The World Trade Organization — the WTO — is an international organization whose primary purpose is to open trade for the benefit of all. The WTO provides a forum for negotiating agreements aimed at reducing obstacles to international trade and ensuring a level playing field for all, thus contributing to economic growth and development. The WTO also provides a legal and institutional framework for the implementation and monitoring of these agreements, as well as for settling disputes arising from their interpretation and application. The current body of trade agreements comprising the WTO consists of 16 different multilateral agreements (to which all WTO members are parties) and two different plurilateral agreements (to which only some WTO members are parties).
Over the past 60 years, the WTO, which was established in 1995, and its predecessor organization the GATT have helped to create a strong and prosperous international trading system, thereby contributing to unprecedented global economic growth. The WTO currently has 164 members, of which 117 are developing countries or separate customs territories. WTO activities are supported by a Secretariat of some 700 staff, led by the WTO Director-General. The Secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland, and has an annual budget of approximately CHF 200 million ($180 million, €130 million). The three official languages of the WTO are English, French and Spanish.
As an international organization with 164 members (as of 31 December 2016), the WTO attaches great importance to the diversity of its staff, recognising that this diversity enriches the organization in a variety of ways. Recruitment is based on merit and ensuring the diversity of the organization. The working languages of the WTO are English, French and Spanish.
As of 31 December 2016, the WTO Secretariat had a total number of 628 staff on fixed-term or permanent contracts, representing 79 nationalities. To further increase diversity, the WTO launched in 2016 its Young Professional Programme to give young professionals from developing countries and least-developed countries (LDCs) that are under-represented in the WTO, the opportunity to gain work experience on trade-related issues.
The WTO seeks to attract and retain staff members offering the highest standards of competence, efficiency and integrity. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, the WTO gives full regard to merit and diversity.
The recruitment process for fixed-term positions at the WTO Secretariat normally consists of six steps:
The WTO's compensation policy is based on the principle of equal pay for work of equal value.