WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/COMTD/W/102
16 July 2002
(02-3941)
Committee on Trade and Development
INTER-AGENCY COOPERATION:  STATE-OF-PLAY
Note by the Secretariat∗
1. This note summarizes the state-of-play in the area of inter-agency cooperation in the delivery
of TA activities. It addresses specific points on inter-agency cooperation raised by Delegations during
the last meeting of the Committee on Trade and Development.  It does not, however, review the
activities organized by the WTO Secretariat in cooperation with regional and sub-regional
organizations, including Regional Developmen t Banks and UN Regional Commissions. These
activities are covered in a separate note. Annex 1 summarizes in a tabular form the status of allAgreements/MOUs signed by the WTO so far.
2. This note is structured as follows:
• Part I : existing agreements/MOUs;
• Part II:  outstanding arrangements;
• Part III: horizontal issues yet to be resolved.
I. EXISTING AGREEMENTS/MOUs
3. The WTO has signed formal agreements with the following intergovernmental organizations:
the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the
World Bank, and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). In addition, three cooperation
agreements/arrangements have been concluded through an exchange of letters between the Director-
General of the WTO and the Agency Head, namely the Office International des Epizooties (OIE), the
United Nations (UN), and the United Nati ons Environment Programme (UNEP). These
agreements/arrangements establish, inter alia, the conditions for the exchange of information - in same
cases, including access to databases - and if applicable, collaboration in the planning and delivery of
TA activities.
4. In addition to bilateral inter-agency agreem ents, two mechanisms exist for inter-agency
coordination in trade-related technical assistance and capacity building, namely the IntegratedFramework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to  Least Developed Countries (IF) and the Joint
Integrated Technical Assistance Programme (JITAP).
5. International Monetary Fund (IMF) .  This agreement was signed on 9 September 1996 and
recognizes the close collaborative relationship existing over the past several decades between the
GATT/WTO and the Fund. The agreements substantially strengthen and give formality to the WTO's
                                                     
∗ This document has been prepared under the Secr etariat's own responsibility  and without prejudice to
the positions of Members and to their rights and obligations under the WTOWT/COMTD/W/102
Page 2
cooperative relationships with the Fund while fully maintaining each Agency's respective
independence and different roles. The Agreement provides concrete results on observer status and
procedures for consultations to ensure the adoption of consistent and mutually supportive policies,
exchange of documents and access to data bases, and overall, provides for heightened cooperation in
all areas of mutual concern.
6. World Bank.   An Agreement with the World Bank was signed on 28 April 1997. The
Agreement recognizes the increasing interlinkages between various aspects of economic
policymaking that fall within the respective mandates of both organizations, the close collaborative
relationship existing over the past several decades between the World Bank and the GATT/WTO, and
the importance of continuing and strengthening such a relationship between the World Bank and the
WTO. Its goal is to ensure cooperation between the staffs of the two institutions, including as
appropriate, shared access to databases, joint research and technical cooperation activities andexchange views on policy issues. This collaboration is work in progress in several areas, including
trade in services, SPS, research and training.
7. Involvement by the World Bank in organizing and participating in regional SPS capacity-
building activities is recent, but growing.  On 27 June 2002, the World Bank established a 3-year
Standards and Trade Development Facility to expa nd capacity-building related to implementation of
the SPS Agreement.
8. The WTO participates with resource persons in training courses organized by the World Bank
on specific WTO issues, mostly through video-conferencing. In addition, for the delivery of some of
its TA activities, the WTO Secretariat takes advantage of the video-conferencing facilities available
through the Global Distance Learning Network (GDLN).
9. Other possibilities for cooperation with the World Bank are also being explored.  In
particular, the Secretariat hopes to organize, jointly with the Bank, two intensive training courses on
competition policy, development and the multilateral trading system for African and Asian countries,
respectively.  The courses will likely be presented in the first half of 2003.
10. Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to Least Developed
Countries (IF) .  The Integrated Framework is an inter-agency coordination mechanism for trade
mainstreaming and for the delivery of technical assistance, among six multilateral agencies – ITC,
IMF, UNCTAD, UNDP, World Bank, in partnership with bilateral donors and LDC beneficiaries.
