Strategic Focus for 2017
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n° 71 - March 2017 Accessions Strategic Objectives Strategic Focus for 2017 Domestic reform instrument Accession of the Union of the Comoros: Report by Ambassador Luis Enrique Chávez Systemic update Basagoitia (Peru), Working Party Chairperson Market access expansion International cooperation for trade THIRD INFORMAL GROUP ON ACCESSIONS Tuesday, 4 April 2017 Agenda: Strategic Focus for 2017: Accession of the Union of the Comoros: Meeting with Members of Parliament Meeting with Chamber of Commerce Report by Ambassador Luis Enrique Ambassador Luis Enrique Chávez Basagoitia Government's efforts on WTO accession. For Chávez Basagoitia, Working Party the business community, WTO membership Chairperson (Peru), Chairperson of the Working Party on was seen as an opportunity to improve Accession of Lebanon: Report by Mr the Accession of the Union of the Comoros, Comoros' business environment, by Jean-Paul Thuillier (France), Working briefed IGA Members on his visit to Moroni integrating with global markets and adopting Party Chairperson on 8-10 March 2017. During his visit, the international practices and standards. Accession of Sudan Chairperson held a series of meetings with the Government of Comoros, including with At a Roundtable with the National Committee Accession Working Parties State of Play: H.E. Mr Azali Assoumani, President of the on WTO Accession, the Working Party Belarus and Azerbaijan Union of the Comoros; Mr Mohamed Chairperson engaged in a discussion with 35 Technical Assistance and Outreach: Fifth Daoudou, Minister of domestic stakeholders directly involved in the China Round Table on WTO Accessions; and, Interior; Mr Said Ali Said accession process, on the technical state-of- Training Course on Goods Schedules for Chayhane, Minister of play, the reasons for joining the WTO, and WTO Accession Finance; Mr Mohamed ongoing WTO developments. He also met Bacar Dossar, Minister of Accession Anniversaries in April: The former with Mr Michel Bua, Foreign Affairs; and, Mr Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Jordan, Resident Representative of Hamadi Idaroussi, the Secretary General of Nepal, Seychelles and Montenegro the IMF, to discuss possible the Government. Chaired by the WTO Secretariat (Maika assistance from the Fund Oshikawa, Officer in Charge of the Accessions These meetings reaffirmed the high level on the introduction of a Division). commitment and engagement of the value added tax which was Comorian Government and its determination a central component of the Comoros' reform to finalize accession negotiations by MC11. To agenda in order to streamline the current Stay connected the Comorian authorities, WTO membership system of collecting multiple taxes at the was central to the country's future socio- border. economic development. In parallel to these meetings, the Secretariat Meetings with Dr. Charif conducted a number of working sessions with Maoulana, the Deputy the Comorian technical team to assist in the Speaker of parliament preparation of inputs for the next cycle of confirmed the readiness of Working Party meetings. the Comorian legislature to Regarding next steps in the accession process, enact WTO-related Comoros is currently finalizing the submission legislation, starting at its next session in April. of revised inputs, including replies to The legislation package would include, inter Members' questions, a revised Legislative alia: (i) competition law; (ii) intellectual Action Plan, a revised TRIPS checklist and property, i.e. the ratification of the Bangui revised market access offers on goods and Agreement; (iii) codes on fisheries and services. In parallel, the Secretariat is agriculture; (iv) a revised SPS law; (v) trade preparing the Factual Summary of Points remedy legislation; (vi) Codex Alimentarius; Raised, in English, based on the revised inputs (vii) a law on economic zones; and (viii) a law submitted by Comoros. Subject to timely on import and export licensing. circulation of all documentation, the next The Working Party Chairperson also met with Working Party meeting will take place in May. the Chamber of Commerce of Industries and On bilateral market access negotiations, Agriculture of Comoros, including its Comoros is planning to sign the first set of president, Mr Ahmed Bazi and 20 bilateral market access agreements on the representatives from different business margins of the next Working Party meeting. Accession of Comoros — Working Party sectors, who pledged their full support to the Chairperson’s visit in Moroni — 8-10 March 2017 1 n° 71 - March 2017 Strategic Focus for 2017 (cont’d) Accession of Lebanon: Report by Mr Jean-Paul Chairperson met with the delegation of Sudan: Following the last Working Party Thuillier, Working