of CHF 490,555 
is being returned to the Fund. 
6. The second and third projects financed by the Fund are the furnishing of common areas and 
of the Institute for Training and Technical Co-operation to be installed on the 4
th floor of the Centre 
William Rappard (CWR).  The financing approved for these projects amounted to a total of CHF 1,400,000.  Following competitive tendering th e furnishing contract for these two projects has 
been awarded to Blonde Design, a Geneva fi rm, representing Italian and British furniture 
manufacturers.  The furniture will be delivered  in the coming months as the renovation work on 
common areas is completed.  The contract awarded for these projects is below CHF 900,000.  The full approved financing from the Fund will not be require d and an amount of CHF 500,000 can already be 
returned to the Fund. 
7. The fourth project financed by the Fund is the equipping of the archive rooms.  This project is 
not yet finalized. 
8. As the Building project advances and the buildin g works are reaching a conclusion in various 
areas, the Secretariat is now seeking the funding approval for the following two projects: 
 Amount in Swiss Francs 
Signage 200,000 Catering facilities in CWR 400,000 
Total   600,000 
9. A signage concept will need to be define d and implemented throughout the entire WTO 
complex including the Centre William Rappard, th e Salle William Rappard (General Council Meeting 
Room), the new administrative building, the villas,  annexes and parking.  In order to minimize 
potential costs for the signage system, the Secr etariat has contacted a local public education 
institution, Haute école d'art et de design (HEAD), which is part of the Haute école specialisée de 
Genève.  HEAD could elaborate the layout and the design concept for the WTO signage system using 
its expertise on visual and space communication.  The WTO would be required to sign a collaboration 
agreement with HEAD for an amount of CHF 50,0 00.  The Secretariat’s Documents Reproduction 
and Distribution Section would produce and insta ll the signage on the entire WTO complex using its 
existing equipment. It is not expected that the full CHF 200,000 might be required.   
10. The WTO will be required to install catering f acilities in the new building and in the CWR.  
An initial estimate of CHF 2,500,000 for all cater ing facilities was previously presented to the 
Committee.  The Secretariat seeks the Committee's authorization for an initial amount of up to CHF 400,000 from the Fund to finance catering faciliti es in the CWR.  The catering facilities in the 
CWR will be composed of a coffee shop and a Delegate ’s dining room to be located on the Lakeside 
of the new Atrium.  The financing is intended for the purchase and the installation of a small kitchen 
equipped with machines, including display and sales c ounters.  This kitchen will serve meals for the  WT/BFA/W/251 
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  Delegate’s dining room with a seating capacity of up to 30 as well as the central coffee shop for the 
delegates and the staff.  It is planned to have the current general contractor of the intra-muros project, 
HRS, manage this project.  The general contractor  masters the architectural plans, possesses a civil 
responsibility insurance coverage for WTO building work s and can engage the project in parallel to its 
existing building works.  Further, the general cont ractor is under the supervision of the Building 
Project Director and the quality management by the ar chitects.  The resources to cover the costs of the 
the New Building kitchen and cafeteria installations, which are currently in the project phase, will be 
the object of a future proposal to the Committee. 
11. The Secretariat therefore proposes that the Co mmittee adopts the following decision in order 
to allow the Secretariat to move forw ard on the two projects mentioned above. 
12. The Committee agrees that an amount of up to CHF 600,000 from the Members' Transition 
Operating Fund may be used to finance the signage  system and the equipping and installation of 
kitchen facilities in the renovated CWR building.  
 
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