RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/BFA/W/149 
5 October 2006 
 (06-4788) 
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration  
  
 
 
NEXT STEPS TO MEET THE IMMEDIATE BUILDING NEEDS OF THE WTO 
 
Note by the Director-General
 
 
 
I. INTRODUCTION 
1. The present note summarizes the action taken by the Secretariat since the meeting of the 
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration held on 29 September 2006 and sets out the next 
steps which the Director-General proposes to take in  order to address the immediate building needs of 
the Secretariat. 
II. CONTACTS WITH THE SWISS AUTHORITIES 
2. The Secretariat made contact with the Swiss au thorities with a view to seeking answers to a 
number of questions relating to th e various options which had been identified in the course of the 
discussions concerning the immediate building needs of the Organization.     
3. A meeting was held with the Swiss authorities at which they provided preliminary answers 
and undertook to provide additional information in the coming weeks.  Members will be informed of 
these contacts during the meeting of the Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration on 6 October 2006. 
III. VALIDITY OF TENDERS FOR THE CONTRACT FOR THE AVENUE DE FRANCE 
PROJECT 
4. The Secretariat asked the various bidders for the Avenue de France project whether they 
would be willing to extend the validity of their bids to 30 June 2007.   
5. From the replies received, it is confirmed that an  extension of the deadline for a final decision 
on the award of the contract to 30 June 2007 does not  result in the project envelope of CHF 60 million 
being exceeded. 
IV. IUHEI LIBRARY 
6. It is recalled that under the terms of the Infr astructure Agreement with the Swiss authorities 
(document WT/GC/2, Chapter F, paragraph 9), " The State undertakes to house elsewhere the library of 
the Institut Universitaire de s Hautes Etudes Internationales by th e 31st day of December 1999, provided 
the credits for such rehousing are released by the competent authorities.  Until that date, the Institute shall enjoy the underground area of 3,173 square me tres (used for its library) and 12 outside parking 
spaces ."  The Secretariat contacted the Swiss authorities with a view to ascertaining the earliest date at 
which the Library could vacate the area that it contin ues to occupy in the basement of the south wing of 
the CWR (see Annex 1).  The Swiss authorities are currently examining the issue with a view to providing an answer at the earliest possible date. WT/BFA/W/149 
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  V. PROPOSAL 
7. In light of the above, the Director-General wishes to propose the following recommendations 
for the consideration of the Committee: 
(a) The Committee recommends to the Gen eral Council that the Director-General 
holds intensive discussions with the Swiss authorities concerning an appropriate 
solution to the immediate housing needs of the WTO, with a view to reporting to 
the General Council at its meeting on 14-15 December 2006 . 
(b) The Committee further recommends to the General Council that the Director-
General be invited to urge the Swiss authorities to liberate the premises occupied 
by the IUHEI Library in the CWR at the earliest possible date, in view of the 
pressing space and security con cerns facing the Organization . 
     WT/BFA/W/149 
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  ANNEX 1  
Basement of the South Wing of CWR  
Location of the IUHEI Library (3,173 square metres)  
 
 
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