The WTO serves as Coordinator of the IF and accommodates a Secretariat to ensure different levels
of coordination, with a view to taking maximum advantage of each agency's expertise.  Coordination
is ensured at least at three different levels, and the inter-agency aspect of the coordination is primarily
dealt with by the Inter-Agency Working Group (IAWG).
1  The revamped IF is currently under
extension to the following countries: Cambodia, Madagascar, Mauritania, Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea,
Ethiopia, Guinea, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Nepal, Senegal and Yemen.
11. The IAWG is responsible for the day-to-day operation and management of the IF, comprising
headquarters-based agency officials, two special representatives each from the donor and LDC
communities, and the DAC/OECD Secretariat.  The IAWG, chaired by the WTO, meets
                                                     
1 The other levels of the IF coordination rest with the Integrated Framework Steering
Committee (IFSC) and National IF Steering Committees.  The IFSC, consisting of representatives of the six
agencies, all donors and LDC beneficiaries, provides overall policy guidance on the functioning of the IF, andmeets approximately three times a year.  The task of coordination at the country level rests with the beneficiarycountry itself, through the establishment of a national IF Steering Committee, and with the support of a leaddonor.  The IF focal point (usually, the Ministry of Trade) chairs inter-ministerial meetings, with the
participation of IF agencies, other multilateral and bilateral donors and the private sector, to coordinate trade-
related policies and trade-related technical assistance.WT/COMTD/W/102
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approximately 5 times a year.  The main coordination task is to implement different steps involved in
the IF process, namely: (i) preparation of the diagnostic trade integration studies (DTIS), including
inter-agency missions; (ii) organisation of national Trade Integration Workshops and CG meetings;
and (iii) follow-up activities to the policy and technical assistance matrices contained in the DTISs.
Coordination with LDC beneficiaries and bilateral donors is also ensured throughout the IF process.
12. Since the Doha Ministerial Conference, the IF agencies have committed themselves to
enhancing coordination for the implementation of the Doha Development Agenda.  At the meeting of
the Heads of Agency held in February 2002, the six agencies agreed to focus their TA cooperation to
address the immediate needs of developing countries to participate in the current trade negotiations.
Beyond the provision of TRTA, agencies are further committed to working together to support trade
reform and other measures that are important for the orderly development of trade.
13. Joint Integrated Technical Assistance Programme (JITAP) .  The Joint Integrated
ITC/UNCTAD/WTO Technical Assistance Programme for selected Least Developed and other
African countries (JITAP) aims at helping benefi ciary countries to integrate/participate in the
Multilateral Trading System. This programme has so far benefitted eight African countries namely
Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda. The JITAP
Common Trust Fund Steering Group composed of representatives of the three agencies, beneficiaryand donor countries, recently reviewed the evaluation report prepared by two international consultants
relating to the effectiveness of JITAP in building the human and institutional capacities of beneficiary
countries and its future direction. The review process is yet to be concluded.
14. International Telecommunication Union (ITU) .  The Council for Trade in Services adopted
on 26 May 2000, the cooperation agreement between the International Telecommunication Union andthe World Trade Organization. Subsequently, the ITU Council also adopted the text at its annual
session held on 19-28 July.  The Agreement was then approved by the General Council (document
S/C/11).
15. The ITU Secretariat and the WTO Secretariat cooperate in technical assistance and technical
cooperation activities, within their respective mandates, for the benefit of developing countries and byproviding information on regulatory matters releva nt to trade in telecommunications.  Subject to
confidentiality requirements, the two organizations arrange for the timely exchange of information,
reports and other documents of mutual interest, including access to databases.
16. Office International des Epizooties (OIE) .  The SPS Agreement explicitly refers to three
international intergovernmental standard-setting organizations. The WTO Secretariat delivers SPS-
related capacity-building in cooperation with these organizations.  A formal agreement, however,
exists only between the WTO and the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) which provides forpossible joint actions, inter alia, in granting technical assistance, but makes no reference to financial
arrangements (WT/L/272). Financial arrangements need to be worked out.
