Organizational aspects of an NTFB

A large variety of NTFB exists often under names such as committees, working groups. The UNCTAD repository for example focused on bodies, often working groups, active during the WTO negotiating process. Many more approaches are established formally or informally at agency or sub-state level to organize ad-hoc stakeholder dialogues.
A NTFB is a body that operates on a national scale and is active at all the three levels of engagement outline before: strategic, operational and technical.
The specific national context and mandate of the NTFB define its organizational design. Recommendation No.4 UN/CEFACT describes how the structure of such a body could look like, who the members may be, how the resources can be allocated, and how it can interact with existing bodies at national and regional level. It does not prescribe a single organizational design but formulates recommendations based on past experiences. It should be read in conjunction with UN/CEFACT Recommendation No. 40 that describes basic principles to be adopted to ensure that consultation approaches are flexible, transparent, fair, accountable and participatory
Key ideas of the Recommendation No. 4 are summarized on the following three pages: structure , membership and resources. To read more about UN/CEFACT Recommendation No. 40 proceed to basic principles.

It is worthwhile noting that a NTFB does not operate in isolation: other cross-government bodies with a related objective, sub-state bodies, and regional bodies may exist. To fit into this institutional landscape the NTFB can collaborate actively with these bodies and also establish links with NTFB in other countries. The UN/CEFACTRecommendation No. 4 also points out that a pre-existing body that functions in a sustainable manner may be assigned the function and responsibilities of a NTFB. This is to avoid duplication.