WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/COMTD/W/146 
14 February 2006 
 (06-0612) 
Committee on Trade and Development  
  
 
ANNUAL REPORT ON TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING 
(1 JANUARY TO 31 DECEMBER 2005) 
 
Note by the Secretariat
 
 
 
Page 
 
I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... .2 
II. A BROAD OVERVIEW OF TH E ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN.....................................3  
III. THE PRODUCTS ................................................................................................................... ..5 
A. GENERAL WTO- RELATED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING .........................................5  
1. Geneva-based Trade Policy Courses (T PCs, Introduction Courses) ...................................5  
2. Regional Trade Polic y Courses (RTPCs)................................................................................6  
3. Follow-up to RTPCs ............................................................................................................. ....8 
4. Short Trade Policy Courses (STPCs)......................................................................................8  
B. SPECIALIZED AND ADVANCED TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ...................................9  
1. Geneva-based Specialized Courses..........................................................................................9  
2. National Technical Assistance Activities...............................................................................10  
3. Regional seminars .............................................................................................................. .....10  
4. Academic Support for Training and Capacity-Building:  An Integrated 
Approach Regional Workshops and other support activities-University 
Programme ...................................................................................................................... ........26  
IV. SUPPORT TRAINING AND TECHNICA L ASSISTANCE FACILITIES......................27  
A. GENEVA -BASED ACTIVITIES ......................................................................................................27  
B. ACTIVITIES HELD IN THE FIELD ................................................................................................30  
V. PROCESSES AND PROGRAMMES...................................................................................31  
VI. PARTNERSHIP AND OUTSOURCING .............................................................................33  
A. REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS ........................................................................................................33  
B. OTHER PARTNERSHIPS ..............................................................................................................35  
VII. FUNDING........................................................................................................................ ........40  WT/COMTD/W/146 
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  INTRODUCTION 
 
1. The year 2005 was the second year during wh ich the new approach to WTO's Technical 
Assistance  and Training, as contained in the TA Plan 2005 (WT/COMTD/W/133/Rev.2), was put 
into effect.  The Plan was prepared by the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC) in the Summer of 2004 and takes into account the evol ving priorities in the DDA negotiations.  More 
specifically, it takes into account the Decision a dopted by the General Council on 1 August 2004 (the 
'July Framework Agreement').  The Plan was ex tensively discussed in th e Committee on Trade and 
Development in the Fall of 2004 and more particular ly in a series of informal consultations, which 
were convened to address pending issues.  The go-ahead  for the implementation of the Plan was given 
at the very end of December 2004.  The uncertain ties surrounding the eventual adoption of the Plan 
caused delays in initiating its implementation a nd engaging in financial commitments for the 
activities, and led to the postponement of some activities and actually cancellation of one regional 
seminar, scheduled for January 2005.  It was deci ded to accelerate implementation of the Plan in the 
first half of the year, given that officials and WTO staff would be less available later in the year in 
light of the preparations for the sixth Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong.  For the year as a whole, 
the implementation rate was again in line with expectations. 
2. This report provides a qualitative and quantita tive overview of the WTO Secretariat's 
Technical Assistance and Training Activities undertak en during 2005.  It complements information 
provided in the semi-annual report submitted to Members on activities carried out in the course of the 
year.  It contains factual information on the activ ities that have taken place, the number of officials 
that have been trained (participant/days) in va rious events, as well as on the geographical/regional 
distribution of activities.  It also provides qua litative information on the conduct of the activities 
themselves.  The report is largely based on input s provided by in-house divisions and contains 
information on how the Trade-Related Technical Assistance (TRTA) has evolved over the years in specific areas.  It includes examples of how TRTA was delivered, e.g. 'success stories', how in some 
cases the delivery can be done better, with examples of the TRTA that has moved to higher levels of 
learning, the use of training material, and on such  questions as interaction with participants.  It 
discusses the use of simulation exercises, e-Training and distance learning, and, in some cases, 
whether and how a selection process of participants  was conducted, and addresses matters relating to 
follow-up after the seminars.  Moreover, the report pr ovides some indications of how it is felt that the 
training has been beneficial  to the participants and/or country.  It provides specific information on 
how partnerships were used, either  with regional and/or multilateral ag encies or more generally with 
other partners, including universities.  It discuss es the division of labour, presentations, regional 
dimensions, the logistical support provided, i.e. how  the interaction with partner agencies has been 
helpful in the delivery of the activities themselves. 
3. In parallel with the implementation of the Plan , the process of holding informal consultations 
between the Secretariat, beneficiaries and donors to discuss issues relating to the Plan continued to be 
very valuable.  As the report will show, the ou tcome of these discussions, and more specifically the 
recommendations and conclusions of the mid-term re view process, the results of which were adopted 
by the Committee on Trade and Development (WT/ COMTD/W/134), were taken into account in the 
delivery of activities.  These discussions and recomme ndations have again proven to be very valuable 
in enhancing the understanding of the various  products available for TRTA, as well as in 
implementing the Plan.  It has, inter alia , contributed to developing mechanisms to base countries' 
national requests for technical assistance and traini ng on needs assessments.  More broadly, this 
process of informal consultations has been of cr itical importance in designing the TA Plan, refining 
the products and more generally in raising the di scussions on trade capacity-building to new levels.  
4. 
In designing the Secretariat's TRTA activities, the main objective was to build long-lasting 
human and institutional capacity and to enhance owne rship.  The products have, as much as possible, 
been tailored to the needs of the recipients.  Countries have been invited, in writing, to submit  WT/COMTD/W/146 
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  requests for national technical assistance to the Secr etariat directly, at any time during the year, when 
the need arises.  This flexibility has been found to be indispensable to allow for the delivery of TA 
that is focused and timely, related to identified need s.  Also, as a rule of thumb, developing countries 
continue to be entitled to two national activities, Leas t-Developed Countries (LDCs) to three.  This is 
in line with the scarce human resource s in the Secretariat, and the experience that there is a natural 
limit to the number of TRTA activities that can be undertaken in any given year.  
5. The Secretariat has again been pro-active and a ddressed all regional groupings to explain the 
features of the TA Plan and beneficiaries' entitlement s, and to draw their attention to how technical 
assistance can be requested.  The regional desks in the Institute for Training and Technical 
Cooperation continued to interact with beneficiari es, to ensure that the proposed TRTA would meet 
the countries' requirements.  Th ey acted as liaison officers betw een the line Divisions in the 
Secretariat and the beneficiary to ensure that th e right terms and conditions for successful TRTA were 
set.  Those countries that were not using their right s were contacted, to explore whether they would 
have any particular need for assistance.  TRTA also  featured prominently on the agenda of the Geneva 
Week, in order to alert Non-Residents to the possibilities of benefiting from WTO Programmes.  
Finally, in order to monitor the quality of the products  and to ensure that the needs of the beneficiaries 
are best catered for, the activiti es are assessed through the Back-to-Office Reports (BTORs), which 
are systematically analyzed by the Techni cal Cooperation Audit, leading to follow-up 
recommendations. 
6. To the extent possible, the structure of this repor t follows the structure of the Plan itself.  It 
provides a broad overview of all activities undertaken  in Chapter II, followed by a more detailed 
discussion of the products in Chapter III.  Chapte r IV focuses more specifically on partnership 
arrangements and outsourcing, followed by shorter chapters on Funding (Chapter V). 
II. A BROAD OVERVIEW OF THE ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN 
7. In 2005, a total of 462 activities were implem ented including Geneva-based activities as well 
as those held abroad.  Of these activities, 39 took plac e in Geneva (TPC, Geneva week, symposia etc.) 
and 423 were field based (RTPC, re gional and national seminars etc.)  This number comprises 
activities of significantly different durations, vary ing between one day and 12 weeks, and involving as 
little as one staff member or as many as over two dozen for the longer courses.  Also, the number of participants varies from one activity to another.   It was for this reason that the notion of 
"participant/days" was introduced, wh ich gives an appropriate weight to each activity when measuring 
implementation.  In 2005, the total number of pa rticipant/days for planned regional events amounted 
to 28,196, which corresponds to some 90 per cent of the total of anticipated participant/days in the 
TA Plan (i.e. 31,188).  It is recalled that the notion of participant/days is not applicable to all products, 
and can thus only be seen as a rough indicator.  Also, it is noted that the data provided this year do not 
exactly compare to last years, as some activitie s are now reported differently, for clarity and 
consistency purposes.  In fact, in  previous reports, the number of ac tivities may have been overstated, 
as interns and researchers for academic programmes were recorded individually, whereas the total 
number of trainees is now counted separately (see Table 2).  It would thus be wrong to suggest that 
the number of activities has decreased. 
8. The delivery of all TRTA activities in 2005 held abroad involved some 4,280 days of staff 
travel, in addition to which should be counted the preparation time.  This number does not account for 
staff time related to the implementation of Geneva-b ased activities.  This number of staff travel days 
was performed by 212 staff members who, collec tively undertook 809 travels for implementing the 
423 field activities.  This shows that the average time associated with an activity is some five days and 
on average, each of the 212 WTO staff members have b een associated with four  travels.  A majority 
of WTO divisions are thus involved in one way or another in the delivery of TRTA, either through 
contributions to Geneva- and/or field-based activitie s.  Most divisions undertook field missions and 
participated in a variety of workshops and traini ng events.  WTO divisions were essentially involved WT/COMTD/W/146 
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  in the delivery of activities, relating to the Agre ements under their responsibility, as well as in the 
Geneva-based and Regional Trade Policy Courses (RTPCs), Short Trade Policy Courses (STPCs) etc. 
ITTC accounted for over a quarter of all staff travel (1142 days) undertaken by some 20 staff members.  Despite the availability of 12 L-staff,  who are assigned to various WTO divisions, and 
whose main task is to provide support in the deli very of technical assistance and training, there was 
strong pressure on all divisions, as 2005 was a Ministerial Conference year.  The Secretariat typically 
was required to provide support in the negotiations and implement co mmitments as contained in the 
Plan.  
9. As to the objective of maintaining a regional balance in the distribution of the technical 
assistance activities (cf Table 1) the majority of  activities were held in Africa (176), representing 
some 38 per cent of WTO's TRTA, followed by Asia and Pacific (106), representing nearly one 
quarter of all activities.  A total of 51 activiti es were organized for Latin America (11%), 37 for 
CEECAC (8%), 22 for the Caribbean (5%), and 18 for the Arab and Middle East countries (4%).  While the LDCs are not listed separately, it should be noted that out of all activities, LDCs have been 
associated with a total of 210  activities, which represents some 40 per cent of all TRTA.  This 
includes national activities held in LDCs as well  as regional seminars, workshops and training 
activities to which LDCs were invited.  
10. In terms of national vs. regional activities, it can  be observed that a total of 218 activities were 
held at the national level and 169 activities were  regional events.  The remaining 75 activities 
consisted of WTO's participation in activities organi zed by other agencies and to which the Secretariat 
was asked to make a contribution as well as WTO's representation in trade-related conferences, 
symposia and high-level meetings.  As is discussed  further in the report, these activities are mostly 
undertaken as part of the partnership arrangements with other agencies that the WTO cooperates with, 
and are directly relevant in term s of TRTA and capacity-building.  
11. With regard to the 117 planned WTO activities, specifically listed in the TA Plan, either 
undertaken in Geneva or in the field, including the regional seminars, the TPCs  and RTPCs, a total of 
99 were executed (85%), the remaining 18 not havi ng taken place.  These include six Geneva-based 
workshops and symposia, three field workshops fo r NGOs and parliamentarians, two workshops in 
Customs Valuation, one on Agriculture, one on Dispute Settlement, one on NAMA, and the 
remaining ones consisting of activities that were to be undertaken in partners hip with other bodies and 
agencies. 
12. The total number of regional and global activities undertaken, as contained in Tables 1 and 2  
includes a dozen JITAP regional workshops and seminar s, university workshops in preparation of the 
RTPCs, the e-Training modules, as well as over 30 regional activities that were held under WTO's 
partnership arrangements with other agencies and bodies, to which WTO was requested to make a 
specific input.  Some six regional activities were carried over from 2004. 
13. In terms of logistical and administrative prepar ation, human resource input as well as in terms 
of cost, the regional seminars are the most demandi ng, requiring preparation tim e of up to nine weeks, 
depending on whether the activity is organized sole ly by the WTO, or whether it is part of a 
partnership arrangement with another agency.  Thr ough the implementation of the partnerships, this 
burden is lessened somewhat, particularly when othe r agencies are taking charge, in whole or in part, 
of the preparation of the regional activities. 
14. As to the subjects covered (Table 2), the vast  majority of activities, national and regional 
combined, specifically addressed WTO Agreements.  W ith regard to topic-related seminars, Market 
Access issues (NAM A, Customs Valuation, Rules of Origin), were strongly in demand, followed by 
Services, assistance provided in support of the Trade Policy Reviews, Rules, SPS and TBT, and Trade 
Facilitation.   WT/COMTD/W/146 
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  15. In line with the Doha Declaration, priority atte ntion continued to be given to LDCs.  Not only 
is this confirmed with the absolute and relative numbers, i.e. the frequency with which LDCs have 
been associated with TRTA, but this is also e xpressed through the products, several of which are 
specifically and/or largely geared towards LDCs.  In this regard, mention can be made of the 
Integrated Framework and JITAP, the three-w eek Introduction Course for LDCs, Geneva Weeks, 
Reference Centres, the Netherlands Trainee Pr ogramme (NTP), support provided in the needs 
assessments, Trade Policy Reviews, the financing of LDCs to participate in MC-6.  Also, it is recalled 
that LDCs are entitled to three national activities a nd that they receive priority attention in the 
accession process.  More generally, and whenever po ssible, priority was given to LDCs in the 
selection process for Geneva-based training courses. 
16. In 2005, the WTO outsourced some activities and ma de use of the services of twenty-two (22) 
external consultants, who participated in the de livery of 18 regional and national activities.  These 
consultants covered both general and specific issu es.  Through the process of RTPCs a number of 
university professors and researche rs have collaborated with the WTO and the host university by 
participating as lecturers in these courses.   
III. THE PRODUCTS 
A. GENERAL WTO- RELATED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING  
1. Geneva-based Trade Policy Courses (TPCs, Introduction Courses) 
17. The WTO organizes various general and specialized training Courses geared towards 
assisting recipient countries in their understanding a nd implementing of international trade rules and 
to contribute towards human resource developmen t.  All courses are open to developing countries, 
including LDCs, economies in transition and acceding countries.  Whenever possible, priority was 
given to LDCs and gender  balance was taken into account.  A specific selection process also takes 
into account an equitable distribution of fellowships to eligible countries. 
18. In 2005, 347 participants attended the Geneva -based activities (this figure does not include 
the 82 participants who attended th e two Introduction Days).  The two Introduction Days organized 
last year aimed at familiarizing Geneva-based delegates, with the WTO and its functioning.  These 
activities are traditionally open to WTO staff and interns as well as to representatives of NGOs. 
19. Typical of the Geneva-based activities are twelve-week Trade Policy Courses (TPCs) and 
three-week Introduction Courses.  During this type of  course participants are exposed to all of the 
WTO Agreements, which can be done more thoroughly in the TPCs, given their duration, than in the 
shorter Introduction Courses.  Both courses are aime d at widening the participants' understanding of 
the Multilateral Trading System (MTS) and Internati onal Trade Law, and of the activities, scope and 
structure of the WTO.  At the end of the courses,  participants are expected to have improved the 
effectiveness of their work in their own administ rations and to have stre ngthened their negotiating 
capacities.  TPCs include a Workshop on Nego tiating Techniques and a Trade Negotiations 
Simulation Exercise (TNSE), as well as a Simulation Exercise on Dispute Settlement.  Both courses are increasingly interactive and include a significan t number of practical exercises, attendance at 
meetings of WTO bodies, visits to other Geneva-bas ed international organizations, round-tables, and 
meetings with experts. 
20. In 2005, four TPCs and two Introduction Courses were held in Geneva.  Three TPCs were 
held in English, and one in French.  Overall, 106 participants attended these courses.  One of the 
Introduction Courses was conducted in French, while the other one was carried out in English.  
Forty-two (42) participants attended these two activities. WT/COMTD/W/146 
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  21. The Secretariat has made particular efforts to further improve the quality of the Geneva-based 
training activities and they were enriched in several  ways.  Trade Policy Courses benefited from:  (i) 
the introduction of "Theme Sessions",  consisting of distributing to sma ll groups of participants in the 
TPCs specific themes which they have to prepare, de velop and present to the other colleagues; (ii) the 
introduction of "sandwich lunches", particularly geared towards participants from countries in 
accession; (iii) the restructuring and reorganizati on of the sessions on "Trade Negotiations Skills" 
which, until 2005, were carried out by an external consultant, and were revi ewed and re-designed by 
the training team who now delivers the session; a nd (iv) the introduction of delocalised "Course 
Revision Sessions" at the end of the TPCs.  These revision sessions are two-and-a-half-day long and take place outside Geneva.  The trainers have c onceived an intensive programme composed of an 
interactive scenario for which special training mate rial, including topical posters and the revision 
book were developed.  These sessions are an undeni able success and became key to a good conclusion 
of TPCs. 
22. The programme of the three-week Introduc tion Courses for LDCs' representatives was 
streamlined.  Revision modules were carefully integrated at the end of each week, the number of practical exercises was increased and,  despite the strict time limits, Introduction Courses continue to 
be an excellent tool for "WTO beginners". 
23. The Secretariat has put particular emphasis in improving the quality of the training material.  
The WTO Training Material and Support Library beca me fully operational within the Secretariat.  
Training material, including especially formatted legal texts, fact sheets, and numerous selected documents, are easily accessible and quickly ava ilable from the Support Library.  An evolving 
concept, the Library will continue to be further deve loped in 2006.  Training material itself has been 
significantly improved with revised quizzes, new pos ters, new fact sheets, an end-of-course revision 
book, newly formatted CD-ROMs, new visual support for presentations and new "training packages".  
The TNSE support material was entirel y re-structured and modernized. 
2. Regional Trade Policy Courses (RTPCs) 
24. Regional Trade Policy Courses (RTPCs) have b een organized since 2002 resulting from the 
increased focus attributed to technical cooperati on and capacity-building following the commitments 
made by Ministers at the Doha Ministerial Conferen ce.  In 2005, five RTPCs were organized:  one for 
English-speaking Africa in Windhoek (Namibia), one for French-speaking Africa in Rabat (Morocco), 
one for the Caribbean in Kingston (Jamaica), one for Asia/Pacific in Hong Kong, China and one for 
Latin America in Santiago (Chile).   
25. While the key objectives of RTPCs are the same as for the regular TPCs held in Geneva, the 
initial thinking behind them led to the developmen t of four additional interlocking elements, geared 
towards ensuring sustainability through institutional capacity-building: 
• in each region covered, increase the number of government officials with a solid 
foundation of knowledge on the WTO.  Thr ough these courses, officials can build and 
expand their expertise in particular areas  of the WTO, thereby strengthening the 
capacity of governments to pursue their national policy objectives; 
 