Party Chairperson Lebanon, including Ambassador Riachi meeting held on 31 January 2017, Sudan has Assaker in Geneva and the Secretariat, to been preparing the negotiating inputs for the review the latest state-of-play and next steps, next cycle of the Working Party, including including the timing for the next meeting of replies to Members' questions, the checklist the Working Party. on customs valuation, the questionnaires on state trading and import licensing procedure, Regarding next-steps, a comprehensive set of as well as updates to the Memorandum on updated documentation is expected to be the Foreign Trade Regime. They will be circulated to the Working Party by the end of made available to the Working Party week of 3 April. The updated documentation following the on-going technical exchanges includes: (i) the draft Working Party Report; with the Secretariat. (ii) the Legislative Action Plan and accompanying legislation; (iii) Agriculture At the request of Sudan, the Secretariat has Mr Jean-Paul Thuillier (France), Chairperson of Supporting Tables; (iv) the questionnaires on sent a technical mission to Khartoum from 3 the Working Party on the Accession of state trading, customs valuation and import to 7 April to assist Sudan's technical team in Lebanon, briefed the IGA on the recent licensing procedure, as well as checklists on updating its services offer. This mission is developments in the accession of Lebanon. SPS, TBT and TRIPS; and, (iv) an Aide Memoire followed by a visit of Mr Ryosuke Kuwana, Since the Chairperson's visit to Beirut in that reflect developments in Lebanon's Chairperson of the Working Party on the March 2016, the accession of Lebanon, which foreign trade regime since the last Working Accession of Sudan from 9 to 11 April. had been dormant since 2009, has slowly Party in 2009. Following the circulation of the A series of meetings with the Government of th gained a momentum to re-start the formal documentation, the 8 meeting of the Sudan, the private sector and the media are Working Party process. Following the Working Party is envisaged in May. being planned during his visit to Khartoum. technical work undertaken by the Lebanese team in 2016, there has been an improved The Chairperson also underlined the strategic political environment with the appointment of importance of Lebanon's membership in the a new President, H.E. Michel Aoun in October WTO which will contribute to peace and 2016, followed by the formation of a new security in the region. WTO membership Government led by Prime Minister Saad Hariri could provide improved economic in December. Early in the New Year, the opportunities and economic stability for its Chairperson got in touch with the new Trade population, which is currently overwhelmed Minister Mr Raed Khoury, who is also the by hosting 1.5 million of Syrian refugees, i.e. Chief Negotiator on Lebanon's accession. one fourth of the population. He urged Members to assist and support Lebanon on During the Secretariat's 6-day mission to its way to WTO membership, recognizing the Beirut in February, the Lebanese accession enormous economic and social burdens the Training course on Goods for WTO Accessions — team worked intensively to update all country has undertaken. He also shared that Participant from Sudan— Geneva, 27-31 March 2017 negotiating inputs. In addition, a Roadmap for Prime Minister Saad Hariri was visiting France the resumption of Lebanon's accession and Europe to mobilize support from the process was agreed. In March, the international community in this regard. Accession Working Parties State of Play resources in Minsk and at its Geneva mission, trading enterprises and three pieces of including the appointment of Mr Dmitri legislation. On the basis of these inputs, the Fomchenko as Deputy Permanent Secretariat will revise the draft Working Representative dedicated to the trade Party Report. Azerbaijan is also expected to dossier. submit a revised Legislative Action Plan, updated agriculture supporting tables; and On the multilateral front, the Secretariat the replies to questions raised on the transmitted to Minsk the questions received agriculture supporting tables. The next from six delegations, following the last meeting of the Working Party is tentatively Working Party meeting held in January. Accession of Belarus — Meeting with Amb. Serpikov scheduled for June. Geneva, 27 March 2017 Belarus is preparing its replies to these questions, revised Agriculture Supporting Belarus: A delegation of Belarus led by Tables, the questionnaire on state trading Ambassador Vladimir Serpikov, Chief and the draft subsidies notification. Upon Negotiator for the WTO accession, visited receipt of these inputs, the Secretariat will Geneva during the week of 27 March. The prepare a draft Report of the Working Party,