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WTO Secretariat
Accessions Division
The work of the division is to facilitate the negotiations between WTO
members and states and entities requesting accession to the WTO by
encouraging their integration into the multilateral trading system
through the effective liberalization of their trade regimes in goods
and services; and to act as a focal point in widening the scope and
geographical coverage of the WTO. There are at present nearly 30
accession working parties in operation.
Administration and General Services Division
The Administration and General Services Division is
responsible for providing administrative and general services geared to
meet the needs of the Secretariat and WTO members. Its responsibilities
encompass budgetary, financial, travel, procurement, facility and
pension management. In addition, the division ensures the safety and
security of the staff and buildings occupied by the Secretariat. The
division also services the needs of WTO members by supporting the work
of the Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration.
Agriculture and Commodities Division
The division handles all matters related to the ongoing
negotiations on agriculture. Furthermore, the division provides
support in the implementation of the existing WTO rules and
commitments on agriculture, including by ensuring that the process for
multilaterally reviewing these commitments by the Committee on
Agriculture is organized and conducted in an efficient manner. The
work of the division encompasses to facilitate implementation of the
Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures,
including by servicing the SPS Committee. Other activities of the
division include support for the implementation of the Ministerial
Decision on Measures Concerning the Possible Negative Effects of the
Reform Programme on Least-Developed and Net Food-Importing Developing
Countries; dealing with matters related to trade in fisheries and
forestry products as well as natural resource-based products;
providing services for dispute settlement in the area of agriculture
and SPS; providing technical assistance in all areas under its
purview; and cooperation with other international organizations and
the private sector.
Council and Trade Negotiations Committee Division
The Council and Trade Negotiations Committee Division
provides support to the Ministerial Conference, the General Council,
the Trade Negotiations Committee and the Dispute Settlement Body. It
is responsible for ensuring the efficient management of all formal,
informal and other consultative meetings of these bodies and
coordinating follow-up activities. It provides advice and support to
the Director-General and chairs of these bodies (and other members of
senior management) in connection with their responsibilities in these
areas, and prepares and circulates the WTO publication Basic
Instruments and Selected Documents. The division also coordinates work
of the WTO Conference Office in the scheduling of formal, informal and
consultative meetings of WTO bodies, symposia, workshops and seminars
organized under the auspices of WTO bodies and operational divisions
of the WTO Secretariat.
Development Division
The Development Division is the focal point for all policy issues
related to trade and development. The division monitors and provides
input to senior management and the WTO Secretariat as a whole on
issues relating to trade and development, including the participation
of developing countries — especially least-developed countries (LDCs)
— in the multilateral trading system.
The division services the Committee on Trade and Development in
regular session as well as its dedicated session on small and
vulnerable economies, and its special sessions on special and
differential treatment. The division services the Sub-Committee on
LDCs. It also serves the Working Group on Trade and Transfer of
Technology. In addition, it facilitates the meetings of the African
Group, the LDC Group and the Informal Group of Developing Countries.
The division is also responsible for coordinating the Aid for Trade
initiative, which aims to help developing countries, particularly LDCs,
build trade-related skills and the infrastructure needed to expand
their trading opportunities. The aim of the initiative is to create
closer cooperation in national capitals between trade, finance and
development officials and to engage international and regional
inter-governmental organizations and donors active in building trade
capacity to address national and regional Aid for Trade needs.
The Development Division also serves as the focal point for the WTO's
participation in the enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), including in
its governing bodies, the EIF Board and the EIF Steering Committee.
The WTO is one of the core EIF agencies and works with other
international agencies, donors and other development partners to
respond to the trade development needs of LDCs.