17. In October 2001, in light of a request from the General Council, the Director-General initiated
more formal efforts to coordinate actions with other relevant organizations in order to increase the
participation of developing country Members in the work of relevant standard-setting bodies and toenhance technical assistance (see WT/GC/42, WT /GC/45, WT/GC/46/Rev.1 and WT/GC/51).  At the
4th Ministerial Conference in Doha, the Directors-General of the FAO, OIE, WHO, WTO and the
President of the World Bank issued a joint statem ent reaffirming their comm itment to work together
to enhance developing countries' capacity to participate effectively in the development and application
of SPS standards (WT/MIN(01)/ST/97).
18. Since November 1994, the WTO has regularly invited the secretariats of the FAO/WHO
Codex Alimentarius Commission, the FAO Internati onal Plant Protection Convention and the OIE toWT/COMTD/W/102
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present major portions of regional workshops regarding the implementation of the SPS Agreement.
The number of such SPS-related activities has increased from 2-3 per year in 1995, to 11 in 2002, and
more are expected in 2003.
19. United Nations (UN) .  At its meeting on 15 November 1995, the General Council considered
a communication from the Director-General (WT/GC/W/10) informing Members of a globalarrangement that had been agreed between the two Secretariats through an exchange of letters signed
by the Secretary-General of the United Nations and by the WTO Director-General. The global
arrangement is based upon the same relationship that had existed in the past between the GATT and
the United Nations and provides a flexible framework for cooperation.
20. Relations between the United Nations and the World Trade Organization include the
provision and exchange of relevant information, reciprocal representation in accordance with the
decisions of the competent bodies of the respective organizations, participation of the World TradeOrganization in the Administrative Committee on Coordination and its subsidiary bodies, cooperation
between secretariats, including in the statistical area, and administrative matters.
21. It was decided that specific arrangements for cooperation between the World Trade
Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, will be pursued by the
two secretariats within the overall framework.  It was also decided to recommend to the responsibleintergovernmental organs that present arrangements  governing the status of the International Trade
Centre as a joint body be confirmed and renewed with the World Trade Organization, subject to
revised budgetary arrangements.
22. United Nations Environment Program me (UNEP) and MEA Secretariats .  On
29 November 1999, a cooperation arrangement between the WTO and UNEP was concluded. TheSecretariat has prepared a note on existing fo rms of cooperation and information exchange between
UNEP/MEAs and the WTO (document TN/TE/S/2). In addition, the Secretariats of UNEP, selected
intergovernmental organizations and the WTO have prepared a note, under their own responsibility,
on trade-related technical assistance and capacity building activities, as well as enhancing cooperation
and information exchange between UNEP, MEAs and the WTO. The note (WT/CTE/W/209) wascirculated during the CTE Information Session with multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs)
held on 13 June 2002.
23. In summary, the WTO Secretariat continues to collaborate closely with the UNEP and MEA
Secretariats, as well as other international organizations dealing with trade and environment and trade
and development issues, such as UNCTAD. Regional seminars on trade and environment with
Government representatives from trade and environment Ministries have been organized by the WTO,
with the cooperation, as well as participation, of the Secretariats of UNEP, UNCTAD and MEAs.The presence of these organisations in WTO regional activities serves to highlight the links between
trade, environment and sustainable development, and contributes to enhancing national coordination
between trade and environment policymakers.
24. In keeping with the aim of fostering greater cooperation, the WTO Secretariat has already
held four regional seminars in 2002, to be followed by an additional three later in the year.  In thiscontext, cooperation with UNEP, UNCTAD and MEAs is being strengthened.  The WTO Secretariat
has also begun to organize side events at certain MEA meetings, such as the meetings of the
Conference of the Parties.  These events target developing country participants with the objective of
increasing their level of understanding of the links between WTO rules and work vis-à-vis specific
trade-related environmental issues.  The first such side event was held at the Second Session of theUnited Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF2) in New York on 8 March 2002.  A side event was also
organized at the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP6) to the Convention on
Biological Diversity in the Hague on 9 April 2002.  Preparations are being finalized to hold sideWT/COMTD/W/102
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events at the meeting of the COP of the Montreal Protocol in October;  the ICCAT Commission
meeting in October-November;  and COP12 of CITES in November.
