International intergovernmental organizations granted observer status to WTO bodies

The purpose of observer status for international intergovernmental organizations in the WTO is to enable these organizations to follow discussions therein on matters of direct interest to them.

The guidelines on observer status for international organizations (WT/L/161, Annex 3) provide that requests for observer status from organizations shall not be considered for meetings of the Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration or the Dispute Settlement Body, therefore these bodies are not included in this list. Also not included are the Textiles Monitoring Body, which has no international intergovernmental organization observers, and Accession Working Parties.

The International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO, as a joint subsidiary organ of the WTO and UNCTAD, is not required to formally submit a request for observer status in the WTO bodies and is invited as appropriate to attend meetings of those WTO bodies it wishes to attend (WT/GC/M/25, item 1).

The IMF and World Bank have observer status in WTO bodies as provided for in their respective Agreements with the WTO (WT/L/195).

  

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General Council

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International Trade Centre (ITC)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
United Nations (UN)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
  

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Trade Policy Review Body

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank

International intergovernmental organizations having ad hoc observer status

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
Agency for International Trade Information and Cooperation (AITIC)

 

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Council for Trade in Goods

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
United Nations (UN)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank
World Customs Organization (WCO)

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Council for Trade in Services

International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
International Trade Centre (ITC)
United Nations (UN)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank

International intergovernmental organizations having ad hoc observer status
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
Universal Postal Union (UPU)
World Health Organization (WHO)
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

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Council for Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights

African Intellectual Property Organization (Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle, OAPI)
African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO)
Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC)
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
United Nations (UN)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank
World Customs Organization (WCO)
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

International intergovernmental organizations having ad hoc observer status
World Health Organization (WHO)
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

International intergovernmental organizations having ad hoc observer status on a meeting-by-meeting basis

European Free Trade Association (EFTA)

 

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Committee on Anti-dumping practices

International Monetary Fund (IMF)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank

International intergovernmental organizations having ad hoc observer status African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

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Committee on subsidies and countervailing measures 

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank

International intergovernmental organizations having ad hoc observer status
African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

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Committee on Safeguards

International Monetary Fund (IMF)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank

International intergovernmental organizations having ad hoc observer status
African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

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Committee on Agriculture

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
International Grains Council (IGC)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)
World Bank

International intergovernmental organizations having ad hoc observer status on a meeting-by-meeting basis
Inter-American Institute for Agricultural Cooperation (IICA)

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Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures

FAO International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)
FAO/WHO Joint Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex)
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
International Trade Centre (ITC)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank
World Health Organization (WHO)
World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE)

International intergovernmental organizations having ad hoc observer status on a meeting-by-meeting basis

Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD)
African Union (AU)
Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA)
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)
Gulf Cooperation Council Standardization Organization (GSO)
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP)
European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
Inter-American Institute for Agricultural Cooperation (IICA)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
Regional International Organization for Plant Protection and Animal Health (OIRSA)
Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS)
Southern African Development Community (SADC)
West African Economic and Monetary Union / Union Economique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine (WAEMU/UEMOA)

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Committee on Balance of Payments Restrictions

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank

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Committee on Regional Trade Agreements

European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Organization of American States (OAS)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank
Intergovernmental Standing Committee on Shipping (ISCOS)

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Committee on Trade and Development

ANDEAN Community
Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM)
Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CAEMC)
Commonwealth Secretariat
Cooperation Council for the Arab of States of the Gulf (GCC)
European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
International Grains Council (IGC)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International Trade Centre (ITC)
Latin American Economic System (SELA)
Latin American Association for Integration (ALADI)
Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS)
Organization of American States (OAS)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
Permanent Secretariat of the General Treaty on Central American Economic Integration (SIECA)
Southern African Development Community (SADC)
United Nations (UN)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE)
United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
World Bank

International intergovernmental organizations having ad hoc observer status on a meeting-by-meeting basis
African Union (AU)
Arab Maghreb Union (AMU)
Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) (1)
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)
Inter-Arab Investment Guarantee Cooperation (IAIGC)
International Coffee Organization (ICO)
Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)
Pacific Islands Forum
South Centre
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

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Committee on Trade and Environment

Bioversity International (ex International Plant Genetic Resources Institute)
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
International Trade Centre (ITC)
Latin American Economic System (SELA)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS)
Pacific Islands Forum
United Nations (UN)
United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
World Bank
World Customs Organization (WCO)
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

International intergovernmental organizations having ad hoc observer status
Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)
Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC)

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Committee on Market Access 

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank
World Customs Organization (WCO)

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Committee on import licensing

International Monetary Fund (IMF)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank

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Committee on Rules of Origin

European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International Textiles and Clothing Bureau (ITCB)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank
World Customs Organization (WCO)

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Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade 

African Organization for Standardisation (ARSO)
Bureau International des Poids et des Mesures (BIPM)
CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ)
European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Standardization Organization (GSO)
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML)
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
International Trade Centre (ITC)
Latin American Association for Integration (ALADI)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS)
Southern African Development Community (SADC)
UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission
World Bank
WOAH (founded as OIE)
World Health Organization (WHO)

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Committee on Trade-Related Investment Measures 

International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
United Nations (UN)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank

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Committee on Customs Valuation 

Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank
World Customs Organization (WCO)

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Committee on Trade in Financial Services 

International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS)
United Nations (UN)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank

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Working Party on GATS Rules 

International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
United Nations (UN)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank

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Working Party on Domestic Regulation 

International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS)
United Nations (UN)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank

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Committee on Specific Commitments 

International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
United Nations (UN)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank

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Working Group on Trade, Debt and Finance 

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International Trade Centre (ITC)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
United Nations (UN)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

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Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology 

International Monetary Fund (IMF)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
World Bank

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Committee on Government Procurement 

International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International Trade Centre (ITC)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

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Committee on Trade in Civil Aircraft 

International Monetary Fund (IMF)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

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Committee of Participants on the Expansion of Trade in Information Technology Products 

International Trade Centre (ITC)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
World Customs Organization (WCO) (2)
  

Bodies established by the TNC

Committee on Agriculture, Special Sessions

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
International Grains Council (IGC)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)
World Bank (WB)
  

Council for Trade in Services, Special Sessions

International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
International Trade Centre (ITC)
United Nations (UN)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank (WB)

IGOs invited on an ad-hoc/meeting-by-meeting basis
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
World Health Organization (WHO)
Universal Postal Union (UPU)
United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
  

Committee on Trade and Environment, Special Sessions

IGOs invited on an ad-hoc/meeting-by-meeting basis
Basel Convention
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
Flora (CITES)
Montreal Protocol
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
Rotterdam Convention
Stockholm Convention
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
World Customs Organization (WCO)
  

Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation

IGOs invited on an ad-hoc/meeting-by-meeting basis
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
World Bank (WB)
World Customs Organization (WCO)
 

  

Footnotes:
1.
When discussing the issue relating to commodities. back to text
2. When discussing issues concerning HS classification/amendments. back to text

WTO co-publications with other IGOs