WORLD TRADE WT/COMTD/8
16October 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-4308)
Original: English Committee onTrade andDevelopment
GUIDELINES FOR WTO TECHNICAL COOPERATION
Adopted bytheCommittee onTrade andDevelopment on15October 1996
Bearing inmind theMarrakesh Declaration of15April 1994 andtheDecision onMeasures
inFavour ofLeast-Developed Countries, WTO Technical Cooperation istobeprovided inconformity
withtheprinciples setoutbelow:
I. OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES
- Assist inthefullintegration ofbeneficiaries intothemultilateral trading system andcontribute
totheexpansion oftheirtrade;
- Strengthen andenhance institutional andhuman capacities inthepublic sector foranappropriate
participation inthemultilateral trading system; whenever possible andinconsultation with
thegovernmentconcerned,capacitybuildingactivitiescouldincluderepresentativesoftheprivate
sector;
- Bedemand-driven andadapted torecipient needs, inparticular withrespect tothebestsuited
modes ofdelivery;
- Becomplementary toandsupportive ofrecipients 'efforts toidentify theirownrequirements;
- Keep ageographical balance, while giving priority toleast-developed countries, inparticular
African countries, andtolow-income economies;
- Cover subject matters within thecompetence andexpertise oftheWTO, inparticular:
- Toimprove knowledge ofmultilateral trade rulesandWTO working procedures and
negotiations; and
- Toassist intheimplementation ofcommitments inthemultilateral trading system and
fulluseofitsprovisions,includingtheeffectiveuseofthedisputesettlementmechanism;
- Befullyandclosely coordinated withother assistance provided bymultilateral andbilateral
institutions;
- Beadministered bytheSecretariat andreviewed byMembers, inaccordance withoperational
directives andimplementation modalities tobeestablished bytheCommittee onTrade and
Development.WT/COMTD/8
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II. OPERATIONAL DIRECTIVES
1. Modes ofDelivery
- Themodes ofdelivery shallbechosen tofitboththerequirements oftherecipient country
andtechnical cooperation programmes;
- Modes ofdelivery shallbeassessed inthelightofprinciples anddirectives tobeagreed upon
bytheCommittee onTrade andDevelopment andontheprogress indevising newmeans for
anefficient dissemination ofknowledge;
- Modes ofdelivery shallbeelaborated withtheaimof:
- Extending assistance onasbroad andcost-effective abasis aspossible, e.g.:
- Training courses ofaregional orlinguistic format;
- Development ofinformation andtraining material, inparticular withthehelp
oftechnology based aids;
- Emphasizing in-depth andconcrete training onWTO matters suchas:
- Specialized technical seminars andworkshops ofaregional orlinguistic format;
- Practical training programmes.
2. Long-Term Engagement
- Follow-up ofindividual programmes andassessment oftheireffectiveness;
- Development oftraining capabilities withparticular emphasis onthetraining oflocal
trainers, theuseoflocalorregional technical expertise, andtheestablishment oflinks
withacademic andresearch institutions.
3. International Coordination
a) International andRegional Institutions Dealing withTrade-Related Matters
- Close institutional dialogue withother international organizations, inparticular with
ITCandUNCTAD, andwithother regional institutions toensure acoherent approach,
toidentifyareasofcompetenceandcomplementarity,todefineandexecutejointprojects
andavoid duplication;
- Dissemination ofinformation ontheWTO technical cooperation programmes, and
establishment withother relevant organizations ofacentral inventory ofprogrammes.WT/COMTD/8
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b) Bilateral Development Assistance inTrade-Related Matters
- Exchange ofinformation withdonor andrecipient governments, including participation
inbilateral programmes.
4. Management
a) Transparency
- Three yearplanadjusted onanannual basis, including budgetary implications, tobe
approved bytheCommittee onTrade andDevelopment andtobesubmitted tothe
appropriatebodiesofWTO,accordingtoagreedproceduresanddecisionsoftheGeneral
Council;
- Annual Secretariat reporting onprogramme implementation, andfinancial report;
- AdhocSecretariat status reports.
b) Funding
- Regular Budget oftheWTO, within thelimits specifically assigned byMembers;
- WTO Trust Fund fortechnical cooperation: Voluntary contributions byMembers and
international financial institutions;
- International ornational cost-sharing, whenever appropriate.
c) Monitoring andEvaluation
- BytheCommittee onTrade andDevelopment based onannual evaluation oftheresults
oftechnical assistance activities inorder toensure optimum useofresources according
toappropriate evaluation criteria;
- TheWTO Trust Fund shallbemanaged according totherecommendations contained
inthedecision taken bytheGeneral Council of18July1996 (WT/GC/M/13) andto
theFinancial Regulations andFinancial Rules indocuments WT/L/156 andWT/L/157
of5August 1996.