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Ministerial Conference Tenth Session Nairobi, 15-18 December 2015
SUMMARY RECORD OF THE FOURTH MEETING
HELD AT THE KENYATTA INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE (KICC), NAIROBI, KENYA ON WEDNESDAY, 16 DECEMBER, AT 4.30 P.M.
Chairperson: Her Excellency Dr Amina Mohamed (Kenya)
1 ACTION BY MINISTERS (AGENDA ITEM 2) – ACCESSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA
1.1. The Chairperson welcomed H.E. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia and H.E. President Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya. President Kenyatta's presence attested to the importance that Kenya attached to welcoming an African country to the WTO family during the first Ministerial Conference held on African soil. The presence of the President of Liberia at the meeting was a demonstration of Liberia's commitment to its domestic reform processes and to furthering their common goals as embodied in the multilateral trading system under the WTO. She also welcomed other members of the delegation of Liberia that were present at the session, especially H.E. Mr. Axel Addy, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Chief Negotiator for the Accession of Liberia.
1.2. She said that, as she had indicated during the Opening Session, the Ministerial Conference would take up the Accession of the Republic of Liberia under item 2 of the Agenda, Action by Ministers. She recalled that on 6 October 2015, the Working Party had approved, ad referendum, the accession package of the Republic of Liberia. The Report of the Working Party was then before the Ministerial Conference in documents WT/ACC/LBR/23 - WT/MIN(15)/2 and Addenda 1 and 2, for consideration and adoption. She invited the Chairperson of the Working Party of the Accession of Liberia, Ambassador Joakim Reiter (Sweden), to introduce the Report of the Working Party.
1.3. Ambassador Joakim Reiter (Sweden), Chairperson of the Working Party of the Accession of Liberia, presented the Report of the Working Party. He was honoured to do so in the presence of H.E. President Uhuru Kenyatta and H.E. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who had provided the leadership and the vision to make that accession possible. He welcomed H.E. Minister Axel Addy and the distinguished delegation of Liberia and the members of Liberia's negotiating team.
1.4. The Working Party on the accession of the Republic of Liberia had been established on 18 December 2007 to examine Liberia's request for WTO accession. In total, the accession process of Liberia had taken eight years minus two days. The Working Party had held four formal meetings including the final working party meeting held on 6 October 2015. The intensity of the accession negotiations had increased significantly in 2015. During that year until the end of the process, there had been a non-stop engagement in the Working Party requiring determination and endurance from Liberia represented by its entire negotiating team. In the end, Liberia had succeeded. On 6 October, the Working Party and all WTO Members had agreed, ad referendum, Liberia's Accession Package.
1.5. He was therefore honoured that day to introduce the Accession Package of Liberia and to report on the conclusions and recommendations of the Package. The results of the negotiations constituting the terms of accession were contained in the following documents: the Report of the Working Party circulated in WT/MIN(15)/2, the Schedule of Concessions and Commitments on WT/MIN(15)/SR/4
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Goods in WT/MIN(15)/2/Add.1 and the Schedules of Specific Commitments on Services in WT/MIN(15)/2/Add.2. By adopting on an ad referendum basis the Accession Package of Liberia, the Working Party had completed its mandate and it had forwarded a report that he presented that day to the Ministerial Conference for formal decision. The appendix to the report contained a draft Decision for the Ministerial Conference and a Draft Protocol on the Accession of the Republic of Liberia to the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization. The Accession Protocol incorporated by reference the specific commitments undertaken by Liberia in the Report of the Working Party.
1.6. Thanks to the important actions taken over the course of the Accession negotiations, Liberia was far advanced in the adoption of WTO-consistent national legislations. Over 110 laws and regulations had been notified to the WTO for multilateral review. The progress on the legislative front including the clear sense of ownership of the process shown by Liberia's legislature had significantly contributed to the forward momentum in their work over the past year.
1.7. As Chairperson of the Working Party, following his assessment of the accession package of Liberia with the Secretariat team, compared to 34 previous accession packages, he was in the position to report to the Ministerial Conference, that the accession package of Liberia was of high quality especially considering that Liberia was an LDC. The Package would contribute to strengthening the rules-based multilateral trading system. It also provided Liberia with a long- term agenda for sustained, legislation-based domestic reforms in a manner that genuinely promoted trade and investment for economic welfare of its people.
1.8. He paid tribute to Liberia's team of devoted and committed negotiators under the leadership of Minister Addy. The work of the entire Liberian negotiating team had been exemplary. The fact that Liberia had worked tirelessly in the midst of a horrific and devastating health crisis with global ramifications made its achievement all the more significant. He commended the Members for working hard to support Liberia and for demonstrating goodwill and pragmatism throughout the process. He appreciated the Director-General's support and paid tribute the Secretariat staff who had supported him and had assisted Liberia throughout the process, in particular the Director of the Accession Division, the Secretary and the Co-Secretary of the Working Party. They had worked consistently – providing guidance and expert support, helping them manage the ebbs and flows that every accession was naturally confronted with.
1.9. In his capacity as the Chairperson of the Working Party, he had the privilege to commend the Protocol of Accession of the Republic of Liberia for approval and to commend the draft Decision and the Report of the Working Party for adoption by the Ministerial Conference.
1.10. The Chairperson thanked Ambassador Reiter for having served as Chairperson of the Working Party for the last three years. In light of the report presented by Ambassador Reiter, she then took up the package of Liberia's accession documents one by one. In keeping with usual practice, she would begin with the draft Protocol of Accession of the Republic of Liberia as contained in the Report of the Working Party. She invited the Ministerial Conference to approve the draft Protocol of Accession of the Republic of Liberia.
1.11. She then invited the Ministerial Conference, in accordance with the Decision-Making Procedures under Articles IX and XII of the WTO Agreement agreed in November 1995 (WT/L/93), to adopt the draft Decision on the Accession of the Republic of Liberia as contained in the Report of the Working Party.
1.12. She then invited the Ministerial Conference to adopt the Report of the Working Party as a whole in documents WT/ACC/LBR/23-WT/MIN(15)/2 and the Addenda 1 and 2.
1.13. The Ministerial Conference so agreed.
1.14. The Chairperson welcomed the Decision the Ministerial Conference had taken on the Accession of the Republic of Liberia to the World Trade Organization. She congratulated H.E. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and her entire team, and the People and the Government of Liberia on the successful completion of their WTO accession process. The Decision on the Accession of Liberia was another sign of the world's confidence in the WTO and the multilateral trading system.
