RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/BFA/W/141 
2 February 2006 
 
 (06-0447) 
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration  
  
 
 
ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES IN THE WTO 
 
 1. It will be recalled that the report of the Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration 
(CBFA) WT/BFA/82 of 28 November 2005 reporte d as follows on the question of Members in 
arrears: 
 
3. The Chairman reported that, as indi cated in document WT/BFA/77, paragraph 
16, he had undertaken bi-lateral contacts with Members in Category IV of the 
Administrative Measures, with a view to encouraging the payment of arrears.  The 
contacts had resulted in some payments, but there were still many Members with 
outstanding, and in some cases, long outstandi ng contributions.  He said that he would 
continue his efforts in this regard and proposed that the Committee have a general 
discussion on this matter at its first meeting of 2006 to assess whether the Administrative Measures in their present form were adequa te to address the problem of Members in 
arrears, or whether some further measures might be considered.  He recalled that WTO 
Financial Regulation 13,2 state that "In accord ance with Article VII, 4 of the Marrakesh 
Agreement Establishing the World Trade Orga nization, Members have the obligation to 
contribute promptly to the WTO their share in the expenses of the WTO." 
 
2. Categories
1 I through III were adopted in 1988.  Category IV was adopted in 1994.  
Subsequent to discussions in the CBFA in 1997, application of the last measure under Category IV ("Inactive Members would be denied access to training or technical assistance other than that necessary to meet their WTO Article XVI-2 oblig ations") was suspended for Least Developed 
Country Members.  The full text of the Administrative Measures is contained in Annex 1. 
 
3. A significant part of the Administrative Measures relates to limiting the distribution of 
documents to Members in certain categories.  With the advent of electronic availability of WTO documents, this measures has perhaps less impact  than when it was originally introduced.   
 4. The mention of "membership" in the third measure under Category II ("new membership to 
and participation in the Committee on Budget, Fina nce and Administration would be reserved for 
Members whose contributions are paid or who have not more than one full year's assessment outstanding") dates from the GATT when there wa s a defined membership in the CBFA.  The 
present policy of membership was adopted by the General Council on 31 January 1995 
(WT/L/44/Rev.1).  It reads "Membership in the Committee will be open to all WTO Members.  
Without prejudice to Article IV :7 of the WTO Agreement, and taking account of the technical 
nature of the Committee and past GATT practice, it is recognized that a limi ted membership could 
be more efficient and in the overall administrativ e interests of the WTO."  In this sense, the 
                                                     
 
1  Category I relates to Members with one full year's contribution outstanding at the end of the financial 
year; Category II: more than one but less than two full years' contributions outstanding at the end of the financial year; Category III: two full years' contributions outstanding at the end of the financial year; 
Category IV (Inactive): more than three full years' contri butions outstanding at the end of the financial year. WT/BFA/W/141 
Page 2  
 
  Committee might consider eliminating the relevant reference in this measur e which would then read 
"participation in the Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration would be reserved for Members whose contributions are paid or who have not more than one full year's assessment outstanding"). 
 
5. If Members of the CBFA are of the opinion that the WTO would benefit from strengthened 
Administrative Measures, the fo llowing might be considered: 
a) naming each Member under the four categories of administrative measures at the start 
of each meeting of the Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration and the General Council; 
b) limiting electronic access (currently by means of a password) to the Members' 
Website; 
c) limiting the right to take the floor in WTO meetings; 
d) limiting the right to attend WTO meetings;  
e) applying the Category IV measure ("Inactiv e Members would be denied access to 
training or technical assistance other than that necessary to meet their WTO Article 
XIV-2 obligations.") to all Members in that category. 
 6. Should these measures be adopted, a revision to the Administrative Measures could be 
formulated according to the draft revision in Annex 2.  Clearly, the inclusion of these new elements under specific categories is provided only for the purposes of discussion.  
 