Economic Research and Statistics Division
The Economic Research and Statistics
Division provides economic analysis and research in support of the
WTO’s operational activities, including monitoring and reporting on
current economic news and developments. It carries out economic
research on broader policy-related topics in connection with the WTO’s
work programme, as well as on other WTO-related topics of interest to
delegations arising from the on-going integration of the world
economy, the spread of market-oriented reforms, and the increased
importance of economic issues in relations between countries. The
division prepares the “World Trade Report”, an annual publication that
aims to deepen understanding about trends in trade, trade policy
issues and the multilateral trading system. The division cooperates
with other international organizations and the academic community
through conferences, seminars and courses; prepares special research
projects on policy-related topics in the area of international trade;
and prepares briefings to senior management. It is responsible for the
“coherence” mandate with other international organizations, including
in relation to linkages between trade and finance, and for the Working
Group on Trade, Debt and Finance
On the statistics side, the division
supports WTO members and the Secretariat with quantitative information
in relation to economic and trade policy issues. The division is the
principal supplier of WTO trade statistics through the annual
“International Trade Statistics” and via the Internet and Intranet. The
division is responsible for the maintenance and development of the
Integrated Data Base (IDB) and the Consolidated Tariff Schedules (CTS)
which supports the Market Access Committee’s information requirements in
relation to tariffs. The division’s statisticians also provide members
with technical assistance in relation to the IDB-CTS databases. The
division plays an active role in strengthening cooperation and
collaboration between international organizations in the field of
merchandise and services trade statistics, ensuring that WTO
requirements with respect to the concepts and standards underpinning the
international statistical system are met.
Human Resources Division
The Human Resources Division is responsible for the
human resources management of over 700 WTO staff members (regular and
temporary). The division's responsibilities include division
restructuring, performance management, development and training (in
areas such as management development and interpersonal skills) ,
workforce planning, recruitment and selection, career management
(including internal career mobility), management of staff benefits and
entitlements, and staff counselling . The central aim of the division is
to respond to the evolving needs of the WTO, aligning the workforce with
the needs of the organization.
Informatics Division
The Informatics Division ensures the efficient operation
of the WTO's information technology (IT) infrastructure as well as the
development and support of the necessary systems to cover the needs of
WTO members and the WTO Secretariat. In response to changing needs and
fast-evolving technology, the division performs the necessary research
and work needed to constantly enhance IT services and procedures, to
comply with the core mandate of the organization and to better
facilitate the dissemination of information to WTO members and the
public through the Internet and specialized databases. The division also
ensures the efficient operation of the IT and communication
infrastructure for special events such as Ministerial Conferences.
The division supports a complex desktop and network environment and
provides a multitude of services (ERP, Office Automation, E-mail,
Intranet, Internet, Web and Client/Server System Development,
Telecommuting, IT Training, IT Asset Management, Video Conferencing,
etc.). This includes implementation and regular revision of the IT
security policy. The division also provides IT expertise regarding the
creation and upgrading of WTO Reference Centres in the capitals of
developing and least-developed countries and participates in technical
cooperation missions.
Information and External
Relations Division
The Information and External Relations Division
communicates information about the World Trade Organization to a
variety of audiences. This is made available through the WTO web site,
an extensive publications programme and regular briefings aimed at
specific audiences, such as journalists, non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), parliamentarians and students.
The division organizes an annual Public Forum, which is the major
opportunity for governments, NGOs, academics, businesses and students
to come together to discuss issues regarding the multilateral trading
system. The division works closely with counterparts in other
international governmental organizations and regional bodies, such as
the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development. It is also responsible for official relations with WTO
members, including protocol matters, in close liaison with the Office
of the Director-General.
Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation
Trade-related technical assistance is the WTO's
contribution to the functioning of the Aid for Trade Initiative, which
aims to help developing, least-developed countries and other
low-income transition economies to mainstream trade into their
national economic development plans and strategies. The Institute for
Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC) designs, coordinates and
implements trade-related technical assistance activities. With support
across the WTO Secretariat, the ITTC delivers specific technical
assistance products as mandated by WTO members in the regularly
updated Technical Assistance and Training Plans. These plans focus on
strengthening the ability of beneficiaries to understand their rights
and obligations within the multilateral trading system, to take full
advantage of the rules-based system, to participate effectively in
trade negotiations, and to develop, on a long-term basis, their
capacity to adjust to WTO rules and disciplines.