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Through its future membership in the WTO, Liberia would have a stable and predictable framework for economic engagement with other nations which would boost trade, growth and prosperity.
1.15. She informed the Ministerial Conference that the Signing Ceremony of the Accession Protocol by President Johnson Sirleaf and the Director-General would take place immediately following the session. The Government of Liberia would then submit the Protocol for ratification by its legislative assembly. In keeping with WTO provisions, Liberia would become a Member of the WTO thirty days following the deposit of the Instrument of Acceptance of the Protocol by Liberia.
1.16. The President of the Republic of Liberia, H.E. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, was certain that the deliberations of the Ministers the previous day, the first day of the Tenth Session of the Ministerial Conference, had been productive because every hour spent on the negotiations was critical to a successful outcome.
1.17. Liberia's accession to the World Trade Organization marked another turning point in its history as it embarked on a journey of economic transformation for inclusive growth. Although long and tough, the road to accession had come with milestones of economic growth with a GDP growth from 5.3% in 2005 to 8.7% in 2013.
1.18. With over ten unbroken years of peace and stability, Liberia had created the fiscal space by removing its external debt burden of $4.9 billion dollars through the HIPC process. Liberia had increased domestic revenue from $80 million to a peak of $470 million in 2014, and had mobilized substantial support to invest in trade facilitation infrastructure.
1.19. In the power sector, electricity on the national grid had increased from zero to 23 megawatts. Additionally, Liberia was then completing various projects to add another 38 megawatts of power. Those investments had facilitated expansion of electricity coverage from 5,000 households in 2005 to 32,000 households in 2015. Its aim was to reach a target of 54,000 households by 2017 across the country.
1.20. Additionally, the rehabilitation of Liberia's Mount Coffee Hydro plant was underway which, once completed, would further expand its power generation and distribution capacity to 88 megawatts. However, that would not meet all of its needs. Consequently, it had recently passed a new electricity bill that would allow private participation in the sector.
1.21. In the transport sector, Liberia had also invested in expanding its road networks to improve access to markets for its producers. However, the high cost and severe climatic conditions had made that challenging. Nevertheless, the Liberian Government had paved or rehabilitated nearly 698 kilometres of city, inter-county, and neighbourhood roads, the highest by any administration in Liberia. By the end of 2017, the number of paved roads would be 960 kilometres of which 220 kilometres would be newly paved roads.
1.22. Liberia continued to solidify investments in improving its ports of entry and was aggressively pursuing new investment opportunities that would modernize its ports infrastructure.
1.23. In the social services sector, targeted investments had been made to provide better services for the Liberians. As a result, Liberia had increased school enrolment to over 1.5 million in 2015, with girls' enrolment constituting nearly 50%. By 2017 it expected that number to increase to 2.6 million. It had trained some 10,000 teachers to support its ambition. While it was true that Ebola had exposed the fragility of the health sector, access to health services had increased from 41% in 2007 to 71% in 2013, which had been made possible through increase in health facilities from 354 in 2006 to 712 by 2012. Liberia remained committed to rebuilding a more resilient health system.
1.24. The private sector, no doubt remained the engine of growth. Liberia had put in place policies and procedures to ensure a more transparent and predictable business climate for equitable growth. That day was a testament to its commitment to domestic reforms to enhance its business climate for inclusive growth. Liberia had placed special emphasis on small and medium-sized enterprises to drive its agenda of inclusion. Notably, the Liberian legislature had passed the Small Business Empowerment Act, which required 25% public procurement for SMEs.
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1.25. Despite progress over the past ten years, there was still more to be done. Many of those achievements had been severely impacted by a health crisis, which had also crippled the Liberian economy and had devastated the lives of so many of its citizens. Liberia's economy had also suffered another devastation with the dramatic drop in global prices of two of its major export commodities – rubber and iron ore. Those two major challenges had caused a significant drop in its GDP as critical sectors in its economy had been negatively impacted. However, as a resilient people, with the support of the global community driven by acts of human kindness, Liberia had combated a virus that thrived on human kindness. At present, Liberia had the capacity to respond swiftly to contain that menace and had embarked on rebuilding a more resilient economy.
1.26. As Liberia joined the WTO, it did so with the conviction that membership and participation in the multilateral trading system would yield new opportunities to foster its transformation agenda. Liberia embraced the underlying principles of the system, rooted in the rule of law, fairness, transparency, mutual respect, with mutual benefits for all.
1.27. In so doing, Liberia remained steadfast in its efforts to implement domestic reforms and modernize its systems and procedures. In its commitment to economic diversification, it had prioritized agriculture (cocoa, rice, fisheries and agro-processing) and tourism as sectors with high potential for jobs creation for its people.
1.28. Liberia was endowed with over 40% of the tropical rain forest in West Africa, the largest in the region. It accounted for some of the most spectacular biodiversity in the world, including as a primary home to the pigmy hippo. It was ideal for eco-tourism.
1.29. With over 580 kilometres of beautiful white sandy beaches along the Atlantic, Liberia tourism had benefitted from the dare devil surfers who dared to challenge some of the biggest waves in the world. Additionally, with so many beautiful lakes, lagoons, rivers and streams, coastal and marine tourism represented great opportunities for investments. Liberia therefore welcomed investors in those sectors while offering its assurances of the most favourable incentives for investment. Liberia was also largely a country with a youthful population of over 60%, most of who were under the age of 25, which also presented opportunities for manufacturing and ICT.
1.30. Liberia recognized that its transformation could neither be done alone, nor in isolation, but by forging partnerships based on the foundation of mutual respect with mutual benefits.
1.31. Liberia saluted its partners who had made its accession a resounding success and wished to assure all of them that it was open for business as a respectable partner. It also affirmed that it fully subscribed to the common African position on strengthening the rules-based multilateral trading system for the Africa they wanted; founded on principles of respectable, fair, and transparent global trade with mutual benefits for all.
1.32. She congratulated the people of Afghanistan on their accession to be celebrated the following day.
1.33. She also congratulated President Kenyatta and the people of Kenya and said how proud she was of their leadership in hosting MC10, the first in Africa. She thanked Director-General Roberto Azevêdo, Mr. Chiedu Osakwe and his team in the Accessions division for their support to Liberia's accession and in celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the WTO. She recognized and thanked the Government of Sweden and in particular Ambassador Joakim Reiter for his leadership as the Chair of the Working Party over the years.