    
 
     
 
    
 
   
   WT/BFA/W/141
 Page 3Annex 1  
CAT. I  
After one full year's assessed contri bution remains outstanding at the end 
of the financial year : 
- documentation would not be posted to delegations in Geneva , 
- representatives would not be nominated to preside over WTO bodies . 
CAT. II  
After more than one but less than tw o full years' assessed contributions 
remain outstanding at the end of WTO's financial year : 
- documentation would not be posted to delegations in Geneva , 
- representatives would not be nominated to preside over WTO bodies , 
- new membership to and participation in the Committee on Budget, 
Finance and Administration would be reserved for members whose 
contributions are paid or who have  not more than one full year's 
assessment outstanding . 
CAT. III  
After two but less than three full ye ars' assessed contributions remain 
outstanding at the end of WTO's financial year : 
- documentation would not be posted to delegations in Geneva , 
- representatives would not be nominated to preside over WTO bodies , 
- new membership to and participation in the Committee on Budget, 
Finance and Administration would be reserved for members whose 
contributions are paid or who have  not more than one full year's 
assessment outstanding , 
- documentation would not be posted to members , 
- recommendations by the Committee on Budget, Finance and 
Administration to the General Counc il on financial matters would be 
acted on only by members whose contributions are paid or who have 
less than two full years' assessments outstanding . 
CAT. IV:  INACTIVE  
After three full years' assessed contributions remain outstanding at the end 
of the financial year : 
- a memberwould be designated as an Inactive Member , 
- the list of Inactive Members would be notified to th e General Council 
by the Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration at the 
beginning of each calendar year with a recommendation that these 
members be urged to liquidate their arrears , 
- as soon as an appropriate payment is made by an Inactive Member, the 
General Council would be notified immediately of the consequential 
deletion from the list of Inactive Members , 
- Inactive Members would be denied access to training  or technical 
assistance other than that necessary to meet their WTO Article XIV-2 
obligations .* CAT. I  
Si une contribution due pour une année complète demeure impayée à la 
clôture d'un exercice annuel : 
- la documentation ne sera pas envoyée à la délégation à Genève , 
- les représentants du pays ne pourront pas être nommés à la présidence 
d'un organe de l'OMC . 
CAT. II  
Si une contribution due pour plus d'une année mais moins de deux années 
complètes demeure impayée à la clôture d'un exercice annuel : 
- la documentation ne sera pas envoyée à la délégation à Genève , 
- les représentants du pays ne pourront pas être nommés à la présidence 
d'un organe de l'OMC , 
- seules les parties contractantes/membres ayant payé leurs 
contributions ou dont les arriérés ne  dépassent pas une année complète 
pourront devenir membres du Comité des questions budgétaires, 
financières et administratives et participer à ses travaux . 
CAT. III  
Si les contributions dues pour deux ann ées complètes mais moins de trois 
demeurent impayées à la clôture de l'exercice annuel : 
- la documentation ne sera pas envoyée à la délégation à Genève , 
- les représentants du pays ne pourront pas être nommés à la présidence 
d'un organe de l'OMC , 
- seuls les membres ayant payé leurs contributions ou dont les arriérés 
ne dépassent pas une année complè te pourront devenir membres du 
Comité des questions budgétaires, fi nancières et administratives et 
participer à ses travaux , 
- la documentation ne sera pas envoyée au membre , 
- les recommandations du Comité des questions budgétaires, financières 
et administratives au Conseil géné ral sur des questions financières 
seront uniquement du ressort de s membres qui ont payé leurs 
contributions ou dont les arriérés  correspondent à moins de deux 
années complètes . 
CAT. IV:  INACTIF  
Si les contributions dues pour trois an nées complètes demeurent impayées 
à la clôture de l'exercice annuel : 
- le Membre sera déclaré Membre inactif,  
- la liste des Membres inactifs sera notifiée au Conseil général par le 
Comité du budget, des finances et de l'administration au début de 
chaque année civile, accompagnée d'une recommandation visant à ce 
que ces Membres soient invités in stamment à liquider leurs arriérés , 
- dès qu'un Membre inactif effectue un  paiement approprié, le Conseil 
général sera informé immédiatement de la radiation de la liste des 
Membres inactifs qui en résulte , 
- les Membres inactifs se verront refuser l'accès à la formation ou à 
l'assistance technique, à l'exception de celle qui est nécessaire pour 
leur permettre de remplir les obliga tions qui leur incombent en vertu 
de l'article XIV:2 de l'Accord sur l'OMC . * CAT. I  
Después de que al final del ejercicio fina nciero quedase pendiente la contribución 
señalada para un año completo : 
- no se enviaría la documentaci ón a las delegaciones en Ginebra , 
- los representantes no podrían ser designados para presidir órganos de la OMC . 
CAT. II  
Después de que al final del ejercicio fina nciero quedasen pendientes las contribuciones 
señaladas para más de uno pero menos de dos años completos : 
- no se enviaría la documentaci ón a las delegaciones en Ginebra , 
- los representantes no podrían ser designados para presidir órganos de la OMC , 
- la incorporación al Comité de Asuntos Presupuestarios, Financieros y 
Administrativos como nuevo miembro y la participación en él quedarían 
reservadas para los partes contrata ntes/miembros que hubiesen pagado sus 
contribuciones o que no tuvies en pendiente más que la c ontribución señalada para 
un año completo . 
CAT. III  
Después de que al final del ejercicio fina nciero quedasen pendientes las contribuciones 
señaladas para dos o más pero menos de tres años completos : 
- no se enviaría la documentaci ón a las delegaciones en Ginebra ,  
- los representantes no podrían ser designados para presidir órganos de la OMC , 
- la incorporación al Comité de Asuntos Presupuestarios, Financieros y 
Administrativos como nuevo miembro y la participación en él quedarían 
reservadas para los miembros que hubiesen pagado sus contribuciones o que no 
tuviesen pendiente más que la contri bución señalada para un año completo , 
- no se enviaría la documentación a los miembros , 
- sobre las recomendaciones del Comité de  Asuntos Presupuestarios, Financieros y 
Administrativos al Consejo General acerca de asuntos financieros sólo actuarían 
los miembros que hubiesen pagado sus cont ribuciones o que tuviesen pendientes 
menos de dos años completos de contribuciones . 
CAT. IV:  INACTIVA  
Después de que al final del ejercicio fina nciero quedasen pendientes las contribuciones 
señaladas para tres años completos : 
- un Miembro será designado Miembro Inactivo , 
- el Comité de Asuntos Presupuestarios, Fi nancieros y Administrativos notificará al 
Consejo General al principio de cada año ci vil la lista de Miembros Inactivos con 
una recomendación de que se inste a es os Miembros a que liquiden sus atrasos , 
- en cuanto un Miembro Inactivo haga un pago apropiado, se notificará 
inmediatamente al Consejo General la c onsiguiente exclusión de la lista de 
Miembros Inactivos , 
- se negará a los Miembros Inactivos el acceso a la formación o a la asistencia 
técnica distinta de la necesaria para cumplir sus obligaciones dimanantes del 
párrafo 2 del artículo XIV del Acuerdo sobre la OMC . * 
 