25. World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) .  The Agreement Between the World
Intellectual Property Organization and the World Tr ade Organization ("the Agreement"),  concluded
in accordance with Article 68 of the TRIPS Agreement and entered into force on 1 January 1996,provides for legal-technical assistance and technical cooperation.  It provides for the International
Bureau of WIPO to make available to developi ng country WTO Members which are not Members of
WIPO the same legal-technical assistance relating  to the TRIPS Agreement as it makes available to
Member States of WIPO which are developing countries.  The WTO Secretariat is required to
reciprocate.  The Agreement also provides for th e International Bureau and the WTO Secretariat to
enhance cooperation in their legal-technical assistance and technical cooperation activities relating to
the TRIPS Agreement for developing countries, so as to maximize the usefulness of those activities
and ensure their mutually supportive nature.  Since the Agreement was concluded, there has been
intensive cooperation between the two Organizations on technical cooperation matters, which has
been regularly reported to the TRIPS Council.
26. Within the framework of the Cooperation Agreement, WIPO and the WTO have launched
two joint initiatives:  in 1998, the Joint Initiativ e on Technical Cooperation for Developing Countries
and, in 2001, the Joint Initiative on Technical Cooperation for Least-developed Countries (LDCs).
Both initiatives build on the existing cooperation between the two Organizations and their existing
programs in this connection.  They aim to assist WTO Members comply with their obligations under
the TRIPS Agreement and make best use of the intellectual property system for their economic, social
and cultural development.  The two Organizations provide, on request, technical cooperation, bothindividually and jointly, using both in-house resources and outside experts, and, wherever appropriate,
in conjunction with donor countries.  The Joint Initiatives aim to facilitate enhanced utilization of
programmes both in respect of matters of substantive intellectual property rights and in respect of
procedures and remedies for their enforcement. The 2001 Joint Initiative for LDCs is in its
implementation phase:  it foresees two regional wo rkshops (one already held in April 2002 for Sub-
Saharan African LDCs plus Haiti and another in December 2002 for LDCs from Asia and the Pacific)
and technical assistance programmes to be designed on the basis of requests made by LDCs
individually, and, wherever possible, to be carried out jointly by the two Secretariats.
27. In addition, the two Secretariats contributed to each other's training activities, seminars,
symposia and workshops organized in Geneva or out side Geneva for developing countries and LDCs,
in particular through participation by their staff members as resource persons or through the
organizing of events focused on issues of particular relevance to developing countries and LDCs.
28. Technical programmes designed by both Organizations cover not only activities such as
modernization of the national legal framework but also their ongoing work on topical issues raised, in
particular those covered by the Doha Ministerial Conference.
II. OUTSTANDING ARRANGEMENTS
29. In the delivery of TA, the WTO Secretariat is also working in cooperation with other agencies
including the International Development Law Institute (IDLI), the Organization of Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD), the United Nations Industrial Deve lopment Organization (UNIDO), and the World
Customs Organization (WCO).
30. International Development Law Institute (IDLI) .  IDLI was established by an
intergovernmental agreement which has now been adhered to by 16 Member States (Australia,WT/COMTD/W/102
Page 6
Austria, Bulgaria, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Egyp t, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the
Philippines, Senegal, Sudan, Tunisia and the United States) and has its headquarters in Rome, Italy.
IDLI's mandate is to promote the use of legal resources in the development process in developing and
transition economy countries.  The WTO collaborates in an ad hoc manner with IDLI in the delivery
of the Public International Trade Law Course (PITLC).  This Course aims to assist efforts toimplement the WTO Agreements and applicable regional trading arrangements domestically and
create awareness of the WTO Agreements and regional integration.  The Doha Development Agenda
work programme is also covered in the programme. It was agreed that WTO will provide three to four
resource persons for each of three courses listed in 2002 TA Plan.
31. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) .  The WTO is
working together with the OECD on three specific issues: the coordination with bilateral donors in the
Development Assistance Committee (DAC), the establishment of the Doha Development AgendaTrade-Related Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Database (DDADB),  and a programme
on competition policy.
32. The importance of the involvement of bilateral donors in the implementation of the IF and the
Doha Development Agenda led to the convening of the first joint meeting of the IAWG and the DAC,
17-18 January 2002.  Better understanding and coordination between the trade and developmentcommunities, from both multilateral and bilateral donors, are critical for the realisation of the
opportunities created by the Doha Development Agenda.  The meeting delivered a clear message on
the strategic and urgent importance of meeting the short-term trade capacity building needs of
developing countries, while developing a long-term, system-wide strategy for effective integration of
the trade and development agenda.  The joint development of the Doha Development Agenda Trade-Related Technical Assistance and Capacity Build ing Database, with the inputs from other TA
providers, is a practical aspect of this collaborative enterprise.
33. In the area of competition policy, the Secretariat was represented in a Global Trade Forum
organized by the OECD in Hong Kong, China.  More generally, other possibilities for cooperation
with the OECD are being explored, and it is expected that the OECD will contribute expert speakersto regional and other workshops that the Secretariat will organize in the second half of the year.
34. Standard-setting organizations .  The WTO regularly invites the secretariats of the IEC, ISO
and OIML to coordinate efforts in regional seminars regarding the TBT Agreement.  Subsequent to
the request from the General Council in October 2001, the Secretariat has initiated coordination
activities with other relevant organizations with a view to facilitate the effective participation of
developing country Members in the development of international standards and to enhance technical
assistance (WT/GC/42, WT/GC/46/R ev.1 and WT/GC/48).  As part of the WTO response to the
mandate given to the Director-General in the Doha Decision on Implementation to further explore and
co-ordinate with relevant standard-setting bodies ways to assist developing country Members, the
WTO has been organizing regional workshops in  cooperation with the ISO and FAO/WHO Codex
Alimentarius Commission to assist developing countries to identify their specific difficulties and
possible solutions aiming at their effective participation in international standardization activities.
35. United Nations Conference on Trade And Development (UNCTAD) .  UNCTAD and
WTO share a long history of cooperation in providing trade-related technical assistance and capacity
building to developing countries.  In addition to the Integrated Framework and JITAP (see Part I), the
two Secretariats continue to collaborate in several other areas, in particular investment, competition
policy, and trade and environment. This collaboration, however, has to date been carried out in an ad-hoc manner without a proper framework since some  outstanding points (e.g. overheads, advance
payments and accounts) have yet to be completely resolved.  Recent contacts at the administrative
level of the two Organizations have been very useful in discussing the outstanding points and in
identifying possible solutions. It is hoped that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between theWT/COMTD/W/102
Page 7
two Organizations would be signed in the near future.  In the meantime collaboration is continuing in
an ad hoc manner with each Organization taking responsibility for some activities of the joint TA
programmes, while inviting the other to participate and contribute with resource persons.
36. For instance, UNCTAD will organize and fund four Intensive Training Courses that are
included in the joint TA programme on investment while the WTO will organize and fund fiveregional seminars. In these activities, the other Organization is invited to participate with its own staff
or consultants. In the case of national activities, most of them are organized jointly and each
Organization pays the cost of its staff.
37. In the area of competition policy, the WTO Secretariat has already cooperated extensively
with UNCTAD.  During the first part of the year, the Secretariat participated in each of a series of
regional workshops that was organized by UNCTAD in  Panama City (for Latin American countries);
in Tunis (for African countries); in Hong Kong, China (for Asian countries) and in Odessa (for CISand East European countries).  In reciprocal fa shion, beginning in the second part of 2002, UNCTAD
will participate in a series of regional workshops that will be organized by the WTO Secretariat,
beginning with two workshops for English-sp eaking and French-speaking African countries,
respectively.  Cooperation in this area was facilitated by an inter-agency meeting which was convened
by the WTO Secretariat in January 2002 for the purpose of encouraging cooperative approaches tocapacity building in response to the Doha mandate in this area, and which included representatives of
the World Bank and the OECD in addition to UNCTAD and the WTO.