1.34. Liberia's accession would not have been realized without the talents of the Liberian technicians, public servants whose talents and commitment had made Liberia's success possible.
1.35. She assured the Chairperson that Liberia intended to serve as an active Member to foster trade as a tool for driving trade and investment for development and poverty reduction. She believed that the WTO had a critical role to play.
1.36. She wished everyone a successful deliberation and looked forward to celebrating with all of them a positive Nairobi outcome that fostered fairer, more equitable trade for the prosperity of all of their peoples in a world they all wanted to live in. Asante Sana.
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1.37. The President of the Republic of Kenya, H.E. President Uhuru Kenyatta, congratulated President Elin Johnson Sirleaf on the Ministerial Conference's approval of the terms and conditions of the WTO Membership of the Republic of Liberia. He was particularly pleased that the decision had been taken in Nairobi – on African soil. Without a doubt, WTO Membership carried considerable gains and benefits. The foresight and leadership of President Sirleaf had made the completion of Liberia's accession possible with the support and leadership provided by the Director-General. The accession package of Liberia provided a platform for continuing domestic reforms and should inspire other African countries in their domestic reform measures.
1.38. The Director-General said that it was a great honour to be joined by President Kenyatta and President Sirleaf. He understood that when Kenya had celebrated its national day, President Kenyatta had granted President Sirleaf with the highest national honour: Chief of The Order of The Golden Heart of Kenya. The WTO joined President Kenyatta in his salute to her.
1.39. He welcomed President Sirleaf to the Tenth WTO Ministerial Conference and congratulated her on Liberia's accession. He paid tribute to her engagement and leadership which had brought them to that point. It was particularly appropriate that, at the first WTO Ministerial Conference in Africa, the Membership would be welcoming a new African Member.
1.40. The approval of Liberia’s accession marked the WTO's 35th completed accession process. Those were demanding negotiations. The process was complex and included structural reforms across many areas. Each negotiation was distinct but ultimately they all represented a commitment to core values of the organization: openness, transparency, good governance, and the rule of law. Liberia had shown that commitment and it had done so in the face of extremely challenging circumstances. He paid tribute to Liberia’s efforts to overcome the scourge of Ebola and hoped that its accession would help the country to continue on the path of hope, progress and development.
1.41. WTO membership could have a big impact. It would announce to the world that a Member was open for business, would show one's determination to attract inward investment and would put the power in that Member's hands to use trade to create jobs, raise incomes, and improve people's lives. The WTO would keep on working with Liberia to ensure that those benefits would be delivered.
1.42. It was a historic day for Liberia and a proud day for the WTO. In welcoming Liberia, the WTO would bring a new least-developed country into the organization. Liberia would bring the number of LDCs in the WTO to 35 — more than a fifth of the Membership. The WTO valued that diversity in the way it worked as an organization. He had no doubt that Liberia would make good use of the platform that the WTO provided to make its voice heard.
1.43. He looked forward to Liberia's active participation in all aspects of the work of the organization. Liberia had already taken important steps in that direction. On trade facilitation, for example, Liberia had been fully engaged in establishing a one-stop-shop for its customs procedures. He hoped Liberia would keep that drive. It should also continue its programme of reforms. For that to happen in a smooth and timely manner, the WTO should ensure that new Members, especially the most fragile, would have the tools and resources available to implement their commitments. This was precisely the aim of the “WTO Post-Accession Implementation Support Strategy”. He thus encouraged the multilateral and bilateral development communities to follow that closely and to lend their support to those important efforts.
1.44. Over the last few months, the WTO had the chance to interact closely with Liberia's negotiating team. He congratulated and thanked them for their hard work and determination. In particular, he commended Minister Axel Addy for his work as Chief Negotiator. Minister Addy had become a familiar face in Geneva during the process. The accession would not have been successful without the kind of personal commitment that the Minister had demonstrated throughout the process. He also thanked Ambassador Joakim Reiter. One could not wish for a more effective, knowledgeable and determined Chair. His gratitude also went to all WTO Members, and the WTO Secretariat — including Mr. Chiedu Osakwe, Director of the Accessions Division — for their constructive role in the process.
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1.45. It took many pairs of hands to build a vibrant multilateral trading system. He was sure that Liberia's contribution would help strengthen the system for the benefit of all. On behalf of all Members, he welcomed Liberia to the WTO.
1.46. The representative of Lesotho, on behalf of the African Group, congratulated the Government and the People of the Republic of Liberia for having successfully concluded the accession process to join the WTO – a significant event at MC10. The African Group welcomed a fellow African as the newest Member of the WTO and also welcomed the President of the Republic of Liberia and her entire delegation to the special event. The accession of Liberia was not only a special event for Liberia but also for the whole of Africa especially after the devastating effect of Ebola. The African Group commended the Government of Liberia through Minister Addy for the level of leadership, commitment and professionalism that he and his negotiators had demonstrated.
1.47. The integration of Liberia into the rules-based multilateral trading system would further assist in the efforts to achieve higher volumes of trade, higher rate of economic growth, faster development and tremendously improve livelihood for the Liberians to confront and overcome the many challenges they faced. Accession to the WTO represented a giant step towards the creation of a dynamic trading environment in Liberia and was therefore pivotal for a higher sustained and inclusive economic growth and rapid and sustainable socio-economic development.
1.48. With Liberia's accession, the presence and strength of both the African Group and the LDCs in the WTO had increased. Liberia's membership would further add dynamism and strength to the African Group in advancing its common agenda. Liberia had contributed to the work of the African Group in the WTO as an Observer and the group looked forward to working closely with Liberia in pursuit of their collective interest.
1.49. To enable Liberia to benefit from the multilateral trading system, the African Group called upon Members and development partners to continue supporting Liberia in its post-accession programme to increase trade opportunities and meaningful integration into the global economy.
1.50. The African Group thanked the Chairperson of the Working Party for his stewardship and guidance during Liberia's accession process. The group also appreciated the hard work and efforts by the Accessions Division led by its Director – Mr. Chiedu Osakwe who played a catalytic role in making Liberia's accession come to fruition.