Based on/Basé sur /Basado en   L/6384  &  PC/7, L/7578. 
* Not applied to least developed countries/Ne s'applique pas aux pays les moins avancés/No se aplica a los países menos adelantad os (WT/BFA/32, p. 7  &  WT/GC/M/23, p. 16).  
 WT/BFA/W/141 
Page 4  
 
  Annex 2
 
 
Possible Draft Revision to Administrative Measures  
 
CAT. I  
After one full year's assessed c ontribution remains outstanding at the end of the financial year: 
- documentation would  will not be posted to delegations in Geneva, 
- representatives would  will not be nominated to preside over WTO bodies. 
- each Members under administrative measures will be named, by category, at the start of each 
meeting of the Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration and the General Council. 
CAT. II  
After more than one but less than two full years' as sessed contributions remain outstanding at the end of 
WTO's financial year, in add ition to the above measures: 
- participation in meetings of the Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration would  will be 
reserved for Members whose contri butions are paid or who have not more than one full year's 
assessment outstanding. 
 access to the WTO Members' Web site will be denied. 
CAT. III  
After two but less than three full years' assessed contributions remain outstanding at the end of WTO's 
financial year, in addition to the above measures: - documentation would
 will not be posted to members, 
- recommendations by the Committee on Budget, Fina nce and Administration to the General Council on 
financial matters would  will be acted on only by Members whose contributions are paid or who have 
less than two full years' assessments outstanding, 
- the right to take the floor in any WTO meeting will be withheld. 
CAT. IV:  INACTIVE  
After three full years' assessed cont ributions remain outstanding at the e nd of the financial year, in addition 
to the above measures: 
- a Member would  will be designated as an Inactive Member, 
- the list of Inactive Members would  will be notified to the General C ouncil by the Committee on Budget, 
Finance and Administration at the beginning of each calendar year with a recommendation that these 
members be urged to liquidate their arrears, 
- Inactive Members would  will be denied access to training or te chnical assistance other than that 
necessary to meet their WTO Article XIV-2 obligations. * 
- the right to attend any WTO meetings will be withheld. 
As soon as an appropriate pa yment is made by an Inactive Member, the General Council would  will be 
notified immediately of the consequential deletion from the list of Inactive Members. 
 
 
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