• develop a partnership between the WTO and institutions in the region, thus 
establishing a regional hub for training.  With  a view to transferring ownership, the 
local institution will increasingly assume r esponsibility, consolidating the capacity 
built over time and adapting this expertise to  the specificities and needs in the region; 
 
• provide teaching jointly by trade policy sp ecialists linked to institutions of higher 
learning and policy think-tanks in the regi on and officials from the WTO Secretariat; 
and  WT/COMTD/W/146 
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• foster and strengthen the research links be tween universities and ot her institutions in 
the region and international organizations, including the WTO.  Exchange information on WTO-related trade policy research, ensure better regular access to such research results and further explore possibilities for joint research activities. 
 
26. Throughout the year, three-day Preparatory Work shops were organized at the WTO for each 
RTPC, with the participation of regional specialists  who partner with the WTO in the delivery of the 
lectures.  The Workshop Programme included inter alia  discussions on joint research projects, 
methods of delivering the RTPC, and a series of bi lateral meetings between  WTO lecturers and the 
regional specialists involved in the joint delivery of the course. 
27. Two new partnerships were undertaken in 200 5: the RTPC for English-speaking Africa was 
held for the first time in partnership with the Un iversity of Namibia; and the first RTPC for Latin 
America was held in partnership with the Institute fo r International Studies of the University of Chile.  
Both new partnerships were successful overall.  Th e core network of regional resource persons was 
retained in English-speaking Africa with the a ddition of academics from the new partner institution 
while a network of regional lecturers was estab lished for the Latin-American RTPC in Santiago. 
28. After four years of implementation, it can be said that the major accomplishments of the 
RTPCs have been:  
• the increase in the number of government officials benefiting from WTO training 
courses: approximately 400 government offici als have participated in RTPCs since 
2002;  
• the co-delivery of the RTPCs by WTO offi cials together with academics and trade 
policy specialists from the region concerned, giving a strong emphasis to regional 
concerns; 
• over 95 regional resource persons participated  in the joint delivery of RTPCs in 2005, 
as a result increasing their own capacity in the area of WTO matters, as well as that of their university.  This in turn increases the regional capacity in WTO issues; and 
• one of the partner institutions has deve loped WTO-related training courses which 
they have delivered in their region during 2005. 
 
29. The success of the RTPCs is evidenced by some former participants be ing promoted in their 
work, or having increased responsibilities in WTO-related areas, as well as the posting of former participants to their Mission in Geneva. 
30. Regional resource persons have e nhanced their network and have cooperated together in other 
activities as a result of their involvement in RTPC s.  In addition, the Economic Research and 
Statistics Division (ERSD) has undertaken research projects involving some of the regional resource 
persons involved in delivering RTPCs.  
31. During 2005 an evaluation of both the concept a nd format of RTPCs was undertaken to see if 
the desired objectives were being achieved.  As the objectives are both short-term (increase the number of government officials receiving WTO training) and long-term (reinforcing the institutional capacity of partner universities) this evaluation is still ongoing.  In 2005, the review, which included 
input from WTO trainers and regional resource pers ons, focused on two elements of the RTPCs in 
particular to assess their effectiveness as training tool s, with the view to improving their benefits for 
participants:  these were co-training and the mandatory written exercise. 
32. With regard to co-training, WTO and regional l ecturers have regulars exchange to prepare the 
training materials for their joint sessions after ha ving met during the preparatory workshop.  While 
this approach is considered beneficial, work c ontinues on how to highlight the distinction between WT/COMTD/W/146 
Page 8  
  WTO input and regional input and how to im prove communication between WTO and regional 
lecturers.  With regard to the preparation and pr esentation of a written exercise which is a mandatory 
element of RTPCs,  up to 2005 this exercise consiste d of a research paper to be prepared on a specific 
WTO-related topic of interest to the participants' country or region.  Responding to evaluations by 
both participants and WTO officials, a review of this written exercise was undertaken.  Once again, it 
was considered beneficial to retain a written elem ent to the RTPCs but the format was changed in 
order to make the paper more compatible with the re quirements of participants in their daily work.  A 
new format was piloted in the final RTPC of 2005 and will be considered for use in 2006. 
33. Partnership is key to the concept and impl ementation of the RTPCs – each programme is 
discussed at length with the Academic Coordina tor while the content of the sessions to be 
co-delivered is discussed between the WTO experts and the regional lecturers.  As far as the logistics 
are concerned, the tasks are shared between ITTC and the logistical team on site.  Frequent contacts 
are necessary to ensure a smooth running of the cour se.  The partner institution is responsible for most 
logistical support on-site, as well as administering the budget of the course.  The Academic Coordinator has overall responsibility for supervising the local team.  In 2005, three RTPCs were in 
their second year of partnership and the resulting benefits were evident through the increased 
efficiency of the courses.   
3. Follow-up to RTPCs 
34. One of the continuing challenges will be to ensu re the sustainability of follow-on training 
activities to RTPCs.  The enhanced capacity of the partner university, in addition to the other 
universities involved through the resource persons, needs to be harnessed and supported.  The 
Institute, through its programme entitled "Academic Support for Training and Capacity-Building: An 
Integrated Approach", is continuing activities with academic partners, institu tions and individuals, as 
the RTPCs are undertaken with new partners.  After holding three RTPCs between 2002 and 2004 in 
cooperation with the University of Nairobi, a sec ond stage of cooperation was started between the 
WTO Secretariat and this University, in which the academic partner has gradually undertaken greater 
administrative and substantive responsibilities.  Du ring 2005, WTO officials and faculty members of 
the University jointly delivered two regiona l activities aimed at government officials from 
English-speaking African countries: one Specializ ed Course on Agriculture, Trade Facilitation and 
Special and Differential Treatment, and one intern et-based course "Introduction to the WTO and its 
Basic Principles".  In both instances, professors fro m the University acted as lecturers or tutors.  
Further activities in cooperation with the Univers ity of Nairobi and other Universities currently 
hosting the RTPCs are envisaged for 2006. 
4. Short Trade Policy Courses (STPCs) 
35. Short trade policy courses (STPCs) are regularly organized with partner institutions in the 
various regions, namely, in Africa, Asia, Latin Am erica and the Middle East.  Partners include the 
Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), United Natio ns Economic and Social Commission for Asia 
Pacific (UNESCAP), and African Development Bank (ADB).  The duration of these courses ranges 
from two to three-weeks and are based on the model of the three-month trade policy courses that are 
organized both in Geneva and in the regions.   
36. The main objective of STPCs is to raise the leve l of knowledge of partic ipants and explain in 
detail how the Multilateral Trading System works and its implications at the national level.  The 
programmes of STPCs are designed to ensure that  all WTO substantive topics are covered in a 
coherent and efficient manner.  Moreover, suffici ent time is allocated to practical exercises and 
discussions.  Participants are encouraged at all ti mes to interact with speakers and raise issues of 
concern to their countries and region.    WT/COMTD/W/146 
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  37. On the whole, these courses achieved their set obj ectives.  Lessons learnt from past courses 
contributed, to a large extent, to improving the desi gn of STPCs in 2005, in par ticular in areas relating 
to the selection of participants and the design of the programmes.   
B. SPECIALIZED AND ADVANCED TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  
1. Geneva-based Specialized Courses 
38. Specialized Courses are intended to focus on specific areas of WTO competence, which 
because of their particular importance, are key to the proper functioning of the MTS.  In 2005, these 
courses focused on Dispute Settlement, Trade Negotiati ons, and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.  
These courses pursue specific objectives, but they aim at reinforcing participants' ability to contribute 
to an active participation of their countries in the WTO's ongoing work and negotiations. 
39. The comprehensive Specialized Course on San itary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) was a 
first.  The Course was planned, organized and deliv ered, in close cooperation with the Agriculture and 
Commodities Division (ACD), and a regional body, th e Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in 
Agriculture (IICA).  It embodied a special needs asse ssment tool (a questionnaire sent in advance to 
participants), which helped participants to identif y weaknesses and strengths of their national sanitary 
and phytosanitary services and to establish their own priorities.  Of a particularly "hands-on" and 
participatory nature, this activity was specially d esigned to take full advantage of the knowledge and 
expertise of all participants.  A ll of them had the responsibility to lead at least one training session 
throughout the Course . 
40. Assisted by the trainers and two outside cons ultants, participants also had to develop a 
practical approach to address at least one of the SPS implementation problems they had identified in 
their countries.  Coach guidance and crossed discu ssions among participants played a key role in 
helping them to find ways within their reach and not necessarily involving significant additional 
human or financial resources, to address real implementation problems.  For the first time in a Geneva-based activity, a tentative follow-up me thodology was put in place, including through the 
following actions:  (1) the establishment of an elect ronic platform where participants accepted to 
regularly report on the implementation of their pr actical approach; and (2) a stock-taking meeting 
with participants within six months. 
41. The evaluation process conducted with the active support of the participants in the training 
activities, continues to show that the efforts ma de by the organizers to improve their learning 
environment and to develop a practical appro ach to training seem to constitute a qualitative 
improvement of the type of response the WTO can provide to training needs of beneficiary countries. 
42. Three Specialized Courses on Dispute Settlement  were conducted in Geneva.  One of these 
one-week Courses was held in French and the two others  in English.  Overall, 77 participants attended 
these activities which were open to all WTO Members pur suant to Art. 27.3 of the DSU.  Twenty-four 
(24) participants attended the Specialized Course on  Trade Negotiations which, for the first time, was 
held in Spanish.  The programme of Dispute Se ttlement Courses, organized in cooperation with the 
Legal Affairs Division and the Secretariat of the Appellate Body, was readjusted and the simulation 
exercise rationalized.  For the first time the Specialized Courses on Trade Negotiations were 
organized under the entire responsibility of the Secr etariat (previous courses were delivered jointly 
with the Graduate Institute for International Studi es, Geneva (GIIS)).  The first week, which until 
2005 was carried out by a consultant of the GIIS, was entirely revised and redesigned by the trainers, 
who also ensured its delivery.  The second week en compassed the TNSE, which is usually run by an 
external consultant, author of the simulation exer cise, but was this time also entirely run by the 
Secretariat. WT/COMTD/W/146 
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  2. National Technical Assistance Activities 
43. As stated in the Plan, the main purpose of nati onal seminars is to address specific issues that 
could not adequately be addressed at the regional le vel, as well as to undertake activities that are by 
their very nature country specific, e.g. those undertaken under joint programmes, with partner 
organizations (JITAP, IF, UNIDO).  Also, national seminars are undertaken in conjunction with Trade 
Policy Reviews, or in acceding countries, where more  specific interaction at the national level is 
required.  Except for the national activities undertaken  in the context of specific programmes, national 
seminars are driven by demand and preferably based on needs assessments.  Despite the frequent 
attention drawn by the Secretariat to Members’ en titlements to national seminars (two for developing, 
three for least developed countries), this mode of  delivery is not fully utilized.  Also, at present 
demands are only sporadically based upon completi on of the needs assessments, but this process is 
gradually finding ground, with an increasing numbe r of countries having engaged in this process, 
either at the national, or regional level (OECS).  
3. Regional seminars 
44. As is stated in the Plan, the main advantag e of regional technical assistance and training 
seminars and workshops is that they allow WTO to  reach a broad audience interested in the same 
subject matter; they are cost-effective from the human resources allocation perspective, as it would be 
impossible to address every issue in every country on a national basis, even if this was requested by 
the beneficiaries.  It facilitates the exchange of  information, sharing of  experiences and networking 
among participants at the regional level, wh ich is generally found to be beneficial. 
45. As will be seen in the review below of some of the regional activities, regional seminars have 
often benefited from interactive trai ning, with the trainers increasingly making use of simulations and 
case studies, thus promoting self-study and interac tion.  Also, an increasing amount of training and 
reference material is sent to participants well ah ead of the seminar itself, so as to allow for an 
adequate preparation of the officials.  In addition,  selection of participants is conducted prior to the 
activity in order to ensure that the level of knowledge of participants is adequate for the course;  at the 
very least the profile of the suitable candidate is very clearly stated in the letter of invitation.  Finally, 
it is noted that various activities have been adjusted to higher levels of learning, thus addressing those 
officials that are already familiar with the Agreements and need to be assisted in more specific ways. 
46. The following discussion of technical assistance and training provided on selected WTO 
Agreements is based on inputs provided by WTO Divisions responsible for the subject matter. 
(a) Market Access (NAMA, Customs Valuation, Ru les of Origin, Import Licensing, Preshipment 
Inspection) 
47. Technical assistance and capacity-building ac tivities in 2005 have focused primarily on 
NAMA with some additional activities held on Custom s Valuation and Rules of Origin.  Apart from 
these subject areas, staff of the Market Access Di vision (MAD) participated in the RTPCs, the 
STPCs, JITAP workshops, and a variety of other activ ities on invitations from other institutions or ad 
hoc national requests.  In terms of numbers, MAD was directly involved in the implementation of 
over 60 activities.  Staff of MAD regularly provid ed technical assistance to Geneva-based delegations 
in their respective areas of expertise. 
48. NAMA activities comprised a series of regional workshops and national seminars, which in 
most cases, were carried out in collaboration with  the ERSD.  They covered aspects related to the 
IDB/CTS databases, dissemination tools and their application along with NAMA-related negotiations 
and other matters.  The activities focused on:  th e background, the Doha mandate and the draft 
elements of modalities for negotiations, the state of  play of the negotiations, simulations concerning 
the different formula proposals.  They often invol ved exercises and hands-on sessions.  With respect  WT/COMTD/W/146 
 Page 11 
 