1.51. The representative of the United States was proud to be present as Liberia's accession to the WTO was finalized. There were strong historical and personal ties between the two countries. Freed slaves from the United States had played a critical role in Liberia's founding. The colours of their flags and the structure of their governments were similar. The Liberian national motto "the love of liberty brought us here" echoed strongly throughout American history as it did throughout Liberian history. Common history and common aspirations gave that occasion a special significance for the United States. As a friend and partner of Liberia, the United States congratulated Liberia on its achievement.
1.52. President Johnson Sirleaf had declared the goal of completing the negotiations in time for approval at the Tenth WTO Ministerial Conference. He was delighted that his government had been able to play a small role in supporting Liberia in meeting that goal. He conveyed his admiration and congratulated President Johnson Sirleaf and her remarkable team led by Minister Addy. Under their leadership, Liberia's approach to the accession process had been constructive and progressive.
1.53. Liberia had taken strong commitments to implement its WTO obligations on an accelerated basis. Collectively, those commitments represented a big step forward. New laws, new institutions and a strong commitment to using the WTO to foster economic and commercial reform made Liberia's accession an important milestone both for Liberia and for the WTO.
1.54. That day was the first day of what he hoped to be Liberia's long and productive participation in the WTO – adding another voice of Africa to that important forum. The United States applauded Liberia for its significant achievement and for all that it had accomplished to get there. It looked forward to working together with Liberia as a full Member of the WTO.
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1.55. The representative of Bangladesh, on behalf of the LDCs, was delighted to be present at such a historical moment for the People and the Government of Liberia. It was also a special day for the LDCs as Liberia would be the 35th LDC Member in the WTO. The LDCs hoped that the Accession Package of Liberia would be formally adopted that day. The group congratulated Liberia for acceding to the WTO and welcomed it to the LDC Group.
1.56. Liberia had started its journey in 2007 and had successfully completed its negotiation in 2015 with the fast-track services provided by the Secretariat. To fully benefit on the demand and emerging opportunities in world trade, accession to the WTO would help in paving the way to integrate to the multilateral rules-based trading system where disciplines were harmonized for all its Members irrespective of one's level of development.
1.57. Being the weakest part of the global value chain, LDCs would need support to compete with the stronger trading partners in the world. LDCs faced capacity constraints to cope with international trade. By joining the fair, equitable and universally beneficial multilateral trading system that the WTO represented, LDCs could gain greater market access opportunities to shake off poverty and to move forward to sustainable development and peace. Being a WTO Member meant entering into the mainstream of international trade, the rules-based multilateral trading system where each Member had equal rights. The LDCs thus thanked the accession Working Party and the WTO Secretariat for extending cooperation in supporting Liberia.
1.58. From 2007 to 2015, Liberia had to follow a complex and tough accession process aided by the fast track accession services provided by the Secretariat. The rules-based system would bring a level playing field for Liberia for free and non-discriminatory market access. As an LDC, Liberia would also enjoy the benefits of special and differential treatment under the WTO that could help further gain more favourable market access in the developed and developing country Member markets. Utilizing those benefits and tackling post-accession challenges such as protection of domestic industrialization, producers, and legal capacity involvement would require sincere and successful fulfilment of obligations by the Liberian Government under WTO law. It had already been found that accession to the WTO was a very complex, protected and difficult process. It was even more so for the LDCs. That was why the LDCs were given special consideration by the Membership in its accession process. The LDCs therefore called upon the WTO Membership to fully operationalize the 2002 and addendum of 2012 General Council Decisions on the LDC Accession Guidelines with a view to conclude remaining LDC accessions expeditiously.
1.59. The effort put in by the Government of Liberia would bear fruit. The LDCs hoped that Liberia would be able to fully exercise its rights in the organization, would reap the benefits of WTO Membership and would continue its progress towards lasting peace and sustainable development for the Liberians. It was an important milestone for the WTO but it was not the end of the road. As many as twelve LDCs were yet to accede in the WTO. Those LDCs should ease their way to the WTO for better integration and for economic development for all. Cooperation among all Members and agencies were required to cope with the rules of WTO and domestic reforms.
1.60. The LDC Group expressed its all-out support and solidarity to the Republic of Liberia. The Group wished that through the process of accession, the Republic of Liberia would soon be well integrated into the multilateral trading system, opening avenues and equitable development.
1.61. The representative of the European Union was happy to be in Nairobi to celebrate the accession of another African Member to the WTO. She congratulated Liberia for its significant achievement. The European Union knew that President Sirleaf had gone through difficult political and security circumstances and thus saluted her efforts to pass reforms and modernize Liberia's internal legal and policy framework given those constraints.
1.62. In the course of the accession process, the European Union had taken due account of the specific constraints faced by Liberia as a least-developed country. Her delegation was convinced that Liberia's accession set the right conditions for it to fully integrate in global trade: it was then time for Liberia to take advantage of it. She encouraged Liberia to continue on the path of internal reforms. By acceding to the WTO, Liberia was given the opportunity to reap the benefits of a strong rules-based system ensuring a level playing-field for all players.
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1.63. The European Union would continue to play its role and lend its support with technical assistance. Furthermore, Liberia already benefited from the EU Everything But Arms regime, and would continue to do so. Her delegation also welcomed Liberia's accession as a clear signal that the WTO membership remained very attentive to facilitating the integration of LDCs in the multilateral trading system. The EU would continue to promote the WTO as an organization that was open, inclusive, and mindful of those most in need.
1.64. A number of countries were also knocking at the door and many had worked hard, some being very close to the finish line. The European Union committed to work actively with a view to moving those accessions resolutely forward. She thanked President Sirleaf, Ambassador Reiter and the WTO Secretariat and their respective teams for their hard work during Liberia's accession process. The EU was pleased to welcome its partner in the Africa-Caribbean-Pacific group as a new Member of the WTO family.
1.65. The representative of Benin endorsed the statements made by the African and the LDC Groups. Benin paid tribute to its ancestors who had enabled Africans to hold the Tenth WTO Ministerial Conference in Africa – the first of its kind in the continent. Benin congratulated the people and government of Liberia and highly appreciated the personal involvement and leadership of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in the process. Despite the difficult conditions and the economic, social and humanitarian concerns caused by the Ebola epidemic which disrupted economic and social life in the country, Liberia had been able to move its accession process forward.
1.66. The Republic of Benin and the Republic of Liberia shared the same community values of trade and economic integration, and were both LDCs. Similarly, the delegation of Benin, like Liberia, believed that the multilateral trading system and multilateral trade negotiations could ensure the development of rules, principles and mechanisms that would promote economic growth, job creation, the fight against poverty and sustainable development. Benin thus wished Liberia success in its new march towards prosperity.