38. United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) .  In its technical
cooperation activities, UNIDO designs and implements programmes to support the industrial
development efforts of LDCs, other developing countries and countries in transition. In particular,UNIDO provides technical assistance in the area of quality, standardization and metrology, which are
related to the implementation of the TBT and SPS Agreements, as well as on trade facilitation. The
WTO Secretariat has been approached by UNIDO to identify possible areas of cooperation, but no
joint activities have been executed so far. Discussions are underway.
39. World Customs Organization (WCO) .  Cooperation with the World Customs Organization
covers several areas in customs administration, including customs valuation, HS transposition and
trade facilitation. The WTO Technical Assistance Plan for 2002 includes national technical missions
on customs valuation in the Bahamas, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Lithuania, Mauritania, Panama,
and Tunisia.  A joint activity with the WCO is planned for the mission in Bahamas. The WCO will
also provide an expert on post entry control and au dit for the mission to Tunisia. Additional technical
missions on customs valuation and trade facilitation are being conducted this year for Albania,
Bahrain, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Gabon, Georgia, Ghan a, Kenya, and the Kyrgyz Republic.  A Regional
seminar on customs valuation and trade facilitation has been completed in the Middle East.  The
WCO provided a speaker to participate in this seminar.  Other regional seminars are foreseen for
French-speaking and English-speaking Africa, and for the Latin American and Caribbean region.  An
expert from the WCO will participate in the programme for the African seminars.  In the area of HS,
the WCO has provided an expert to assist Tunisia in the HS2002 transposition exercise.
III. HORIZONTAL ISSUES YET TO BE RESOLVED
40. Financing arrangements/cost-sharing ratios .  Cost sharing arrangements with collaborating
institutions and agencies remain an unresolved issue.  The successful Pledging Conference
strengthened the position of some agencies that the WTO has surplus resources to finance WTOactivities jointly organized with other partner agencies.  Thus far, the position of the Secretariat is to
negotiate appropriate cost sharing arrangements with partner institutions.  So far, this has worked
well, although sometimes, in the short-term and exceptionally, the WTO pays for representatives toWT/COMTD/W/102
Page 8
participate in its activities, pending the negotiati on of appropriate cost sharing arrangements or the
financial buoyancy of the organizations in questions.
41. Policy differences.  In negotiating either MOUs or inter-agency arrangements, the WTO is
strictly attentive to the maintenance of integrity of WTO Members negotiating positions.  In those
instances, where policy differences arise, discussions continue, but partnerships are limited to areas ofagreements.WT/COMTD/W/102
Page 9ANNEX 1:  LIST OF EXISTING AGREEMENTS/MOUS
Contracting Party
Date of Signature Date of expiration Final date of expiration Objectives/Comments WTO Obligations Subjects covered
AMF Arab Monetary Fund
03 May 2002 31 Dec. 2004
CARICOM Caribbean Community Secretariat
19 Sept. 2000 19 Sept. 2002 Executive of a technical assistance
programme for selected participants fromcountries in the Caribbean region.
Collaboration with the Institute for the
Integration of Latin America and theCaribbean (INTAL)Seminars and workshops at the
regional level (implementation andnew negotiations).
National technical mission, incl.
institutional strengthening.Short Term Regional Trade PolicyCourses (2 weeks)
CEMAC Communauté économique et monétaire de l'Afrique centrale
06 October 2000 06 October 2003 Renforcement des capacités humaines ettechniques des Etats Membres et duSecrétariat Exécutif de la CEMAC
Assistance technique à la CEMAC dans
les domaines de compétence de l'OMC.Stages, séminaires et ateliers.  Mise à
disposition d'experts, de missiond'études conjointes.
ESCAP United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
04 August 1999 04 August 2002 Jointly set up and manage a technicalassistance programme for selected
participants from developing countries.
