World Trade Organization Secretariat
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| World Trade Organization Secretariat | |
|---|---|
| Name | World Trade Organization Secretariat |
| Formation | 1995 |
| Type | International civil service |
| Headquarters | Geneva |
| Parent organization | World Trade Organization |
World Trade Organization Secretariat The Secretariat is the permanent staff and administrative apparatus that supports the World Trade Organization system, based in Geneva. It provides technical, legal, and policy services to panels such as the Dispute Settlement Body and committees including the Council for Trade in Goods and the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. The office interacts with institutions like the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and regional bodies such as the European Union and Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
History and Development
The Secretariat traces its origins to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade negotiations and the Uruguay Round, which culminated in the Marrakesh Agreement and the founding of the World Trade Organization in 1995, linking legacies from the Trade and Development Board and the GATT secretariat. Early leadership drew on personnel from institutions such as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and national diplomatic services like those of the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, and Brazil to build capacity for new bodies including the Trade Policy Review Body and the Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures. Subsequent expansions responded to major events such as China’s accession, the Doha Development Round, the Financial crisis of 2007–2008, and disputes like the United States–European Union trade disputes, prompting reforms modeled on practices from the International Labour Organization and the World Health Organization.
Organisation and Structure
The Secretariat’s internal structure comprises divisions and units analogous to directorates in organizations like the European Commission and United Nations Secretariat. Senior management includes the Director-General (as with leaders such as Joaquim Barbosa de Melo and Pascal Lamy precedents in multilateral leadership), deputy directors, and heads of divisions responsible to the General Council and chairs like those from New Zealand, India, and South Africa. Divisions align with subject-specific bodies such as Trade in Services committees, Agreement on Agriculture working groups, the Trade Facilitation Committee, and the TRIPS Council, paralleling legal offices in the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The Secretariat engages external experts from law firms, universities such as Harvard University, University of Oxford, and Peking University, and consults with think tanks like the Peterson Institute for International Economics and the Centre for Economic Policy Research.
Functions and Responsibilities
The Secretariat provides dispute settlement support to panels and the Appellate Body process, offers legal analysis comparable to offices in the European Court of Justice, conducts Trade Policy Review Mechanism reports akin to reviews by the International Monetary Fund, and supplies technical assistance for accession negotiations like those of China and Viet Nam. It prepares agenda items for the Ministerial Conferences, services committees including the Committee on Market Access and the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements, and administers agreements such as the General Agreement on Trade in Services and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. The Secretariat also manages data and statistics similar to functions in the World Bank and UNCTAD, and coordinates capacity-building with agencies like the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.
Personnel and Staffing
Staffing draws on nationals from member delegations including representatives from China, United States, Germany, India, Brazil, Kenya, Mexico, and Australia, with recruitment practices comparable to the United Nations Secretariat and the European Commission. Professional categories include lawyers, economists, statisticians, and technical experts, many seconded from ministries and agencies such as the U.S. Trade Representative, Ministry of Commerce, China, Department for International Trade (UK), and central banks like the European Central Bank. Secondments and internships mirror arrangements at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, while staff unions and associations echo bodies in the UN Staff Union and organizational ethics offices in the International Civil Service Commission.
Budget and Administration
The Secretariat’s budget is financed by assessed contributions from members calculated with formulas similar to those used by the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund, and administered through treasuries modeled on the World Bank fiscal mechanisms. Financial oversight involves internal audit units, external auditors from national audit institutions like the Comptroller and Auditor General (India) or the United Kingdom National Audit Office, and budget committees chaired by representatives from groups such as the African Group and the European Union. Administrative services cover procurement, human resources, and information technology with vendors and frameworks comparable to United Nations Office of Project Services arrangements and interoperable systems used by the International Telecommunication Union.
Relationship with WTO Bodies and Members
The Secretariat acts as a neutral servicing agency to the General Council, Trade Policy Review Body, Dispute Settlement Body, and Ministerial Conference, assisting chairs and delegations from blocs such as the G77, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, CARICOM, and the Pacific Islands Forum. It must balance technical advice with political sensitivities among members including United States, European Union, China, India, Brazil, South Africa, and least-developed members represented by advocates from groups like the LDC Group. The Secretariat also liaises with regional trade organizations such as the North American Free Trade Agreement mechanisms and the Mercosur secretariat, and collaborates with international organizations like the World Customs Organization and UNCTAD.
Criticism and Reform Proposals
Critiques of the Secretariat echo debates affecting institutions like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank: calls for greater transparency from advocacy groups such as Oxfam and Global Trade Watch, demands for more representation from developing members including Nigeria and Bangladesh, and proposals for restructuring inspired by reviews of the European Commission and the United Nations Secretariat. Reform suggestions include enhanced staffing diversity, decentralization similar to reforms in the United Nations Development Programme, stronger budgetary accountability reminiscent of the International Organization for Standardization standards, and improved dispute settlement support reflecting lessons from the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes. Persistent controversies involve impartiality in trade policy advice, resource constraints highlighted by campaigns from NGOs and parliamentary bodies like the European Parliament and the U.S. Congress, and proposals for strengthening cooperation with bodies such as the World Health Organization and International Labour Organization.