WT/ACC/36  
WT/GC/207  
 
21 February 2020  
(20-1375) Page: 1/64 
    
 
WTO ACCESSIONS  
2019 ANNUAL REPORT B Y THE  DIRECTOR -GENER AL* 
 
 
 
 
  
 
* Unless otherwise specified, t his Annual Report takes account of confirmed accession -related 
developments from 1 December 2018 to until 31 December 2019 . This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's own 
responsibility and is without prejudice to the positions of Members or 
to their rights and obligations under the WTO.  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
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  TABLE  OF CONTENTS  
I. OVERVIEW 2019 AND OUTLOOK 2020  ................................ ................................ ..... 3 
II. 2019 DEVELOPMENTS  ................................ ................................ ..............................  5 
1. ACCESSION WORKING PARTIES:  AN OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES  ............................  5 
2. WORKING PARTY CHAIRPERSONS  ................................ ................................ ..........  5 
3. TRANSPARENCY IN THE ACCESSION PROCESS  ................................ ........................  6 
4.  TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND OUTREACH  ................................ ...............................  7 
5. ACCESSIONS TRANSPARENCY TOO LBOX  ................................ ...............................  11 
III. STATE OF PLAY IN ACCESSION WORKING PARTIES  ................................ ..............  11 
IV. LEAST -DEVELOPED COUNTRIES' ACCESSIONS  ................................ ......................  15 
V. POST -ACCESSION  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 16 
VI. TRADE AND ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE OF ARTICLE XII MEMBERS  .......................  18 
VII.  GREATER COHERENCE IN GLOBAL ECONOMIC POLICYMAKING: THE CASE  OF WTO 
ACCESSION  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  23 
1. INTRODUCTION  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 23 
2. THE ORIGINS OF WTO COOPERATION WITH INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS  .. 24 
3. COOPERATION AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE WTO AND THE IMF AND THE WORLD 
BANK  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  25 
3.1 Areas of mutual interest to the WTO, the IMF and the World Bank in the context of 
WTO accessions  ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 25 
3.2 Implementation of the Coherence Mandate in the area of WTO accession  ................  
  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  28 
4. EXAMPLES OF COLLABORATION ON ACCESSIONS -RELATED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  31 
5. CONCLUSION: TOWARDS A MORE EFFECTIVE COLLABORATION  ............................  32 
ANNEX 1 – ACCESSIONS DIVISION WORK INDICATORS (2017 -2019)  ...........................  33 
ANNEX 2 - ACCESSIONS NEGOTIATED PURSUANT TO ARTICLE XII  ................................  34 
ANNEX 3 - WTO ACCESSIONS WORKING PARTY CHAIRPERSONS  ................................ ... 35 
ANNEX 4 – LENGTH OF TIME OF COMPLETED ACCESSIO NS ................................ ............  36 
ANNEX 5 – BASIC ECONOMIC PROFILES OF ACCEDING GOVERNMENTS AND ARTICLE XII 
MEMBERS  ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................  37 
ANNEX 6 – DATA ON TRADE PERFORMANCE  ................................ ................................ ... 40 
ANNEX 7 – ACCESSIONS MANAGEMENT  ................................ ................................ .........  42 
ANNEX 8 - REFERENCE TO WTO/WTO ACCESSION IN RECENT IMF ARTICLE IV STAFF 
REPORTS  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  43 
ANNEX 9 - PROVISIO NS OF THE COHERENCE MANDATE RELEVANT TO WTO ACCESSION ... 
  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  60 
ANNEX 10 - COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE WTO, THE IMF AND THE WORLD BANK ON 
WTO ACCESSIONS  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  62 
 
   WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207 
 
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  I. OVERVIEW 2019 AND OU TLOOK 2020  
Assessment of activities in 2019  
1. 2019 was yet again a busy year for WTO accessions.  Working Party activity consisted of four 
meetings held for three accession processes.  Over half of the acceding governments were engaged 
in technical work to start, restart or advance their respective  accessions.  Thus, at the end of the 
year, out of the 22 ongoing accessions, 14 were considered as active, continuing their engagement 
with Members and/or the Secretariat.   In addition, a new application for WTO accession, from 
Curaçao – a constituent countr y within the Kingdom of the Netherlands - was received for 
consideration by WTO Members  at the last meeting of the General Council in 2019.  
2. Despite sometimes difficult domestic political situations (including electoral uncertainty, 
unrest, conflict, and n atural disasters), acceding countries have demonstrated remarkable resilience 
and strong commitment to continuing their accession processes.  In particular, the accession of 
Belarus, whose Working Party met twice, made considerable progress which has been reflected in 
the draft Report of the Working Party.  The accession Working Party of The Bahamas met once and 
was very active until Hurricane Dorian made landfall in September, becoming the worst natural 
disaster in the country's history.  Finally, the Work ing Party on the Accession of South Sudan, which 
is the most recent applicant among the 22 acceding governments, held its first meeting just 
15 months after the Working Party's establishment in December 2017.   
3. Progress in WTO accessions requires engagemen t – both technical and political – from a wide 
range of stakeholders at the domestic, regional and international levels.  Despite the low number of 
accession Working Party meetings in 2019, the Secretariat was actively engaged in activities aimed 
at buildi ng better understanding of the accession process and associated benefits through technical 
assistance, training, outreach and experience sharing, on a bilateral, regional or global basis.  In 
2019, the Secretariat undertook technical and outreach -oriented missions to eight acceding 
governments and one potential applicant. In addition, the Secretariat conducted two specialised 
training activities in Geneva focused on accession rules (for two weeks in February) and market 
access for goods (for one week in Nov ember).  The 8th China Round Table on WTO Accessions was 
held in December in Moscow, Russian Federation, with the participation of 11 acceding governments 
and two potential applicants.  In terms of outreach activities, since the last Annual Report, the 
Secretariat provided regular briefings to Members through the Informal Group on Accessions (eight 
meetings) and the Accessions Newsletter ( eight issues), as well as through meetings with regional 
groups (African Group, Arab Group and LDC Group).  As for acced ing government -specific groupings, 
the Secretariat provided support to the Informal Group of Acceding Governments (seven meetings) 
and the g7+ WTO Accessions Group (three meetings).  
4. The initiative on "Trade for Peace through WTO Accessions", which was laun ched on the 
margins of the 11th Ministerial Conference in December 2017, continued to enjoy strong interest and 
allowed the trade community to expand its partnerships with various players in the peace 
community, while giving more focus on the specific context of each fragile and conflic t-affected (FCA) 
acceding country.  In particular, in 2019, the Secretariat participated in the Geneva Peace Week and 
the Paris Peace Forum and organised several "trade for peace" sessions, including during the 7th 
Global Aid for Trade Review and the WTO P ublic Forum. These sessions brought together speakers 
from FCA acceding countries, including Ethiopia, Libya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Timor -
Leste.  Given the importance of inter-agency coordination on WTO  accession, the thematic section 
of this Rep ort draw s attention to the international community's efforts to seek greater coherence in 
the provision of policy advice  and technical assistance  to acceding governments (see Section VII) .  
5. The Accessions Division in 2019 was saddened by the sudden passing , in September, of 
Mr. Chiedu Osakwe, who served as Director  of the Division  from 2009 and 2016, overseeing the 
conclusion of 11 accessions. Chiedu was a tireless advocate for WTO membership, which he saw as 
a unique vehicle for modernizing domestic instit utions, promoting economic growth, and gaining 
international recognition.  
Outlook for 2020  
6. Looking ahead, in 2020, three accessions are technically at an advanced stage and could enter 
into the final phases of accession negotiations.  Among the three, the  accession of Bosnia and WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
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  Herzegovina is the most advanced. With a new Government in place since December 2019, Bosnia 
and Herzegovina is in a position to begin addressing the outstanding issues in its accession process, 
possibly before MC12.  Similarly, Co moros – a French -speaking LDC, whose government has a fresh 
mandate since last summer – could resume and advance the accession process towards its 
conclusion.  Despite complexities linked to its membership of the Eurasian Economic Union, Belarus 
is expecte d to build on the solid progress registered in 2019 and to focus on resolving the bulk of 
outstanding issues in the course of next year.  
7. In 2020, the significant efforts undertaken to activate or reactivate various accession 
processes in the preceding year s are expected to begin to bear fruit, starting with the reactivation 
of the accession of Ethiopia early in the year.  Ethiopia - the largest LDC in terms of economy and 
population among all LDC acceding governments – is resuming its accession Working Part y after 
eight years of inactivity with the accession process now recognized as an integral part of the 
Government's Homegrown Economic Reform Plan.  The accession of Sudan, whose Working Party 
last met in 2017, is also expected to pick up pace in 2020, und er the new government led by Prime 
Minister Hamdok, which has placed economic reform at the heart of its policy agenda.  The accession 
process is also likely to become active for other LDCs, including Somalia and Timor -Leste, whose 
Working Parties were est ablished in December 2016 and for Equatorial Guinea, whose Working Party 
was established in 2008 and graduated from LDC status in 2017. All three of these acceding 
governments could hold their respective first meetings in 2020.  Furthermore, Uzbekistan, wh ich 
has deployed considerable efforts to reactivate the process since 2018 and submitted an updated 
Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime in 2019, is expected to resume the Working Party 
process for the first time in 15 years.  Moreover, the accessions of  Algeria , Azerbaijan,  Iraq, Lebanon 
and Serbia have the potential to resume Working Party activity in 2020.  
8. In parallel to its core mandate to service accession Working Parties, the Secretariat will 
continue to provide support to acceding governments and W TO Members through technical 
assistance, training, outreach and experience -sharing.  In 2020, special efforts will be made to 
expand collaboration with partners, which could support efforts to ensure synergies and coherence 
between WTO accession and region al integration efforts.  In particular, with the implementation of 
the AfCFTA scheduled to begin on 1 July, the Secretariat will focus its outreach efforts on Africa, 
through the organization of the Regional Dialogue on WTO Accessions for Africa and the 9th China 
Round Table.  A first -of-its-kind activity focusing on Arab countries accessions is also envisaged.  
9. Finally, the Secretariat remains the guardian of accession knowledge and expertise, which 
needs to be regularly maintained, updated and upgraded.  It is committed to making relevant 
information available to WTO Members, acceding governments, our partners and the public at large, 
in a timely and user -friendly manner.  2020 will see the launch of a new webpage dedicated to WTO 
Accessions.  Moreover, th e second edition of the Handbook on Accession to the WTO , which updates 
the 2008 edition to include a further ten accessions concluded since that year, is scheduled to be 
published by Cambridge University Press .   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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  II. 2019 DEVELOPMENTS  
1. ACCESSION WORKING  PARTIES: AN OVERVIE W OF ACTIVITIES  
10. At the start of the year, 22 governments were in the process of WTO accession. 
These negotiations were managed through a combination of multilateral, plurilateral, and bilateral 
meetings , in formal or informal mode s. In the year under review:  
• Four formal Working Party meetings were held. These were on the accessions of 
The Bahamas (on e1 meeting), Belarus (two2 meetings)  and South Sudan (one3 meeting).  
• One meeting addressing specific technical issues in the area of agriculture was held for 
Belarus4. This  plurilateral meeting was chaired by the Director of the Accessions Division.  
11. In 201 9, progress in the accession Working Parties was documented as follows:  
• A Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime (MFTR ) was circulated for the Working Party 
on the Accession of South Sudan.  
• An updated MFTR was circulated for the Working Party on the Accession of Uzbekistan.  
• A Factual Summary of Points Raised was revised by the Secretariat for the Working Party 
on the Accession of The Bahamas.  
• A Factual Summary of Points Raised was revised  by the Secretariat for the Working Party 
on the Accession of Sudan.  
• A Factual Summary of Points Raised was revised by the Secretariat for the Working Party 
on the Accession of Ethiopia.  
• The draft Report of the Working Party was revised twice by the Secretariat for the Working 
Party on the Accession of Belarus.  
12. In total, 59 accession -related documents  were issued under document symbols WT/ACC, 
WT/ACC/SPEC and JOB/ACC series, for 6 Working Parties.  During the period under review, a total of 
1,826 pages  of accession documents were issued.    
2. WORKING PARTY CHA IRPERSONS  
13. There were two changes in the status of accession  Working Party Chairpersons during the 
period under review , in chronological order:  
• H.E. Mr Morten J espersen (Denmark) was designated as Chairperson of the Working Party 
on the Accession of Ethiopia on 12 December 2018, following the departure of 
H.E. Mr Carsten Staur (Denmark);  
• H.E. Mr Mohammad Qurban Haqjo (Afghanistan) was designated as Chairperson of the 
Working Party of the Accession of South Sudan on 18 March 2019;   
• H.E. Mr Rui Macieira (Portugal) was designated as Chairperson of the Working Party on 
the Accession of Timor -Leste on 18 March 2019, following the departure of H.E. Mr Pedro 
Nuno Bártolo (Portugal) . 
14. As of December  2019, of the 1 6 Working Parties which have a Chairperson, ten Chairpersons 
are Geneva -based  and three Chairpersons are women. There are six vacancies for the positions of 
 