Intellectual Property Division
The Intellectual Property Division is responsible for the WTO's work
in trade-related intellectual property rights (TRIPS), government
procurement and competition policy (it should be noted that
substantive work in the latter area in the WTO has been on hold since
2004). In the TRIPS area, the Division provides service to the TRIPS
Council and to dispute settlement panels, services any negotiations
that may be launched on intellectual property matters and provides
assistance to WTO members through technical cooperation, including in
cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
and other relevant international organizations, and through the
provision of information/advice more generally. It also maintains and
develops lines of communication with other intergovernmental
organizations, non-governmental organizations, intellectual property
practitioners and the academic community. In the area of government
procurement, the Division services the Committee established under the
plurilateral Agreement on Government Procurement and dispute
settlement panels that may arise, in addition to providing technical
cooperation and information/advice more generally to WTO members. In
the area of competition policy, the Division monitors developments at
the international level and would be responsible for any further work
in the WTO Working Group on the Interaction between Trade and
Competition Policy, in the event that that body should resume its
work.
Languages, Documentation and Information
Management Division
The Languages, Documentation and Information Management
Division (LDIMD) provides two types of complementary services:
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services such as translation, printing, dissemination of
documentation, and interpretation for meetings
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information management services, which include the WTO
library, correspondence, the registration of notifications, archiving
and preservation of materials, and document research.
Many of these services, such as the Central Registry of
Notifications and the “Documents Online” database of official WTO
documents, are provided to WTO members, observers and the public through
the Internet. LDIMD ensures that WTO documents, publications and other
materials are available in the WTO's three working languages — English,
French and Spanish — both in hard copy and in electronic form.
The WTO library supports WTO activities and research
through its print and electronic collection of documents, including an
online catalogue and bibliographic reference services. The library is
the depository of GATT/WTO official documents and publications dating
back to the Havana Charter, and has a comprehensive collection of
national statistics from WTO members and observers.
Legal Affairs Division
The principal mission of the Legal Affairs Division is to provide
legal advice and information to WTO dispute settlement panels, other
WTO bodies, WTO members and the WTO Secretariat. The division’s
responsibilities include assisting members in the composition of
dispute settlement panels, providing timely secretarial and technical
support and legal assistance to WTO dispute settlement panels,
providing legal advice to the Dispute Settlement Body and its Chairman
on the operation of the Dispute Settlement Understanding, and
providing legal advice to the Director-General, the Secretariat and
members on all WTO agreements and on other legal issues as they may
arise. Other responsibilities include advising the Director-General on
administrative law issues related to the operation of the WTO and the
Secretariat, providing legal information to WTO members and preparing
legal publications relating to the WTO dispute settlement system, and
providing legal support in respect of accessions. The division also
provides training regarding dispute settlement procedures and WTO
legal issues through special courses on dispute settlement, regular
WTO training courses and WTO technical cooperation missions. On behalf
of the Secretariat, representatives from the division attend meetings
of other international organizations concerning international legal
issues and attend international conferences on dispute settlement and
other legal matters of relevance to the WTO.
Market Access Division
The Market Access
Division works with the following WTO bodies: the Council for Trade in
Goods, the Committee on Market Access, the Committee on Customs
Valuation, the Committee on Rules of Origin, the Committee on Import
Licensing and the Committee of Participants on the Expansion of Trade
in Information Technology Products (ITA). The work of the division
includes organizing meetings for these bodies.
Office of Internal Audit
The Office of Internal Audit (OIA) was
created in March 2008 to undertake the
independent examination and evaluation
of the WTO’s financial and budgetary
control systems and processes.
The OIA makes recommendations
for strengthening accountability, financial
risk management, internal controls and
governance processes, with the aim of
ensuring that the financial resources made
available to the WTO by its members are
used efficiently and effectively to obtain the best value for money.
Rules Division
The role of the division is to ensure
the smooth functioning of all WTO bodies serviced by the division.
This includes facilitating new and on-going negotiations and
consultations, monitoring and actively assisting in the implementation
of WTO agreements in the areas of anti-dumping, subsidies and
countervailing measures, safeguards, trade-related investment
measures, state-trading and civil aircraft. It also includes providing
all necessary implementation assistance, counselling and expert advice
to WTO members concerning the above agreements, providing secretaries
and legal officers to WTO dispute settlement panels involving these
agreements and participating in the WTO technical assistance
programme.
