./.RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/BFA/66
8 July 2002
(03-3688)
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration
UPDATE TO THE ANNUAL REPORT OF 2002 OF THE COMMITTEE ON BUDGET,
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION (2003)
1. In compliance with the decision of the General Council of 10 February 2003 (document
WT/GC/M/78), an updated report on the developments in 2003 of the WTO Committee on Budget,
Finance and Administration is hereby submitted.
2. It will be recalled that the Committee met formally and informally on a number of occasions
and has presented report WT/BFA/64 to the Ge neral Council in March 2003, and will submit report
WT/BFA/65 to the Genera l Council in July 2003.1  The main developments are as follows:
I. ON-GOING RESPONSIBILITIES
3. The Committee monitored on a regular basis the financial and budgetary situation of the
Organization, the receipt of contri butions including the implementation of the related schemes and
measures pertaining to receipt of  contributions.  It formulated recommendations to the General Council
on assessments to the budget and advance to the Working Capital Fund subsequent to the accession of
two new Members.  It considered elements relate d to personnel management and heard progress reports
on the WTO Pension Plan.
II. MAJOR AREAS OF ACTIVITIES
A. WTO SALARY METHODOLOGY
4. Further to the decision by the General Council of 13 December 2002 (WT/GC/M/77), the
Committee on Budget, Finance and Ad ministration examined the salary methodology to be adopted by
the WTO for future salary adjustments, and made recommendations to this effect to the General
Council, which adopted them on15 May 2003.
B. CONSOLIDATION OF LONGTERM TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE IN REGULAR BUDGET
5. In the course of the deliberations of the Budget Proposals for 2002, the Committee was apprised
of the question of improving the conditions of servi ce for temporary staff with more than four years of
continuous service.  The Committee continued its ex amination of the issue and made a recommendation,
which will be submitted to the General Council at its next meeting.
                                                     
1Reports:  WT/BFA/64 covering the decision on the WTO Salary Methodology; and WT/BFA/65
covering the meetings from January to May 2003.WT/BFA/66
Page 2
C. BIENNIAL BUDGET
6. The Committee undertook an examination on the possi bility of moving to a biennial budgeting
cycle.  The Committee will continue to deliberat e on the feasibility and timing of such a move.
D. CONSIDERATION OF A PROPOSED CONTRIBUTION FROM A NON -GOVERNMENTAL DONOR
7. In compliance with the guidelines govern ing the process of acceptance of voluntary
contributions, gifts or donations from non-Gover nmental donors (document WT/L/386), the Committee
examined a proposed donation from a foundation, and d ecided that the Director-General could accept it.
E. OTHER ITEMS
8. The Committee also discussed and/or was informed about the following points in the various
meetings:  (i) the 2004 budget forecast of the International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WT, (ii) thesituation of contributions for the Doha Deve lopment Agenda Global Trust Fund (DDAGTF), and
(iii) the Trust Fund to facilitate the participation of least developed countries in the Ministerial
Conference at Cancun.
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