1 The fourth  meeting of the Working Party held on 5 April  2019. 
2 The 1 1th and the 12th meeting s of the Working Party held on 15 February and 11 July 2019, 
respectively . 
3 The first m eeting of the Working Party held on 21 March  2019. 
4 Held on 10 July 2019. WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
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  Chairpersons of Accession Working Parties (see Annex 3). These include vacancies on accessions at 
their initial stages, where no documentary basis for work exists at present.  
15. In 2019, Working Party Chairpersons remained actively engaged. They consulted wi th 
Members and acceding governments in various formats and configurations, and engaged in outreach 
to improve technical and policy understanding on WTO accessions. The active engagement of 
Chairpersons played a significant role in advanc ing the accessions processes, including through 
country visits.  
16. The Chairperson of the Working Party on the Accession of Uzbekistan, H.E. Ms Ji -ah Paik 
(Republic of Korea) , led a mission, accompanied by the Director of the Accessions Division, to 
Tashkent  from 12 to 13 March  2019, at the invitation of the Government of Uzbekistan . The WTO 
delegation held high -level meetings with the Government, including with: H.E. Mr Sardor 
Umurzakov, Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade; H.E. Mr Badriddin Abidov, Deputy Minister 
of Inv estments and Foreign Trade and Chief Negotiator for WTO Accession; Mr Jamshed Sharipov, 
Director of the Department of Cooperation with the WTO at the Ministry of Investments and Foreign 
Trade; H.E. Mr Ilkhom Nematov, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affair s; and H.E. Mr Sakhib 
Saifnazarov, Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry.  The meetings confirmed Uzbekistan's efforts 
to resume the accession process after more than a decade of dormancy and the Government's 
highest political commitment to WTO accession.  During the mission, the Korean Institute for 
International Economic Policy (KIEP) and the ITC separately organised activities in support of 
Uzbekistan's accession to the WTO.  
17. In keeping with systemic transparency obligations, the Chairperson of the Workin g Part y on 
the Accession of Uzbekistan reported on the results of the visit to Members at the Informal Group 
on Accessions  on 4 April 2019.5 
3. TRANSPARENCY IN T HE ACCESSION PROCESS   
18. Ensuring transparency and predictability in the accession process remain s a key priorit y for 
the WTO Director -General and WTO Members. The transparency measures that have been in place 
since 2010 continued to be implemented and reinforced in 2019.  
i. Informal Group on  Accessions (IGA)  
19. The IGA held eight meetings in 2019.6 Consultations in the IGA focused on: (i)  information 
exchange on accessions; (ii) Secretariat reports on technical developments in accession processes; 
(iii) Secretariat reports on technical -assistanc e and outreach activities; (iv) a report by a Working 
Party Chairperson; (v) planning of accession meetings; and (vi) addressing specific concerns raised 
by Members.  
ii. WTO Accessions Newsletter  
20. In the period under review the Secretariat prepared seven  WTO Ac cessions Newsletters.7 
The Newsletter ensures transparency on accession matters, reports on monthly meetings of the IGA, 
and enhances communication with acceding governments, Chairpersons, Members, and the broader 
global trade policy community. The number of subscribers to the Newsletter in 2019 was 990 
(excluding subscribers from the Secretariat ). 
iii. 2019 Annual Outreach Dialogue with WTO Regional Groups  
21. As part of the 2019 annual outreach dialogue with WTO regional groups, a briefing for 
least-developed countries  was provided at the 8 7th session of the Sub -Committee on LDCs held on 
6 November 201 9. The annual outreach dialogue on accessions was also conducted with the Arab 
Group on 11  February  2019 and with the African Group on 2  May 2019. The  objective of the annual 
outreach dialogue is to strengthen communication channels with Members and acceding 
 
5 The report is contained in document JOB/ACC/UZE/1/Rev.1 .  
6 In 2019, the IGA met on 1 February, 7  March, 4  April, 28  May, 1  July, 13  September, 30  October, 
12 December.   The IGA also met on 13  December  2018, after the circulation of the 2018 Annual Report.   
7 A newsletter was also issued in December 2018 , after the circulation of the 2018 Annual Report .   WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207 
 