  to the effectiveness of data analysis and formul a simulations, sessions depended on the availability of 
proper computer equipment and up-to-date statistics.  Regarding participation, it was noted that the 
participation of NGOs, relevant international bodies and the private sector was important.  Their 
participation led to useful interac tion with government officials.  It was noted that national workshops 
were effective as they involved diverse particip ants from one country and allowed discussions from a 
cross-agency perspective. 
49. The collaboration with INTAL in the Regiona l Seminar on NAMA issues for Latin American 
Countries was excellent: not only did INTAL provide all the logistics but also invited two participants 
per country (one responsible  of the design of the policy issues and another one directly involved in the 
technical support for the negotiations).  INTAL also  provided one PC per delegation which was very 
helpful (a matter constantly highlighted by partic ipants in other TA activates where the WTO has not 
provided any IT facility, such as in the case of th e Regional Workshop for French-speaking African 
countries in Rabat).  Two officials of the In ter-American Development Bank (IADB) also made 
presentations on the implications of the negotiations and IT facilities in the Region.  In two national 
activities in Botswana and Malawi, the providers of  TA made several recommendations:  the portable 
version of the Internet Analysis Facility should be distributed to countries with poor Internet access;  
all the JITAP Reference Centres should be aware of the IDB and CTS information and be in a 
position to exploit it;  and concerning the mo st updated documents relating to the ongoing 
negotiations, the Language Services and Documentati on Division may wish to consider the special 
situation of countries which do not have a Perman ent Mission in Geneva and poor Internet access. 
50. Other NAMA activities included Geneva-based ones which provided explanations on the 
technicalities involved in the ongoing negotiati ons and methodologies (such as formula typology) 
which were being considered.  Training for negotiators took place in the TPCs and the DDA 
Advanced Training Courses organized in various regions.  In addition NAMA training was provided 
in the STPCs, and the International Trade Law Courses. 
51. With respect to the other subject areas in th e Division, regional and national workshops on 
Customs Valuation were held.  In addition, a Pub lic International Trade Law Course and two regional 
TPCs covered the four Customs issues:  Rules of Orig in,  Customs Valuation,  Import Licensing,  and 
Preshipment Inspection.  Three of the five ac tivities on Customs Valuation were carried out by 
consultants with expertise in customs valuation.  This is becoming an increasingly effective way of 
providing training on the Customs Valuation Agreement since many countries are moving from the early implementation stage to the stage where more advanced training on risk management, post-import audit and verification techniques is n ecessary.  While not technically part of the 
Agreement, these customs procedures and techni ques are necessary corollaries to its effective 
application.  The in-house expertise in th ese customs procedural areas is lacking.   
(b) Trade Facilitation 
52. Following the Decision of  General Council on 1 August 2004 (the 'July Framework 
Agreement'), Trade Facilitation became a priority topic in the WTO technical assistance programme.  
WTO Members and Observers are invited to send one customs official and one trade policy official to 
the workshops on Trade Facilitation.  In addition it continued to be taught in all Customs Valuation 
workshops.  In 2005 regional workshops were held in all WTO regions and there was large demand 
for national workshops in this area.  The goal of the workshops is to provide participants with 
improved understanding of the i ssues involved in the negotiati ons on Trade Facilitation and to 
strengthen capability to assist their country in pr eparation for effective participation in the 
negotiations. 
53. The most visible result of the workshops is  the increased country participation in the 
negotiations after a workshop in their region.  Based on comments from participants other common 
benefits are as follows: WT/COMTD/W/146 
Page 12  
  • development of a working relationship between customs and trade policy officials 
• improved understanding of Trade Facilitation issues in the region 
• learning through the working group exercises how to approach and prepare for 
negotiations  
• a change in attitude towards the negotiations 
• a better understanding of the WTO process a nd therefore better understanding of how to 
support the negotiations 
 54. The training materials have evolved and are con tinuously updated.  Each participant receives 
a manual containing all materials needed during cour se, such as the legal framework for negotiations, 
negotiation proposals, print-outs of PowerPoint slides,  etc.  Each participant also receives a CD-ROM 
that contains all WTO Trade Facilitation documentati on, general WTO information, course materials, 
resource materials prepared by other organizations, etc.  to assist them to continue their work after the 
workshop.  Various other materials are used as teaching tools, such as large wall posters and 
laminated chart with outlines of essential information. 
55. As the negotiations have intens ified so have the workshops, which have moved to higher 
levels of learning.  This past year the particip ants consisted of more high-level officials who are 
directly involved in the negotiation process.  They  have better prior knowledge of the subject which 
allows for more in-depth discussions and exercises.  In order to provide maximum benefit in a short 
time we have increased the amount of pre-workshop preparation and have intensified the exercises.  
Originally the focus of the workshops was on provi ding information.  Now the goal is to provide a 
foundation which can be built on after the workshop.   The Trade Facilitation workshops are designed 
to be interactive and incorporate team comp etitions (depending on the delivery style of the 
presenters).  An informal atmosphere, ice breakers  and motivational exercises are used to encourage 
students to participate.  All "resource persons" at regional workshops interact  with the participants 
during the extensive working group exercises.  
56. Almost half of each workshop is dedicated to  working group exercises.  The exercises are 
designed to help participants prepare their countri es negotiation strategy step by step.  First they 
identify barriers to trade in order to help them to determine their objectives in the negotiations.  They 
take a critical look at one negotiation proposal and then an overall look at all the proposals.  The 
groups determine their strategy/pos itions for the negotiations and this  strategy is presented in a mock 
meeting format.  The mock meeting is chaired by  one of the participants.  All "resource persons" 
assist the working groups throughout the workshop. 
57. As required by the negotiation mandate on Trade Facilitation, the WTO Secretariat 
cooperated with the World Customs Organization, World Bank, UNCTAD and IMF in presentation of  
regional workshops, with some organizations partic ipating more regularly than others.  The WTO 
Secretariat is responsible for establishing the agenda , selecting the venue and providing all logistical 
arrangements for the participants.  Most presenta tions and working group exercises are undertaken by 
the WTO, however, officials of all organizations  participate in the exercises.  Originally, each 
organization made standard presentations on Trade Facilitation work in their organization.  But 
through experience and more specific objectives set out in the course agenda all presentations are now 
geared to assist participants in the WTO negotiati ons.  The same speakers have presented most of the 
workshops together so presentations now comple ment each other with little overlap, with each 
organization focusing on their "comparative advantage". 
(c) 
Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) 
58. In general, the technical cooperation activitie s in relation to TRIPS have followed the 
approach introduced in 2004 and included new activ ities with innovative formats.  They have been 
directed towards assisting Members and Observers to understand the rights and obligations, including  WT/COMTD/W/146 
 Page 13 
 
  the available options, which flow from the TRIPS Ag reement and relevant decisions of WTO bodies.  
This has included helping Members to assess:  (a) the amendments that ma y be needed to their 
national legislation, the adaptations in institutions  that may be called for and other requirements for 
which they would need to plan;  and (b) what is at stake for them in issues under negotiation, 
examination or review and thus to participate in th is work.  In the last years, increasing attention has 
been paid to capacity-building, the training of traine rs, etc. in least develope d and developing country 
Members and countries seeking to join the WTO.  In  order to facilitate coordination at the national 
level, participation has been encouraged of re presentatives of all relevant authorities, including 
Ministries of Trade and Foreign Affairs, Intellect ual Property offices and Ministries of Health.  The 
level of interaction with and be tween participants has been high.  The main modes of supply of 
technical cooperation specifically relating to the TR IPS Agreement have been information and advice 
given to Members in Geneva and study progra mmes, training courses, as well as workshops for 
developing countries in Geneva and elsew here.  Training material included, inter alia , a 
comprehensive set of constantly  updated background material. 
59. The four regional workshops carried out in 2005  focused on certain topical issues that were 
actively under discussion, examination or negotiatio n in the TRIPS context, namely public health, 
biotechnology/biodiversity/traditional knowledge and geographical indications.  Matters related to 
enforcement and copyright have also been addressed in these workshops.  With regard to the Decision 
on Paragraph 6 of the Doha Declaration on the TR IPS Agreement and Public Health, the workshops 
had also as their objective to provide information that will assist the countries of the region in 
implementing and making effective use of the mechan ism set out therein.  Speakers included, apart 
from Secretariat officials, representatives of WI PO, WHO and two experts drawn from delegations 
that could provide different perspectives, one from the region and the other from a developed country.  
The feedback from all the workshops was positive, with  participants particularly appreciative of the 
depth of the discussion, the participation of speak ers with different perspectives and the practical 
exercises. 
60. An important component of the activities was the holding of a second two-week joint 
WIPO-WTO Colloquium for Teachers of Intellectual Property from developing countries.  This 
formed part of the wider approach towards coope ration with the academic community in developing 
countries aimed at local capacity-building on WTO matters.  The main objective of the Colloquium 
was to build up training and policy advisory capacity in developing countries, by updating university teachers of intellectual property in developing co untries on the activities and instruments of WIPO 
and the WTO, and providing a forum for exchange of information and ideas among the participants 
and officials of the two Organizations.  The emph asis was put on recent deve lopments and on policy 
issues under debate in the two Organizations.  Th e Colloquium also provided an opportunity for an 
exchange of views on teaching methodologies and on the outsourcing of technical cooperation.  The 
feedback showed that the participants benef ited greatly from the programme, particularly from 
interacting with Geneva-based negotiato rs, and would recommend it to others. 
61. As a new element of its capacity-building ac tivities, the Secretariat organized a Workshop on 
the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health.  Discussions and practical exercises addressed, in particular, the August 2003 Decision on the Implementation of Paragraph 6 of the Doha Declaration on the 
TRIPS Agreement and Public Health.  The main purpose of this activity was to seek to give 
participants a "hands-on" knowledge of the use of  the "paragraph 6 mechanism" and to provide a 
platform for the analysis of issues related to th e necessary legislative and institutional framework to 
be put in place at the domestic level.  The works hop also offered an opportunity to exchange views 
and experiences among participants and with representatives from othe r international organizations, 
industry and NGOs.  Twenty-three capital-based government officials from Intellectual Property, 
Trade and Public Health departments in devel oping and least developed countries with direct 
responsibility for matters relating to  the interaction between the TR IPS Agreement and public health 
participated in the activity.  The prior selection pr ocess of participants appears to have significantly 
contributed to the composition of a highly motivated group and to the stimulating discussions.  The WT/COMTD/W/146 
Page 14  
  feedback from participants was throughout very positive, and the half-day session dedicated to 
practical exercises pertaining to the implementation and application of the "paragraph 6 mechanism" was particularly appreciated. 
62. As in previous years, technical assistance on TRIPS matters was provided in close 
cooperation with other IGOs, in particular the WIPO, based on the Cooperation Agreement between 
the two Organizations and the WIPO-WTO Join t Initiative on Technical Cooperation for Least 
Developed Countries, launched in June 2001.  Some events were organized on a joint basis and, for 
others, the WIPO regularly provided resource pers ons.  The WTO Secretariat has also sought to 
cooperate with other intergovernme ntal organizations, in particular  the WHO on matters relating to 
TRIPS and public health.  The workshop on TRIPS a nd public health, for example, included speakers 
from WIPO, WHO, UNAIDS, UNCTAD, the World Bank, the Global Fund, UNICEF, industry 
associations and civil society NGOs.  The WTO also  provided resource persons to certain technical 
cooperation activities organized by the WIPO, WHO, other IGOs and NGOs.  To the extent possible, 
regional organizations, including the Pacific Isla nds Forum Secretariat, OAPI, ARIPO and the 
Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery, were also closely associated to the activities and 
provided substantial input as well as logistical support. 
63. Finally, a significant part of the Secretariat work has again been concerned with providing 
information in response to questions raised by local  delegations, visiting intellectual property officials 
and in direct contacts with officials in capitals , concerning issues such as notification and review 
procedures, the meaning of particular provisions of  the TRIPS Agreement, the options available under 
these provisions, domestic draft legislation or the ongoing work and negotiations in the TRIPS 
Council. 
(d) Services 
64. As in preceding years, the Secretariat has rece ived numerous requests for technical assistance 
activities in Services.  Again, there has been re latively strong emphasis on national as compared to 
regional seminars.  Reflecting the exigencies of the ongoing Services negotiations, conducted mainly 
in request-offer mode, a core objective was to better en able national administrations to engage in this 
process.  This largely depends on the ability to analyse (potential) trading partners' current 
commitments for access opportunities and specify improvements that may be requested from them.  It also presupposes that governments are able to iden tify changes in their own schedules that may help 
to better integrate their service economy into inte rnational markets.  Reflecting the role of 
infrastructural services (finance, telecommunications, transport etc.) as major determinants of overall efficiency, scheduling issues in these sectors tend to pl ay a particularly prominent role.  They are not 
only discussed in the abstract, but deepened  in the context of practical exercises. 
65. From a regional perspective, it was interesting to  note the relatively strong interest expressed 
by Sub-Saharan African countries in Services semina rs.  The Secretariat was able in most cases to 
respond to the requests received within a timeframe of two or three months.  Reflecting the increasing 
workload associated with the Hong Kong Ministeria l Conference, some seminars had to be postponed 
into early 2006.   
66. As already noted in last year's report, in order to ensure the effectiven ess of such events it is 
important for governments to pay attention to the timely selection and proper preparation of 
participants (government officials and, as the c ase may be, representatives of relevant business 
associations).  Ideally, all attendees should be fam iliar with the mandate of the WTO and  the basic 
structure of the GATS.  In particular, they shoul d have consulted an Interactive Training Module the 
Secretariat has developed for such purposes, which is accessible on the WTO website and on 
CD-ROM.  There is little point in repeating basic in formation that is easily available in electronic 
form.    WT/COMTD/W/146 
 Page 15 
 
  67. An additional issue that may warrant considera tion is the development of longer-term links 
between participants in seminars and Secretariat staff.   Ideally, such links would enable participants to 
discuss GATS-related questions, which may arise on an  ongoing basis, with 'their' contact persons on 
an informal basis.  While such discussions have pr oved helpful in accession cases, they could possibly 
be intensified by current Members in the process of developing draft services offers. 
68. The Services-related sections of the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration may affect the future 
focus of technical assistance.  Compared to its pr edecessors, the Declaration spells out more clearly 
the ambitions that should govern the final stages of the negotiations and, as an option, outlines a 
possible structure for conducting request-offer negotia tions on a plurilateral basis.  Further, special 
emphasis is placed on the need for, and elements of , targeted technical assistance that should enable 
developing and least developed countries to particip ate effectively in the negotiations.  While the 
practical implications of these provisions may still need  to be explored furthe r in consultations with 
Members, the trend towards - demand-driven - national seminars is likely to continue. 
69. As indicated in previous reports, regional events  still have a certain role to play.  However, 
the focus will increasingly be on specialized seminars  concentrating on particular sectors or policy 
issues, rather than on general training courses.  Ty pically, such seminars are destined for particular 
groups, such as senior government officials with cr oss-cutting responsibilities or experts in individual 
areas.  Cooperation with competent international or ganizations has proven helpful in approaching the 
relevant groups and offering a focused agenda. 
70. In addition to providing input s for general WTO Courses conducted in Geneva, the Trade in 
Services Division also organized a Symposium on Cro ss-Border Supply of Services.  It was held in 
April 2005 and provided a forum for intens ive discussions, with selected government and 
private-sector experts, of the economic, statistic al and legal issues involved.  In total, 137 
capital-based officials participated from developing countries. 
(e) Agriculture 
71. The Agriculture side of the Agriculture a nd Commodities Division was engaged in a wide 
variety of technical cooperation activities in 2005.  These ranged from daily contacts with delegations 
in Geneva to participation in TPCs in Geneva a nd abroad as well as participation in several activities 
at the national and regional level dedicated entirely to Agriculture.  The daily contacts with delegates 
take up a considerable amount of resources as they must  deal, at short notice and in an ad hoc manner, 
with issues relating to organization of meetings a nd substantive matters which are the subject of the 
negotiations or implementation of existing commitments and rules.  Such contacts can last anything 
from a few minutes to a few hours and take place sev eral times a week.  Most other activities were 
more formal in nature although the length of tim e involved could range from about one hour to over 
two days.  Shorter activities usually included a brief résumé of the negotiations or a brief introduction 
to the Agreement on Agriculture.  Longer activiti es were, naturally, more detailed and gave the 
presenters the opportunity to use a variety of presentation methods, including simulation exercises and other methods to encourage participation. 
72. For a number of reasons, primarily the work in Geneva associated with the negotiations and 
the retirement of some senior staff, the Division was not able to participate in all the activities 
included in the plan for 2005.  In cases where th e Agriculture and Commodities Division was unable 
to participate, it was sometimes necessary to postpone  the activity but, in other cases, consultants or 
staff from other Divisions in the WTO Secretariat who were familiar with the issues relating to 
agriculture were able to undertake the activities.  In all these situations the Agriculture and 
Commodities Division was available to provide info rmation and suggestions to the consultants or 
Secretariat staff. WT/COMTD/W/146 
Page 16  
  73. As would be expected, the focus of technical cooperation activities on Agriculture has 
changed over the years.  In the years immediatel y after the Uruguay Round was completed the focus 
was on the negotiating history and results of the Round.  The focus then shifted to implementation of the Agreement on Agriculture and, since the launch of the Doha Development Agenda in 2001, it has 
been on the ongoing negotiations.  The Hong Kong Mini sterial Conference at the end of 2005 also 
meant that last year a good deal of attention was devoted to the likely scenarios for that event.  
However, although the focus of the activities has cha nged, it was still necessary to include elements of 
the negotiating history and implementation in order to give participants the necessary background to 
the current proposals and positions of Members in th e negotiations.  Thus, over the past few years the 
length of the detailed presentations in TPCs and na tional and regional events has increased steadily 
from about one day to about two and a half days in total. 
74. In addition to the changing focus of tec hnical cooperation activities, the methods of 
conducting them have also evolved.  Greater i nvolvement by participants has been found to be 
essential to give them a better understanding of vari ous issues and their political, social, cultural and 
economic importance.  The precise method used depe nds on the consultant or Secretariat member 
conducting the activity as each has her or his own preference.  Among the different methods used 
which have been found to be useful are simula tion of negotiations, brainstorming and question and 
answer sessions taking specific issues  of interest to the country or re gion involved in the activity.  The 
common thread in each method, however, has been to  improve and enhance the degree of participant 
involvement.  Although such methods take time to pr epare and present the return, in terms of greater 
appreciation and understanding of the issues involve d, has been worth the extra effort involved. 
(f) Trade and Development 
75. The Development Division has organized a nu mber of regional workshops on 'Trade and 
Development' during the course of the year.  The workshops have generally been geared towards 
middle and senior level officials from the national tr ade and other WTO-related Ministries.  The basic 
objectives sought to be ensured through the workshops have been the following: 
• Improved understanding of the linkages betw een Trade and Development, including 
through an exchange of national experi ences among participants on how to make 
trade work for development. 
• Awareness about the steps that could he lp maximise the development gains from 
trade, including the different policy initiatives that would need to be taken nationally.  
• Improved understanding of the DDA and how its development component cuts across 
all its negotiating issues.  
• In-depth knowledge of the historical evolution of S&D treatment and the key issues 
in the ongoing work programme in this area in the run-up to the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference.  
• Presentations on the status of work in other development areas including transfer of 
technology, small economies, electronic commerce and work carried out in the Committee on Trade and Development, including discussions on commodity issues.  Presentations also addressed the work of the Sub-Committee on LDCs and the 
Integrated Framework for LDCs.  
• Awareness about the current status of the negotiations. 
 
