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Information about the organization

THE WTO: SECRETARIAT AND BUDGET
Overview of the WTO Secretariat

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SEE ALSO:
Mandate
Report on Diversity
> WTO Secretariat chart
> Work of Divisions
Budget

 


Secretariat common purpose
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The responsibility of the WTO Secretariat is to provide top-quality, independent support to WTO member governments on all of the activities that are carried out by the Organization, and to serve the WTO with professionalism, impartiality and integrity.

The Secretariat is a multicultural team of highly-qualified individuals who possess the wide range of skills, knowledge and experience required to handle the Secretariat's responsibilities and to work together as an efficient and diligent international civil service.

  

Role of the Secretariat back to top

The WTO Secretariat, with offices only in Geneva, has 629 regular staff and is headed by a Director-General. Since decisions are taken by Members only, the Secretariat has no decision-making powers. Its main duties are to supply technical and professional support for the various councils and committees, to provide technical assistance for developing countries, to monitor and analyze developments in world trade, to provide information to the public and the media and to organize the ministerial conferences. The Secretariat also provides some forms of legal assistance in the dispute settlement process and advises governments wishing to become Members of the WTO.

The Secretariat staff of includes individuals representing about 70 nationalities. The professional staff is composed mostly of economists, lawyers and others with a specialization in international trade policy. There is also a substantial number of personnel working in support services, including informatics, finance, human resources and language services. The total staff complement is composed almost equally of men and women. The working languages of the WTO are English, French and Spanish.

The Appellate Body was established by the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes to consider appeals to decisions by Dispute Settlement panels. The Appellate Body has its own Secretariat. The seven-member Appellate Body consists of individuals with recognized standing in the fields of law and international trade. They are appointed to a four-year term, and may be reappointed once

  

Table of regular staff by nationality back to top   

Country

Women

Men

Total

Argentina

3

5

8

Australia

3

5

8

Austria

2

3

5

Belgium

4

1

5

Benin

 

1

1

Bolivia

2

2

4

Brazil

3

5

8

Bulgaria

 

1

1

Canada

8

15

23

Chile

3

2

5

China

3

2

5

Colombia

2

5

7

Congo , the Democratic Republic of the

 

1

1

Costa Rica

2

1

3

Côte d'Ivoire

 

1

1

Cuba

 

1

1

Denmark

1

1

2

Ecuador

 

1

1

Egypt

2

3

5

Estonia

1

 

1

Finland

2

3

5

France

103

78

181

Germany

5

11

16

Ghana

 

1

1

Greece

3

2

5

Guatemala

1

 

1

Honduras

1

 

1

Hong Kong , China

1

 

1

Hungary

 

1

1

India

3

9

12

Ireland

9

2

11

Italy

6

7

13

Japan

1

2

3

Korea , Republic of

3

1

4

Lesotho

 

1

1

Malawi

 

1

1

Malaysia

1

2

3

Mauritius

 

2

2

Mexico

2

4

6

Morocco

1

1

2

Netherlands

2

4

6

New Zealand

1

3

4

Nigeria

 

1

1

Norway

 

2

2

Pakistan

 

1

1

Peru

2

3

5

Philippines

4

5

9

Poland

2

3

5

Romania

2

 

2

Rwanda

1

1

2

Saint Lucia

1

 

1

Senegal

 

1

1

South Africa

 

1

1

Spain

30

16

46

Sri Lanka

2

2

4

Sweden

2

2

4

Switzerland

27

17

44

Tanzania

1

 

1

Thailand

 

1

1

Trinidad and Tobago

1

 

1

Tunisia

2

4

6

Turkey

2

1

3

Uganda

1

 

1

United Kingdom

54

18

72

United States of America

21

9

30

Uruguay

1

5

6

Venezuela

1

3

4

Zimbabwe

1

 

1

Total

342

287

629


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Notes:
1. Regular budget posts include posts not yet filled. back to text

  Distribution of staff positions within the WTO’s various divisions back to top

Division

Regular Staff

Directors

Senior Management

Grand Total

Director-General

 

 

1.00

1.00

Office of the Director General

13.00

1.00

 

14.00

Offices of the Deputy Directors-General

5.20

 

4.00

9.20

Accessions Division

7.80

1.00

 

8.80

Administration and General Services Division

78.00

1.00

 

79.00

Agriculture & Commodities Division

14.00

2.00

 

16.00

Council and TNC Division

12.30

1.00

 

13.30

Development Division

11.00

1.00

 