1.67. The representative of China expressed China's appreciation to the Ministerial Conference's decision to approve the accession of Liberia to the WTO and congratulated Liberia for its achievement. As a Chinese saying stated, "efforts will be paid off". Liberia had spent eight years facing tough negotiations for its accession. Nevertheless, as the experience of China and many other WTO Members had shown, WTO membership would open a new door to economic and social development for Liberia and would therefore increase its people’s income and well-being. It would help Liberia better integrate into the global economy and promote its economic development.
1.68. The accession of Liberia was of great significant to the WTO. At the WTO's twentieth anniversary, Liberia’s accession not only demonstrated the WTO's appeal and vitality to the world, but also made the organization more universal and representative. In addition, it served as an example for other LDCs applying for WTO membership.
1.69. There was a Liberian proverb which said that "if you have not had rice, you have not eaten". Liberia took rice and fish as important dishes and the Chinese shared the same habits. China had always supported Liberia's accession. Within the Aid-for Trade framework, China had launched the China Programme in 2011 and Liberia was one of the beneficiaries. The Government of China had renewed that arrangement on the China Programme with the WTO Secretariat on 14 December. Liberia was one of the important trading partners of China in Africa. China had offered sound south-south cooperation and investment to Liberia and had launched, two weeks ago, ten cooperative projects with African counties, including Liberia.
1.70. That day marked the end of Liberia's accession process signalling the dawn of its integration into the multilateral trading system. China stood ready to enhance its cooperation with Liberia within the WTO framework and would work together to safeguard and promote the multilateral trading system. China congratulated Liberia on its accession and hoped that everyone would have a good stay in Kenya.
1.71. The representative of Senegal thanked President Uhuru Kenyatta and the People of Kenya for their hospitality and warm welcome. Senegal congratulated the Chairperson on her leadership in conducting the meetings in the Conference and wished that there would be success in Nairobi. Senegal thanked and congratulated the Director-General for his tireless efforts to enable Members
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1.72. After a marathon filled with obstacles, it was with resounding success that Liberia had completed its accession process, becoming the 163rd Member of the WTO. Its accession came at a symbolic moment as the WTO celebrated its twentieth anniversary and held its tenth session of the Ministerial Conference in Africa. That confirmed the WTO's role in a strong and consensus-based multilateral trading system where the concerns and the status of the most vulnerable Members and the LDCs would be fully taken into account. It was an occasion for Senegal to say that it would do all that it could to preserve the multilateral trading system.
1.73. Despite its status as a least-developed country and despite the health challenges it had faced, the Government of Liberia had made remarkable efforts to meet the requirements of its negotiating partners. Its accession package indicated a high level of openness in the areas of market access for goods and services, and quite substantial efforts to bring its trade regime and legislative framework in line with WTO requirements. Liberia would thus come to enrich the list of Members that had placed their hopes in the multilateral trading system because they were certain that trade could contribute to the reduction of poverty as had been rightly said by Minister Addy at the meeting of the Working Group on 6 October. Like him, Senegal also sincerely hoped that the accession would allow the building of a better Liberia, contributing to the regional and global economy in the context of multilateral trade rules.
1.74. Senegal, as the current Chair of ECOWAS, reiterated the solidarity of all ECOWAS member- States to the community of Liberia and ensured their support for Liberia in its new status as a WTO Member, and particularly to help Liberia comply with the rules and take advantage of the benefits linked to the multilateral trading system. Senegal congratulated H.E. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for Liberia's accession and for her tireless contributions to the achievement of regional integration within ECOWAS. Liberia was emerging from a difficult period. The WTO should therefore allow it to take advantage of the benefits of its Membership for its economic growth, sustainable development and poverty reduction.
1.75. The representative of Ghana congratulated the Government and the People of the Republic of Liberia for their achievement and welcomed them to the WTO. Liberia had come a long way having gone through years of war exacerbated by the devastation caused by the Ebola Virus. Liberia's accession demonstrated its commitment to the rules-based WTO. The organization's pre- eminence as a forum for multilateral trade negotiations through which poor and vulnerable Members could benefit from international trade could not be down-played. It was evident in the personal participation in the ceremony by H.E. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, whose presence had added colour to the occasion.
1.76. The economic and trade policy reforms undertaken by Liberia, alongside the streamlining of the legal and regulatory frameworks during negotiations, had by no small means strengthened the resilience of the Liberian economy. Just about eight years after the establishment of a Working Party to examine the application of Liberia to accede to the WTO, Liberia’s Accession could be one of the fastest in the history of the WTO – the Working Party having met on four occasions since their first meeting in July 2012. The process of accession to the organization as spelt out in Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement, the accord which established the WTO, had not been easy for Liberia, after agreeing to the WTO terms of membership in 2007. The tough negotiations with interested Working Party Members on concessions and commitments on market access for goods and services could have thinly stretched the capacities and resources of the country as an LDC coming from a long period of devastation.
1.77. Liberia's accession would not be possible without the cooperation of Members of the Working Party under the Chairmanship of Ambassador Joakim Reiter and the hard work of Minister Axel Addy and his team of negotiators. Ghana recognized and commended their efforts. Liberia would be up to the task of meeting the demands of its "accession package", having shown resilience thus far and having developed a comprehensive Accession Implementation Plan to that effect. As a sub-regional ally, Liberia could count on Ghana's support in that regard and at all times. Ghana called on the various Working Parties to hasten the process of accession of the 19 governments who were still negotiating their WTO accession, and reiterated the call by ACP Ministers to accelerate the process for acceding African countries without imposing onerous
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1.78. The representative of India welcomed the delegation of Liberia led by H.E. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The decision approved by the Ministerial Conference represented the culmination of a long-drawn process and was a significant moment for the People and the Government of Liberia. India was privileged to welcome a new Member from the African continent to the WTO at the Nairobi Ministerial Conference which had been hosted for the first time in Africa. As a strong supporter of the early accession of Liberia, India congratulated the Government and the People of Liberia on its accession to the WTO.