76. The evaluation forms submitted by participants  indicate that the key objectives of the 
workshops have been very much achieved.  In par ticular, the participants seem to have become better 
aware of the interlinkages between trade and developm ent, the status of the key development issues of 
the DDA and the various technical assistance tools provided by the WTO.  In order to encourage 
participants to use the MTS and provide some illustrations, interactive cases studies and some 
exercises were part of the courses.  These included case studies on S&D provisions, on development- WT/COMTD/W/146 
 Page 17 
 
  related issues of interest to the particular region of the course, as  well  as a simulation of negotiations.  
Courses were held in a fully participatory manne r with a high degree of interaction with the 
participants.  The participants showed a great inte rest and enthusiasm for the case studies - which they 
considered an efficient training tool - and for th e participatory teaching me thodology in general.  
Participants have, on more than one occasion, ment ioned the need to make the seminars longer and 
have suggested that the seminars be more targeted to their individual country needs.  However, it has 
been explained that the nature of the seminar i.e.  it being a regional seminar, makes it difficult to 
target the course to individual country needs. 
(g) Dispute Settlement 
77. In 2005, the Legal Affairs Division and the Appellate Body Secretariat continued their 
cooperation for the planning and delivery of technical assistance activities relating to WTO Dispute 
Settlement.  The activities carried out included, as in pr evious years, a combination of participation in 
general activities such as the RTPCs and of activities specifically focused on WTO Dispute 
Settlement procedures, both at the regional and nati onal levels.  Feedback from the participants in 
these activities in 2005 suggests that interest in Dispute Settlement training remains high among WTO 
developing country Members and that participants from these Members continue to benefit from these 
activities. 
78. The principal innovation introduced in 2005 was the development of advanced regional 
courses on WTO dispute settlement procedures and pr actices, building on initial positive experience 
with such courses at the national level.  These cour ses are intended to allow participants who already 
possess a sound knowledge of the basic elements of WTO dispute settlement (acquired through prior 
WTO training or in the course of professional activities)  to engage in more in-depth analysis of the 
procedural and legal issues arising in WTO disput e settlement proceedings.  The course is structured 
around a series of thematic modules and, like the traditional dispute settlement courses, requires active engagement of participants in practical exercises.  The positive feedback received so far 
suggests that these courses provide a good basis for fu rther efforts to consolidate the knowledge base 
among beneficiaries on a long-term basis.  
(h) Accessions 
79. Technical assistance and training in 2005 was provided to several acceding governments at all 
stages of the accession process.  The provision of this  assistance, especially national missions was of 
particular importance to acceding governments and helped advance their accession negotiations.   
80. Technical assistance and training provided by the WTO on accessions included assistance for 
the preparation of Working Party documentation, prep aration of Market Access offers, and to generate 
awareness and understanding of the WTO and the MTS amongst key stakeholders in acceding 
countries.  Contacts were made with key minister s and officials during missions to advance the WTO 
accession process.   
81. Apart from national activities, staff of the Accessions Division participated in the WTO 
Geneva-based TPCs and some RTPCs.  Staff also contributed as resource persons at 
seminars/conferences organized by other international agencies (UNCTAD, UNECE, AITIC, SIDA 
etc.).  Specific training was also organized and de livered in Geneva for officials from some acceding 
countries.  Assistance continued to be provided on a priority basis to LDCs in the process of 
accession. 
82. A new training programme on accession Market Access negotiations was developed to assist 
acceding governments prepare their Market Acce ss offers on goods.  This three-day programme 
includes a theoretical part and a simulation exerci se.  In 2005, this programme was carried out in 
Bhutan, Lao PDR and Yemen, as well as in Ge neva for a group of Iraqi officials. WT/COMTD/W/146 
Page 18  
  (i) Rules 
83. Over a period of time the Rules Division expe rienced that due to the diverse levels of 
knowledge and expertise of trade remedies of partic ipants in regional semina rs/workshops, the results 
of such activities had been less than satisfactory.  Whenever presenters were faced by an audience 
with varying degrees of expertise, the option was eith er to adjust the level of training to the lowest 
denominator, or to try to find a "comfortable" leve l somewhere in between the highest and the lowest 
level of expertise, or even to try to "fast-track" th e laggards.  This normally resulted in frustration for 
all and in the end the objectives of such activities were seldom fully met.   
84. In an effort to address this perpetual problem a nd to ensure that all participants in regional 
activities have the same required basic level of know ledge of the issues to be covered during a given 
seminar/workshop, the Rules Division, in cooperatio n with the e-Training section of ITTC, launched a 
pilot project whereby all participants in a regi onal workshop were required to have successfully 
completed an e-course on Trade Remedies before they  could be considered for attending the regional 
workshop.   
85. In a first letter, the Members were invited to nom inate any given number of participants in an 
e-course which covered a basic introduction to th e WTO and the three Trade Remedies Agreements.  
They were informed that only successf ul participants in the e-course would be eligible for invitation 
to the actual workshop.  Twenty Members nominated a total of 60 candidates, of which 58 completed 
the e-course successfully.  The e-course consists of different modules developed specifically with the 
workshop in mind and is designed to encourage self- study.  Each model had an evaluation assignment 
which has to be completed on a weekly basis before  the participant was allowed to move on to the 
next module.  The evaluation section was designed to be monitored electronically by the e-Training 
section.  Furthermore, the 60 partic ipants were tutored on a daily basi s by three tutors in the Rules 
Division (20 participants each). 
86. Subsequently Members were invited to nominate one of their successful e-course participants 
to attend the actual workshop.  In the cases where th ere were more than one successful candidate, the 
choice was left to the Member concerned.  
87. The outcome of the workshop was encouraging.  The e-course element of the activity ensured 
that all the participants had a certain level of understanding of the topics to be covered during the 
seminar – and importantly, this level was known to the presenters of the seminar beforehand.  The 
level of the seminar could therefore be pitched at the appropriate level.  This ensured the 
exceptionally high participation rate  of all participants in the highly technical discussions, including 
participants from LDCs.  This method of technical a ssistance delivery ensure d that the basic theory 
was dealt with in the e-course,  while the focus during the actual workshop was on "hands-on" 
practical training.  
(j) Competition Policy 
88. Taking account of decisions taken in the Committe e on Trade and Development in the context 
of the 2004 "July package", the Secretariat's technica l assistance programme in this area is limited to 
the provision of national workshops, on demand.  In 2005, such workshops were provided for 
Ethiopia and Trinidad and Tobago.  These works hops have focused, not on possible negotiations 
(which have clearly been ruled out for the duration of the Doha Round), but on more basic aspects of 
institution-building, national objec tives and policy formulation in this area and their relation to 
international trade.  Experience in the presentati on of these workshops and general contacts indicate 
that there is a continuing interest in assistance in this area as an aspect of institution-building at the 
national level, independent of th e decision ruling out negotiations.  WT/COMTD/W/146 
 Page 19 
 
  (k) Technical assistance within the Trad e Policy Review Mechanism framework 
89. The Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM) is a valuable forum for achieving transparency 
in, and understanding of, the trade policies and pr actices of Members.  Trade Policy Reviews of 
developing and Least Developed Country (LDC) Members have increasingly performed a technical 
assistance function and have been useful in increasi ng understanding of the trade policy structure in 
place and its relationship with the WTO Agreements, playing an important part in "Capacity-Building 
and Mainstreaming".  The reviews enhance unders tanding in these countries of the WTO Agreements, 
enabling better compliance and integration in the MTS; better interaction between government 
agencies is also facilitated by the reviews.  The S ecretariat reports wide coverage of Members policies 
enabling them to identify any shortcomings in policy and specific areas where further technical 
assistance may be required. 
90. Since 2000, the Review Process for LDCs and a number of other developing countries has 
included a two-to-four-day Seminar or a half-day Workshop for their officials on the WTO and, in particular, the Trade Policy Review exercise and the role of trade in economic policy, including a 
presentation by the participants from the country under Review on the experience from trade liberalization efforts and round tables
1.  The Secretariat Report for an LDC Review, as well as other 
less-developed countries, includes a section on techni cal assistance needs and priorities, as identified 
in cooperation with the Member concerned, and with  a view to feeding this into the Integrated 
Framework (IF) process.  For LDCs, the Secretaria t also works closely with the World Bank on the 
trade component of the latter's Diagnostic Trade In tegration Studies (DTIS), with the Reviews often 
an integral part to the framing of the DTIS, and in deed the Secretariat has now  been asked to prepare 
the trade section for two studies.  The ITTC and the Trade Policy Review Division (TPRD) work 
together to elaborate a methodology to use TPRs more systematically as a tool for Needs 
Assessments.  These activities are a ssimilated to national activities. 
91. While each Review highlights the specific is sues and measures concerning the individual 
Member, certain common themes emerged duri ng the course of the Reviews conducted in 200 5..  
These included: 
• transparency in policy-making and implementation;  
• economic environment and trade liberalization;  
• implementation of the WTO Agreements;  
• Regional Trade Agreements and their relationship with the MTS;  
• tariff issues, including peaks, escalation, pr eferences, rationalization and the gap between 
applied and bound rates;  
• Customs clearance procedures;  
• import and export restrictions and licensing procedures;  
• the use of contingency measures such as Anti-Dumping and Countervailing duties;  
• technical and sanitary measures and Market Access;  
• standards and their equivalence with international norms;  
• Intellectual Property Rights legislation and enforcement;  
• Government Procurement policies and practices2; 
• state involvement in the economy and privatization programmes;  
• trade-related competition and investment policy issues;  
                                                      
1 Such seminars have been held for the OECS, Uganda (2001); Burundi, Haiti, Honduras, Lesotho, 
Malawi, the Maldives, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal a nd Zambia (2002); Gambia, Guyana, Rwanda and the 
SACU (2003).  For 2004, this process was undertaken for Belize, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Sierra Leone and 
Suriname, and is envisaged in 2005 for Angola, Chad, Djibouti, Guinea and Togo.  
2 This has been discussed even in cases where Me mbers are not party to the plurilateral Agreement on 
Government Procurement. " WT/COMTD/W/146 
Page 20  
  • incentive measures such as subs idies and tax forgone;  
• sectoral trade-policy issues, particularly liber alization in Agriculture and certain Services 
sectors;  
• GATS commitments;  
• S&D treatment, including Market Access and implementation, particularly for Customs 
Valuation, TRIPS and TRIMs; and  
• technical assistance in implementing the WTO Agreements and the experience with the 
IF. 
 (l) Regional Trade Agreements 
92. The Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) section has conducted a series of regional seminars 
(Anglophone Africa, Francophone Africa, Asia Pacifi c, and Latin America) and been involved in the 
delivery of TRTA in the RTPCs.  The activities ai m at raising awareness on RTA dynamics in global 
trade and training and advising of government officials on WTO rules and procedures on RTAs.  
Their underlying objective is to contribute to the development of RTAs that are in line with the 
relevant WTO rules thus complementing the objec tives of the WTO.  Since Doha, the RTA Section 
has been entrusted with the additional task of cl arifying issues related to the negotiations on RTA 
rules to WTO Members requesting such assistance. 
93. Several training modules are employed to deliver the TA activities.  These include lectures on 
various topics related to RTAs, quizzes, case studies, and group presentations prepared by participants.  Group activities were conducted system atically in all of the RTA specific regional 
seminars.  These and other interactive exercises are c onsidered by the majority of participants to be 
very useful since they encourage knowledge sharing and they allow to explore the topic from a variety 
of perspectives. 
94. Analysis of the Personal Evaluation Forms (PEFs ) indicates that participants to the various 
Regional Seminars and TPC were ge nerally very satisfied with the TA activities and that the set 
objectives were achieved.  The majority of responde nts indicated that the TA activities had provided 
them with knowledge that would be directly applicable to the negotiations, the administration of 
RTAs, as well as for in-house training, research and policy advice. 
95. Attendance to the RTA specific seminars varied.  Regional organizations/secretariats had 
been invited to all the RTA specific seminars.  Where present, their participation significantly 
contributed to the overall success of the TA activities.  
(m) Government Procurement 
96. In 2005, the Secretariat completed the cycle of regional activities on Government 
Procurement initiated in 2004 while also placi ng emphasis on a Geneva Workshop on Accession to 
the GPA and responding to requests for national workshops from China and Brazil.  The broad 
objectives of these activities were to:  (i) enhance participants' awareness of key concepts and 
principles in this area;  (ii) familiarize them with  relevant WTO activities;  and (iii) facilitate policy 
development and decision-making in this area at the national and regional levels.  All programmes 
adopted a highly interactive approach emphasizing embedded breakout sessions to encourage 
consideration of practical issues, networking, an d the exchange of information and sharing of 
experiences. 
97. A total of seven activities were held during th e year, comprising:  four regional workshops, 
organized respectively for the Arab and Middle East  Countries, the Asia-Pacific region, the Central 
and Eastern Europe and Central Asian Countries, and English-speaking African Countries; a Geneva 
Workshop on the Agreement on Government Proc urement (GPA) for GPA accession and Observer 
Members, and the two national seminars.  Altoge ther, 213 participants a ttended the regional and  WT/COMTD/W/146 
 Page 21 
 