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  governments, and to provide a platform to exchange region -specific informati on on WTO  accessions. 
These outreach activities  strengthen the collaboration between Members and acceding governments 
and assist in building greater ownership of WTO accessions.  
4.  TECHNICAL ASSIST ANCE AND OUTREACH  
i. Technical Assistance  
22. The WTO Biennial Technical Assistance and Training Plan for 2018 –2019 establishes support 
for acceding governments as one of four key results that technical assistance should contribute to 
achieve.8 The Plan grants priority attention to acceding LDCs. Traditionally, accession -related 
technical assistance and capacity building focus on training for government officials. These activities, 
however, also cover outreach and awareness -raising activities for Parliamentarians, the pr ivate 
sector, academia, civil society, and the media.  
23. In 2019, acceding governments were invited to participate in numerous technical -assistance 
and capacity -building WTO activities, including activities at the global, regional and national levels 
and e -training courses.  In the period under review, the Accessions Division was involved in the 
delivery of 20 technical -assistance activities. These included, inter alia : (i) national and Geneva -
based seminars; (ii) sessions on accessions in advanced trade policy courses, and introductory 
courses for LDCs; (iii) workshops; (iv) technical missions; (v) e -Learning; (vi) presentations to 
students9; and (vii) participation in con ferences.  
24. Specifically, the Accessions Division, including in collaboration with other Secretariat Divisions 
and/or other institutions, provided tailor -made technical assistance to Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, 
Ethiopia, Iraq  (jointly with the World Bank) , Serbia, South Sudan and Uzbekista n (jointly with the 
ITC). In addition, the Division undertook activities at the request of the Government of 
Turkmenistan, which currently has no status in the WTO.  Moreover, two specialised training courses 
on WTO accession s were held in Geneva.    
25. At the invitation of the Government of the Union of Comoros, the Secretariat participated in a 
Donors Conference organized by the World Bank on 2 December 2019  in Paris. This Conference 
brought together development partners and sou ght to secure financial banking for infrastructure 
and investment projects under  the Comoros Emergence Plan for 2030.  The Secretariat delivered a 
statement highlighting the relevance of WTO accession to the overall growth and development 
strategy of Comoro s and met bilaterally with key government officials responsible for WTO accession.   
26. At the request of the Government of Equatorial Guinea, the Secretariat undertook a technical  
assistance mission to Malabo from 5 to 7 March 2019.  The main objective of the mission w as to 
assist Equatorial Guinea in preparing the MFTR and to enhance the understanding of the negotiating 
team of the WTO Agreements with a strong focus on the accession  process.  
27. At the request of the Government of Ethiopia, the S ecretariat undertook a technical mission 
to Addis Ababa from 14 to 18 January 2019.  The main objective of the mission was to assist Ethiopia 
in the technical preparation for the resumption of the accession process after over five years of 
dormancy.  During the 5 -day technical working sessions, the Secretariat worked with the Ethiopian 
negotiating team to update the Factual Summary of Points Raised that would serve as the base 
document for the next Working Party meeting.  This document was shared  with the Gove rnment of 
Ethiopia  after additional technical working sessio ns held in Geneva  from 10 to 21 February 2019.  
28. At the request of the Government of Iraq, the Secretariat, in partnership with the World Bank, 
delivered a workshop on WTO accession to Iraqi officials from 25 to 26 July, in Beirut, Leba nese 
 
8 WT/COMTD/W/2 27/Rev.1 . 
9 E.g. the Accessions Division met with students from the International Club ECS of the Eurasian 
Research Institute  for Peace Development  (Moscow, Russian Federation ) on 28 March 2 019; the Lviv National 
University on 11 April 2019; the American University College of Law on 14 June 2019 , the University of 
International Business and Economics (May  2019), the Second Geneva Dialogue of East  Asian Scholars  
(September 2019 ) and the Belarus State Economic University on 17 October 2019 .  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
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  Republic . The workshop provided  the first opportunity to take stock of the state of play in the 
accession of Iraq following an informal Working Party meeting held in November 2017.  
29. At the  request of the Gov ernment of Serbia, the Secretariat undertook a mission to Belgrade 
on 4-5 March  2019. The objective of the mission was  to participate  in a seminar on WTO accessions , 
co-organized by  the University of Belgrade  and the IDEAS Centr e, and to assist the negotia ting team 
in revising  the necessary inputs for the resumption of the Working Party process.  
30. At the request of the Government of South Sudan, the Secretariat organized a technical 
mission to Juba from 12 to 14 February 2019 to prepare South Sudan for the first meeting of the 
Working Party which took place in March 2019.  During the mission, the Secretariat provided technical 
comments on South Sudan's replies to Members' questions on the MFTR, the Legislative Action Plan 
and on the submission of a package of legislation . The prepar ation and  circulation  of these 
documents enabled the holding of the first meeting of the Working Party.  The Secretariat also 
organized 1.5 -day dedicated technical  assistance sessions for the South Sudan ese delegates prior 
to the first meeting of the Working Party on 18-19 March  2019. 
31. At the request of the Government of Uzbekistan, on the margins of the  Working Party 
Chair persons 's visit in March 2019 (see paragraph 16), the Secretariat participated in a "Round Table 
on Uzbekistan's WTO Accession: Law and Practice and Prioritization of Needs" organised by the ITC.  
32. On the margins of the 7th Global Aid for Trade Review, t he Secretariat  delivered a presentation 
to a visiti ng delegation from Turkmenistan on the accession process, its technical steps, negotiating 
tracks, benefits and challenges.  In addition, a t the request of Turkmenistan,  the Secretariat delivered 
a national seminar to the Government Commission on WTO Access ion on the margins of the First 
Caspian Economic Forum in Avaza, Turkmenistan, in August  2019.  The seminar aimed at facilitating 
discussions on Turkmenistan's potential a pplication  for accession to the WTO . The Secretariat also 
held b ilateral meetings with  high-level government officials  and participated in the First Caspian 
Economic Forum . 
33. As for specialised training s on WTO accession, the Secretariat organised a 2-week course  
focused on WTO Rules in the context of accession negotiations on 4 to 15  February and a one-week 
course on market access negotiations on trade in g oods on 18 to 22 November : 
• The main objectives of the training  course  on WTO rules were to  give participants detailed 
information on WTO legal disciplines at issue in accession negotiations, familiarize 
participants with various accession -specific documents , and enhance knowledge  of the 
content of typical commitment paragraphs found in accession Reports . Twenty -nine 
participants from  15 acceding governments10 participated in the Seminar.   
• The main objective of the training course on scheduling  concessions in goods for acceding 
governments was to enhance understanding o f the practical aspects of bilateral market 
access negotiations on goods as well as the technical aspects of schedu ling of tariff 
concessions . In addition to the theoretical underpinnings, the training course offered 
practical exercises, including a 2 -day s imulation exercise on market access negotiations.  
Twenty  officials from 12 acceding governments, as well as three Article XII Members , 
participated in the training .11  
34. The Secretariat continue d to collaborate with other international organizations to suppor t 
acceding governments, including through accession -related technical -assistance and 
capacity -building activities  at the global, regional and national levels . The partnerships allowed the 
WTO Secretariat to benefit from the regional and technical expertise  of the partner institutions. The 
thematic section of this Report aims to draw attention to the relevance of inter -agency coordination 
on WTO  accession and to raise awareness about the international community's efforts to provide 
greater coherence in the p rovision of policy advice to acceding governments (see Section VII ).  
 
10 Algeria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Belarus, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Comoros, Equatorial 
Guinea, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanese Republic, Serbia, Sudan, Uzbekistan.   
11 Azerbaijan, Bela rus, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Comoros, Ethiopia, Kyrgyz Republic, 
Lebanon, Serbia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uzbekistan, Yemen.    WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207 
 
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  ii. Outreach  
35. In the year under review, the Secretariat continued to support the accession -related groups, 
such as the Informal Group of Acceding Governments (IGAG) and the g7+ WTO Accession Group , 
which aim at mobilizing acceding governments' efforts in pursuing WTO accession . Significant efforts 
were invested in the expansion of outreach activities to partners with interest in accessions, in  
particular the Bretton Woods Institution s.  
36. The IGAG, which comprises all acceding governments, held 7 meetings in 2019, including on 
the margins of the 8th China Round Table in Moscow with the participation of capital -based officials.12 
This group was launched in 2018 in direct response to the n eed for better coordination among 
acceding governments in light of increased accession activities . The Group is chaired by Belarus.  
37. The g7+ WTO Accessions Group, which comprises  nine fragile and conflict -affected LDCs 
associated with WTO accession,13 held three meetings in 2019, and one outreach event (a joint 
session with  the Government of the Netherlands entitled "Trade for Peace through WTO Accessions" 
at the 7th Global Aid for Trade Review on 3 July). This Group was launched on the margins of the 
11th WTO Ministerial Conference in December 2017 and  aims to support its members in their WTO 
accession efforts, and to facilitate the ir integration into the multilateral trading system. The Group 
is coordinated by Afghanistan . 
38. Partners play an important ro le in supporting WTO accessions . In the year under review, t he 
Secretariat continued to work with international and regional institutions, and bilateral partners . 
Efforts were made to expand such partnerships in 2019.  On the margins of the 7th Global Aid for 
Trade Review , the Secretariat organized t he 2nd Forum on WTO Accession - Technical Assistance and 
Capacity Building for Economic Transformation and Sustainable Peacebuilding, on 5  July 2019. The 
Forum brought together acceding governments and the d onor community to exchange views on: 
(i) technical -assistance and capacity -building needs of acceding governments, especially LDCs; 
(ii) programmes and projects designed to address accession -specific needs; and (iii) emerging best 
practices in designing an d delivering accession -specific technical assistance and capacity building 
aimed at economic transformation and peace -building. The event also celebrated the third 
anniversary of WTO membership of Afghanistan and Liberia, which acceded to the WTO in July 2 016.  
39. Within the framework of the WTO -IMF-World Bank coherence mandate , the Secretariat , in 
partnership with the IMF and the World Bank , organised a  conference entitled "Greater Coherence 
in Global Economic Policymaking: the case of WTO accession" , during the IMF/WBG Annual Meetings 
in October 2019 . The conference provided a platform to discuss issues of common policy interest to 
the three institutions in the context of WTO accessions and to explore the scope for heightened 
cooperation at the country level.  A special focus was put on the accessions of Belarus and Ethiopia 
which were represented by the Chief Negotiator  and the State M inister  of Finance, respectively  (see 
Section VII  for more on this topic) . 
iii. "Trade for Peace" through WTO Accessions Initiative  
40. Following the launch of the "Trade for Peace through WTO Accessions" initiative in 2018, the 
Secretariat continued to advocate for trade integration as a pathway to promote sustainable peace.  
In 2019, th e focus was placed  on the specific  country  and region al context of fragile and conflict -
affected acceding governments.    
41. A series of activities under the theme "Trade for Peace" in the context of WTO accession s took 
place in 2019, including: a joint sessio n of the g7+  WTO Accessions Group and the Government of 
the Netherlands entitled "Trade for Peace through WTO Acce ssions" at the Global Aid for Trade 
Review 2019  on 3 July; a panel discussion on "Trade for Peace through WTO Accessions: Global 
Peace Index 2 019 and Reflections from the Bottom" (9 October), together with the Institute for 
Economics and Peace; and a panel discussion on "Trade, Jobs and Peace" at the Geneva Peace Week 
(8 November), together with the International Labour Organization.  The Accessions Division also 
 
