WORLD TRADE WT/L/31
7February 1995
ORGANIZATION(95-0232)
GUIDELINES FOR APPOINTMENT OFOFFICERS TOWTO BODIES
Approved bytheGeneral Council on31January 1995
Thefollowing guidelines should beapplied intheprocess ofconsultations onappointment of
officers totheWTO bodies.
Forthispurpose thebodies under theWTO havebeenseparated intoeightgroups inaccordance
withtheAnnex tothispaper.
Given itsparticular nature, these guidelines donotapply totheTextiles Monitoring Body
(Group 3intheAnnex). Reference to"Groups" intheguidelines below isdoneinaccordance with
theAnnex.
Similarly, theseguidelines cannot beapplied totheappointment ofofficers ofbodies established
bythePlurilateral Trade Agreements (Group 7),astheirchairpersons should beselected fromamongst
signatories oftherespective agreements andthecriteria ofselection, theterms ofoffice andother
conditions willbedecided bythebodies concerned.
Theguidelines below maybereviewed inlightofexperience asnecessary.
1. Qualifications andrequirements forappointment toposts
1.1 Chairpersons mustberepresentatives ofMembers. Representatives ofMembers infinancial
arrears foroveronefullyearcannot beconsidered forappointment.
1.2 Thechoice ofachairperson should primarily reflect thecapacity ofthatperson toundertake
thespecial responsibilities required ofsuchposts intheWTO system.
1.3 Appointments must beacceptable tothemembership asawhole andnotonlytoregions or
groupings thatmayhaveproposed them.
2. Overall balance ofrepresentation
2.1 Abalance which reflects overall membership oftheWTO should beachieved intheappointment
ofofficers.
2.2 Suchoverall balance should besought inparticular forposts under Groups 1,2,4and5taken
asawhole.
2.3 Separately asimilar balance should besought intheappointment ofchairpersons under Group 6.WT/L/31
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2.4 Chairpersons toGroup 8should beappointed onanadhocbasis, andinthelightofqualifications
andavailability.
3. Distribution ofchairs
3.1 Each body should haveaseparate chairperson.
4. Level ofrepresentation
4.1 Forbodies under Group 1and2chairpersons should beappointed fromamong Geneva-based
Heads ofDelegations. InthecaseofGroups 4,5,6and8,chairpersons should beHeads ofDelegations
orofficials ofdelegations ofMembers oftheWTO inGeneva. Non-residents maybeappointed in
exceptional circumstances where thenecessary expertise canonlybefound incapitals.
5. Term ofoffice
5.1 Rotation should bethegeneral rule; thetermofoffice forchairing abody should therefore
beoneyear. Nevertheless, inbodies under Groups 4,5and6theincumbent chairperson maybe
considered forreappointment whenever thisisfound tobeintheinterest oftheefficient functioning
ofthebody.
5.2 Chairpersons ofbodies inGroup 8should normally retain theirposts untilsuchbodies have
concluded theirwork.
5.3 Ifachairperson istransferred fromGeneva toanother post,either thevice-chairperson would
assume theresponsibilities ofthechairperson, oranewchairperson would beappointed. Theoriginal
chairperson mayberetained onlyinexceptional circumstances, providing thisperson isabletocome
toGeneva whenever necessary andthetravel andother related costs arepaidbytherespective
government. Thesame should apply intheevent thatanon-Geneva-based person isappointed for
exceptional reasons tochair abody.
6. Procedures forappointment ofofficers
6.1 Once theWTO isestablished theoutgoing chairperson oftheGeneral Council willnormally
conduct consultations ontheappointment ofthechairpersons forthebodies inGroups 1,2,4and5.
6.2 There should benoautomaticity insuccession toposts.
6.3 Thechairpersons inGroup 2willnormally conduct consultations ontheappointment ofthe
chairpersons ofbodies inGroup 6(A), (B)and(C)under therespective authority oftheCouncil they
chair.
6.4 TheChairperson ofthebody which isestablishing asubordinate body inGroup 8willhold
ad-hoc consultations ontheappointment ofachairperson forthelatter.WT/L/31
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6.5 Thesame procedures areapplicable whenever achair becomes vacant inthecourse ofaterm.WT/L/31
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ANNEX
STRUCTURE OFBODIES UNDER THE WTO
Group 1 General Council
General Council meeting asDispute Settlement Body
General Council meeting asTrade Policy Review Body
Group 2 Council forTrade inGoods
Council forTrade inServices
Council forTRIPS
(Group 3 Textiles Monitoring Body)
Group 4 Committee onTrade andDevelopment
Committee onBalance-of-Payments Restrictions
Committee onBudget, Finance andAdministration
Group 5 Committee onTrade andEnvironment
(Anyother bodytobeestablished bytheMinisterial Conference ortheGeneral
Council)
Group 6(A) Committee onMarket Access
Committee onAgriculture
Committee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures
Committee onTechnical Barriers toTrade
Committee onTRIMSWT/L/31
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Committee onAnti-Dumping Practices
Committee onCustoms Valuation
Committee onRules ofOrigin
Committee onImport Licensing
Committee onSubsidies andCountervailing Measures
Committee onSafeguards
Working Party onArticle XVII Notifications
(Any other body tobeestablished bytheCouncil onTrade inGoods).
Group 6(B) Working Party onProfessional Services
Negotiating Group onBasic Telecommunications
Negotiating Group onFinancial Services
Negotiating Group onMovement ofNatural Persons
Negotiating Group onMaritime Transport Services
(Any other body tobeestablished bytheCouncil onTrade inServices).
Group 6(C) (Any subsidiary bodies under theCouncil forTRIPS)
Group 7 CommitteesestablishedpursuanttothePlurilateralTradeAgreements(Annex4
Agreements)
Group 8 Other Working Groups andWorking Parties (accession; Article XXIV etc.)