WTO Needs Assessments

Assistance to notify the categories

List of Needs Assessments conducted

With a view to ensuring that assistance is available for the notification of categories A, B and C commitments the TFAF will, inter alia, continue to administer the WTO Needs Assessment Program. This program assists developing and LDC Members to identify their needs in order to implement the Agreement, including self-determining the time that would be needed to implement each provision and its technical assistance needs.

Before the negotiations were concluded, and to assist Members to participate more effectively in the Trade Facilitation negotiations, the WTO conducted a technical assistance program aimed at helping countries to assess their trade facilitation needs and priorities. During the period of September 2007 - December 2010, the WTO Secretariat, with the aid of experts from international organizations and national administrations, conducted Needs Assessments in 94 Members that requested this assistance.

A second program was launched in 2013 to assist Members to update their original needs assessment results, in order to reflect the progress that had been made in the negotiations. This program has continued after the conclusion of the negotiations in order to assist Members to prepare their special and differential treatment (SDT) notifications, and to determine their technical assistance needs. To date 78 Members have conducted Needs Assessments in this second round. Other international organizations and agencies (such as ITC, UNCTAD, USAID and World Bank) have conducted similar assessments for a number of additional Members.

During these Needs Assessments, stakeholders from government agencies and private sector use a WTO needs assessment guide to conduct a gap and situational analysis of their national situation as compared to the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.    In addition, they determine, measure by measure, the relevant SDT category.  In case needed, they also determine the additional time and assistance needed in order to implement the measure.  The needs assessment results provide a good basis for the preparation of the Category A, B, C notifications and leave Members in a good position to begin working with donors.

To assist Members that would like to conduct their own self-assessment, or update the results of a previous assessment, all the needs assessment materials can be found on this page.