N° 73 - May 2017 Accessions Strategic Objectives Accession of the Union of the Comoros Domestic reform instrument Second meeting of the Working Party Systemic update Market access expansion Comoros: The Working Party on the Accession International cooperation for trade of the Union of the Comoros held its 2nd meeting on 1 June 2017. The meeting was chaired by Ambassador Luis Enrique Chávez Basagoitia Inside this issue: (Peru). The delegation of Comoros was led by ACCESSION OF THE UNION OF THE H.E. Mr. Djaffar Ahmed Said Hassani, Vice COMOROS President and Chief Negotiator for WTO Second meeting of the Working Party Accession, and comprised sixteen delegates, including representatives of several ministries, FIFTH INFORMAL GROUP ON ACCESSIONS government agencies, Parliament, the private H.E. Mr. Djaffar Ahmed Said Hassani, Vice Wednesday, 31 May 2017 sector and civil society. The Working Party President and Chief Negotiator for WTO meeting was broadcast live to Moroni, which Accession Agenda: allowed officials who could not travel to Geneva Strategic Focus for 2017: to follow the discussions in real time. Accession of Sudan Regarding next steps, Members were invited to Accession of Lebanon submit written questions and comments by 30 Accession Working Parties State of Play: June, and Comoros was requested to provide Belarus and Azerbaijan replies to Members' questions as well as Accession Re-engagement: Iraq additional supporting documents. The Technical Assistance and Outreach: Regional Chairperson requested the Secretariat to Dialogue on WTO Accession for the Greater prepare a draft Report of the Working Party Horn of Africa provided that a revised Factual Summary of Points Raised was circulated as soon as possible. Accession Anniversaries in June: Georgia and He also urged Comoros and Members to Yemen conclude the remaining bilateral market access Chaired by the WTO Secretariat (Maika 2nd Working Party meeting on the negotiations before the Summer break. The Accession of the Union of the Comoros – Oshikawa, Officer-in-Charge of the Accessions Broadcast live with Moroni next Working Party meeting is envisaged for Division). September. In his opening remarks, the Vice President On the margins of the Working Party meeting, reaffirmed that WTO accession was a priority for the delegation of Comoros held several bilateral Stay connected his Government and reiterated that it remained meetings with interested Members, as well as fully committed to the objective of concluding meetings with the Working Party Chairperson accession negotiations by the WTO Eleventh and the Secretariat. Ministerial Conference in December 2017. He highlighted that the WTO accession process was not only an integral part of the Comoros' economic growth and poverty reduction strategy, but also a means by which it would modernize its administration as well as its economic and trade-related legislation, thereby creating an enabling environment for business and investment. Several Members pledged to support and work constructively with Comoros towards an early accession. The Working Party examined Comoros' foreign trade regime on the basis of the Factual Summary of Points Raised and its supporting documents, and reviewed Comoros' legislative developments on the basis of the updated Mr. Said Abdou Salime - Focal Point, Legislative Action Plan. On the bilateral front, National Committee for Negotiations Comoros reported that four Members Accession of the Union the Comoros - expressed readiness to sign bilateral market 2nd Working Party meeting access agreements shortly. Geneva, 1 June 2017 1 N° 73 - May 2017 Strategic Focus for 2017 Sudan: In early May, an additional set of expressed the determination of the Lebanon: On 2 May, the Chairperson of the documentation was circulated to the Working Government of Sudan to advance its Working Party, Mr. Jean-Paul Thuillier Party. This included: (i) a revised accession process towards finalization by the (France) had a teleconference with H.E. Mr. Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime; WTO Eleventh Ministerial Conference in Raed Khoury, Minister of Economy and Trade (ii) a revised Services Offer; (iii) a December 2017. of Lebanon and Chief Negotiator for WTO questionnaire on Import Licensing; (iv) revised accession to take stock of the latest state of Agriculture Supporting Tables; (v) a revised play in the resumption of the accession Legislative Action Plan; and (vi) a Legislation process. The Minister reiterated Beirut's Notice. Additional documents, including commitment to WTO accession and its Sudan's replies to additional questions and readiness to submit the remaining revisions to Sudan's earlier submitted negotiating inputs to the Working Party. documents, would be circulated by mid-June. In total, 17 documents have been submitted