12 In 2019, the IGAG met on 5 February, 27  March,  25 April, 3  October, 14  and 28 November, and 
6 December.   
13 Three Arti cle XII Members (Afghanistan, Liberia, Yemen) and six acceding governments (Comoros, Sao 
Tomé and Principe, Somalia, South Sudan , Sudan  and Timor -Leste).  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
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  collaborated with the Graduate Institute under the Capstone Project focusing on research on the 
topic of "Trade for Peace ".  
iv. China's LDCs and Accessions Programme (The China Programme)  
42. The " China's  LDCs and Accessions Programme " (the China  Programme) was established by 
the Government of China and the WTO on 14  July 2011. The China Programme is aimed at 
strengthening LDCs' participation in the WTO and at assisting acceding  governments in joining the 
WTO. The programme supports an d finances activities under five principal pillars:  
I. WTO Accessions Internship Programme;  
II. Annual China Round Tables on WTO Accessions;  
III. Increasing participation of LDCs in WTO meetings;  
IV. South -South dialogue on LDCs and development; and  
V. LDCs' Trade Policy Rev iew follow -up workshops.  
43. The Accessions Division is responsible for the implementation of Pillar s I and II, as well as 
other accession -specific support.14  
44. In 2019, China undertook the seventh renewal and extension  of the Programme on 
18 November, with a co ntribution of US$500,000.  
45. Under the WTO Accessions Internship Programme (Pillar I), e ight interns worked in the 
Accessions Division in the year under review.15 Of the 32  interns that have participated in the 
Programme since its launch, 14 have been from LDC s and 18 from non -LDCs.16 Eleven  men and 21 
women  have participated in the Programme . The visual breakdown of interns per region is presented 
in Figure 1. 
46. Under Pillar II, t he 8th China Round Table on WTO Accessions took place in Moscow, Russian 
Federation, on 4-5 December 2019 , under the theme "Accessions and WTO Reform: on the Road to 
MC12". The  Round Table was attended by representatives of 11 acceding governments17, nine Article 
XII Members18 and two governments expressing interest in accession19. Many of these governments 
were represented at the level of Minister, Deputy Minister, Ambassador and/or Chief Negotiator. In 
addition, representatives of original WTO Members and Working P arty Chairpersons; as well as 
various stakeholders from the host country, including government officials, academia and experts 
from partner institutions took part in the Round Table.20 The Round Table focused on: 
(i) contributions of accessions to WTO Reform and the implications  of the Joint Initiatives (JIs) to 
acceding governments; (ii) the state of play in accessions; (iii) coherence and synergies between 
deeper regional integration efforts and the WTO accession pro cess; and (iv)  preparation for MC12.  
The main elements of the discussions are outlined in the Report on the Outcome of the Round 
Table.21  
 
14 More background and information on the five pillars can be found here: 
https://www.wto.org/english/t hewto_e/acc_e/china_programme_e.htm . 
15 The 2019 China WTO Accession s Internship Programme participants were drawn  from Azerbaijan 
(non-LDC acceding government) , Belarus (non -LDC acceding government), Ethiopia (acceding LDC 
government), Kenya/Somalia  (developing WTO Member/ acceding LDC government),  Nigeria  (developing WTO 
Member), Serbia (non -LDC acceding government), Uganda (LDC WTO Member) and Uzbekistan  (non-LDC 
acceding govern ment). 
16 An overview of former and current participants, including alumni stories, can be found here: 
https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/acc_e/pillar1_e.htm . 
17 Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina,  Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia , Iran,  Iraq, Serbia, Sudan, 
Timor -Leste  and Uzbekistan . 
18 Afghanistan, Armenia,  Bulgaria, China,  Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Panama, Russian Federation and  
Tajikistan.  
19 Curaçao and Turkmenistan. Curaçao submitted a request for accession pursuant to Article XII, on 
1 November  2019 ( WT/ACC/CUW/1 ). 
20 Original Members : Chile,  European Union , Japan, Peru and Uruguay; Chairpersons of the Accession 
Working Parties of Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Comoros; partner  institutions: Eurasian Economic 
Commission, the International Trade Centre, the Higher School of Economics, and the WTO Expertise Center.  
21 The R eport was circulated in document WT/ACC/35 , WT/GC/204  and WT/MIN(20)/1 . More information 
on this and previous round tables can be found at https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/acc_e/p illar2_e.htm .    WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207 
 
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  Figure 1: China Programme interns by region (2012 -2019)  
 
5. ACCESSIONS TRANSP ARENCY TOOLBOX  
i. WTO Accessions Intelligence Portal (AIP)  
47. The Accessions Intelligence Portal (AIP), launched in 2016, forms an integral part of the 
WTO's  initiative  to enhance transparency on WTO accession negotiations.22 The AIP provides access 
to documentation and data on the WTO  accession processes, including 36 completed accessions and 
22 ongoing accessions. The Portal is regularly updated based on the documentation received from 
the acceding governments and produced by the Secretariat with respe ct to ongoing accessions.23 
ii. Accession Commitments Database (ACDB)  
48. The Accession Commitments Database (ACDB) provides access to all accession -specific 
commitments  and related information contained in accession Working Party Reports and Accession 
Protocols of the 36 Article  XII Members. The ACDB is available in the three official languages of the 
WTO at: http://acdb.wto.org.   
iii. Secretariat Register of Bilateral Market Access Agreements  
49. The Register of Bilateral Market Access Agreements contains basic information  regarding 
signed bilateral  Market Access Agreements on Goods and Services that have been deposited with 
the Secretariat. The Registers lists  the sector of the agreement (goods; services; or both, as 
applicable), and the dates of signature and deposit.  
50. Reports generated by this Register are available only to WTO  Members via a password -
protected access:  https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/acc_e/xacc_e/register_e.htm. The 
substantive content of bilateral Market Access Agreements remains confidential to the signatories 
and the Secretariat , which acts as the depository of the Agreements.  
III. STATE OF PLAY IN ACC ESSION WORKING PARTI ES 
51. WTO accession negotiations advance on the basis of two or three tra cks — with multilateral, 
bilateral, and in some cases, plurilateral processes running in parallel. Separately, there are domestic 
processes in the acceding governments to establish national negotiating positions and to decide on 
inputs. In 2019, there was mixed progress in the 22 ongoing accessions. A range of factors, as in 
 