The venue for the training courses shallusually be Bangkok.The maximum agency charge, due to
ESCAP, will be a maximum of 50%
of support costs (applicable to al TA
activities jointly undertaken andfinanced through extra-budgetarycontributions).
The WTO Secretariat will also assist
ESCAP in undertaking ESCAP-mandated activities under itsregional economic cooperation work
programme, subject to WTO funds
and staff availability for thispurpose.The areas of technical
assistance shall be jointly
decided by the Parties.
ESCWA United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
23 March 2001 23 March 2001 Jointly set up and manage a technical
assistance programme for selectedparticipants from member countries ofESCWA.
The venue for the training courses shall be
determined by the PartiesThe WTO Secretariat will also assist
ESCWA in undertaking jointtechnical cooperation activities to theextent feasible, and subject to the
availability of staff and funds for this
purpose.The areas of technical
assistance shall be jointlydecided by the Parties.WT/COMTD/W/102
Page 10Date of Signature Date of expiration Final date of expiration Objectives/Comments WTO Obligations Subjects covered
FORUM Secretariat South Pacific Forum Secretariat
29 Feb. 2000 28 Feb. 2004 Cooperate in extending trade-related
technical assistance to Forum Island
Countries for their economic and socialdevelopment.  Jointly to set up andmanage a training programme for selected
participants from Forum Island Countries.
Extension is being negotiated.The WTO Secretariat shall assist the
Forum Secretariat in securing
funding from multilateral andbilateral agencies for implementingthe training programme.  The
respective agency charges, if any,
will be subject to a mutually agreedinter-agency arrangement to beincorporated under the
supplementary agreements
IADB Inter-American Development Bank
27 Feb. 2002 31 Dec. 2004 Joint technical assistance programme for
participants from the IADB's Latin
American and Caribbean membercountries in support of the DohaDevelopment Agenda.This WTO generally shall make
available the services of WTO
officials for conducting theprogramme to the extent feasible.This Memorandum of Understanding
does not represent a commitment of
funds on the part of either the WTOor the IADB.
IGAD Intergovernmental Authority on Development
09 May 2001 09 May 2003 Jointly set up and manage a technical
assistance programme for selectedparticipants from IGAD Member States.
The venue for the training courses shall
usually be Djibouti.The WTO Secretariat may, upon
request, assist IGAD in its regionaleconomic cooperation work
programme, subject to WTO funds
and staff availability for thispurpose.The areas of technical
assistance shall be jointlydecided by the Parties.
IMF International Monetary Fund
09 Dec. 1996
WT/L/195; WT/GC/194 and
addendumThis agreement recognizes the close
collaborative relationship existing
over the past several decades betweenthe GATT/WTO and the Fund. Theagreement substantially strengthensand gives formality to the WTO'scooperative relationships with the
Fund while fully maintaining our
respective independence and differentroles.  The agreements provideconcrete results on observership andprocedures for consultations to ensure
the adoption of consistent and
mutually supportive policies,WT/COMTD/W/102
Page 11Date of Signature Date of expiration Final date of expiration Objectives/Comments WTO Obligations Subjects covered
exchange of documents and access to
data bases, and overall, provide for
heightened cooperation in all areas ofmutual concern.
IsDB Islamic Development Bank
30 Oct. 2000 30 Oct. 2002 Jointly set up and manage a technical
assistance programme for selectedparticipants from member countries of the
Islamic Development Bank.The WTO Secretariat, may, upon
request, assist the IslamicDevelopment Bank in undertaking
joint technical cooperation activities
to the extent feasible and subject tothe availability of staff and fundsfrom both the IsDB and WTO for
this purpose.The areas of technical
assistance shall be jointlydecided by the Parties.
ITU International Telecommunication Union
26 May 2000 See S/C/11;  S/C/9/Rev.1.
INDEFINITE.
Cooperation in technical assistance andtechnical cooperation activities, within therespective mandates, for developing
countries and information-sharing on
regulatory matters relevant to trade intelecommunication.The ITU and the WTO shall arrange
for the timely exchange of
information, reports and otherdocuments of mutual interest, incl.access to database.Matters relating to trade in
telecommunications.