The bodies serviced by the Rules Division
include the Negotiating Group on Rules, the Committee on Anti-Dumping
Practices, the Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, the
Committee on Safeguards, the Committee on Trade-Related Investment
Measures, the Committee on Trade in Civil Aircraft, the Working Party on
State-Trading Enterprises, the Permanent Group of Experts of the
Subsidies Agreement as well as the Informal Group on Anti-Circumvention
and the Working Group on Implementation, both concerning the Agreement
on Anti-Dumping.
Technical Cooperation Audit Division
The Technical Cooperation Audit (TCA) Division is
responsible for ensuring ongoing monitoring and evaluation of all
forms of technical assistance provided by the WTO. The division
conducts on-site and ex-post evaluations and prepares an Annual Report
for discussion at the Committee on Trade and Development.
Trade and Environment Division
The division provides service and support to WTO committees dealing
with trade and environment and technical barriers to trade. For Trade
and Environment, it supports the work of the Committee on Trade and
Environment (CTE) by providing technical assistance to WTO members;
reporting to senior management and WTO members on discussions in other
intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), including negotiation and
implementation of trade-related measures in multilateral environmental
agreements. The division maintains contacts and dialogue with NGOs and
the private sector on issues of mutual interest in the area of trade
and environment.
Its work in the area of technical barriers to trade includes providing
service to the Working Group on Technical Barriers to trade (WGTBT),
if the TBT Committee so decides; providing technical assistance to WTO
members; providing Secretariat support to dispute panels and
accessions examining aspects of the TBT Agreement. The division
follows and reports on matters related to the TBT Agreement, and
maintains contacts with the private sector on issues of mutual
interest in this area.
Trade in Services Division
The Trade in Services Division provides support and
technical advice to WTO members on the implementation of the General
Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and on further negotiations
mandated by the Agreement. It performs this role by supporting the
Council for Trade in Services (both in regular and special session) as
well as other bodies established under the GATS. These include the
Committee on Financial Services, the Committee on Specific
Commitments, the Working Party on Domestic Regulation, and the Working
Party on GATS Rules. Within the WTO Secretariat, the division provides
information and advice to the Director-General and senior management
on trade in services as well as support to relevant dispute settlement
panels.
Other work includes providing technical cooperation to WTO members,
undertaking research on trade in services, cooperating with other
international organizations on services-related projects,
participating in public outreach activities and providing public
information on the GATS through various forms of media. The division
also assists other bodies in the WTO on matters relating to services,
such as the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements (in its work
relating to Article V of the GATS and the RTA transparency mechanism),
the Trade Policy Review Body and various accession working parties.
Trade Policies Review Division
The Trade Policies Review Division has several areas of
responsibility. One is to support the work of the Director-General and
WTO members under the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (Annex 3 of the
WTO Agreement ), which includes preparing periodic reports on members'
trade policies, servicing meetings of the Trade Policy Review Body at
which reviews of members' policies are carried out, and preparing an
Annual Overview of trade policy developments on behalf of the
Director-General. The division is responsible for providing
Secretariat support to the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements and
the Committee on Balance-of-Payments Restrictions, and for servicing
the Doha Round Negotiating Group on Rules related to regional trade
agreements. It is also responsible for servicing the Doha Round
Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation and for managing and
delivering the technical assistance programme that supports the
participation of developing and least-developed countries in that
negotiation.
Appellate Body Secretariat
The Appellate Body Secretariat provides legal and
administrative support to the
Appellate Body. The
Secretariat is located within the headquarters of the WTO. The
director of the Secretariat heads a team of ten lawyers and four
support staff. Appellate Body Secretariat staff members are bound by
the Rules of Conduct of the Dispute Settlement Understanding, which
seek to ensure independence, impartiality, the avoidance of conflicts
of interest, and the confidentiality of the proceedings. Secretariat
staff also participate in technical cooperation activities carried out
by the WTO Secretariat, especially those related to dispute
settlement.
Distribution of staff positions within the WTO's various divisions back
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