WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/COMTD/W/161 
18 September 2007 
 (07-3894) 
Committee on Trade and Development  
  
 
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING: 
SEMI-ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTIVITIES  
(1 JANUARY TO 30 JUNE 2007) 
 
Note by the Secretariat
 
 
 
I. INTRODUCTION 
1. This progress report on the implementation of the Technical Assistance and Training Plan 
(the TA Plan) provides a broad overview of all trade-related technical assistance (TRTA) activities 
undertaken in the first semester of the year 2007.  The tables in the Annex contain detailed 
information on the activities implemented by region, and by subject matter. 
2. The process of informal consultations with donors and beneficiaries continues to be an 
important mechanism for discussing issues related to TRTA, including the design and implementation of activities, the funding situation of the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund (DDAGTF) 
and the strategic review of TRTA, which took place in 2006.  Members' attention was drawn to the 
very critical financial situation in the DDAGTF, which at some point in time meant that TRTA 
activities had to be put on hold.  As a result and with a view to finding lasting solutions to this 
particular issue, the Director-G eneral raised the issue at th e General Council (GC) in May. 
II. A BROAD OVERVIEW OF IMPLEMENTATION OF TRTA 
3. The Secretariat continued to provide support to  Members' collective efforts to meet the 
negotiating deadlines, with a view to conclude the Round by the end of the year.  The Secretariat 
provided technical assistance (TA) through various modes, programmes and products, both in Geneva 
and in the field, while at the same time servici ng the regular and negotiating bodies.  The operation of 
the Netherlands Trainee Programme (NTP), as well as other WTO TA-related internships, added to 
the challenge of the Secretariat, both in terms of the administration and management of the relevant 
programmes. The eTraining mode is increasingly finding ground as a tool for disseminating specific 
information on WTO Agreements to beneficiaries and sharing knowledge, either in support of, or in 
preparation of, face to face activities, or as a tool for follow-up training. 
4. In the first six months of this year, a tota l of 66 countries, of which 22 least developed 
countries (LDCs) requested national TA, corresponding to  100 specific activities.  It is recalled that 
LDCs are entitled to three national activities and de veloping countries to two.  While the number of 
requests received is encouraging, it remains limite d, with many beneficiaries not utilizing their 
entitlement to TRTA.  Also, the number of requests received from LDCs during this period is some 30 per cent lower compared to the same period in 2006.  In order to raise the awareness of 
beneficiaries of their rights to TRTA, the Secret ariat continues to use various ways to remind 
Members of this entitlement, i.e. in meetings (C ommittee on Trade and Development (CTD), informal 
consultations) and through direct c ontacts with delegations and the regional co-ordinators, including 
the LDC Group.   WT/COMTD/W/161 
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  5. The implementation rate for all types of activiti es during the first semester shows that a total 
of 226 TRTA activities and projects were conducted, of which the majority, i.e. a total of 188, 
included seminars, workshops and training courses.  In addition, internships, research and doctoral 
studies programmes were implemented in the same period. 
6. Using the indicator which was introduced in 2004 (number of participant/days), statistics 
show that in the first semester of 2007, activities planned and organized by the WTO (including those 
undertaken in close cooperation with partner institu tions) in Geneva, at th e regional, global, and 
national level for WTO Reference Centres and do ctoral students internships, represented 25,325 
participant/days of delivery (out of 46,423 foreseen in  the TA Plan for the whole year 2007).  This 
includes the Geneva-based Trade Policy Courses ( TPCs), the Regional Trade Policy Courses (RTPCs) 
in Singapore and Namibia, as well as the follow-up to th e RTPC in the Caribbean, in the form of three 
one-week modules co-delivered with academics and speci alists.  It is noted that three activities were 
carried-over from the TA Plan 2006 and were implemented at the regi onal level within the first three 
months of 2007.  The Short Trade Policy Course (STPCs) for French-speaking African countries, the regional workshop on Non-Agricultural Market Acc ess (NAMA) for Pacific Islands, and the regional 
Workshop for Parliamentarians in French-speak ing Africa represented 368 participant/days of 
delivery.  This delivery rate is in progression co mpared to the implementation rate in 2006 (55 per 
cent compared to 41 per cent in 2006).  In a ddition, national TA represented 44 per cent of all 
activities implemented during the first semester. 
7. Specific features of the activities undertaken in the period under review are as follows: 
• Geneva-based training and other activities
 in the first semester included three of the 