22 The AIP is available at: https://www.wto.org/accessions.  
23 While the AIP is open to the public, some parts of the website, including access to documents of 
ongoing accession negotiations, remain password -protected and are only accessible to Members and acceding 
governments.  
8
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CEECAC Africa Asia Arab & Middle East Latin AmericaWT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
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  the past, remain in play. They include, but are not limited to, ongoing negotiations with Members; 
technical complexities; domestic challenges; political choices to delay for more impac t analysis; 
re-ordered priorities; and/or post -conflict situations. This Section provides the state of play on the 
ongoing accessions, as of December 2019. M ore details of the state of play are provided and 
regularly updated in the monthly Accessions Newsl etter, which can be found on the WTO accession 
webpage. 
Table 1: Current accessions by general status, as of December 2019  
General Status  Accessions  
Strategic focus  Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Union of the 
Comoros*  
Work in progress  Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, South Sudan*, Sudan*  
Reactivation  Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia*, Iraq, Lebanese 
Republic, Serbia, Uzbekistan  
Activation  Somalia*, Timor -Leste*  
Inactive  Andorra, Algeria, Bhutan*, Iran, Libya, Sao Tomé 
and Principe*, Syrian Arab R epublic  
* LDCs. 
"Strategic focus" indicates accessions which could be concluded in 2020, based on the level of technical 
advancement of the dossiers.  
"Work in progress" indicates technical advancement and regular exchange of information with WTO Members 
and the Secretariat.  
"Reactivation" indicates exchange of information with the Secretariat and/or WTO Members with the objective of 
early resumption of activities at the level of the Working Party after a period of dormancy/inactivity.  
"Activation"  indicates exchange of information with the Secretariat with the objective to begin the Working Party 
process.  
"Inactive" indicates no activities at the level of the Working Party for at least three years.  
52. Algeria : Algeria submitted a request for accessio n in June 1987. The Working Party was 
established in June 1987  and held its first meeting in 1998. The 12th meeting of the Working Party 
was held in March  2014. To date, six bilateral market access agreements have been signed and 
deposited with the Secretariat . Bilateral negotiations are ongoing with several interested Members . 
Multilateral negotiations are based  on the third revision of the draft Working Party Report circulated 
in February  2014. The 13th meeting of the Working Party will be convened  following the circulation 
of required negotiating inputs.  
53. Andorra : Andorra applied for WTO accession in July 1997. The Working Party was established  
in October 1997. The Working Party held its first and only meeting in October 1999. This accession 
proces s is inactive, and there are no indications of any intention to re -start the process.  
54. Azerbaijan : Azerbaijan applied for WTO accession in June 1997. The Working Party was 
established in July 1997  and held its first meeting in 2002. The 14th meeting of the  Working Party 
was held in July 2017. To date, four bilateral market access agreements have been signed and 
deposited with the Secretariat , while bilateral negotiations are ongoing with several interested 
Members.  Multilateral  negotiations are underway on the basis of the third revision of the draft 
Working Party Report circulated in May 2017.  The 15th meeting of the Working Party is envisaged 
for the first half of 2020 . 
55. The Bahamas : The Bahamas applied for WTO accession in May 2001. The Working Party was 
established in July 2001  and held its first meeting in 2010. The fourth meeting of the Working Party 
was held in April 2019. To date, one bilateral market access agreement has been concluded , while 
bilateral negotiations are ongoing with several intere sted Members . On the multilateral level, the 
Working Party agreed to transform the Factual Summary of Points Raised into an Elements of a draft 
Working Party Report.  The fifth meeting will be convened following the submission of required 
negotiating inputs . 
56. Belarus : Belarus submitted a request for accession in September 1993. The  Working Party 
was established in October 1993  and held its first meeting in 1997. Following a period of inactivity , 
during which no formal  Working Party meetings were held between 2005 and 2016 , the Working  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207 
 
- 13 - 
 
  Party resumed  work in January 2017. In 2019, the Working Party held its 11th Meeting in February 
and its 12th Meeting in July . One bilateral market access agreement was concluded  in this period . To 
date, 16 signed bilateral market access agreements have been deposited with the Secretariat . 
Bilateral negotiations are ongoing with a limited number of Members . Multilateral negotiations are 
underway on the basis of the fourth  revision of the draft Working Party Report. The 13th meeting of 
the Working Party is envisaged for March  2020. 
57. Bhutan : Bhutan applied for WTO accession in September 1999. The Working Party  was 
established in October 1999  and held its first meeting in 2004. The fourth meeting of the Working 
Party was held in January 2008. The first version of the draft Working Party Report was circulated 
in December 2007. The most recent market access offers  on goods and services were circulated in 
November 2007. There has been no activity in the Working Party since the fourth meeting .  
58. Bosnia and Herzegovina : Bosnia and Herzegovina applied for WTO accession in May 1999. 
The Working Party was established in J uly 1999  and held its first meeting in 2003. The 13th meeting 
of the Working Party was held in February 2018. To date, 16 bilateral market access agreements 
have been signed and deposited with the Secretariat, while bilateral negotiation is outstanding with 
one Member . In October 2019, the draft ITA Schedule of Bosnia and Herzegovina was approved by 
the ITA participants. Multilateral negotiations are underway on the basis of the eighth revision of the 
draft Working Party Report circulated in October 2017. The 14th meeting of the Working Party will 
be convened after the conclusion of the remaining bilateral market access agreement.   
59. Union of the Comoros : The Union of the Comoros applied for WTO accession in March  2007. 
The Working Party was established  in October 2007  and held its first meeting in December 2016 . 
The fourth meeting of the Working Party was held in March 2018. To date, t hree bilateral market 
access agreements have been signed and deposited with the Secretariat . Bilateral negotiations are 
reportedly ongoing with four Members. Multilateral negotiations are ongoing on the basis of a draft 
Working Party Report circulated in February 2018. The fifth meeting of the Working Party is 
envisaged for the first quarter of 2020. The Union of  the Comoro s is subject to Category I 
administrative measures.24 
60. Equatorial Guinea : Equatorial Guinea applied for WTO accession in March 2007. The Working 
Party was established in February 2008. No  Working Party meeting has been held to date  as 
Equatorial Guinea has n ot submitted any inputs to initiate the accession process. Work has 
reportedly begun on the preparation of a Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime .  
61. Ethiopia : Ethiopia applied for WTO accession in January 2003. The Working Party was 
established in Februar y 2003  and held its first meeting in May 2008 . The third meeting of the 
Working Party was held in March 2012. In preparation for the fourth meeting of the Working Party, 
a revised market access offer on goods and an initial market access offer on services were circulated 
in December 2019.  A revised Factual Summary of Points Raised was also circulated in December 
2019.  The fourth meeting of the Working Party is envisaged for 30 January 2020. 
62. Islamic Republic of Iran : The Islamic Republic of Iran applied for WTO accession in July  1996. 
The Working Party on the Accession of the Islamic Republic of Iran was established in May 2005. 
The MFTR was circulated in November  2009. Technical inputs submitted by Iran, including r eplies to 
Members' questions on the MFTR, were circulated in 2011. To convene the first meeting of the 
Working Party, the Chairperson of the General Council would need to undertake consultations with 
Members on the designation of a Chairperson of the Worki ng Party.  
63. Iraq: Iraq applied for WTO accession in September 2004. The Working Party was established 
in December 2004  and held its first meeting in 2007. The second meeting of the Working Party was 
held in April  2008 and a n informal meeting of the Working Party was held in November 2017. In 
preparation for the third meeting of the Working Party, a n updated MFTR was circulated in February 
2018. The  third meeting of the Working Party will be scheduled following the submission of required 
negotiating inputs . 
64. Lebanese Republic : The Lebanese Republic applied for WTO accession in January 1999. 
The Working Party was established in April 1999  and held its first meeting in 2002. The seventh 
 
24 As of December 2019.  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
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  meeting of the Working Party was held in October  2009. In preparation for the  eighth meeting of 
the Working Party, u pdated negotiating inputs , as well as the second  revision of the draft Working 
Party Report , were circulated in April -June 2017. The eighth meeting of the Working Party will be 
convened subject to the submission of revised market access offers on goods and services.  
65. Libya : Libya applied for WTO accession in June 2004. The Working Party was established in 
September 2004. No Working Party meeting has been held to date as  Libya has not submitted any 
negotiating inputs to  initiate the process of accession negotiations. Libya is subject to Category  III 
administrative measures.25 
66. Sao Tomé and Principe : Sao Tomé and Principe  applied for WTO accession in February  2005. 
The Working Party was established in June 2005. No Working Party meeting has been held to date 
as Sao Tomé and Principe  has not submitted  any inputs to initiate the process of accession 
negotiations. Sao Tomé and Principe  is subject to Category III administrative measures.26  
67. Serbia : Serbia applied for WTO accession in December 2004. The Working Party was 
established in February 2005  and held its first meeting in 2005. The 13th meeting of the Working 
Party was held in June  2013. To date, 13 bilateral market access agreements have been signed and 
deposited wi th the Secretariat , while b ilateral market access negotiations remain with a limited 
number of Members. Multilateral negotiations are based on  the seven th revision of the draft Working 
Party Report circulated in October  2012. The 14th meeting of the Workin g Party will be convened 
subject to outstanding domestic legislative action and the submission of required negotiating inputs.  
68. Somalia : Somalia applied for WTO accession in December 2015. The Working Party was 
established in December 2016. No Working Party  meeting has been held to date as Somalia has not 
yet submitted any inputs to initiate the process of accession negotiations. Work has reportedly begun 
on the preparation of a Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime. Somalia is subject to Category 
II admini strative measures.27 
69. South Sudan : South Sudan applied for WTO accession in December 2017. The Working Party 
was established in December 2017  and held its first meeting in March 2019. The second meeting of 
the Working Party will be convened subject to South Sudan's submission of required inputs. South 
Sudan is subject to Category I administrative measures.28 
70. Sudan : Sudan applied for WTO accession in October 1994. The Working Party was established 
in October 1994  and held its first meeting in 2003. After years of dormancy  between 2004 and 2015 , 
the Working Party was resumed in January 2017. The fourth meeting of the Working Party was held 
in July 2017. To date, t hree bilateral market access agreements have been signed and deposited 
with the Secretariat , while b ilateral market access negotiations are ongoing with several interested 
Members. Multilateral negotiations are ongoing on the basis of a revised Factual Summary of Points 
Raised circulated in January 2019. The fifth meeting of the Working Party could be env isaged for the 
first half of 2020 , following the submission of required negotiating inputs .  
71. Syrian Arab Republic : The Syrian Arab Republic applied for WTO accession in October  2001. 
The Working Party was established in May 2010. No Working Party meeting has been held to date 
as the Syrian Arab Republic has not submitted any negotiating inputs to initiate the process  of its 
accession negotiations.  
72. Timor -Leste : Timor -Leste applied for WTO accession in November 2016. The  Working Party 
was established in December 2016.  The MFTR was circulated in June 2017. The  first meeting of the 
Working Party will be scheduled followi ng the submission of required inputs, including replies to 
questions on the MFTR.  
73. Uzbekistan : Uzbekistan applied for WTO accession in December 1994. The Working Party was 
established in December 1994  and held its first meeting in 2002. The third meeting of  the Working 
Party took place in October 2005. Following years of inactivity between 2005 and 2018, an updated 
 