Singapore Republic of Singapore
12 Dec. 1996
UMA Union du Maghreb Arabe / Arab Maghreb Union
24 Oct. 2000 24 Oct. 2002 Programme d'assistance technique pour les
participants sélectionnés dans les paysmembres de l'UMA.Le Secrétariat de l'OMC pourrait, sur
demande, assister l'UMA dans sonprogramme régional de travail de
coopération économique.WT/COMTD/W/102
Page 12Date of Signature Date of expiration Final date of expiration Objectives/Comments WTO Obligations Subjects covered
UNEP United Nations Environment Programme
29 Nov. 1999
Cooperation between the WTO and
UNEP Secretariats will include theprovision and exchange of relevantnon-confidential information,including access to trade-relatedenvironmental databases, and
reciprocal representation at meetings
of a non-confidential nature, inaccordance with the decisions of thecompetent bodies of the respectiveorganizations.  With respect to
participation and representation, it is
noted that the WTO Secretariat is anobserver of the Governing Council ofUNEP, and UNEP is an observer ofthe WTO Committee on Trade andEnvironment.
Capacity building for developing
countries and countries with
economies in transition is another
form of cooperative activity betweenthe two Secretariats which couldusefully be continued and furtherstrengthened, thus contributing toraising awareness on the linkages
between trade, environment and
sustainable development and thedevelopment of policies whichintegrate sustainable developmentconsiderations with trade policies.
We agree to work for complementarity
in technical cooperation with the aimof improving cooperation across theboard and making better use ofavailable resources.
UoS University of Salamanca
22 Sept. 2001 22 Sept. 2004 Establishment of a "Salamanca-WTO"
Special Chair of International Trade Law.Cooperation through the "CursosInternacionales", with a view to enrollingThe Organization will receive every
year at its headquarters in Geneva agraduate in translation from theUniversity's Faculty of TranslationWT/COMTD/W/102
Page 13Date of Signature Date of expiration Final date of expiration Objectives/Comments WTO Obligations Subjects covered
participants from the WTO both in regular
courses and in courses designed
specifically.and Documentation for a paid
internship of up to three months.
WB World Bank
28 April 1997 This agreement recognizes the close
collaborative relationship existingover the past several decades between
the GATT/WTO and the Bank. The
agreement substantially strengthensand gives formality to the WTO'scooperative relationships with theBank while fully maintaining ourrespective independence and different
roles.  The agreements provide
concrete results on observership andprocedures for consultations to ensurethe adoption of consistent andmutually supportive policies,
exchange of documents and access to
data bases, and overall, provide forheightened cooperation in all areas ofmutual concern.WT/COMTD/W/102
Page 14Date of Signature Date of expiration Final date of expiration Objectives/Comments WTO Obligations Subjects covered
WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization
01 Jan. 1996 See IP/C/6 and IP/C/6/Add.1.
INDEFINITE.
Enhanced cooperation in the legaltechnical assistance and technicalcooperation activities relating to the TRIPs
Agreement for developing countries.
The Agreement intends to improve theaccessibility of laws and regulationscollected in both organizations, as well as
accessibility of the computerized database,
and provide legal-technical assistance andtechnical cooperation.  The InternationalBureau and the WTO Secretariat have
enhanced cooperation in their legal-
technical assistance and technicalcooperation activities relating to TRIPSAgreement for development countries,
including the translation of laws and
regulations, as well as the exchange ofnon-confidential information.  Bothorganizations decided to make available to
developing country members which are
not member states of the otherorganization, the same legal-technicalassistance relating to the TRIPS
Agreement as they make available to their
own member states.Regular exchange of non-
confidential information.Technical and financial
cooperation activities for
the implementation of theTRIPS Agreement haveincluded legislative advice,
awareness building and
human resourcedevelopment, institutionbuilding and modernization
of the intellectual property
system and enforcement.Additionally, they includedstudies and publications.
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