12.00

Doha Development Agenda (DDA) Special Duties Division

2.00

1.00

 

3.00

Economic Research and Statistics Division

48.00

2.00

 

50.00

External Relations Division

8.80

1.00

 

9.80

Human Resources Division

17.60

1.00

 

18.60

Information Technology Solutions Division

38.00

1.00

 

39.00

Information & Media Relations Division

20.80

1.00

 

21.80

Institute for Training and Technical Co-operation

28.50

1.00

 

29.50

Intellectual Property Division

12.00

1.00

 

13.00

Language Services & Documentation Division

157.00

1.00

 

158.00

Legal Affairs Division

15.80

1.00

 

16.80

Market Access Division

10.80

1.00

 

11.80

Medical Unit

2.50

 

 

2.50

Office of Internal Audit

1.00

1.00

 

2.00

Rules Division

20.00

1.00

 

21.00

Technical Cooperation Audit

1.50

 

 

1.50

Trade & Environment Division

6.80

1.00

 

7.80

Trade and Finance Trade Facilitation Division

8.40

1.00

 

9.40

Trade in Services Division

15.80

1.00

 

16.80

Trade Policies Review Division

37.90

1.00

 

38.90

Appellate Body

14.00

1.00

 

15.00

Grand Total

608.50

26.00

5.00

639.50(1)

 

WTO staff on regular budget by grade and gender within each division back to top
  

Division Gender

Grades

  2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 DDG DG

Total
Director-General                              
Appellate Body Women     1   1 3     1         6
  Men           2   2 3 1       8
Council and TNC Division Women   1       2 1   1 2         7
  Men                 4   1     5
DDA Special Duties Division Men         1                 1
Human Resources Division Women   3   1 4   5 1 1 1         16
  Men          

  1

1     1       3
Information and Media Relations Division Women   2   3 3 1 3             12
  Men   1   2   1 1 2 3   1     11
Medical Unit Women     1     1     1         3
Office of the Director-General Women     1 2 2 1   1 1 1       9
  Men   1           3       1 6
Deputy Director-General 1                            
Office of Deputy Director-General 1 Women       1                   1
  Men                       1   1
Accessions Division Women     2   1   1             4
  Men           1 1   2   1     5
Economic Research and Statistics Division Women     3 2 1 2 3 3 3         17
  Men     2 2 2 4 10 5 6 1 1     33
Legal Affairs Division Women     1   2 1 2 1 1         8
  Men         1   1 2 3 1       8
Rules Division Women   1 1   1 1 1 2 2         9
  Men             3 2 4   1     10
Deputy Director-General 2                            
Office of Deputy Director-General 2 Women         1             1   2
Development Division Women     1 1 1 1 1 1 1         7
  Men             1 1 1 1 1     4
External Relations Division Women     2 1 1 1 1 1           7
  Men               1 1 1       3
Institute for Training and Technical Co-operation Women     3 4 2 2 2 1 2         16
  Men             1 5 7 1       14
Technical Cooperation Audit Division Women    1                       1
  Men                 1         1
Trade and Finance and Trade Facilitation Division Women   1   1   1   2 2         7
  Men               1 1   1     3
Deputy Director-General 3                            
Office of Deputy Director-General 3 Women           1               1
  Men                       1   1
Agriculture and Commodities Division Women     2   2 1 2 4   2       13
  Men           1   1 1         3
Trade and Environment Division Women       1   1 1 1 1 1       6
  Men               1 1         2
Trade in Services Division Women   1 1 2 1     1 2         8
  Men               3 5   1     9
Deputy Director-General 4                            
Office of Deputy Director-General 4 Women         1                 1
  Men                       1   1
Administration and General Services Division Women   1 3 10 4 1 2 3 1         25
  Men 6 13 11 9 4 2 2 1 4 1       53
Informatics Division Women       1 2 2 2 1           8
  Men     1 4 4 5 7 5 3   1     30
Intellectual Property Division Women   1   1 3   1 2         9
  Men             1   3   1     5
Language Services and Documentation Division Women   11 10 23 17 13 8 17 8       108
  Men   4 5 8 3 3 8 10 3         44
Market Access Division Women     1 2 1 1     2 1       8
  Men             1 1 2         4
Trade Policies Review Division Women   1 6 2 1 3 2 6 1         22
  Men   1   1 1 2 3 1 9   1     18
Total 6 43 59 87 64 70 73 95 102 14 11 4 1 629