25 As of December 2019.  
26 As of December 2019.  
27 As of December 2019.  
28 As of December 2019.   WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207 
 
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  MFTR was submitted in July 2019. The fourth meeting of the Working Party  could be envisaged for 
the first half of 2020 following the submission o f outstanding  negotiating inputs.  
74. Figure 2 provides  a snapshot of the state of play in current accession negotiations.  
Figure 2: State of play in ongoing accession negotiations  
 
Expression of interest  
75. In October 2019, a new application for WTO accession, from Curaçao – a constituent country 
within the Kingdom of the Netherlands  - was received for consideration by WTO Members . This 
request was placed on the agenda of the last meeting of the General Counc il in 2019 by the Kingdom 
of the Netherlands . At the meeting, two Members signalled that they would need additional time to 
consider this request.  
IV. LEAST -DEVELOPED COUN TRIES' ACCESSIONS  
76. Since the es tablishment of the WTO, nine Members have acceded as LDCs pursuant to 
Article  XII of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the  WTO.29 Currently, eight LDCs are in the 
process of WTO accession.  
77. In 2012, the General Council adopted an Addendum to document WT/L/508 to strengthen, 
streamline and operationalize the 2002 LDC Accession Guidelines.  Members are mindful of these 
Guidelines in ongoing active LDC accessions. The Director -General has undersc ored the vital 
importance of Members to be cognizant of these Guidelines in facilitating negotiations with LDCs.  
78. In 2019, South Sudan , as the most recent LDC applicant, registered progress in its accession 
process by holding its first meeting of the Workin g Party in March, after the submission of its 
Memorandum on the Foreign Trade regime in December 2018 , only 12 months after the 
establishment of the Working Party.  
79. Following a period of slow progress linked to domestic political developments , the Union of  
the Comoros  resumed prepar ations  for the fifth meeting of Working Party envisaged for the first 
quarter of 2020. Ethiopia  resumed work to reactivate its accession process which had been inactive 
 
29 Article XII Members that acceded to the WTO as LDCs were: Afghanistan (2016) , Cabo Verde  (2008) , 
Cambodia (2004) , Lao PDR (2013) , Liberia (2016) , Nepal (2004) , Samoa (2012) , Vanuatu (2012) , and Yemen 
(2014) .  Cabo Verde and Samoa graduated from LDC status in 2008 and 2014, respectively.  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
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  since 2012 and submitted a comprehensive  set of negotiating inputs in December 2019 . The fourth 
meeting of the Working Party is scheduled for 30  January  2020.   
80. Sudan 's accession process slowed down due to domestic political developments . However, 
renewed engagement was expected in early 2020 following the establishment of a transitional 
government in August 2019.  
81. Somalia , and Timor -Leste , both at the initial stage  of their accession process , were preparing 
documentation necessary to hold their first meeting of the Working Party  as soon as possible .  
82. In line with Members' priority given to LDC accessions, the Secretariat continued to give 
focused attention to the  eight ongoing LDC accessions with a view to facilitating and accelerating 
their negotiations. Since 2002, the Secretar iat provides regular briefings on the state of play in the 
accessions of LDCs to the Sub -Committee on LDCs.30  In addition, the Secretariat extends its support 
to the g7+ WTO Accessions Group, which comprises fragile and conflict -affected LDCs associated 
with WTO accessions: three recently acceded members (Afghanistan, Liberia and Yemen) and five 
acceding governments (Comoros, Sao Tomé and Principe, Somalia, South Sudan and Timor -Leste). 
In January 2019, the Group accepted Sudan as its ninth member ( for more  information s ee 
paragraph 37 and https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/acc_e/mc11g7group_e.htm ).  
83. The Secretariat continued to provide a combination of generalized start -up and ta ilor-made 
accession -specific technical assistance to acceding LDCs at all stages of their accession processes. 
This year, as in previous years, technical assistance to acceding LDCs' delegations in Geneva was 
combined with assistance to capital -based offic ials.  
84. Members have also continued provid ing technical support for LDC accessions,  including China  
(including through the "China's LDCs  and Accessions Programme, see "Technical Assistance and 
Outreach"  section ), the European Union ( including through  dedicated programmes from its individual 
member States), Japan ( notably  for Sudan) , Oman ( notably  for Comoros) , New Zealand (notably 
for Timo r-Leste) , and the United States. Some Members provide technical assistance via national 
institutions and programmes, while others use platforms such as the Enhanced Integrated 
Framework (EIF) , which  also offers a capacity building platform for acceding LDC s. 
85. Under the WTO Accessions Internship Programme, to date , 14 of the 3 2 interns were  drawn  
from LDCs, including three from acceding LDCs31 and three from Article  XII LDCs.32 
V. POST -ACCESSION  
1. Post-accession support  
86. The post-accession implementation support framework, which had been developed in 
2014-2016, consists of the following five pillars:  
i. Country -Specific Post -Accession Implementation Strategy;  
ii. Specialized training on WTO post -accession;  
iii. Secretariat N ote on "Best Practices on WTO Post -Accession";  
iv. Dedicated webpage on "Post -accession — what next?" in the WTO Accession Website;  
v. Internal Secretariat Note on Post -Accession Implementation and Monitoring.  
2. Participation of Article XII Members  
87. The Se cretariat regularly monitors the participation of Article XII Members in the work of the 
WTO. Overall, Article XII Members are active  in all pillars of the work of the WTO . For instance, their 
active participation is reflected in the relatively  high averag e number of WTO notifications  when 
 
30 In 2019, the Accessions Division provided a presentation on the  state of play in LDC accessions at the 
87th session of the Sub -Committee on LDCs held on 6 November  2019.  
31 Ethiopia, Somalia and Timor -Leste.  
32 Afghanistan, Liberia and Yemen.   WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207 
 
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  compared with the WTO average. In fact, Article XII Members have outperformed o riginal WTO 
Members in most years since 2008  with the exception of 2017 -2019 (see Figure 3).  
Figure 3: Average  number of WTO notifications , 2008 -2019  
 
* This includes Original Members and Article XII Members.  
Source:  WTO Central Registry of Notifications . 
88. Active participation is also evident in the  Article XII Members' participation in the plurilateral 
agreements.  
89. At present, out of 4 8 Members participating in the revised Agreement on Government 
Procurement (GPA), which entered into force on 6  April 2014, ten are Article XII Members, namely: 
Armenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Chinese Ta ipei, and 
Ukraine. Currently, 1 733 out of the 34 GPA observers are Article XII Members34, and ten of them are 
in the process of acceding to the GPA, accounting for 100% of the ongoing GPA accession 
negotiations. These ten Article XII Members are: Albania, China, Georgia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, 
Kyrgyz Republic, North Macedonia, Oman, Russian Federation  and Tajikistan.35  
90. 23 Article XII Members (Afghanistan, Albania, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Estonia, Georgia, 
Jordan, Kazakhstan , Kyrgyz Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Oman, Panama, 
Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Chinese Taipei, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Viet Nam) 
participate in the Information Technology Agreement.  
91. As of December  2019, 3136 Article  XII Members have ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement, 
which entered into force on 22 February 2017.  
 
