Membership Joining the WTO A global membership 26 30 - World Trade Organization
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Mem b e r s h ip Joining the WTO 26 A global membership 30
The WTO is open to states or customs
territories with full autonomy over their
external commercial relations. The accession
process promotes the integration of new
members into the global economy.
3
Membership
Joi n i ng t he W TO
• The Working Party on the Accession of South Sudan held its first meeting in March 2019.
• Ethiopia reactivated its accession process after a pause of several years.
• The Bahamas and Belarus advanced further in their accession negotiations.
• The WTO Secretariat organized its first training activity to focus on WTO rules in the
context of accession negotiations.
Background on Since the WTO was launched in 1995, 36 In December 2018, South Sudan took the first
joining the WTO members have joined the organization. Currently, step in the accession process by submitting
The WTO is open to states there are 22 working parties overseeing the a memorandum on its foreign trade regime,
or customs territories accession negotiations for countries seeking to a document which provides factual data on
with full autonomy over join the WTO. its trading rules and regulations. “This is an
their external commercial impressive achievement, since on average it has
relations. To join, a South Sudan taken seven years to prepare the MFTR for the
government has to bring At the first meeting of the Working Party on the nine accessions of least-developed countries
its economic and trade Accession of South Sudan on 21 March 2019, (LDCs) completed to date,” said the Working
policies in line with WTO
WTO members expressed support for working Party Chair, Ambassador Mohammad Qurban
rules and principles and
with the world’s youngest nation to advance its Haqjo (Afghanistan).
negotiate with WTO
members the guaranteed accession negotiations. South Sudan gained
minimum levels of access independence in July 2011. In December 2017,
to its domestic markets the 11th Ministerial Conference accepted its
for goods and services. request to begin WTO accession negotiations.
The accession process
promotes the integration of
new members into the global
economy. An accession
process begins when
WTO members accept an
application and establish a
working party. It concludes
when WTO members and
the acceding government
accept negotiated terms of
accession.
South Sudan
began accession
negotiations.
Joining the WTO
26 World Trade Organization Annual Report 2020 www.wto.org/members
The Bahamas
resumed its
accession 3
process.
Ethiopia reactivates its accession Belarus
After a near eight-year pause, Ethiopia The accession of Belarus has reached an
reactivated its accession process by circulating a advanced stage. First Deputy Prime Minister,
comprehensive set of documents to the Working Alexander Turchin, led a high-level government
Party, which met in January 2020 for the first time delegation, which included several ministers,
since March 2012. The Ethiopian delegation, at the 12th meeting of the Working Party on the
headed by Mamo Mihretu, senior advisor to Accession of Belarus in July.
the Ethiopian Prime Minister and chief trade
negotiator, said the country is ready to work with WTO members acknowledged progress in
members to advance and hopefully conclude the a number of areas, including government
accession process by the end of 2021. He called procurement, participation in the Information
on members to accelerate negotiations given Technology Agreement (ITA), import licensing,
Ethiopia’s status as an LDC. customs valuation and intellectual property. But
they also stressed the need for Belarus to address
The Bahamas trade-liberalizing reforms, such as implementing
At the fourth working party meeting in April 2019, market-oriented policies and increasing
WTO members welcomed The Bahamas’ efforts transparency. Belarus has concluded 16 bilateral
to maintain momentum since the resumption of market access agreements with WTO members.
its accession process in 2018. The Bahamas
concluded one bilateral market access agreement Azerbaijan, Bosnia and
with a WTO member. The Working Party Herzegovina, Comoros and
mandated the WTO Secretariat to prepare a Uzbekistan
factual summary of the discussions to date, which Azerbaijan engaged with WTO members to
will form the basis for further negotiations. advance bilateral market access negotiations and
When concluded, the accession of The Bahamas discussions on agricultural support. It submitted
would send “a strong signal about the relevance new negotiating documents, which will be the basis
of the system, including for small and vulnerable for convening the next working party meeting.
players in the global economy”, said the Chair of
the Working Party, Ambassador Andrew Staines
(United Kingdom).
Joining the WTO
www.wto.org/members World Trade Organization Annual Report 2020 27
Membership
The accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina is very Expression of interest for WTO
advanced. It finalized its ITA schedule, which membership
will form a part of its draft goods schedule upon
In October 2019, DG Azevêdo received an
its accession to the WTO. It also engaged in
application from Curaçao – a constituent country
outstanding bilateral market access negotiations
of the Kingdom of the Netherlands – to join the
with one WTO member. The next working
WTO as a separate customs territory.
party meeting will be convened as soon as this
negotiation is concluded. Technical assistance and outreach
Comoros has been working on new documentary The WTO Secretariat organized a range of
inputs for the next working party meeting in the technical assistance and capacity-building
first half of 2020. activities, including a two-week training course
Uzbekistan reactivated its accession after on WTO rules in the context of accession
a 14-year pause by submitting an updated negotiations. It was the first Secretariat activity to
memorandum on its foreign trade regime in July. focus on this specific area.
Uzbekistan hopes a working party meeting will be The eighth China Round Table on WTO
held in the first half of 2020. Accessions, which aims to assist acceding
governments by providing a platform for
Other accession processes
experience-sharing, took place in December
Equatorial Guinea informed the WTO in Moscow. Participants noted that accession
Secretariat that the government aims to finalize negotiations can provide inspiration for WTO
its memorandum on its foreign trade regime in reform. They urged acceding governments
early 2020. In preparation for the resumption of to harness possible synergies between their
Iraq’s accession, the WTO Secretariat and the accession negotiations and their regional
World Bank held a workshop for Iraqi government integration efforts.
officials in July.
Belarus made
major progress
in accession
negotiations.
Joining the WTO
28 World Trade Organization Annual Report 2020 www.wto.org/members
A series of activities took place under the “Trade The Secretariat increased collaboration with
for Peace” initiative, which aims to harness partners to support acceding governments’
The newly WTO accessions to promote sustainable peace. efforts. In October 2019, a conference took place
acceding Speaking at a session at the Public Forum within the framework of cooperation between the
countries are (see page 150) in October, Deputy Director- WTO, the International Monetary Fund and the 3
now the best General Alan Wolff said the enthusiasm of newly World Bank to discuss issues of common policy
acceding countries for using WTO membership interest in WTO accessions and to explore the
champions
as a peace-building instrument “is a reason for scope for heightened collaboration.
of the trading optimism” at a time of uncertainty for world trade.
system as a For a full list of WTO members and observers,
support for see page 184.
peace.
DDG Wolff
The WTO organized
a two-week training
course on accession
negotiations in
November 2019.
Joining the WTO
www.wto.org/members World Trade Organization Annual Report 2020 29
Membership
A global mem b e r s h ip
The WTO’s 164 members represent
98 per cent of world trade.
WTO members
Observers
Non-members
For a full list of WTO members
and observers, see page 184.
The map does not intend to show WTO members’
non-metropolitan/overseas territories or the status of
such territories in regard to the WTO agreements.
A global membership
30 World Trade Organization Annual Report 2020 www.wto.org/accessions3 A global membership www.wto.org/accessions World Trade Organization Annual Report 2020 31
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