four TPCs planned for 2007 (the 39thand 40th TPCs in English, and the 41st TPC in 
French).  The 11th Introduction Course for LDCs (French) took place, and two 
Thematic Courses on Dispute Settlement were held.  A follow-up activity related to 
the 2nd Specialized Course on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) held in 
2006 in English, was organized in June.  In addition, the 16th Introduction Day was 
held in April.  In preparation for the R TPCs in Singapore and in Namibia, Workshops 
for regional co-lecturers involved in the Courses were organized in Geneva. The 
academic programme and other internships started early in the year, and remain an important feature in the delivery of WTO TRTA. 
• A regional balance
 was maintained in the delivery of  activities.  All regions benefited 
from regional and national activities.  Close to 32 per cent of all activities targeted 
African countries, 15 per cent the Asia and the Pacific countries, 12 per cent the Latin 
American countries, and 8 per cent the Ce ntral and Eastern European and Central 
Asian countries.  The Caribbean, and the Arab and Middle-East countries almost 
equally shared the remaining 10 per cent of TRTA in the first semester.  Finally, global activities, which represented 23 per cen t of delivery, benefited participants 
from all the regions (they included Geneva-based Courses and Symposia, attendance at Conferences, specific projects such as internships, research papers, Distance 
Learning and TA development tools).  It is noted that, and in some cases rather 
frequently, National Seminars are postponed or cancelled at the very last minute, 
often without due justification. This seri ously jeopardizes the planning of activities, 
including those that could have been held  for other beneficiaries who had expressed 
an interest in the same topics, but could not be catered for, given the scarce human 
resource situation in the Secretariat. 
• Cooperation with partners
 in the delivery of activities was actively pursued and the 
majority of activities were undertaken in collaboration with one or several partner institutions.  Cooperation with partner agen cies involves one or more of the following 
aspects:  financial and/or administrative support, logistical arrangements, resource 
sharing and co-lecturing.  A good illustr ation of regional activities organized in  WT/COMTD/W/161 
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  cooperation with a specific partner institu tion, and which involves cost-sharing and 
logistical arrangements is the partners hip developed with the Inter-American 
Development Bank (IADB) through its traini ng institution – the Institute for the 
Integration of Latin America and the Ca ribbean (INTAL), which also provides all 
administrative and logistical support. All s ubject matters are covered, and the IADB 
also often proposes funding for events that are not included in the TA Plan.  For 
those, the WTO provides support by sending one or two specialists to contribute in the programme.   
• Least developed countries
 were associated with 90 activities in the first semester, 
which included those organized at the national level, upon request from the beneficiary country (45 per cent), Trade Policy Review (TPR), the Joint Integrated 
Technical Assistance Programme (JITAP) or the Integrated Framework (IF) missions, 
as well as the upgrading of WTO Reference Ce ntres.  The requested national events 
covered subject matters such as Agriculture and NAMA, Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), Services and Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs), as well as outreach for parliamentarians.  Regional events with which LDCs were associated 
included one Doha Development Agenda  (DDA) Advance Training Programme, 
several workshops on Development Issues, Dispute Settlement, TBT, Environment, 
SPS and Trade Facilitation (TF), as well as intensive Courses on Trade Negotiations 
skills.   LDCs also participated in the R TPCs in Singapore and Namibia, as well as in 
Geneva-based symposia and the Geneva  Week, which was  held in May. 
• Subject areas covered
:  from January to June 2007, all subject matters included in the 
TA Plan were covered by regional activiti es, except for Environment and Agriculture, 
but for the later three eTraining courses were held in the three official WTO 
languages. Some Regional Workshops were unde rtaken early in the year, including on 
Development Issues, Dispute Settlement, SPS, TBT, TF, and Trade Negotiations 
Skills. Three Geneva-based TPCs and two R TPCs, running over 60 days, were started 
in the first semester.  A follow-up activity to  the RTPC for the Caribbean was held in 
Jamaica from 19 February to 9 March.  A DDA Advanced Training Programme 
Workshop and seven STPCs were organized for African countries, Arab and Middle-East countries, and Latin American countries.  Six of those events were organized jointly, or in close coopera tion with regional partners.  One DDA 
Advanced Training Programme scheduled to take place in South Africa from 26 to 30 
March was cancelled, as the number of nomina tions for the activity was too limited to 
hold the event.  Thirteen activities were  implemented under the JITAP for African 