33 Afghanistan, Albania, China, Ecuador, Georgia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, North 
Macedonia, Oman, Panama, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Tajikistan, Viet Nam.  
34 In addition, on 27 June 2018, Belarus was granted observer status in the Government Procurement 
Committee. This is t he first acceding government to become an observer to the revised GPA while still in the 
process of WTO accession.  
35 Four other Article XII Members have undertaken commitments t o initiate accession to the GPA  in 
future. They are : Afghanistan, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, and Seychelles.  
36 Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Croatia, Ecuador, Estonia, Georgia, 
Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Lao PDR, Republic of Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro , 
Nepal, North Macedonia, Oman, Panama, Russian Federation, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Chinese Taipei, 
Tajikistan Ukraine, Viet Nam . Cabo Verde is set to ratify the TFA in February 2020 . 
WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
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  92. Article XII Members have also been active in the Joint Initiatives launched by groups of WTO 
Members at the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference in Buenos  Aires in December 2017 (see  Table 2). 
Table 2: Participation  of Article XII Members in the Joint Initiatives  
No. Member  Total Electronic 
Commerce  Investment 
Facilitation 
for 
Development  Services 
Domestic 
Regulation  MSMEs  
1.  Afghanistan  2     
2.  Albania  3     
3.  Armenia  1     
4.  Bulgaria (EU)  4     
5.  Cabo Verde  1     
6.  Cambodia  1     
7.  China  4     
8.  Croatia (EU)  4     
9.  Ecuador  2     
10.  Estonia (EU)  4     
11.  Georgia  1     
12.  Jordan  0     
13.  Kazakhstan  4     
14.  Kyrgyz Republic  2     
15.  Lao PDR  3     
16.  Latvia (EU)  4     
17.  Liberia  1     
18.  Lithuania (EU)  4     
19.  Moldova, Republic of  4     
20.  Mongolia  3     
21.  Montenegro  4     
22.  Nepal  0     
23.  North Macedonia  4     
24.  Oman  0     
25.  Panama  3     
26.  Russian Federation  4     
27.  Samoa  0     
28.  Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of  3     
29.  Seychelles  1     
30.  Chinese Taipei  3     
31.  Tajikistan  1     
32.  Tonga  0     
33.  Ukraine  1     
34.  Vanuatu  1     
35.  Viet Nam  1     
36.  Yemen  1     
Total number of Article XII Members  19 25 13 22 
Total number of Article XII Members (EU counted 
as one)  15 21 9 18 
Note:  31 Article XII Members participate in at least one of the Joint Initiatives. Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, 
Latvia and Lithuania participate as part of the EU. 11 Article XII Members participate in all four Joint 
Initiatives.  
 
VI. TRADE AND ECONOMIC P ERFORMANCE OF ARTICL E XII MEMBERS37  
93. According to the World Trade Statistical Review 201938, the volume of world merchandise 
trade, measured by the average  of exports and imports, grew by 3% in 2018 against 4.6% growth 
in 2017 . This was largely  due to heightened  trade tensions and  economic policy uncertainties as well 
as temporary shocks . The n ominal trade value increased by 10% in 2018 , partly due to higher oil 
prices , and totalled close to US$ 19.5 trillion . World trade in commercial services conti nued to expand  
significantly  for the second consecutive year and registered solid growth of 7.7% in 2018.  
 
37 See Annex es 5 and 6 to this Report.  
38 Available at https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/statis_e/wts2019_e/wts19_toc_e.htm .   WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207 
 
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  94. Figure 4 below  compares  the evolution of market shares of world trade of original WTO 
Members , the 36 Article XII Members, and the 22 acceding governments . The share of world trade 
of original Members has decreased from almost 8 9% in 1995, to just below 86% in 2005, and further 
down to about  80% in 201 8. Conversely, the share of world trade of the 36 Artic le XII Members has 
increased from about 8% in 1995, to more than 12% in 2005, and then to almost 18% in 201 8. This 
observation lends support to the view that the WTO accession process and subsequent WTO 
membership ha ve a positive effect on the trade growth  of acceded Members . The share of the 22 
acceding governments has remained fairly stable  over the period,  standing  at 1.7% in 2018.  
Figure 4: Shares of world trade (1995, 2005 and 2018)  
  
Source:  WTO Data  Portal . 
 
95. Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 focus specifically on the trade and economic performance of Article XII 
Members in the years before and after accession to the WTO  by depict ing growth trends in GDP, 
merchandise trade in goods (exports and imports), and inward foreign direct investment ( FDI) 
stocks. These indicators  demonstrate that after acceding to the WTO , Article XII Members  have, on 
average, experienced faster  growth - both in comparison with the years prior to WTO accession and 
when assessed relative to the world  average . These results len d support to the argument that 
integrated open economies tend to grow faster. By signalling a government's commitment to 
international  rules, WTO  membership appears to also encourage the inflow of foreign investment.    
WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
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  Figure 5: GDP  growth rate of  Article XII Members  
(Indices, WTO accession year = 100)  
 
Source:  IMF. 
Figure 6: Growth  rate of merchandise exports of Article XII Members  
(Indices, WTO accession year = 100)  
 
Source:  WTO Data  Portal . 
 
 WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207 
 
- 21 - 
 
  Figure 7: Growth  rate of merchandise imports of Article XII Members  
(Indices, WTO accession year = 100)  
 
Source:  WTO Data  Portal . 
 
Figure 8: Growth  rate of FDI inward stocks of Article XII Members  
(Indices, WTO accession year = 100)  
 
Source:  UNCTAD .  
 
WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
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  96. On the services side, Article XII Members have also tended to perform better in the years 
following accession than in the years prior to a ccession. The picture is more mixed when comparing 
their performance relative to the world  average . In particular, for  Article XII Members join ing the 
WTO after 2012, growth in commercial services exports has been positive , but has not outperformed 
the world average  (see Figure s 9 and 10 ).39  
Figure 9: Growth  rate of commercial services exports of Article XII Members  
ACCES SIONS CONCLUDED PRIO R TO 201140 
(Indices, WTO accession year = 100)  
 
 
39 To address methodological constraints linked to the implementation of the EBOPS 2010 classification, 
data fo r trade in commercial services  is presented  in two groups : accessions  prior to  2011 and acce ssions after  
2012. See Technical Note on the trade in commercial services datasets at: 
https://data.wto.org/assets/UserGuide/TechnicalNotes_en.pdf .  
40 Article XII Members who acceded prior to 2011: Ecuador, Bulgaria, Mongolia, Panama, Kyrgyz 
Republic, Latvia, Estonia, Jordan, Georgia, Albania, Oman, Croatia, Lithuania, Moldova, China, Chinese  Taipei, 
Armenia, North Macedonia, Nepal, Cambodia, Saudi Arabia, Viet Nam, Tonga, Ukraine, Cabo Verde.  
 WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207 
 
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  ACCESSIONS CONCLUDED AFTER 201241 
(Indices, WTO accession year = 100)  
 
Source:  WTO Data  Portal . 
 
VII. GREATER  COHERENCE IN GLOBAL  ECONOMIC POLICYMAKI NG: THE CASE OF WTO 
ACCESSION  
1. INTRODUCTION  
97. The WTO accession process typically involves d omestic structural reforms  encompassing a 
wide ra nge of national trade and economic po licies. This requires efficient coordination and 
management of domestic inter -ministerial and inter -agency processes,  in addition to consultations 
with other stakeholders  such as the parliament, business and academia. Governments embark ing 
on economic reform frequently reach out to international intergovernmental organizations for policy 
advice. Better collaboration between international organizations has, therefore, the p otential to 
provide a significant boost to domestic economic and institutional reform efforts. In particular, 
enhanced international inter-agency cooperation can improve the articulation and coordination of 
policies and help reform -minded governments in avoiding basic policy inconsistencies. Enhanced 
cooperation could also help the international organizations  to be more effective in implementing  the 
mandates  set by  their respective member  governments .  
98. Globally, t he WTO Secretariat has worked with nearly 200 international organizations in 
different areas, which include research  and publications , statistics, technical assistance and training. 
There  are about 140  international organizations that have observer status in vari ous WTO bodies42. 
In addition, t he WTO Agreements, ministerial declarations and decisions, and General Council 
decisions provide a  formal mandate for cooperation between the WTO and some international 
organizations.  Collaboration with other international or ganizations  also takes place in the area of 
WTO accession negotiations.  
99. This thematic section aims to draw attention to the relevance of inter -agency coordination on 
WTO accession and to raise awareness about the international community's efforts to provid e 
greater coherence in the provision of policy advice to acceding governments. It will, inter alia , 
(i) describe the origins of the WTO's mandate for cooperation with other international organizations; 
 