  Geneva Activities.  Following previous practice, two participants each were invited per country – one 
from the Trade or Commerce Ministry and one from the Government Procurement Service or other 
relevant Ministry (e.g. Treasury or Finance).  This practice is important given the shared 
responsibility for procurement policy as it relates to trad e that characterizes most countries.  It offers a 
unique and valuable opportunity for trade and proc urement policy experts to share and exchange 
views on relevant issues, whether at the domes tic, bilateral, regional or multilateral levels. 
98. The Geneva Workshop on Accession to the GP A differs from the Secretariat's regional 
workshops in that it has a particular focus on the GPA itself, whereas the regional workshops 
addressed Government Procurement as it relates to tr ade more widely, including developments in the 
regions and at the national level.  The Geneva Work shop was tailored particularly to the interests of 
WTO Members which are in the process of acceding to the GPA and/or have made commitments 
eventually to seek acces sion to the Agreement. 
99. All TA activities in this area embody a highl y interactive format, emphasizing small group 
practical exercises in addition to question-and-answ er sessions with resource persons and traditional 
lectures.  The practical exercises permit participants  to reflect on national objectives in this area in 
addition to deepening their understanding of rele vant WTO activities and instruments.  Some 
95 per cent of participants in the regional and Geneva programmes expressed satisfaction with the 
results of the activities, while 93 per cent would recommend these activities to colleagues. 
100. The Secretariat's TA programme in this area  involves significant collaboration with other 
international organizations, regional bodies, expert bodies from WTO members, and academic 
institutions.  In 2005, such or ganizations and bodies included: the World Bank, UNCITRAL, the 
Government of Singapore, and e xperts from institutions including but not limited to the European 
Commission, the US General Accounting Office (GAO ) and International Trad e Canada, and various 
other national experts. 
101. Among the insights and lessons learned from implementation of the 2005 TA activities are 
the following: 
• There is a growing awareness among participating countries of the importance of 
procurement policies as an aspect of governan ce with major implications for development 
and the welfare of citizens.  In this context, there is an interest not only to gain a deeper 
understanding of the GPA as an international in strument but to reflect on its relationship 
to related national policies, reform processes and strategic choices. 
• Given the above, the WTO's regional activities in this area should facilitate the desired 
reflection processes in addition to providi ng information on the GPA and other 
instruments. 
• There is a strong preference for the use of in teractive in addition to traditional learning 
approaches and techniques. 
• There are important complementarities and syne rgies between the WTO' activities in this 
area and the work of UNCITRAL, the World Bank and a number of regional organizations, in addition to broader initia tives relating to governance and the fight 
against corruption.  Efforts should be made to deepen the WTO's cooperation with other 
organizations active in these areas. 
• Countries that are actively considering or are in the process of accession to the GPA or 
have made commitments eventually to seek a ccession have a particular need for detailed 
assistance relating to technical aspects of the Agreement and the accession process.  The 
Geneva Workshop for such countries plays an im portant role in responding to this need in 
addition to related regiona l and national activities. WT/COMTD/W/146 
Page 22  
  • As noted above, effective capacity-building in  this area necessitates the involvement not 
only of trade officials but of other capital-b ased officials with responsibilities in this area 
(e.g. procurement authorities and/or treasury officials, etc.). 
 (n) Trade and Environment 
102. Three regional workshops on Trade and Environment were organized in 2005.  The broad 
objectives of the workshops were to facilitate the more effective participation of WTO Members and 
Observers in the work of the WTO and in particular  in its activities related to Trade and Environment, 
and to assist Members in their preparations for the ongoing Trade and Environment-related 
negotiations.  Towards these objectives, workshop pr ogrammes covered such topics as links between 
Trade and Environment, WTO rules relevant to Environment, work of the Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) in both regular and special session, and status of the 
Trade and Environment-related ne gotiations under the Doha Development Agenda.  The programmes 
were tailored to the interests of  the respective regions, including with regard to such topics as 
liberalization of environmental goods, the relationship between WTO and multilateral environmental 
agreements (MEAs), and effects of environmental requirements on market access. 
103. The workshops provided opportunity as well to  promote increased dialogue between Trade 
and Environment officials at the national level,  and sharing of national experiences among economies 
in the regions.  There was continued and increased cooperation with other international organizations 
in the conduct of the workshops.  In particular, invitations were extended to UNEP and UNCTAD to 
participate in all activities and on two occasions they  also organized back-to-back events focused on 
environmental goods and services and effects of environmental requirements on market access. 
104. Participants in the workshops appreciated th e advance planning as well as efforts made to 
ensure the programmes reflected regional prioritie s and also included updates of the Trade and 
Environment-related negotiations.  Participants also  responded well to the interactive nature of the 
workshop programmes and presence of representatives of other international agencies.  In all 
instances, presentations were supported by bac kground documents and other WTO materials. 
105. In addition to the regional workshops, other op portunities were taken to provide Trade and 
Environment-related technical assistance.  For ex ample, the WTO Secretariat used the occasion of 
meetings of relevant MEAs to organise briefings for officials from developing countries on Trade and 
Environment issues.  Such events were organised at  the First Meeting of the Conference of the Parties 
(COP) of the Stockholm Convention and the Second COP Meeting of the Rotterdam Convention.  The Secretariat also participated in Trade and Environment-related activities organized by other 
organizations and in Geneva-based andRTPCs. 
106. At the request of Members and pursuant to Para graph 51 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, 
the Secretariat organised a Symposium on Trade and Sustainable Development in Geneva in 
October 2005.  The Symposium provided opportunity for Members to reflect on the meaning of sustainable development and deepen their unders tanding of the developmen tal and environmental 
dimensions of the Doha Work Programme.  Interna tional organizations were invited to contribute to 
the programme. 
(o) Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) 
107. In addition to the regional and national works hops that were conducted, TBT-related topics 
were covered both in Geneva-based and RTPCs and staff attended a number of activities on invitation 
from other agencies.  In response to a reco mmendation of the TBT Committee, a Workshop on 
supplier's declaration of conformity (SDoC) was held in Geneva in March 2005 (with funding made 
available from the DDA Global Trust Fund to assist participation from developing countries).  Technical assistance was also provided to Geneva-based delegations.    WT/COMTD/W/146 
 Page 23 
 
  108. The basic objectives of the regional and nationa l workshops were to assist participants to 
consolidate their knowledge of the TBT Agreemen t, update them on issues being discussed in the 
TBT Committee, and encourage exchanges of view s and experiences on TBT issues.  The workshops 
were similar in design and format: they were gear ed towards middle and senior level officials from 
trade, standards and WTO-related Ministries; th ey were interactive and utilised a range of 
presentational methods to engage pa rticipants; and they focused on concrete TBT issues of relevance 
to the respective regions.  In the period under revi ew, particular emphasis was given towards ensuring 
the content of the workshops reflect ed closely the present priorities of Members.  For example, special 
focus was given to conformity assessment procedure issues, in view of the TBT Committee's current 
work programme in this area; ther e was also special attention given to issues relating to the Fourth 
Triennial Review of the TBT Agreement, due to be completed by Members in 2006. 
109. Emphasis was put on ensuring interaction and en gagement from workshop participants.  This 
was achieved through advance preparations  and innovations to the programme which inter alia  
required participants to arrive at workshops read y to make substantive interventions on TBT topics 
and also included sessions devoted to experien ce-sharing and discussion of specific cases.  
Presentations were supplemented by practical exer cises, background documents and other material 
(provided both in hard-copy and electronic format ).  There was continued and increased cooperation 
with other international and regional organizations in the conduct of the Workshops.3   T h i s  
inter-agency cooperation was beneficial - participants were able to gain a broad perspective of the 
relationship between the TBT Agreemen t and the work of other agencies. 
110. Feedback from the workshops was positive.  Partic ipants were appreciative of the depth of the 
discussions as well as efforts made to ensure the programmes reflected current discussions in the TBT 
Committee.  Participants also responded well to th e emphasis on engagement and interaction.  There 
have been concrete examples to illustrate the impa ct of the workshops.  Fo r instance, at a workshop 
for SADC countries held in Namibia, detailed info rmation on the obligation of Members to submit a 
statement on the implementation and administra tion of the TBT Agreement was provided and 
workshop participants were encour aged, as an exercise, to prepare a draft of this statement.  
Subsequently, the Secretariat received a draft of such a statement from a Member that had a 
representative at the Namibia Workshop.  Similarl y, subsequent to a workshop in Trinidad and 
Tobago for Caribbean countries where participants were asked to complete an exercise on a newly 
approved voluntary notification fo rmat on technical assistance, the first notification from a Member 
was received by the Secretariat for issuing. 
(p) Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) 
111. Technical cooperation activities providing training in the area of Sanitary and Phytosanitary 
Measures (SPS) are organized in close collabor ation with Members and the three reference 
organization which are identified in the SPS Agreement: the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius 
Commission (Codex), the International Plant Protection Convention (IIPC) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).  To ensure that participants in regional activities are the staff 
which are responsible for this area within their national administrations, the WTO sends invitations 
directly to the Codex, IPPC and OIE contact points of the Member's invited.  This practice is now 
well-established and has ensured that  participants have the technical expertise to profit from the 
training offered.   
112. The Secretariat is trying to add further valu e to its technical assistance activities in a number 
of innovative ways.  One way has been to cooperat e with developed countries in the delivery of WTO 
                                                     
 
3 International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), International Organization for Standardization 
(ISO), FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), United Nations Industrial Development 
Organization (UNIDO), Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Caribbean Regional Organization for Standards 
and Quality (CROSQ). WT/COMTD/W/146 
Page 24  
  activities.  For example, a regional Workshop for Central and South American Members, held in 
November 2005, was greatly assisted by the presence of SPS experts from both the EC and the US.  The training methods are also adapted to local needs and opportunities.  A national seminar in India in 
May 2005 benefited from the input of a former Secret ary of Codex  who participated in the training, 
and which also included video-conference link-ups w ith the OIE and IPPC Secretariats.  For regional 
workshops, representatives of Codex, the OIE and IPPC  are routinely invited.  Wherever possible, a 
platform is also given to regional organizations  involved in SPS initia tives and representatives of 
non-governmental organizations active in this  area, such as consumer organizations.   
113. Cooperation with the standard-setting bodies h as been deepened through the Standards and 
Trade Development Facility (STDF).  One project financed through the STDF has permitted the OIE 
to develop tailored training materials and build  on the SPS regional workshops  by taking on additional 
days of training for their veterinary experts.  Th rough this programme a cadre of trainers is being 
created who will be able to pass on their expertise.  This project will finish in 2006, after a total of 
five regional workshops will have been organized. 
114. After ten years of implementation of the SPS Agreement and after numerous training events, 
a number of Members have moved beyond the need for basic overviews of the Agreement and are 
requesting more in-depth and applied training.  Re gional and national events are of course tailored to 
the particular needs of the Members concerned.  In 2005, a new product was tested which responded 
to this need for more in-depth training – a two w eek specialized course held at the WTO Institute for 
Training and Technical Cooperation.  Close coope ration between the Agriculture and Commodities 
Division, the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation and the Inter-American Institute for 
Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA) ensured that the course was an overwhelming success.  Criteria for 
application for this Spanish-language  course were established to ensure  that participants possessed the 
requisite background knowledge to gain from the a dvanced course.  Involvement of IICA in this 
course cemented that organization's reputation for ex cellence in the SPS area and was indispensable to 
the organization of the course.  On the basis of this successful first vent ure, an English-language 
Specialised Training Course is planned for 2006.  
(q) Integrated Data Base 
115. With the preparations for the Hong Kong Ministerial, there was a high demand for 
NAMA-related workshops and semina rs, and which required the direct  involvement of IDB staff.  
Some regional seminars were c onducted jointly with other agencies, including UNESCAP for the 
Asia regional seminar, the Joint Vienna Institute  (JVI) for the Central and Eastern European and 
Central Asian countries and the Inter-American De velopment Bank (IADB) for the Latin American 
countries.  The JVI  has  excellent facilities and ar rangements.  It has a good computer laboratory and 
thus a half-day hands-on session on computer software  applications was made possible.  The hands-on 
sessions have always been appreciated by particip ants, but it is a considerable job for one IDB 
resource person to handle.  Generally, in national wo rkshops the coordinating agency puts efforts into 
providing computer facilities that would allow fo r hands-on session on IDB software applications.   
(r) Trade Negotiations Skills and Techniques 
116. The Intensive Course on Trade Negotiations Ski lls is designed to provide participants, 
through simulation exercises, with skills and knowle dge concerning appropriate strategies and tactics 
for the conduct of negotiations, as well as techniques of systematic decision analysis for monitoring 
and managing the negotiating process.  It contri butes directly to the objectives of the Doha 
Development Agenda (DDA) by improving, deepeni ng and enhancing particip ants' understanding of 
the DDA negotiations, more particularly the 2004 July package.  The core of  the course encompasses 
all the stages in trade negotiations—from the consu ltation stage to actual negotiations, involving real 
give-and-take.   WT/COMTD/W/146 
 Page 25 
 
  117. The feedback from participants confirms that th e course is found to be very valuable, bringing 
participants into real negotiation mode.  It contri butes to expanding their knowledge of bilateral and 
multilateral trade negotiations, which can be used in  preparing their countries' positions in the NAMA 
negotiations, in preparing Services offers, in th eir accession negotiations, as well as more broadly in 
the DDA and ACP-EU-EPA negotiations.  During 200 5, national intensive courses were held in 
various African countries and a series of regional and/or sub-regional cour ses were held for all 
geographical regions.   
118. Partnerships with other agencies and bodies have been built for the deliver y of the courses.  
Over the years, the WTO has partnered with th e APEC-Economic Integration project, Canadian 
International Development Agency and the Conferen ce Board of Canada in running Intensive Courses 
on Trade Negotiations skills in Asia.  In Africa, partnership has been built with the University of 
Pretoria, University of the Western Cape (South Africa), University of Dar-es-Salaam and the 
University of Nairobi.  The Arab Monetary Fund h as been involved in partnership arrangements in the 
Middle East.  Partners contributed in terms of  both resource persons and financial resources.  
(s) Outreach Activities for Parliamentarians and Civil Society 
119. Outreach activities for Parliamentarians and Civil Society are part of an overall WTO 
Strategy to help legislators and Civil Society representatives better understand the provisions of the 
Doha Ministerial Declaration.  They are also a r esponse to challenges in the Declaration for greater 
transparency in the WTO's operations and improve d dialogue with the public.  Outreach activities 
consist of regional workshops organized and funded  by the WTO jointly with partner institutions.  
They are conducted in close cooperation with Me mbers and the host-country.  In 2005, regional 
workshops were conducted in Tanzania (for Pa rliamentarians from Africa) and Jamaica (for 
Parliamentarians from Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic region). 
120. All workshops were similar in design.  They were introductory-level and working-level.  
They were interactive and presentations, both by WT O officials and guest speakers, were routinely 
supported by written material a nd background documentation.  Workshop objectives were also 
essentially similar - to foster greater public unders tanding of and interest in the WTO; to inform 
Parliamentarians on the operations of the MTS and key issues on the interna tional trade agenda; and 
to encourage discussion and exchange of views on trade-related and devel opment-related issues.  
Workshop participants were encouraged to give feedback and suggestions on outreach activities and 
also to consider their respective roles in multilate ral processes and ways to increase parliamentary and 
public awareness of the international trade agenda. 
121. Feedback was positive.  Participants expressed a ppreciation for WTO's efforts to better relate 
Parliamentarians with the work of the Organiza tion and they encouraged WTO to continue and 
expand these efforts.  Participants were also comfortable with the objectives and design of the 
workshops - which sought to convey neutral and balanced information on the workings and agenda of 
WTO but also provide full opportunity for Parliame ntarians to exchange views on developments in 
the trading system and in their regions/interest groups.  WTO's efforts to involve experts from the 
respective regions as guest speaker s was also welcomed.  One further positive effect of the 2005 
activities was the establishment of close worki ng relations with a number of parliamentary 
organizations who served as co-organizers of the workshops.  The relations hips will be built upon 
further in the coming years. 
122. Impact from the workshops was immediate.   Parliamentarians with little background 
knowledge appreciated the opportunity to  learn about WTO and address various 
misgivings/misunderstandings held about the Organi zation.  Legislators more familiar with WTO 
took the opportunity to raise questions and ch allenge certain assumptions about the current 
negotiations.  All W WT/COMTD/W/146 
Page 26  
  123. workshop participants undertook to maintain a closer watch/involvement in WTO work and 
many promised to share their newly-acquired knowle dge with colleagues and contacts.  A number of 
Parliamentarians also indicated an intention to involve themselves more actively in current 
international discussions about a parliamentary dimension of WTO. 
4. Academic Support for Training and Capaci ty-Building:  An Integrated Approach 
Regional Workshops and other support activities-University Programme 
124. The combined implementation of activities of the 2005 Plan, under the Programme 
"Academic Support For Training And Capacity-build ing: An Integrated Approach", was geared 
towards building sustainable institutional capacitie s at national levels on WTO-related matters.  
Activities were implemented in close cooperation wi th regional inter-governmental organizations and 
academic institutions, including: the United Nations  Economic and Social Commission for Asia and 
the Pacific (UNESCAP
4), the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF), the Trade Law Centre for Southern Africa 
(TRALAC), the Latin American Asso ciation for Integration (ALADI) ,and the Institute for the 
Integration of Latin America and the Caribbe an of the Inter-American Development Bank 
(INTAL/IBID).  Moreover, the WTO  collaborated with the University of Nairobi, Kenya, and the University of Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro in the organization and delivery of activities of 
regional/sub-regional scope. 
125. The activities aim at gradually transferring owners hips to the associated academic institutions.  
For instance, academic support has been provide d to universities which have launched or are 
preparing graduate academic programmes, by prov iding WTO-related publications to libraries and 
students, and eventually following  up with lectures by WTO officials.  Regional workshops for 
Academics feed in the RTPCs undert aken by the WTO and universities.  During 2005, activities were 
held in association with the University of Nairobi, Kenya; the University of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania; 
the University of Pretoria, South Africa; the University of Khartoum, Sudan; the Universidade 
Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique; the University of the West Indies (Barbados campus); the 
University of Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro ; the St. Petersburg State University, Russian 
Federation; the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia; the Universidad 
Externado, Colombia; the Universidad Central de Venezuela; the University of Campinas, 
Brazil; the Universidad del Rosario, Colombia, and; the Institute of International Trade, Centre for 
WTO Studies, India.   
126. Regional workshops for academics facilitate the development of worki ng relations between 
the WTO Secretariat and regional groups of acad emics and/or academic institutions, enabling the 
Secretariat to draw from this external pool of resources for further collaboration, including technical 
assistance and training activities.  This collabor ation has encompassed the commission of research 
papers for WTO research projects and the joint orga nization and teaching of RTPCs.  During 2005, an 
estimated one hundred (100) university professors and researchers, representing seventy (70) academic institutions from fifty-five (55) countries pa rticipated in one sub-regional and three regional 
workshops.  These activities took place in Abu Dhabi, UAE (for Arab and Middle East countries); 
Vienna (for Transition Countries), Buenos Aires,  Argentina (for Latin American countries), and 
Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro (for Balkan countries). 
127. The dissemination of WTO publications to universities was pursued by both responding to 
requests received at the Secretariat from universities and by making direct donations to the universities following their participation in regi onal activities.  Approximately, one hundred and 
twelve (112) sets of publications were provided.  
 