1.79. Notwithstanding challenges it had faced, the Liberian Government had managed to implement wide-ranging reforms and had initiated steps to bring its legislation and trade policy framework in compliance with the WTO disciplines. India applauded the vision and the leadership of President Sirleaf and Minister Axel Addy in reposing faith in the multilateral trading system and accomplishing its important milestone. Liberia's decision to pursue its development objectives through multilateral cooperation was commendable. India was confident that Liberia's Membership to the WTO would open up newer opportunities for trade and investment and help realize the goal of inclusive development as promoted by H.E. President Sirleaf. India wished the Government of Liberia every success in its future endeavours towards its integration into and reaping the benefits from the rules-based multilateral trading system.
1.80. The twentieth anniversary of the WTO had been one of the most productive years in relation to accessions with Seychelles, Kazakhstan, Liberia and Afghanistan completing their accession process in 2015. India was delighted to welcome Yemen, Kazakhstan and the Seychelles, all valued friends of India who were participating at the Ministerial Conference as new Members and it looked forward to working closely with them. India thanked Ambassador Joakim Reiter and the entire Secretariat team particularly the Accessions Division under the able leadership of Mr. Chiedu Osakwe for their critical support and facilitation during the entire process.
1.81. The representative of Sweden said that Liberia's accession was a remarkable achievement given the resources to start with and the added challenge of dealing with the Ebola outbreak. Despite those challenges, Liberia had managed to muster the accession process within the specified time demonstrating the strong commitment that it attached to the WTO Membership and the outstanding strength of the Liberian People – setting a shining example for other WTO acceding LDCs to follow.
1.82. Sweden remained a firm supporter of a robust and pro-development multilateral trading system. Free trade was a powerful engine for growth and poverty reduction and WTO Membership provided a basis for a stable and inclusive development. The Swedish commitment to Liberia's accession was part of its overall broad commitment to Liberia and its strong support for multilateral aspirations. The support had been provided by the national board of trade to the Government of Liberia and by Ambassador Joakim Reiter. Sweden thanked President Sirleaf for recognizing the Swedish support in her statement. The Swedish Government, as the second largest bilateral donor to Liberia had supported Liberia from the start, from the first working party meeting in 2012 until it formally acceded. Liberia's accession was a tribute to the untiring efforts of the Government of Liberia.
1.83. The high quality of the accession package would accelerate Liberia's integration into the global trading system and would provide for Liberia's economy for the years to come. Sweden congratulated the Government of Liberia for the impressive achievement of completing the negotiations swiftly with high ambitious commitments and praised the strong leadership of President Sirleaf and Minister Addy throughout the accession process.
1.84. The representative of Japan welcomed the Liberian delegation led by H.E. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and congratulated Liberia for its accession to the WTO. Japan had constantly supported the accession of new Members since acceding to the WTO would be an important step for one to integrate into the multilateral trading system. Japan commended Liberia for the high level of liberalization it had committed itself through the negotiating process and Japan was honoured to become the first Member to have concluded the bilateral negotiations with it.
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1.85. Japan hoped that its accession would provide Liberia an opportunity to speed up its economic growth through expanding trade and investment. In addition to Japan's strong support to Liberia's accession, Japan had also been providing various assistance including development of social and economic infrastructure and training of human resources. In particular, Japan was delighted to contribute to the reconstruction of the Somalia Drive in Monrovia, a thirteen kilometre highway which would pave the way for further economic growth and promotion of trade and investment. Japan would continue to play its role to support efforts of Liberia for sustainable economic growth and development.
1.86. Japan extended its heartfelt congratulations to H.E. President Sirleaf and the delegation of Liberia and appreciated the leadership of the Working Party Chair and the hard work done by the Secretariat during the entire process which helped made Liberia's accession possible.
1.87. The representative of the United Kingdom welcomed Liberia to the WTO community and said that it had been a difficult journey but one that was clearly worthwhile. Liberia's accession was a great achievement for Liberia and for its government under the leadership of President Johnson- Sirleaf. It was barely a decade since Liberia had emerged from the dark period of civil war. The war had not only shattered people's lives and caused immense suffering, but had also severely impacted Liberia's economy, devastating the country's infrastructure and its export economy – which had historically generated much of the country's growth. Economic mismanagement before and during those years had led to a crippling debt burden and, in 2003, suspension from the IMF.
1.88. But those days were already behind Liberia. Its relations with international financial institutions had improved dramatically. The debt relief Liberia had secured in 2010 had been a historic achievement. Those economic achievements had then been crowned by access to the WTO. Economic integration had proven to be a key ingredient of development in economies across the world. The United Kingdom was confident that Liberia would reap the benefits that came with WTO membership and stood ready to support Liberia bilaterally and multilaterally.
1.89. Liberia's accession was also important as an indication of faith in a strong multilateral rules- based trading system that had the WTO at its core. The United Kingdom was heartened to see that so many other countries, including least-developed countries, were keen to move towards accession in the future. With its accession and with the agreement that hopefully would be reached in Nairobi, WTO Members would leave Nairobi with a renewed commitment to global growth and development and with a WTO fit-for-purpose to deliver.
1.90. The representative of Côte d'Ivoire was pleased at the accession of Liberia to the WTO and congratulated H.E. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, her government and the people of Liberia. Apart from the many cooperation agreements signed to increase the volume of trade, food security, energy security and border security, Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia also belonged to the same regional organizations – the ECOWAS and the Union of the Mano River. It clearly appeared that Liberia's accession to the WTO would strengthen the level of consistency of all the economies of West Africa including Liberia and at the same time would improve the economic and trade environment of the region.
1.91. Côte d'Ivoire paid tribute to the considerable efforts made by the Government and People of Liberia under the leadership of President Sirleaf who, despite the challenges, had shown constancy in the choice of economic development and pursuing to the end the negotiations for acceding to the WTO. Liberia had become a full-fledged Member of the WTO and it was therefore appropriate for Liberia, an LDC which had experienced crises that had seriously affected its economic infrastructure, to benefit in the context of Aid-for-Trade, of the Enhanced Integrated Framework and the special fund made available for Trade Facilitation and all the attention required by its development partners to ensure its better inclusion in the global economy.
1.92. The representative of Chinese Taipei welcomed H.E. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and her distinguished delegation from Monrovia and expressed Chinese Taipei's appreciation to the Director-General, the WTO Secretariat, and its Accession Division for having conducted excellent work on the accession of Liberia.
1.93. Chinese Taipei was impressed by the fact that Liberia had undertaken profound domestic reforms and adjustments in recent years for its WTO accession. The negotiating team of Liberia
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- 12 - had done an admirable job in the complex and challenging process. Moreover, as an African country, the adoption of Liberia’s accession to the WTO at MC10 in Kenya was of great significance to Africa as a whole.