countries (jointly operated by the Intern ational Trade Centre (ITC), the United 
Nations Conference on Trade and Devel opment (UNCTAD) and the WTO).  Two 
were held at the regional level, and the remaining 11 focused on JITAP coordination 
and monitoring, current state-of-play in the DDA negotiations after the Hong Kong 
Ministerial Conference, and the implementation of Module II, i.e. the establishment of 
JITAP Reference Centres and National Enquiry Points.  
III. FINANCIAL ISSUES 
As referred to in the introduction, Members' attention was drawn on various occasions to the 
critical financial situation in the DDAGTF, as the contributions received were not in line with 
Members' commitments.  There was theref ore a serious risk that the TA Plan per se  might be 
jeopardized, and at one point, the organization of pl anned regional activities had to be put on hold for 
several weeks, in view of the shorta ge of funding.  In May, the Director-General raised the issue at the 
GC, where he specifically referred to the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration, which had instructed 
the Secretariat to explore options to enhance st able and predictable funding through the DDAGTF.  At 
the informal consultations held in June, the meeting followed-up on the statement of the Director-
General at the GC and discussed issues related to more predictable funding through the DDAGTF.  WT/COMTD/W/161 
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  Members were informed of the discussions within  the Secretariat on ways forward to address the 
issue. It was agreed that the Secretariat would pr epare an issues paper mapping out the various options 
to address the situation in a fundamental way. Among the options, it was agreed to move to a biennial planning for WTO TA, which would cover the year s 2008 and 2009.  This would allow Members to 
anticipate making their timely financial contribut ions to the DDAGTF, although in no manner would 
donors be expected to provide funding for the two y ears upfront.  Other options are currently explored 
by the Secretariat, including the one of increasing the share of the regular budget in funding TRTA-related programmes, which will be reflected in a discussion paper, to be discussed at the 
informal consultations to be held in September.  WT/COMTD/W/161 
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  ANNEX 
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WTO TRTA IN THE FIRST SEMESTER 
Table 1 
TRTA by region - 1 January-30 June 2007 
TRTA by region National TA Regional / 
Global TA Other 
(Conferences, 
etc.) Total 
Africa 46 46% 14 16% 13 34% 73 32%
Arab and Middle-East 5 5% 6 7% 2 5% 13 6%
Asia and Pacific 17 17% 14 16% 4 11% 35 15%
Caribbean 2 2% 7 8% 1 3% 10 4%
Central and Eastern Europe, 
Central Asia and the Caucasus 10 10% 4 5% 3 8% 17 8%
Latin America 20 20% 6 7%   0% 26 12%
Other (global) coverage  (incl. 
WTO-based projects & Distance Learning)     37 42% 15 39% 52 23%
Total 100 100% 88 100% 38 100% 226 100%WT/COMTD/W/161 
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  Table 2 
Overview of TRTA provided  - 1 January-30 June 2007 
TRTA by subject matter National TA Regional / 
global TA Other 
(conferences, 
etc.) Total 
1. WTO Agreements and related issues 65 49% 43 32% 26 19% 134 59% 
Accession 1 33%   2 67% 3  
Agriculture 6 75%   2 25% 8  
Competition policy       0  
Development issues   2 40% 3 60% 5  
Dispute settlement 3 50% 2 33% 1 17% 6  
Environment 1 50%   1 50% 2  
Government procurement 2 50% 1 25% 1 25% 4  
Market access (customs valuation, NAMA, 
rules of origin) 9 69% 3 23% 1 8% 13  
Multi-topic general TA (incl. DDA) 8 44% 4 22% 6 33% 18  
Notifications       0  
Outreach 3 50% 3 50%   0% 6  
Regional trade agreements     2 67% 1 33% 3  
Rules 1 17% 3 50% 2 33% 6  
SPS 2 33% 3 50% 1 17% 6  
Services 7 64% 1 9% 3 27% 11  
TBT 2 50% 2 50%    4  
TF 2 25% 6 75%    8  
Trade negotiation techniques     3 100%    3  
TPR mechanism 12 63% 6 32% 1 5% 19  
TRIPs 6 67% 2 22% 1 11% 9  
2. Training courses   39     39 17% 
eTraining/Distance Learning   18 100%   18  
Follow-up to regional TPCs   1 100%   1  
Geneva-based TPCs   3 100%   3  
RTPCs (incl. preparation workshops)   4 100%   4  
STPCs   8 100%   8  
Thematic and specialized courses   3 100%   3  
Introduction courses (LDCs)   1 100%   1  
Introduction days   1 100%   1  
3. General capacity building activities 26  4   12  42 19% 
Geneva Week   1 100%    1  
IF/LDCs 11 92%   1 8% 12  
JITAP 8 89% 1 11%     9  
IT/WTO Reference Centres 6 75% 1 13% 1 13% 8  
Participation in conferences and activities 
organized by other bodies (incl. the 
Standards and TradeDevelopment Facility STDF) 1 8% 1 8% 10 83% 12   WT/COMTD/W/161 
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  TRTA by subject matter  (cont'd) 
 National TA Regional / 
Global TA Other 
(Conferences, 
etc.) Total 
4.  Academic partnership programmes 9  2    11 5% 
University programme 9 82% 2 18%   11  
TOTAL 100 44% 88 39% 38 17% 226 100% 
         
Pro memoria         
Internships (NTP and missions)   16 100%   16  
Research projects   8 100%   8  
Doctoral support (PhD programme)   9 100%   9  
IT-related projects-TA tools development   9 100%   9  
Other TRTA-related projects       0  
 
 
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