                                                     
 
4 Through a UNESCAP research-training programm e (ArtNet), a number of regional research 
institutions have also been reached.   WT/COMTD/W/146 
 Page 27 
 
  IV. SUPPORT TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FACILITIES 
A. GENEVA -BASED ACTIVITIES  
(i) Distance-Learning Programme a nd Information Technology (IT) 
128. The main objectives of the Distance-Learning Programme and Information Technology (IT) 
are to: 
• take full advantage of IT and the Internet as a complement and an alternative to traditional 
training programs; 
• enhance WTO outreach to academic institu tions and individual students; and 
• develop WTO-related training ma terial which would not require simultaneous presence of 
the trainees and trainers in Geneva or in the regions. 
 129. To that effect, the Secretariat continued in 200 5 the use and development of different types of 
IT-based technical assistance and training tools.  Th ree kinds of products are being used at present to 
meet distinct needs, namely:  
 CBT Modules : In addition to four text-based modules, in 2005 a video-based module 
developed in collaboration w ith the Institute of Advanced Studies of the United 
Nations University, has been posted on the distance learning page of the WTO website (http://www.wto.org/English/res_e/d_learn_e/d_learn_e.htm).  These CBTs, which are essentially used for self-train ing, are also available on CD-ROM;  
 Technical Assistance through the use of CD-ROMs combined with video 
conferencing :  this distance-learning modality  consists of a combination of 
interrelated media - slide presentations, video files, reference documents such as legal 
texts and lists of specific commitments - all stored on the same CD-ROM.  Follow-up training may be delivered through video-conferences.  Two modules on Selected 
Aspects of Trade in Services (Specific GATS Commitments and, GATS and 
Maritime Transport) are now available on CD-ROM (in English and French for the 
time being);  and, 
 The eTraining :  The eTraining website provides inte ractive courses over the Internet.  
Government officials can participate in  the courses and have access on-line to the 
training material and to their assigned tuto rs from their office in the capital, the 
mission or anywhere else in the world.  Three online Introduction Courses on Basic 
Principles were organized in English, Fr ench and Spanish in 2005 for a total of 
173 participants from developing country Memb ers.  Another introduction course was 
held for participants from the English-speak ing African region, in partnership with 
the University of Nairobi, which provided tu tors for the activity.  Finally, a new 
specialized course on Trade Remedies was offered to 47 government officials from 
Asia and the Pacific.  The course was a pre -requisite for participation in an Advanced 
Regional Seminar on Anti-Dumping, organized in Vietnam shortly after.  Feedback on the courses were very positive with high marks on course content, tutors' contributions, new web design and interac tive functions introduced in 2005, and 
overall organization of the activities. 
 
(ii) Geneva Week 
130. Two Geneva Week events were held in 2005 as pa rt of the Secretariat's efforts to assist the 
31 WTO Members and Observers without representation in Geneva.  WT/COMTD/W/146 
Page 28  
  131. The Tenth Geneva Week, held from 4 to 8 Apri l 2005, was attended by 78 participants from 
Non-Resident Member and Observer Governments a nd from regional, economic secretariats.  Several 
briefing sessions on the state-of-play in the Doha De velopment Agenda (DDA) were organized for the 
participants.  Many Non-Resident Members attende d a variety of WTO meetings, including the CTD 
Dedicated Session on Small Economies, the CTD's Special Session, a Committee Meeting on Anti Dumping and a Meeting of the DSB in Special Session.  Many also used the week to consult 
bilaterally or to meet with the Chairman of th e General Council to discuss their choice of candidate 
for the post of Director-General.  Some participan ts attended informal mee tings and consultations 
organized throughout the week by regional groupings such as the African Group, the ACP, CARICOM and the Commonwealth.  Others, like A zerbaijan or Lao People' s Democratic Republic, 
used their presence in Geneva to consult with the S ecretariat or to advance bilateral consultations on 
their accession process.  Geneva Week participants  benefited from a seminar organized by the WTO 
and the World Bank on the latter's recent research c oncerning several of the subjects being negotiated 
in the DDA.  The evaluation forms completed by pa rticipants were positive overall.  Participants 
emphasized the importance of using Geneva Week as a way to gain timely, up to date briefings on 
WTO developments.  
132. The Eleventh Geneva Week, held from 14 to 18 November 2005, was attended by 
81 participants from Non-Resident Member and Ob server Governments and from representatives of 
regional, economic secretariats.  Based on their res ponses in the evaluation forms, participants greatly 
appreciated the timeliness of the event and thou ght the selection of briefings from the various 
Chairpersons of the negotiating groups and Secret ariat staff were highly relevant and useful.  
Participants were particularly pleased to be given the opportunity to participate in meetings of the 
negotiating bodies just prior to the Sixth Minister ial Conference which took place a month later in 
Hong Kong, China.  Participants attended the CTD's Dedicated Session on Small Economies and the 
CTD's Special Session.  Some also attended the Sub-Committee on Cotton and the Working Party on 
Tonga's Accession to the WTO.  Other meetings at tended by the participants included the Negotiating 
Groups on Trade Facilitation, Services, Rules and NAM A.  Many of the participants took advantage 
of their presence in Geneva to meet with regiona l bodies such as the African Group or the ACP, to 
conduct bilateral consultations with  other WTO Members or to seek clarification or more detailed 
information from WTO Secretariat staff, including the TA Plan for 2006.  Geneva Week participants 
benefited from seminars organized during the w eek by the International Agency for Trade 
Information and Cooperation (AITIC), the Commonwea lth Secretariat and the Advisory Centre on 
WTO Law.  They heard about preparations for the Sixth Ministerial Conference and were briefed by 
the WTO Task Force and by the Hong Kong, China de legation on the logistics of the Conference as 
well as on how the Ministerial was to be organized.   
(iii) Trainee Programmes and Internships 
133. Netherlands Trainee Programme (NTP) : Following the expiry of the so-called Dutch 
Internship Programme in Spring 2005, the Dutch au thorities agreed to launch the Netherlands Trainee 
Programme (NTP), based on new term s and conditions.  The NTP is designed in a manner to build 
in-country capacity in a most effective way, to assist in the economic and social development of LDCs, low income countries and comparable poor, sm all and vulnerable economies in areas related to 
trade policy.  It thus provides officials with a di rect opportunity to learn about matters dealt with 
within the WTO, under the direction of staff members of the WTO.  Particular attention is given to 
African countries.   
134. The Netherlands are contributing a total of  Euro 2 Million (or CHF 3 Million) to the 
DDAGTF for the financing of the programme, to be  disbursed over the four-year life span of the 
Arrangement.  The first instalment was received in the Summer 2005, which effectively permitted the 
launch of the Programme and recruitment has started since June.  From a total of over 
100 applications that were submitte d and reviewed to date by the selection committee, 30 candidates  WT/COMTD/W/146 
 Page 29 
 
  were retained, from as many countries5.  Half of these candidates started in 2005, the other half took 
up duty early this year.  In the selection process, due attention was paid to the relevant criteria 
contained in the NTP and its objectives.  This impli es that two thirds of the Trainees (19) originate 
from LDCs and a total of 18 officials are from Afri ca.  Seven officials are from Asia, including two 
acceding countries from Asia Pacific (Tonga and Vanuatu), two recently acceded countries from 
Central Asia and the Caucasus (Armenia, Kyrgyz Republic), one (small economy) from the Caribbean 
(St Kitts and Nevis, providing support to the OECS  Secretariat), one from Latin America (Paraguay), 
one acceding country from the Middle East (Lebanon).  Thus, while giving priority to LDCs and 
Africa, a geographical balance was nevertheless maintained. 
135. Based on the preferences expressed by the countries that have submitted candidates, the 
officials were allocated to various Divisions, where th ey are expected to perform their specific tasks.  
These Divisions include ITTC, Development, TPRD, Market Access, Services and Trade and 
Environment.  Other Divisions have agreed to provide direct support to the Trainees.  As space constraints implied that the number of officials th at could be accommodated at the WTO premises is 
limited, a number of the officials are housed directly at their Permanent Missions.   
136. In terms of tasks and expectations, one Train ee from Zambia has been retained, to provide 
support to the LDC Coordinator.  As part of his sp ecific tasks, the official assisted the LDC group in 
preparation for the Hong Kong Ministerial Meeting a nd participated therein.  More generally he 
provides support to the LDCs in the DDA Negotiati ons.  One Trainee (St Kitts) provides support to 
the OECS Secretariat and is also housed there.  Another Trainee (Vanuatu) will be housed at the 
Pacific Forum Secretariat and provide support to th e Pacific Islands, in addition to assuming specific 
tasks in support of its own country.  
137. One specific task assigned to most Trainees rela tes to the completion of their national needs 
assessment for technical assistance requirements.  So me Trainees assist in the preparation of their 
country's Trade Policy Reviews, others provide support in the accession process, including in the 
drafting of a Services Schedules of Commitments and/or making offers.  Trainees from recently acceded countries largely assist in the implemen tation of their WTO obligations, including 
notifications, and enhance their understanding of specific WTO Agreements.  Some trainees are 
directly involved in the implementation of the In tegrated Framework and/or JITAP, and act as 
national focal points.  Several trainees are asso ciated with the implementation of the joint 
WTO-UNIDO programme and preparation and implem entation of the relevant projects for their 
country.  More generally, the Trai nees attend meetings and briefings, including those provided in the 
Geneva Week and the feed-back received so far is very encouraging.  Furthermore, the Trainees are 
called upon to undertake missions, to undertake needs assessment but also to conduct seminars and 
training, and assist in conducting countries' Trade Policy Reviews. 
138. The NTP is fully operational and seems to work to the satisfaction of beneficiaries.  The 
Arrangement is pragmatic in its design, focused  and flexible, geared towards addressing some 
fundamental issues to the benefit of developing coun tries, and more specifically the least developed 
and most vulnerable amongst them.  The Programme is expected to leave a trace in terms of 
capacity-building, as well as in assisting these benefici aries in the negotiations of the DDA.  Given 
the fairly considerable number of trainees that have been recruited so far (30), the new intake is likely 
to slow down, until the first Trainees finish their assignments (Summer 2006). 
139. Other Internship Programmes : The main objective of all other Trainee and Internship 
programmes essentially is to build human capacities in  a systematic and cumulative manner.  These 
Programmes varied in nature and duration.  Some targeted nationals of WTO Members and countries 
                                                     
 
5 Angola, Armenia, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Guinea, Kenya, 
Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mongolia, Namibia, Nepal, Paraguay, 
Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, St Kitts, Suda n, Tonga, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe. WT/COMTD/W/146 
Page 30  
  and customs territories engaged in accession nego tiations, who had completed their undergraduate 
studies in a relevant discipline, such as economics,  law, political science, international relations and 
had embarked upon postgraduate studies.  Othe r Programmes focused on training government 
officials from developing countries, including LDCs a nd economies in transition, or simply enhancing 
the ability of a particular mission entrusted with th e coordinating role of a specific Group.  Eligible 
candidates for these Programmes must have prior knowledge of WTO work and relevant experience 
in trade matters.   
140. Ninety-two Interns were recruited under the various WTO Internship Programmes in 2005.  
They were mostly from developing countries, LDCs  and transition economies.  The scope of these 
programmes varied in nature and duration.  Some  programmes were designed to train government 
officials, from both Members and Observers, on the regular work of the WTO.  Other programmes 
focussed on developing specific skills or provide  assistance to Coordinators of WTO regional 
groupings to carry out their respective mandates.   
141. Since its inception, the WTO Internship system  has functioned effectively.  It has also 
achieved, to a large extent, the objectives set for it.  However, with the increasing demand for these 
Programmes, specific steps were taken, by the Secret ariat, to further develop and improve the system.  
These include resolving the limited space capacity with in the Secretariat to house additional interns.   
142. The following points contain additional information on what was achieved in 2005: 
• Regular WTO Internship Programme: a total of 66 in-house Interns were recruited, 
mostly from developing countries, LDCs a nd transition economies.  These Interns were 
selected by WTO Divisions and were employed by the WTO for a period of up to 24 weeks. 
• WTO Regional Coordinator Internship:  several  Groups benefited from  this Programme in 
2005, namely, the African Group, the ACP Group,  the ACP Secretariat in Geneva and the 
Pacific Island Forum.  This Programme h as proven successful in helping the mission  to 
carry out its functions and responsibilities as C oordinator of a particular Group in addition 
to its normal work. 
 B. A
CTIVITIES HELD IN THE FIELD 
(i) Reference Centres 
143. In order to assist Trade Ministries, Speci alized Agencies and Institutions to obtain 
WTO-related information using information technology, 25 Reference Centres (RFCs) were 
established with high performance WTO PC equi pment and/or upgraded.  Four were done in 
collaboration with ITC/EU/WTO, five were establis hed in Permanent Missions in Geneva and seven  
in LDCs, of which three are Observers to the WTO. 
144. Reference Centres provide technical facilities th at enable WTO documentation to be accessed 
by officials, the press, the general public, bus inesses, the wider economic community and academic 
institutions.  The Reference Centres set up by the WTO are for official use, are normally attached to a 
Ministry of Trade, and essentially house all documen ts that relate to the legal rules governing the 
MTS. 
145. Reference Centres were provided with new CD -ROMs and DVDs so that existing electronic 
files (Notifications, OECD Tool Kit for Trade Poli cy Makers, Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, 
Intellectual Property Rights, and electronic bookshop  selling WTO publications) could be updated.   
146. In 2005, 393 people were trained.  The participan ts are selected by the Ministry and the other 
Institutions concerned.  A large amount of info rmation was delivered during the training sessions  WT/COMTD/W/146 
 Page 31 
 
