WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  TN/TF/W/76 
6 February 2006 
 (06-0489) 
Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation  
  
 
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CAPACITY BUILDING 
ON TRADE FACILITATION 
 
Note by the Secretariat
 
 
 
    
 
 
1. This Note updates information provided in  TN/TF/W/54 and describes the Secretariat's 
planned technical assistance activities in 2006 on Tr ade Facilitation.  The Secretariat continues to 
collaborate with other relevant intergovernment al organizations, including the IMF, OECD, 
UNCTAD, WCO and the World Bank, that have programmes of technical assistance and capacity 
building on trade facilitation with a view to maki ng the programmes more effective and operational 
and to ensure better coherence.   
2. Information on the WTO technical assistance programme is posted on the WTO website on 
the trade facilitation technical assistance and capac ity-building webpage.  The webpage contains links 
to the websites of other intergovernmental organizati ons that are active in this area, as well as to the 
WTO/OECD database of trade-related technical assist ance and capacity building and to the website of 
the Global Facilitation Partnership for Transportati on and Trade which contai ns valuable background 
materials and information on trade facilitation.  The WTO webpage also contains information that is 
provided by WTO Members on their trade facilitation needs and priorities and on their technical assistance and capacity-building activities.   
3. Trade Facilitation is one of the priority topi cs in the WTO Technical Assistance programme, 
reflecting Members' strong interest in this area.  The Secretariat's activities in 2006 will continue to 
aim to enhance the ability of developing countries a nd LDCs to participate fully in and benefit from 
the negotiations, pursuant to paragraph 5 of the Ne gotiating Group's mandate and paragraph 6 of the 
Group's report to the TNC in 2005.
1  They will be focused this year on helping officials to deepen 
their understanding of the issues that are under negot iation and to identify their trade facilitation needs 
and priorities.   
I. 2006 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PLAN ON TRADE FACILITATION 
(WT/COMTD/W/142) 
4. The WTO Secretariat is available at all times to  delegations in Geneva to provide technical 
assistance on matters relating to the work of the Negotiating Group. 
 
                                                      
1 WT/L/579, Annex D, and TN/TF/3. This document has been prepa red under the Secretariat's own 
responsibility and without prejudice to the positions of Members and to their rights and obligations under the WTO TN/TF/W/76 
Page 2  
 
  A. R
EGIONAL WORKSHOPS  
5. A regional workshop on trade facilitation will be organized in each of the seven WTO regions 
as defined in the technical assistance plan.  Severa l of the organizations listed in Annex D of the 
Group's mandate will participate in these workshops, some on a regular basis and others according to 
the availability of their resources.  The works hops will consist of in-depth presentations on the 
negotiating mandate, legal framework and Member s' proposals.  Workshop exercises will allow 
participants to examine in detail the proposed meas ures, evaluate them in terms of their national 
and/or regional needs and priorities, and assess what  would be required to implement them.     
6. WTO Members and Observers from each region will be invited to send two capital-based 
officials;  one from customs and one from the trade ministry.  All participants will be provided with 
manuals and materials that are specifically designe d for use in the workshop, as well as CD-Roms that 
contain comprehensive information on the WT O trade facilitation negotiations and general 
information on the WTO and on trade facilitation.  
7. One of the benefits of regional workshops is th at participants learn from each other.  Each 
participating country will be asked to prepare a case-study on the implementation of one of the 
proposed measures that has already been implemented nationally.  In addition,  participants will take 
part in extensive working group activities and discussions where they can share experiences. 
8. All activities are funded by the DDA Global Trust Fund.  Some will be co-funded by partner 
organizations.  Since June 2005, financing fro m UNCTAD has enabled a number of Geneva-based 
delegates from the region concerned to par ticipate in certain of the workshops.  
 
WTO Regional Workshops in 2006  
 
 
Region  Proposed Date  Proposed Venue  
Africa (English) June  Zambia 
Africa (French) May Senegal 
Arab and Middle East  April Bahrain 
Asia and Pacific May  Singapore 
Caribbean July Barbados 
C. and E. Europe, C. Asia August  TBC 
Latin America September TBC 
 
 B. N
ATIONAL WORKSHOPS  
9. National workshops are organized on an ad hoc  basis in response to specific requests and 
according to the requirements set out in the 2006 Technical Assistance Plan (pages 12-14).  While 
there is no deadline for the submission of requests, Members are urged to make them as early as 
possible so that arrangements can be made by th e Secretariat to organize national workshops in a 
timely way.  National workshops last for two days and are presented by the WTO Secretariat.  They 
have the same goal as regional workshops – to enha nce effective participation in the negotiations – 
and the agenda and materials are the same  as those used for regional workshops. 
  TN/TF/W/76 
 Page 3 
 
 
  10. To date, requests for national workshops on trade facilitation have been received from the 
delegations of Cuba, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Honduras, Indonesia, Lesotho, Malawi, Morocco, 
Trinidad and Tobago.  Priority will be given to activities meeting the requirements of the WTO 
Technical Assistance Plan, as noted above.2   
C. WORKSHOPS IN GENEVA  
11. The WTO Secretariat is planning to organi ze a workshop in Geneva for Geneva-based 
delegates this spring that will be based on the model of the regional workshops. 
D. OTHER WTO  ACTIVITIES  
12. Trade facilitation is part of the curriculum of  other WTO training programmes, such as the 
regional and Geneva-based Trade Policy Courses,  Geneva Week, JITAP activities and special 
programmes.   
E. NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND ESTIMATING COSTS  
13. In 2005, at the request of Members, the WTO Secretariat developed a self-assessment 
questionnaire and inventory to assist Members to iden tify their trade facilitation needs and priorities.  
To date the Secretariat has received completed questionnaires from 13 countries.  Following the 
wishes of the Members the comple ted questionnaires will be kept confidential and will not be 
circulated.   
14. In 2005 the World Bank, with the assistance of  the WCO, conducted six pilot projects to 
assist governments to implement the World Bank Negotiations Support Guide.  This Guide was 
developed to assist governments to organize cap ital-based support of the WTO trade facilitation 
negotiations.  A report on these pilot projects was made at the WTO Trade Facilitation Negotiating 
Group meeting on 2-3 May 2005 and can be found in TN/TF/M/5.3   
15. This year the World Bank will build on this wo rk through a research project on the technical 
assistance and capacity-building costs associated with implementing trade facilitation reforms.  This 
would involve undertaking six or seven country case studies and then preparing a comprehensive report based on the findings that would be shared with  Members.   This project is intended to provide 
information on the probable costs of implemen tation of the key measures under negotiation.   
 
__________ 
 
 
                                                     
 
2 Under the WTO Technical Assistan ce Plan developing countries are granted two priority topics for 
technical assistance each year while LDC's are allowe d to identify three.  S ee WT/COMTD/W/142, National 
Activities information, Paragraph 59.   
3 Beginning at paragraph 496.