1.94. Chinese Taipei welcomed the accession of the Republic of Liberia to the WTO and conveyed its congratulations to the Government and the People of Liberia on that historical occasion. Liberia's accession would be another indication of the WTO's success in assisting LDCs in their effort to join the organization. It would not only serve Liberia's interests but would also bring positive effects to the multilateral trade system for the benefit of all WTO Members.
1.95. The representative of Malaysia, also on behalf of the ASEAN, congratulated the Government of the Republic of Liberia for having successfully completed the accession process and subsequently joining the WTO as the 163rd Member. ASEAN commended Liberia for putting in place domestic reform programmes aimed at aligning its trade policy regime with the WTO multilateral norms. Malaysia called upon the international community to assist Liberia in carrying out its domestic reform process with a view to implementing its multilateral commitments.
1.96. Economic integration had proven to be a key catalyst to development of economies across the world and Malaysia was confident that Liberia would reap the benefits that came with being a WTO Member. Liberia's accession reflected the trust in WTO's role in disciplining global trade governance for Members big and small. Malaysia was heartened to see that many other countries, including least-developed countries, were in the process of accession to the WTO.
1.97. Malaysia's total trade with Liberia in 2014 had been valued at USD49 million, an increase of more than 16% from the previous year. Exports had increased by almost 39% to USD35 million and the main contributor to the growth of Malaysia's export to Liberia had been processed food and palm oil while other exports included chemicals & chemical products and machinery, appliances & parts. Major imports from Liberia included crude natural rubber, sawn timber and manufactures of metal. Together with other ASEAN Member States, Malaysia would continue to support the ongoing efforts made by Liberia towards its full integration into the multilateral trading system and the promotion of trade and economic interests under the WTO. Liberia’s accession to the WTO would create valuable opportunities for economic growth and development both for itself and its trading partners at the WTO.
1.98. The representative of Canada was proud to have been one of the five WTO Members to engage in bilateral market access negotiations with Liberia as part of the accession process with only Japan beating Canada to conclude the negotiations first but only by a small margin. Canada congratulated Liberia on the accession negotiations – a tough process especially for LDCs and for an LDC dealing with the Ebola outbreak. Given those challenges, Liberia's accession was outstanding and Canada commended it for its efforts. Its accession was a real moment of light and of happiness. To have Liberia, an African country and an LDC Member, joining the WTO was a real affirmation of the importance of Africa, the LDCs and the WTO.
1.99. She acknowledged the personal vision and leadership of H.E. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who had personally played such an instrumental role in her country's economic and political reforms and was an inspiration for many. The Chairperson had pointed out in her opening remarks that President Sirleaf was the only woman President in Africa at the moment – that was great. She urged Africa to have more female leaders. Empowering women and girls was an essential part of the development agenda. It was not only fair but it was a way to achieve economic growth. In Canada, they practised what they preached – having fifteen men and fifteen women in its cabinet. It was therefore great to be graced by the presence of President Sirleaf.
1.100. She also congratulated Minister Axel Addy and his entire team for the determination they had shown and for remaining constructive during the negotiations.
1.101. Trade could change things and permit an increase in living standards to make women independent and protect the environment. Accession was a real milestone in Liberia's evolution to become a peaceful and prosperous society with free and open elections, empowered women and youth, and economic justice for its citizens. She thus congratulated again President Sirleaf and the Government and the People of Liberia for acceding to the WTO.
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1.102. The representative of the ITC, speaking as an IGO Observer, said that a traditional Liberian proverb stated, “To the patient man will come all the riches of the world”. On Liberia's accession she said, “To the patient woman comes all the riches of the world”. As the WTO welcomed the Republic of Liberia to the organization, she paid tribute to a great woman, President Sirleaf. It was her vision of Liberia firmly anchored in the multilateral trading family, and her leadership to rally the country behind the initiative that had made accession possible. But behind every great woman there was a great man. It was the determination, patience and skills of Minister Addy and the entire negotiating team that had made accession happen.
1.103. It gave her a special sense of satisfaction that the ITC could contribute to Liberia’s efforts to seek WTO membership. Over the last 4 years, ITC had supported the Government of Liberia to build a comprehensive approach and roadmap leading up to WTO membership. For Liberia, ensuring that the views of the private sector had been reflected had been a priority. Recognizing that it was the thousands of SMEs in Liberia that would truly benefit from greater predictability and transparency which WTO rules offered and the market access and capacity building opportunities, Liberia had placed consultation with the private sector as a priority. ITC collaborated with the Government of Liberia in redrafting its National Trade Policy to foster better coherence between Liberia’s WTO commitments and its membership of the ECOWAS and ITC had worked with Liberia in the drafting of its services and goods offers. It had facilitated the participation of private sector representatives in meetings with international organizations in Geneva to enable them to appreciate the significance of WTO membership and it had worked closely with Liberian stakeholders to ensure that their voice and priorities would be heard.
1.104. The road to accession already concluded with the focus shifting to using WTO membership to help Liberia use trade as an engine for sustainable and inclusive growth. She was confident that the many WTO Members who had supported Liberia in its accession, starting with Sweden whose contribution through the Kommerscollegium had been key – would then support Liberia to use trade to achieve the Global Goals of ending extreme poverty by 2030. The International Trade Centre would remain by Liberia's side. It intended to strengthen its partnership to increase the competitiveness of Liberian SMEs. It would continue to support the operationalization of Liberia's National Export Strategy in particular in areas such as tourism and furniture manufacturing. Liberia, a country of strength and determination, and Liberians had shown their resilience. ITC was honoured to be its partner in the new phase of its history.
1.105. The representative of the World Bank, speaking as an IGO Observer, congratulated the Government of Liberia for completing its accession process. Liberia had faced many challenges in its history which made the energy and commitment given to joining the WTO even more notable. The World Bank's experience working with many other acceding countries around the world was that accession could have significant economic impact especially when coupled with the sustained effort for economic reform. The World Bank had worked closely with Liberia during the negotiating process and its focus then would be to help Liberia take advantage of the opportunities of the multilateral trading system. Completion of a DTIS by the World Bank Group was an important step in the process. There would be other opportunities for the World Bank and the members of the international community to support Liberia in the path ahead. The World Bank looked forward to the presentation of Liberia's post-accession plan and was already prepared to present its concrete offer for support in more detail.