  through PowerPoint presentations and the WTO We bsite.  In order to make these training sessions 
more interactive and lively, questions and answer s sessions were proposed on subjects of particular 
interest to the participants.  For each Reference Centre, a Coordinator and one or two assistants are 
appointed to follow-up on the updating of the Centre  and the dissemination of information.    
(ii) Needs Assessments 
147. The tools that were developed to assist count ries in undertaking needs assessment for their 
technical assistance and training requirements, ar e gradually being used as basis for countries' 
requests.  The 'Guidelines' (JOB(04)/113), which were discussed during informal consultations and 
circulated to Members and Observers, have provide d the basis for these need s assessment.  Also, the 
institutional cooperation that was put into effect  between ITTC and the TPR Division is paying 
dividends in terms of more systematically inco rporating needs assessments into the TPR process.  
This close cooperation has gradually been strengt hened, with more systematic and increased 
participation of ITTC in the TPR activities, to addr ess the TRTA-related aspects in the TPRs.  By way 
of illustration, needs assessments were complete d and/or are underway for the OECS countries, 
Angola, Bangladesh, Burundi, Guinea, Kenya, La os, Lesotho, Mauritania, Mongolia, Papua New 
Guinea, Uganda and the United Arab Emirates.  
V. PROCESSES AND PROGRAMMES 
(a) Joint Integrated Technical Assistance Programme (JITAP) 
148. The Joint Integrated Technical Assistance Pr ogramme (JITAP) is implemented jointly by 
ITC, UNCTAD and WTO.  The Programme is curre ntly in Phase II, which is expected to be 
completed early in 2007.  JITAP's main aim is to build the capacity of beneficiary countries in the 
Multilateral Trading System (MTS).  In this re gard, efficient dissemination of trade-related 
information and improving transparency are among th e factors which can help build the capacity of 
the beneficiary countries.  Consequently, Module 2 of JITAP II, in which the WTO has the lead role 
for implementation, aims to enhance dissemina tion of MTS-related information through the 
establishment/strengthening of Reference Centres (RCs) and National Enquiry Points (NEPs), as well 
as training the operators of these RCs and NEPs.   
149. Implementation of Module 2:  2005 marked the consolidation of the implementation for the 
eight original JITAP countries6 which were expected to exit the Programme by 31 December 2005.  
Technical and training missions comprising resource persons from ITC, UNCTAD, and WTO were undertaken to all these countries (Kenya was alread y implemented in 2004), with the exception of 
Cote d'Ivoire, where the implementation has been deferred until circumstances permit.   
150. For all the NEPs and RCs in each country, co mputer equipment has been installed and the 
necessary Internet and email accounts have been cr eated.  In addition, the RCs and NEPs were 
provided with documentation and publicati ons from the WTO, ITC and UNCTAD.  WTO 
Computer-based training CD-ROMS, CD-ROMS containing a large number of WTO publications as well as relevant ITC and UNCTAD CD-ROMS, a nd all operational software necessary for the 
effective running of a NEP and a RC were pre-loaded on to each computer.   
151. Five persons from each NEP and RC have recei ved training in the use of the installed IT 
equipment, search and retrieval of official doc uments from the websites of the WTO, UNCTAD and 
ITC, on-line statistical databases as well as information management and dissemination. 
                                                     
 
6 Benin, Burkina, Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda.  WT/COMTD/W/146 
Page 32  
  152. Needs Assessment Missions:  The WTO has concluded Needs Assessment Missions for 
implementation of Module 2 in the remaining JITAP countries,
7 in readiness for implementation in 
the course of 2006.  The purpose of these Missions was to determine: 
• the extent to which the existing NEPs and RCs  are meeting the needs of the end users as 
defined in the JITAP project document;  
• whether the space allocated is adequate for providing services to the end users; and  
• the equipment and tools needed by each count ry for the implementation of Module 2.  
 
153. Participation in other JITAP activities:  In  collaboration with the other implementing 
agencies, the WTO has conducted/participated  in  a number of training missions.  The training 
schedule for 2005 was designed to complement JITAP countries' preparation for the WTO 6th 
Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong.  Consequen tly, training activities were organized in the key 
DDA negotiating subjects – Agriculture (including the cotton issue), NAMA, and Services.  In most of these training activities, WTO resource persons provided the main presentations, complemented by 
counterparts from ITC and UNCTAD.   
154. JITAP's contribution to it's beneficiary countri es' participation at the Hong Kong Ministerial 
Conference climaxed in a JITAP event which was organized on the margins of the Conference, and 
was intended to showcase JITAP's achievements, and prepare the way forward for JITAP in 2006 and 
beyond.  The event was considered very successf ul, and was attended by ministers and other 
high-level officials from JITAP countries, the Secr etary-General of UNCTAD, the Executive Director 
of ITC, and the Deputy Director-General res ponsible for Technical Assistance in the WTO. 
(b) The Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to LDCs 
155. The year 2005 was an important year for the Inte grated Framework (IF).  It firmly entered a 
crucial phase of implementation and expansion.  By the end of 2005, 20 LDCs had undertaken and 
validated their Diagnostic Trade Integration St udies (DTIS) signifying broad government-wide 
support for the DTIS and its Action Matrix and st rong government commitment to integrate trade 
policy into the overall national deve lopment strategy.  A further eight LDCs had started the DTIS 
process while nine are at the initial stages of the process.  In 2005, the Integrated Framework Steering 
Committee (IFSC) extended the IF Wo rk Programme until 31 December 2006
8.  The Hong Kong 
Ministerial Declaration shows the continued high pr iority which Ministers at tach to the effective 
implementation of the IF and their endorsement of the IF as a viable instrument for LDCs' trade 
development building on its principles of country ownership and partnership.  Endorsement in 
September by Ministers of Finance and of Development of the Development Committee of the IMF and the World Bank of proposals to enhance the IF , including its resources was a further illustration 
of the IF's increased  recognition.   
156. The Integrated Framework Working Group (IFWG) and the IFSC established a Task Force 
and agreed on the three elements which together  constitute an enhanced IF:  increased, additional 
predictable financial resources to implement Acti on Matrices;  strengthened in-country capacities to 
manage, implement and monitor the IF process;  and enhanced IF governance.  The Task Force, 
composed of donor and LDC Members, will provide recommendations to the IFSC by April 2006 on how the IF can be improved on that basis.  At Hong Kong, Ministers also agreed  that the enhanced IF 
will enter into force no later than December 2006.  In 2005, the IFWG approved the Terms of 
Reference for the establishment of a Programme Im plementation Unit to strengthen the current IF 
Secretariat which is housed in the WTO.  Detailed reports of developments in the IF in 2005 are 
contained in the Minutes of the IFSC contained in documents WT/IFSC/M/12 through 14.  General 
progress in the IF can be reviewed on its  website: www.integratedframework.org. 
                                                     
 
7 Botswana, Cameroon, Malawi, Mali, Maurita nia, Mozambique, Senegal, and Zambia. 
8 WT/IFSC/7/Rev.1  WT/COMTD/W/146 
 Page 33 
 
  VI. PARTNERSHIP AND OUTSOURCING 
157. Partnering has continued to be a key feature in  the implementation of the TRTA programmes, 
which is mainly geared towards building synergies in human and institutional capacity-building.  Two 
particular mechanisms/programmes designed to fo ster cooperation between particular institutions, 
donors and recipients are the IF and JITAP.  Moreover, a majority of WTO's TRTA activities are undertaken with regional and/or specialized partne r agencies, who provide their expertise in the 
seminars, courses and training events, as discussed th roughout this report.  In some cases, cooperation 
with partner institutions and bodies is governed by Memoranda of Understandings (MoUs), but 
partnering is equally undertaken in a pragmatic wa y, regardless of whether or not there is a MoU 
between the agencies.  The section below highlights the cooperation that has occurred in the regions 
and discusses some partnership arrangement in more detail.   
A. R
EGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS  
(i) Africa  158. In the implementation of regional TA activiti es, a number of WTO Divisions and African 
partner institutions were involved.  These were  the African Development Bank, United Nations 
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Commonwealth Secretariat, Trade Law Centre for Southern 
Africa (TRALAC), Department of Trade and Industr y of South Africa, South African Institute of 
International Affairs, Department of Agriculture of South Africa, University of Pretoria, University of 
the Western Cape (South Africa), University of Nairobi, University of Dar es Salaam and the University of Namibia.  Moreover, the Secretariat has been exploring ways of deepening institutional 
relations with the NEPAD Secretariat with the view of assisting NEPAD in achieving its goals in the field of trade.  Various contacts have been established to that effect. 
159. The WTO continued its collaboration with  the francophone institutions, namely the 
Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), the Agence Intergouvernementale de la 
Francophonie (AIF), and the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), engaging in various 
types of activities such as seminars, trade policy c ourses, assistance missions, and the distribution of 
documentation, including CD-ROMs. 
160. This collaboration, which underpins the traini ng and dissemination efforts that the WTO has 
been conducting with the Francophonie institutions fo r five years, has enabled a growing number of 
citizens of the francophone countries to receive e ducation and training on multilateralism and on the 
ongoing negotiations.  The members of the secretaria ts of the regional and subregional francophone 
institutions were able to increase their experti se on specific issues under discussion at the WTO by 
participating in the specialized activities undertaken by the WTO.  Finally, the WTO Secretariat was 
also able to receive trainees from la Francophonie an d to familiarize them with the work going on in 
the multilateral trading system. 
(ii) Asia-Pacific 
161. In Asia and Pacific, the WTO and the Economic  Commission for Asia Pacific (ESCAP) have 
continued their collaboration in the implem entation of joint technical cooperation and 
capacity-building activities for Asian and Pacific econom ies.  Distribution of tasks and cost-sharing 
between WTO and ESCAP expanded and strengthene d cooperation between the two Institutions.  
Joint activities include programmes such as the annual WTO/ESCAP Trade Policy Training Courses 
and the regular Regional Se minars on DDA Negotiations. 
162. Over the years, ESCAP has become a catalyst  and facilitator for much greater understanding 
of WTO negotiating issues, better implementation of WTO Agreements , and more active participation 
of Asian and Pacific economies in the DDA Negotia tions.  WTO and ESCAP joint TA/CB operations WT/COMTD/W/146 
Page 34  
  can be viewed as strategic partnership arrangeme nts since ESCAP, as part of the United Nations, 
contributes both a global and regional developm ent perspective and facilitates the constructive 
exchanges between Asian capital-based and Geneva-based trade officials. 
163. The WTO also collaborates with the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) 
and its Sydney based Asia-Pacific Training Center in  the delivery of the Asia-Pacific Regional Public 
International Trade Law Course, pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding between the two 
Institutions.  The fourth course was held in Nove mber 2005 with the participation of 32 mid-level 
government officials from 13 Asia and Pacific developing countries.  The objectives were: 
• to increase the knowledge of participants in  the selected areas – Accessions, LDCs MTS, 
Agriculture, SPS, Services, NAMA, Dispute Settlement, Anti-Dumping, Subsidies and 
Countervailing Measures, Safeguards and Disput e Settlement – and also to keep them 
abreast of developments in the DDA negotiations, in particular with respect to the main 
elements of the July package; 
• to enhance the ability of participants to more  effectively contribute to the formulation of 
trade policies and strategies for mainstream ing trade into national development and 
poverty reduction policies and to translate national and regional policy objectives into 
governments' negotiating positions in international trade negotiations; and 
• to contribute to building constituencies for multilateral trade liberalisation and economic 
reform amongst APEC economies. 
 
164. The collaboration between the WTO and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) was 
reinforced in 2005 with the joint organization of five Specialized Regional Workshops on Services, 
TRIPS, Customs Valuation, SPS and Trade Negotiations  Skills, for the 14 Pacific Islands countries.  
These technical assistance activities re sult in an in-depth, subject-speci fic assistance, and a deepened 
knowledge in the field of key WTO Agreements, th erefore enhancing the fuller integration of PIFS 
countries into the trading system. 
(iii) Arab Countries and the Middle East 
165. In 2005, the Secretariat continued to stre ngthen and develop its collaboration with WTO 
partners in the region, namely, the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF), the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the Is lamic Development Bank (IsDB).  The purpose of 
these partnerships is to increase the ability of the Secretariat to provide effective technical assistance 
to Arab Countries and to collaborate with a partner who is familiar with the concerns of the region. 
166. Several successful joint events were organized by the Secretariat and its partners in the region 
in 2005.  These activities mainly took the form of seminars and workshops designed to assist Arab 
officials to further increase their understanding of th e WTO Agreements and enhance their capacity to 
participate more actively in the ongoing DDA ne gotiations.  A number of additional activities 
involving the participation of the private sector a nd Arab academia were also organized.  Experience 
has shown that such partnership a rrangements have proven to be of gr eat value and benefit to the Arab 
countries.  They have also contributed to enrich ing the discussions in these activities by highlighting 
and addressing issues of concern to  the region.  Furthermore, the financial and administrative 
agreements that are incorporated in such a rrangements resulted in reducing the burden on the 
Secretariat, which in turn allowed it to focus on other equally important matters and increase the 
number of activities allocated to the region.  Finally,  WTO partners in the region have continued, in 
all joint activities, to provide and finance simultaneous  interpretation into Arabic.  This was extremely 
useful and contributed in improving the flow of in formation and in bridging the language barrier that 
exists in several Arab countries.    WT/COMTD/W/146 
 Page 35 
 
  (iv) Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia 
167. In Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, technical assistance was provided through a 
mixture of national and regional seminars.  It is re called that several countries are in the process of 
accession.  For the delivery of regional seminars, cl ose cooperation continued on a regular basis with 
the Joint Vienna Institute (JVI), which provides ex cellent training facilities for WTO training Courses.  
In several cases, close cooperation took place with  the World Bank Institute, as well as with other 
training centres, including the IDLO. 
(v) Latin America and the Caribbean Countries 
168. The WTO Secretariat continued its well establis hed, fruitful collaboration with the regional 
institutions involved in the TRTA.  The work programme has covered MERCOSUR, the Andean 
Countries, the Central American Common Market and other countries in Central America, the 
Spanish-speaking Caribbean, and CARICOM, where the collaboration with the CARICOM 
Secretariat has been fundamental.  
169. The TA activities conducted in Latin America a nd the Caribbean show an increasing interest 
on in-depth, subject-specific assistance, addressing problems relating to the implementation of commitments and the participation in negotia tions.  An advanced level of awareness and 
understanding on the part of the officials that ha ve benefited of the TA has been evident.  
170. The Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) thr ough its Institute for the Integration of 
Latin America and the Caribbean (INTAL) has been the principal partner of the WTO Secretariat both 
in terms of funding and taking care of the logisti cs related to the TA regional activities conducted in 
the region.  The knowledge and the experience accu mulated by the CARICOM Secretariat has been 
fundamental in the smooth implementation of the TA  activities in the Caribbean, and the collaboration 
of the ALADI Secretariat has been much appr eciated by both the WTO Secretariat and  the 
participants in the different events  organized in the ALADI Headquartes. 
B. O
THER PARTNERSHIPS  
171. There is quite a large variety of partnership arra ngements that are operated in the field.  A few 
examples are provided to illustrate various ways in which the Secretariat cooperates with other 
agencies and organizations.  This information supp lements the more detailed descriptions provided by 
Divisions, particularly in the context of the topic-specific regional seminars. 
(i) WTO-World Bank Institute Cooperation  
172. The WTO and the World Bank Institute (WBI) ar e pursuing cooperation on the basis of an 
Agreement between the two Organizations, signed on 28 April 1997.  Joint activities are undertaken 
through the Integrated Framework (IF), co-lecturi ng and the occasional participation in each other's 
TRTA activities, and the two Organizations are gradually expanding this cooperation in a more 
structured manner.  The basis for this is provide d in WTO's Technical Assistance and Training Plans 
and the WBI's Trade Program Brief.  The main objec tive of this cooperation, through the partnership 
arrangement, is to enhance synergies in the deli very of TRTA by the two Organizations, and in 
building human and institutional capacities, based on each Organizations' comparative advantage.  
Such mutually supportive assistance is geared towards advancing the goals of the Doha Development 
Agenda (DDA), as well as enhancing sustainable development in benefici aries.  This joint cooperation 
thus takes place both in Geneva (TPCs, research and academic cooperation) and in the field (RTPCs, 
national and regional seminars).  Some illustrations include: 
• The WTO and the WBI jointly design and de liver the trade segment of the Applied 
Economic Policy Course offered by the JVI.  In this course, the WTO takes the lead on WT/COMTD/W/146 
Page 36  
  teaching the rules of the Multilateral Tradi ng System and the Bank’s teaching focuses on 
the economics of trade policy reform.  Joint planning and coordination of lectures ensures that participants are offered an integrated  treatment of the law and economics of trade 
policy.  
• The two Organizations cooperate in the design and delivery of a joint regional training 
courses for WTO accession countries.  Demand for systemic skills-building is particularly 
strong for this group of countries, as no accu mulated experience of participation in the 
MTS exists and the accession process can result in far-reaching trade policy changes.  An 
integrated treatment of the legal and economic  reform aspects is especially desirable for 
this group of countries.   
• The WTO and WBI regularly hold specialized courses on selected trade topics.  On 
several topics, the delivery of joint courses usefully complement the content of each 
Organization’s training programs and thereby improve the quality of TRTA delivered.   
• The WTO and WBI provide inputs into each Organization’s regular training activities.  In 
particular, the WBI contributes to the WTO’ s three-month Geneva-based TPCs and to the 
(RTPCs.  These contributions have taken the form of lectures on selected trade policy issues and participation in the discussion of research papers prepared by course participants.  WTO staff participates in WB I learning events, contributing lectures on a 
wide range of trade policy topics.  
• The WTO and WBI have several programs designe d to strengthen the research capacity in 
developing and leastdevelope d countries.  These programs seek to strengthen the 
domestic analytical base for trade policymaki ng and to encourage the exchange of ideas 
and knowledge among economic researchers fro m different countries.  Many of the 
researchers supported through these programs, ove r time, have also acted as lecturers and 
resource persons for WTO or WBI training events.  
 
