. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/GC/115 
21 July 2008 
 (08-3504) 
  
  
ENHANCED INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT 
 
Institutional and Administrative Arrangements
 
 
Communication from the Director-General 
  
 For the past few years, th e WTO has been working with a number of WTO Members and 
other international organizations on an Enhanced  Integrated Framework (EIF) for providing trade-
related assistance for least developed countries.  This effort is intended to improve the operations of 
the Integrated Framework, which was created in 1997.  Through this communication, I wish to 
apprise the General Council of certain understandings reach ed by the interested parties in regard to the 
role of the WTO in the institutional and administra tive arrangements of the EIF Executive Secretariat, 
whose functions will include assisting the EIF Bo ard in carrying out the programmes and projects 
approved by the Board.  The responsibilities of th e EIF Executive Secretariat will be solely of a 
programmatic and administrative nature (e.g. to su pport LDCs' participation in the EIF process; to 
support the EIF governing bodies; to provide coordina tion and monitoring of the EIF process; and to 
provide outreach). 
  Based on the recommendations of the EIF Task Force
1 adopted in June 2006 by the 
IF Working Group and the EIF Steering Committee that the EIF Executive Secretariat should be 
administratively housed in the WTO, I accepted the proposal that the staff of the EIF Secretariat, 
including its Executive Director, be placed under the au thority of the Director-General of the WTO in 
regard to personnel and administrative matters.  At  the same time, it was al so agreed that, while 
EIF Executive Secretariat staff would be administrativ ely housed in the WTO Secretariat, they would 
work exclusively on EIF-related issues and would no t be entrusted to do other tasks unrelated to the 
management and operation of the EIF.  Policy d ecisions on the work to be carried out by the 
EIF Secretariat would be taken solely by the EIF governing bodies (i.e., EIF Board and EIF Steering 
Committee), although the WTO as a member of both of these bodies will have full participation in 
those decisions.   In practice, this arrangement means that the Executive Director and the staff of the 
EIF Executive Secretariat will formally be WTO st aff members, subject to WTO staff rules and 
regulations and to my authority in all respects except for the policy guidance they will receive from 
the EIF Board.  A reference Compendium of Work ing Documents, currently under review by the 
Board, provides guidelines for the implementation of the EIF.   As to the recruitment of the Executive Director , a selection committee, with participation of 
WTO Secretariat staff, has forwarded its considered  recommendations to the Director-General of the 
WTO, who has proceeded with the appointment.  This procedure is intended to safeguard the 
independence of the recruitment process as required by the WTO staff rules wh ile ensuring the full 
participation of EIF stakeholders in the selection.   The Executive Director will participate in the 
selection of members of the EIF Executive Secretariat staff according to normal WTO Secretariat procedures. 
                                                     
 
1 WT/IFSC/W/15 and Corr.1. WT/GC/115 
Page 2  
 
   The EIF will be financed through a trust fund created for this purpose.  The management of 
the trust fund has been assigned to another inte rnational entity (UNOPS), which will have full 
fiduciary responsibilities with respect to the disburse ment of funds under the EIF.  As part of its 
mandate, the trust fund manager will transfer to th e WTO such funds as are necessary to finance the 
operation of the EIF Executive Secretariat as approved by the EIF Board.  The WTO will manage this 
modest budget, which is expected to be only a small part of the total funds to be disbursed under the 
EIF.  Details regarding  the conditions of tran sfer of these funds, and the respective responsibilities 
under the EIF of the Executive Secretariat and of th e trust fund manager will be outlined in letters 
each will send to the other in the near future.  
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