1.106. The Ministerial Conference took note of the statements and expressions of support.
1.107. The Chairperson announced that the Signing Ceremony for the Protocol of Accession of Liberia would already take place to be presided by the Director-General. She invited President Sirleaf to join the Director-General at the signing table and invited the Director-General to proceed with the Ceremony.
1.108. The meeting adjourned at 6 p.m.
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ANNEX
EXPRESSIONS OF WELCOME BY DELEGATIONS TO THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA
At the request of the delegations concerned, the following statements are included below as part of the Summary Record of the Tenth Ministerial Conference.
1 BRAZIL
1.1. Today is a day of celebration. And it is with great pleasure that Brazil takes the floor to congratulate the distinguished Delegation of Liberia, headed by H.E. Madame Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia for becoming the 163rd Member of the WTO, a clear signal that this organization is moving steadily towards universality.
1.2. As we all know, the accession process to the WTO is a long and complex one. It is even more challenging when it comes to a Least Developing Country, requiring not only a long term commitment of political will, but also an intense technical work and expertise.
1.3. And yet, throughout these eight years of accession process, Liberia proved that it had enough of both. Many important domestic reforms were undertaken in order to comply with the WTO rules. They encompassed areas such as the Foreign Investment Regime, Competition Policy, TBT and SPS regulations, among various other topics negotiated by Liberia with all Members.
1.4. In normal circumstances, this range of reforms alone would suffice to show the determination of an acceding country; but in this case, it wouldn’t do justice to Liberia.
1.5. Liberia was able to fulfil all of the requirements for accession amidst one of the most challenging moments in its history, struggling to fight a deadly disease that deeply affected the lives of millions, with a considerable impact in the economy of the country. In this regard, I cannot help but remember the words of Minister Axel Addy, the main negotiator in this process, when he recalled the importance of the accession to the WTO as a catalyser for the future Liberia. A future we all here wish to be bright and prosperous.
1.6. This 10th Ministerial Conference is being held at a critical moment for the future of this organization. Liberia’s example of endurance and determination is a good reminder that a strengthened Multilateral Trading System can work to improve the lives of millions of the people, which should be the ultimate goal in the WTO.
2 NIGERIA
2.1. Nigeria would like to congratulate the people of the Republic of Liberia, particularly the President, Her Excellency Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and her team, for this milestone achievement, and we welcome Liberia to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Family. Liberia's membership would no doubt enhance her capacity to be more competitive in line with her enhanced trade policies and legislative reforms. We commend the Director-General Roberto Azevêdo for his leadership and the WTO Secretariat, particularly Mr. Chiedu Osakwe, Director of the Accession Division, for the hard work and for facilitating the process to a successful conclusion. We are also grateful to Ambassador Joakim Reiter, the Chair of the Working Party, for his relentless effort and commitment as well as the entire Membership for their constructive engagement throughout the accession process.
2.2. Nigeria and Liberia have a long-standing relationship anchored on the promotion of African unity, democracy, regional security and development. At the sub-regional level, Nigeria and Liberia worked together with other West African countries to establish the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) commission in 1975. This Commission has fostered the harmonization of macroeconomic policies, trade liberalization and promotion of favourable industrial policy across the West Africa region. Nigeria has stood by Liberia through difficult times and we are delighted to
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- 15 - see the remarkable turn around and landmark strides, such as this. We are confident that Liberia has a bright future ahead.
2.3. This Accession is truly an important moment for Liberia and the WTO, as the organization advances toward the goal of universality of the multilateral trading system. We believe Liberia’s membership of the WTO will enable her participate fully in the global economy and will offer the country tremendous opportunity with a predictable and stable environment for growth and development.
2.4. I have followed the significant reform agenda undertaken by Liberia and the sound economic policies enumerated by Her Excellency Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. We have no doubt that the accession of Liberia to WTO would provide major benefits in terms of protection from discriminatory treatment, protection of intellectual property rights, transparency and consistency in government policies. This will invariably lead to long-term economic gains and increased Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows.
2.5. In conclusion, my delegation looks forward to working closely with Liberia and assures Liberia of our continued support and collaboration.
3 RUSSIAN FEDERATION
3.1. On behalf of the Russian Federation I would like to express our sincere congratulations to the Republic of Liberia on this historic achievement. After a long and arduous journey that has taken eight years, the Republic of Liberia has reached the final stage of its accession process. This is positive news for both Liberia and the WTO, as well as for Liberia’s bilateral relations with the Russian Federation. During the first ten months of 2015 our mutual trade turnover has increased by 23,3 % compared to the same period of last year. Russia’s export to Liberia has grown by 3,7 times and equals to 3,4 million US dollars. We believe that Liberia’s accession to the WTO will have a future positive impact on our bilateral relations and will continue to strengthen our economic ties.
3.2. For the Republic of Liberia, being part of the multilateral trading system underlines its commitment to transparency, openness and the rule of law. More important, WTO membership becomes an insurance against protectionism, which, in turn, is essential in an uncertain and rapidly changing global political and economic environment.
3.3. The accession of Liberia is also beneficial to the WTO, as each accession helps to safeguard and strengthen the multilateral system and takes the WTO closer to its goal of universality.
3.4. We are convinced that this accession will provide an example to the other LDCs which are still in the negotiations process, and give a new momentum to their accessions.
3.5. The accession of Liberia is a sign of the continued importance of the multilateral trading system. It sends a strong and clear message that the WTO advances with its regular work, including on accessions, and the WTO membership is beneficially enlarged. Indeed, the conclusion of Liberia’s accession negotiations is an achievement to all WTO members. To the Government and people of the Republic of Liberia, I say: Welcome to the WTO.
4 SIERA LEONE
4.1. On behalf of President Ernest Bai Koroma, Sierra Leone is pleased to add its voice to the congratulatory messages extended to the Republic of Liberia on its accession to WTO. Liberia’s persistent efforts towards this achievement, provides a good example for all to emulate. My delegation is particularly pleased at the reforms that Liberia has undertaken from which Serra Leone is sure to benefit.
4.2. As a neighbouring and sister country to Liberia, we share common history and challenges, including the civil conflict and most recently the Ebola outbreak. We realise that our destinies are closely interlinked.
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4.3. It is with in mind that Sierra Leone looks forward to continue to work with Liberia as we strive to meet our common goals both within the Mano River Union, ECOWAS, the AU and beyond.
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