(ii) WTO-UNIDO Joint Cooperation  
173. During 2005, UNIDO and WTO devoted most of  their resources to putting together the 
project documents for each of the pilot countries,  which were subsequently presented to Members 
during two side events, organized in the margin s of the UNIDO General Conference (December 2005) 
and the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference.  Duri ng these side events, an overview was provided on 
the state of play in the joint cooperation between the two Organizations since the signing of the MOU 
in September 2003 (Cancun).  Moreover, these ev ents provided the basis for raising awareness 
amongst the donors who would be solicited to f und the implementation of the projects.   
174. Separately, cotton aspects were addressed a nd presentations were made on the two-track 
treatment of the Sectoral Initiative on Cotton in the WTO, elaborating on the development assistance 
aspects and underlining the importance of cotton;   the DG's Second Periodic Report to the WTO 
Membership;  the gains and achievements; the c ontributions of bilateral donors, multilateral and 
regional institutions;  and a mapping of future wo rk.  UNIDO provided information on its project on 
cotton development assistance, which focuses on:  i) cotton development assistance;  ii) value-added;  
iii) chain integration;  and iv) quality assurance and standards for African cotton production.   
175. On the occasion of the WTO 6th Ministerial Meeting in Hong Kong, WTO and UNIDO held 
a side-event on the implementation of the Join t Cooperation Agreement between WTO and UNIDO 
and on the UNIDO Cotton Initiative for Africa.  The side-event brought together representatives of 
WTO and UNIDO Members attending the Ministerial Meeting, as well as representatives of the two Secretariats.  Representatives of other internationa l organizations having an interest in these topics 
also participated.  The importance of coherence in  trade capacity-building in itiatives and partnerships 
was confirmed, and it was stressed that these join t cooperation activities fit well within the broader 
overall objectives of the Doha negotiations.  Members agreed that it had become increasingly apparent that it was not enough to look only at th e trade-related aspects in building the capacities of  WT/COMTD/W/146 
 Page 37 
 
  developing countries, but supply-side constraints ne eded to be addressed as well.  Members expressed 
their support for the efforts of the two Organizat ions in the implementation of the cooperation 
agreement and of the UNIDO Cotton Initiative,  both focused on the supply-side challenges 
confronting developing countries.   
(iii) Cooperation between the WTO and the IADB / INTAL   
176. The WTO Secretariat and its traditional principal partner in the region, the Inter-American 
Development Bank (IADB), through its Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the 
Caribbean (INTAL) jointly organized in 2005, 12  regional activities in the Latin America and the 
Caribbean countries.  The main aim of this coope ration is strengthen the negotiating and agreement 
implementation capability of Latin American and Cari bbean governments in line with the rules and 
disciplines issued by the WTO for practical app lication in national, b ilateral, sub regional, 
interregional and multilate ral environments.  
177. The agenda of activities in 2005 included workshop/courses on a variety of areas involving all 
countries in the region.  Priority areas include d: WTO ongoing Negotiations for Andean Countries, 
Agriculture Negotiations, Non-agriculture Market  Access Negotiations, Regional Trade Agreements, 
Anti-Dumping, Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measu res, Trade Facilitation, Academics, Dispute 
Settlement, Government Procuremen t, and Toolkit for Negotiators. 
178. It is important to note the collaboration of th e CARICOM Secretariat, -assisted by the OECS, 
CRNM and other Bodies, in the implementation of the activities addressed to the Caribbean countries, 
and the collaboration of ALADI, CAN, and SIEC A, in the implementation of the programme 
addressed to the Latin American countries. 
179. Moreover, the involvement of academics in the region, especially the University of West 
Indies, and the University of Chile, has been important in further disseminating the acquired 
knowledge within the region.  
(iv) Cooperation between the WTO and La Francophonie  
180. The training and information activities on behalf of la Francophonie in 2005 were essentially 
conducted in the framework of the REXPACO (R enforcement de l'Expertise Francophone en 
Négociation des Accords Commerciaux) Programme, an  AIF project that was launched in 2004 in 
Africa with a view to training citizens of the francophone African countries on the ongoing trade negotiations.  Thanks to the REXPACO project, wh ich relies on close coopera tion between the AIF, 
the WTO and WIPO, some 260 persons from differen t regions of francophone Africa have already 
been trained on the issues covered by the ongoing trade negotiations and on the negotiations initiated 
between the ACP countries and the European Uni on in the framework of the Cotonou Agreement 
negotiations. 
181. This advanced programme, which aims to trai n trainers and ministry officials in the 
Francophonie countries of the South that are invol ved in multilateral issues, was conducted by WTO 
and WIPO officials with the support of teachers fro m developed country univ ersities and consultants 
specialized in trade matters. 
182. In addition to the specific training sessions c onducted in Africa, the REXPACO programme 
was extended to the francophone countries of Cent ral and Eastern Europe and to the francophone 
countries of South East Asia and the Pacific.  In September 2005 an additional seminar, focussing 
mainly on Viet Nam accession issues, was organized by the AIF's Bureau Régional de la Francophonie, based in Hanoi, for the countries of South East Asia. WT/COMTD/W/146 
Page 38  
  183. Following an internal evaluation of la Fran cophonie, which took place in Madagascar in 
November 2005, it was decided that the REXPACO project would be continued on a four-yearly basis.  At the same time, a recommendation was ma de to seek, over the next few months, possible 
synergies with the cooperation activities being conducted by the JITAP Programme and the WTO Reference Centres.  It should be noted that dur ing the last quarter of 2005, in the framework of 
the REXPACO Programme, several CAEMC and WA EMU countries were provided with additional 
computer equipment. 
184. The WTO continued its technical cooperati on activities in connection with the francophone 
subregional institutions.  WTO experts conducte d sub-regional seminars on Anti-Dumping and 
market access rules in the framework of WAEMU. 
185. The WTO stepped up its collaboration with the Secretariats of these regional institutions, 
organizing training courses for officials on intell ectual property matters, the fight against illegal 
imports, and the facilitation of trade in goods.  A nu mber of training activities that had been requested 
by other sub-regional institutions we re planned, but owing to lack of time, they had to be postponed to 
2006 (in particular, with the Indian Ocean Comm ission (IOC), the Permanent Interstate Committee 
for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), and the Organization for the Harmonization of Business 
Law in Africa (OHADA). 
(v) Cooperation with the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) 
186. IDLO seeks to strengthen the rule of la w and good governance in developing countries and 
countries in transition in order to provide security for the individual and to reduce poverty by protecting individual rights and econom ic activity and by strengthening judicial and local institutions 
to promote a viable legal framework for Commerc e Ttrade and Investment.  The WTO and IDLO 
have a MoU since 2003, with the specific purpose of strengthening formal cooperation arrangements 
between the two Institutions.  This cooperation la rgely focuses on trade capacity-building and training 
with regard to the mandates contained in the DDA, as well as to the implementation of existing 
Agreements and WTO Commitments. 
187. To achieve this goal, the WTO and IDLO have  jointly organized several training courses in 
various regions, including in Pacific Asia, Eastern and Central Europe and bo th Organizations have 
contributed to each other's activities by providing l ecturers and trainers.  Representatives of the two 
Organizations have met at various occasions to discuss ways of broadening and deepening this 
cooperation in the most efficient manner.  
188. This joint cooperation has generally been pr oductive and cost-effective, both in terms of 
human and financial resources; costs for organizing joint activities are shared and duplication of 
similar activities can be avoided.  Moreover, thr ough such cooperation  the technical assistance and 
training programmes can be better targeted to the speci fic needs of the beneficiaries.  Finally, IDLO 
benefits from having excellent infrastructures, not onl y in headquarters, but equally in some locations 
in the field, where training centres have been established or are being created.  
(vi) Cooperation with the Joint Vienna Institute 
189. The JVI is a training centre, fully equipped with excellent facilities to provide training to 
participants from countries in Eastern and Central Eu rope, the former Soviet Union, and Asia that 
have made or are making the transition from centrally planned to full market-based economies.  The JVI offers courses in economics, financial anal ysis and management, trade policy, corporate 
governance, and related topics for public officials,  training officers, and selected private sector 
executives.  The JVI is sponsored by two Primary Members, the IMF and the Austrian Authorities, 
and by four contributing members, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development  WT/COMTD/W/146 
 Page 39 
 
  (EBRD), the International Bank for Reconstructi on and Development (IBRD), the OECD and the 
WTO. 
190. On a yearly basis, the WTO has on average some  ten time slots (one week or more) which are 
used for regional seminars on WTO agreements, as well as for activities with regional academic partners.  Its flagship is the 10-week Applie d Economic Policy (AEP) Course, to which the WTO 
contributes over a two-week period.  As a cont ributing member, the WTO pays a flat fee of 
Euro 10,000 per seminar-week, which covers th e costs of the conference facilities, as well as the 
administrative support, housing arrangement for the se minar participants, etc. Normally, the training 
rooms can accommodate up to 30 participants.  Th e JVI has created the so called 'e-campus' which 
allows lecturers to post training material on a dedi cated website in advance of the seminars, with 
access for course participants.   
191. The JVI has proven to be an excellent partner for providing training in the region and the 
WTO is currently exploring ways to enhance the effective use of the JVI as a training centre. 
(vii) Standards and Trade Development Facility 
192. The Standards and Trade Development Facility  (STDF) was established in 2002 to assist 
developing countries enhance their capacity to meet  international Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) 
standards, improve their human health, animal health  and phytosanitary situation, and thus gain and 
maintain Market Access.  Partner agencies in th e STDF are the Food and Agriculture Organization 
(FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health  (OIE), the World Bank, the World Health 
Organization (WHO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). 
193. The STDF is both a financing and a coordination me chanism.  Grant financing is available for 
private and public organizations in developing coun tries seeking to comply with international SPS 
standards and hence gain or maintain market acc ess.  The STDF provides funds for two types of 
grants:  project preparation grants and project gr ants.  Project preparation grants up to US$20,000 aim 
to act as a bridge between the identification of  technical assistance needs and the development of 
coherent project proposals.  The STDF also funds project grants.  The size of grants typically ranges between US$300,000 and US$600,000.   Applicants must assume some of the financial cost of the 
projects.
9 
194. The first project implementation began in 2004 – less than two years after the Facility's 
inception.  The STDF has thus moved quickly from a "concept" to actual project implementation.  
This is a creditable achievement in comparison wi th other similar multi-donor trust funds.  By year 
end 2005, a total of 19 project preparation gran ts and 15 projects had been approved by the STDF 
Working Group and were in various  stages of implementation.   
195. One particular benefit accruing from th e STDF is greater communication among STDF 
partner agencies and donors on SPS related technical assist ance.  In addition, synergies with the IF are 
being successfully pursued.  Of 19 project preparation grants approved, 11 have been linked to the IF 
process and two-thirds of the projects approved have  involved LDCs or Other Low Income Countries.  
The STDF also provides an avenue for Members to move beyond the WTO's more standards training 
activities which focus on improving understanding of the Agreements and their implementation to 
mores specialized and targeted assistance.  
                                                      
9 Applicants from least-developed countries must meet at least 10 per cent of the cost of the project 
from their own resources, while other developing countries are required to fund at least 25 per cent of the 
project cost.  Further information on eligibility criteria, the application process and governance arrangements for 
the STDF can be found in document G/SPS/GEN/523. WT/COMTD/W/146 
Page 40  
  VII. FUNDING 
196. Following the finalization of the 2005 TA Plan, the General Council adopted the 
recommended target amount of CHF24 million for th e DDAGTF in 2005 and the share of the regular 
budget to be dedicated to Technical Assistance and Training.  Thus the extra-budgetary funding 
requirements remained at the same level as for the last two years. 
197. In 2005, expenditure in the DDAGTF and five ot her separately established funds, all of which 
were earmarked for activities contained in the TA  Plan, totalled CHF17.7 million.  A total of 
CHF3.8 million was accounted for in 2004 under the GTF,  for activities to be carried out in 2005.  
This brings the total actual expenditure close to CHF 21.5 million.  
198. At the end of 2005, remaining funds stood at CHF7 .4 million, which is more than 25 per cent 
of the target amount, i.e., CHF6 million, required by  the terms of reference to be available at the 
beginning of the year.  Funds rolled over from 2005 to  2006 were sufficient for the Secretariat to start 
implementing the 2006 TA Plan immediately.  WT/COMTD/W/146 
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  TABLE 1  
TRTA by Region  
 
 National TA Regional TA Other 
(Conferences, 
etc.) Total 
Africa 98 45% 57 34% 21 28% 176 38% 
Arab and Middle East countries 10 5% 8 5%   18 4% 
Asia and Pacific 58 27% 33 20% 15 20% 106 23% 
Caribbean 8 4% 11 7% 3 4% 22 5% 
CEECACs 17 8% 15 9% 5 7% 37 8% 
Latin America 27 12% 17 10% 7 9% 51 11% 
Other (global) coverage (incl. WTO-based 
projects)   28 17% 24 32% 52 11% 
Total 218 100% 169 100% 75 100% 462 100% 
 WT/COMTD/W/146 
Page 42  
  TABLE 2
 
TRTA by Subject Matter  
 
 National TA Regional/ 
Global 
TA Other 
(Conferences, 
etc.) Total 
1. WTO Agreements and related issues 165 60% 108 40%   273 
Accession 12 100%     12 
Agriculture 8 62% 5 38%   13 
Competition Policy 2 100%     2 
Development Issues 5 45% 6 55%   11 
Dispute Settlement 9 69% 4 31%   13 
Environment   4 100%   4 
Government Procurement 2 29% 5 71%   7 
Investment       0 
Market Access (CV, NAMA, Rules of Origin) 19 68% 9 32%   28 
Multi-topic general TA 16 67% 8 33%   24 
Notifications 7 100%     7 
Outreach 5 63% 3 38%   8 
Regional Trade Agreements   5 100%   5 
Rules 15 68% 7 32%   22 
SPS and TBT 6 30% 14 70%   20 
Services 20 74% 7 26%   27 
Trade Facilitation 6 32% 13 68%   19 
Trade Negotiation Techniques 5 38% 8 62%   13 
Trade Policies Review Mechanism 23 92% 2 8%   25 
TRIPS 5 38% 8 62%   13 
2.  Trade Policy Courses   38 100%   38 
e-Training / Distance learning   5 100%   5 
Regular Trade policy Courses   4 100%   4 
Regional Trade policy Courses (incl. preparation)   10 100%   10 
Short Trade Policy Courses   10 100%   10 
Specialized Courses   5 100%   5 
Introductory Courses   2 100%   2 
Introduction Days   2 100%   2 
3. General Capacity-building activities 47 34% 15 11% 75 55% 137 
Geneva Week   2 100%   2 
Integrated Framework / LDCs 9 100%      9 
JITAP 14 54% 12 46%   26 
IT / WTO Reference Centre 24 96% 1 4%   25 
Participation in activities organi zed by other bodies     75 100% 75 
4. Academic Partnership Programmes 6 43% 8 57%   14 
University programme 6 43% 8 57%   14 
Total 218 47% 169 37% 75  16% 462 
 
Pro memoria        
Internships (NTP and Missions)   23     
Research project   11     
Doctoral support (PhD programme   10     
IT-related projects – TA tools development   11     
Other TRTA-related projects   4     
__________