Since the telephone conference, in addition by Sudan to the Working Party since the last to the nine documents circulated in April, the following documentation was circulated Working Party meeting held in January. Accession of Sudan — Skype conference with Khartoum Geneva, 24 May 2017 to the Working Party: (i) an updated At the request of the Working Party, the Checklist on TBT; (ii) updated Agriculture Secretariat is drafting a Factual Summary of Supporting Tables; and (iii) a Legislation Points Raised, based on the inputs provided Notice. A Customs Valuation Questionnaire is by Sudan. The report will serve as the basis expected for circulation to the Working Party for discussion on Sudan's foreign trade regime shortly. On the market access front, Beirut at the next meeting of the Working Party, has reinitiated its bilateral contacts with which is envisaged for July. concerned Members. Following the circulation of the remaining input, the On 17 May, the WTO Deputy Director- Working Party Chairperson will consult with General, Mr. David Shark, held a meeting with Members on the date of the Working Party the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sudan, H.E. meeting. Mr. Ibrahim Ghandour, together with the Delegation of Sudan — H.E. Minister Ibrahim Ghandour Chairperson of the Working Party, Mr. Geneva, 17 May 2017 Ryosuke Kuwana (Japan). Minister Grandour Accession Working Parties State of Play Accession Re-engagement Iraq: On 23 May, the Secretariat held a Belarus: In preparation for the next cycle of Azerbaijan: In preparation for the next cycle video conference with the WTO Team in the Working Party meetings, Belarus has of the Working Party meetings, an additional Baghdad led by Ms. Nidhal Sebri Hameed, begun submitting negotiating inputs, including three documents were circulated to the its replies to Members' questions, a revised Working Party: (i) a revised Legislative Action Director of the WTO Section in the Foreign Economic Relations Department of the Import Licensing questionnaire and a revised Plan; (ii) revised Agriculture Supporting Ministry of Trade. The objectives of the TRIPS checklist. Other inputs would become Tables; and (iii) Replies to Members' videoconference were to: (i) assess the available in the coming weeks. questions on the Agriculture Supporting Tables. In total, seven documents have been state of play in the accession of Iraq; and (ii) The Secretariat is preparing a draft Working circulated to the Working Party since March. discuss possible next steps that could be Party Report, on the basis of the Elements of In addition, the Secretariat prepared and taken toward a resumption of the accession the draft Working Party Report and Belarus' circulated a revised draft Working Party process. The Working Party of the replies to questions submitted by Members, Report. Accession of Iraq last met in April 2008. with a view to circulating it to the Working Iraq is actively preparing the full set of Party in June. The Chairperson of the Working Party, Ambassador Walter Werner (Germany), will negotiating inputs, including a revised Following the circulation of all inputs, the consult with Members of the Working Party Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Working Party Chairperson, Ambassador regarding the date of the next cycle of Regime, a Legislative Action Plan, Kemal Madenoğlu (Turkey), will consult with Working Party meetings. The last meeting of Agriculture Supporting Tables, TBT/SPS Members on the next steps, including the Checklists, and initial market access offers the Working Party took place in July 2016. date of the next Working Party meeting. on goods and services. Technical assistance support was requested from the Secretariat to finalise this documentation before official submission for circulation to the Working Party. The Secretariat expressed its readiness to work with Iraq's accession team in the coming months. 2 N° 73 - May 2017 Technical Assistance and The Accessions Division wishes a very Happy WTO Outreach Activities Accession Anniversary to: Regional Dialogue on WTO Accession for the Georgia is the 9th economy that joined the Greater Horn of Africa - Nairobi, Kenya – 28- JUNE 30 August 2017 WTO pursuant to Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement and became the 137th Member of In partnership with the Government of Kenya 14 the WTO on 14 June 2000. and the University of Nairobi, the WTO Secretariat will organise its first Regional Dialogue on WTO Accession for the Greater Horn of Africa in Nairobi, Kenya on 28 to 30 August. Four LDC acceding Governments — Comoros, Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia — will Yemen is the 32nd economy that joined the be invited to the Dialogue, which will offer a JUNE WTO pursuant to Article XII of the Marrakesh platform