41 Article XII Members who acceded after 2012: Montenegro, Samoa, Russian Federation, Vanuatu, Lao 
PDR, Tajikistan, Yemen, Seychelles, Kazakhstan, Liberi a, Afghanistan.  
42 https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/coher_e/coher_e.htm .   
WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
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  (ii) describe in greater detail the framework  of coope ration between the WTO, the IMF and the World 
Bank, with emphasis on the provisions relevant to WTO accession; and (iii) provide  examples of 
collaboration between the WTO and other international organizations on WTO accessions.  
2. THE ORIGINS  OF WTO COOPERATION WITH INTERNATIONAL O RGANIZATIONS  
100.  Historically, WTO  relations with other international organizations , and in particular with the 
United Nations  (UN), includi ng on the joint partnership for the International Trade Centre (ITC),  has 
been governed by the global "Arrangements for effective cooperation with other intergovernmental 
organizations" agreed on 15  November  1995 between the secretariats of the WTO and the  UN 
through an exchange of letters43. This global arrangement was the result of consultations held 
between the WTO  Director -General and the UN  Secretary -General within the framework of the 
UN General Assembly Resolution 49/97 on "Strengthening of internatio nal organizations in the area 
of multilateral trade" of 19 December 199444 and the WTO General Council decision of 3  April 1995 
mandating the Director -General to conclude such an arrangement based upon the previous UN/GATT 
relations.45 To date, the arrangeme nt and practices that existed between the United Nations and the 
GATT46 continue to guide WTO relations with the United Nations in the areas of information and 
document exchange, reciprocal representation and cooperation between the secretariats.   
101.  Recognizi ng the particular need for greater global policy coherence on trade, money and 
finance, at the conclusion of the Uruguay Round,  WTO Ministers agreed to seek closer cooperation 
between the WTO, the IMF and the World Bank47. They also adopted a Declaration on  the 
Contribution of the WTO to Achieving Greater Coherence in Global Economic Policymaking which 
recognized that " difficulties the origins of which lie  outside the trade field cannot be redressed 
through measures taken  in the trade field alone " and that " the interlinkages between the different 
aspects of economic policy require that the international institutions with responsibilities in each of 
these areas follow consistent and mutually supportive policies ". The "Coherence Mandate" 
established in Marrakes h was also enshrined in the WTO Agreement. In particular, Article III of the 
WTO Agreement provides for specific cooperation with the IMF and the World Bank as one of the 
core functions of the WTO (see next section).  
102.  The aspiration towards greater coheren ce in global policymaking was also reflected throughout 
the WTO Agreements. Article V of the WTO Agreement stipulates that the WTO "General Council 
shall make appropriate arrangements for effective cooperation  with other intergovernmental 
organizations tha t have responsibilities  related  to those of the WTO ".48 More specifically, Article  XXVI 
of the GATS instructs  the WTO General Council to "make appropriate arrangements for consultation 
and cooperation with the United Nations and its specialized agencies as well as with  other 
intergovernmental organizations concerned with services. " In the preamble of the TRIPS Ag reement, 
WTO Members also expressed their desire " to establish a mutually  supportive relationship between 
the WTO  and the World Intellectual Property Organization …as well as other relevant international 
organizations ".  
103.  The WTO's cooperation with internati onal institutions has also given rise to the signing of 
memoranda of understanding and framework agreements, which define areas for cooperation and 
consultations on matters of common concerns and interests. The scope for cooperation defined in 
such inter -institutional arrangements typically covers the provision of joint technical assistance and 
capacity -building activities, research and analysis, and exchange of information and data, including 
through observership and consultations between staffs. Examples include memoranda of 
understanding between the WTO and the Asian Development Bank, the African Development Bank, 
and UNCTAD, and framework agreements concluded between the WTO and the International 
Telecommunication Union (ITU), the IMF, and the World Bank . Given the high importance attached 
by WTO Ministers to cooperation with the IMF and the World Bank, as expressed in the WTO's 
 
43 WTO document WT/GC/W/10.  
44 https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/49/97 . 
45 WTO document WT/GC/M/3.  
46 GATT document L/4306/Add.1 and United Nations document A/AC.179/5.  
47 Marrakesh Declaration of 15  April 1994, paragraph 3.  
48 A number of interna tional organizations are referenced in the WTO Agreements, e. g., FAO, ILO, IMF, 
IPPC (International Plant Protection Convention), ITU (International Telecommunication Union), ISO 
(International Organization for Standardization), ITC, OECD, United Nations, UNCTAD, UNEP, World Bank, 
WCO, WHO, OIE (World Organization for Animal Health) and WIPO.   WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207 
 
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  founding documents, the agreements with these two institutions contain particularly detailed 
provisions.  
3. COOPERATION  AGREEMEN TS BETWEEN THE WTO A ND THE IMF AND THE W ORLD 
BANK  
104.  In July 1995, the WTO General Council mandated the Director -General to negotiate specific 
agreements on the relationship  between the WTO and the IMF and the World Bank.49 On the basis 
of this mandate, separate cooperation Agreements between the WTO and the IMF and the World 
Bank were developed50 and subsequently approved by the General Council in November 1996.51 
These agreeme nts sought to strengthen  the cooperative relationship between the WTO and the 
respective institution  by laying down a formal basis and detailed provisions for mutual collaboration.  
105.  The WTO Director -General was invited52 by WTO Members to build on the conclu ded 
Agreements and pursue consultations on coherence in global economic policymaking, as provided 
for in paragraph 2 of each Agreement. WTO Members also instructed53 the Director -General to keep 
them informed and to consult with them on implementation issue s relating to the cooperation 
Agreements. These consultations are to include inter alia reports on the Director -General's 
coherence consultations54 with IMF/World Bank counterparts, issues of observership, joint research 
or technical cooperation projects, a nd the general scope of contacts between the WTO and the IMF 
and the WTO and the World Bank .  
3.1 Areas  of mutual interest to the WTO, the IMF and the World Bank in the context of 
WTO accessions  
106.  The WTO accession process involves domestic struct ural reforms  across a wide range of 
economic areas. In particular, throughout the accession process, WTO Members scrutinize the 
acceding governments' trade and economic regimes to assess compliance with the 
WTO Agreements. This includes all relevant aspect s of trade in goods and services and trade -related 
aspects of intellectual property. At the same time, WTO acceding governments, which are also 
members of the IMF and the World Bank, may undergo a process of country surveillance by the IMF 
and interact wit h the World Bank within the country partnership strategy/frameworks to advance 
their development and reform agendas. In  this context, the trade and economic policy discussions 
taking place in WTO  accession negotiations, the IMF country surveillance reports , and the World 
Bank country partnership frameworks may overlap. In turn, this provides scope for heightened 
cooperation between the three organizations.  
107.  Table 3 outlines  indicative areas of mutual interest where trade and economic policy issues 
discussed  in the context of WTO  accession negotiations overlap with the work of the IMF and the 
World Bank. These areas have been identified by analysing  the content  of IMF Article IV Staff 
Reports, World Bank Country Partnership Strategies/Frameworks,  and WTO acce ssion Working Party 
Reports:  
• WTO accession, or the WTO in general, has been specifically mentioned in the recent 
IMF Article IV Staff Reports of nine55 currently acceding governments. Trade -related 
aspects of economic policy relevant to WTO  accession have been mentioned in another 
four56 (see Annex  8).  
• World  Bank Country Partnership  Strategies/Frameworks have been agreed with twelve57 
currently acceding agreements. While the WTO/WTO accession has been specifically 
 
49 See WT/GC/M/5.  
50 WT/GC/W/43.  
51 WT/L/194 (General Council Decision). See full texts of Agreements in WT/L/195.  
52 WT/L/194.  
53 Ibid. 
54 E.g., WT/GC/13, and the WT/TF/C OH/S document series.  
55 Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ethiopia, Iran, Somalia, Sudan and 
Uzbekistan.   
56 Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Serbia, and Syrian Arab Republic.  
57 Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Comoros, Ethiopia, Iraq, Lebanese Republic, Sao Tomé 
and Principe , Serbia, Somalia, Timor -Leste and Uzbekistan.  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
- 26 - 
 
  mentioned in four cases,58 accession -related trade and investment regulator y reforms 
have been discussed in all twelve existing Country Partnership Strategies/Frameworks 
with WTO acceding governments.  
Table 3 : Indicative  areas of mutual interest to the WTO, the IMF and the World Bank in 
the context of WTO accessions  
Policy areas discussed in accession  
Working Party Report s IMF Article IV Staff Reports  World Bank Country 
Partnership Strategies/ 
Frameworks  Economic 
policies  Monetary and Fiscal Policies  ✓  
Foreign Exchange and Payments  ✓  
Investment Regime  ✓ ✓ 
State -ownership, State -trading and 
Privatization  ✓ ✓ 
Pricing Policies  ✓ ✓ 
Competition Policy  ✓ ✓ 
Trade facilitation  ✓  ✓ 
Import regulations/customs/import tariffs  ✓ ✓ 
Taxation  ✓ ✓ 
Subsidies  ✓ ✓ 
Agricultural policies  ✓ ✓ 
Government/public procurement  ✓ ✓ 
Financial services  ✓ ✓ 
Telecommunication services   ✓ 
Transparency  ✓ ✓ 
 
108.  Table 4 lists  the specific references to the IMF and/or the World Bank found in accession 
Working Party Reports by policy area. All thirty -six adopted WTO accession Working Party Reports 
contain at least one reference to the IMF and/or the World Bank, typically in the descriptive parts of 
the text.59 The principal areas concerned are monetary and fiscal policies; foreign exchange and 
payment systems; state ownership and privatization; import regulations; and government 
procurement. In particular , the IMF and the World Ba nk have been referenced in the context of the 
delivery of technical assistance, financial aid, and policy advice to acceding governments for 
economic and structural adjustment reform programmes. In some cases, references (to the IMF) 
are also made in the l egally -binding commitment paragraphs of accession Working Party Reports:   
• A number of accession Working Party Reports note that the IMF/World Bank have assisted 
the acceding governments in efforts to implement monetary and fiscal policy reforms, 
including with regard to taxation and revenue collection, as well as poverty reduction 
strategy programmes.60  
• Discussions on foreign exchange and payment systems  typically focus on the 
liberalization of exchange measures relating to current and capital transactions in 
accordance with IMF obligations. In  particular, Working Party Reports discuss the 
acceding governments' acceptance of obligations under Article VIII of the IMF Articles of 
Agreements61 (avoidance of restrictions on current payments, avoidance of discrimi natory 
currency practices, and currency convertibility) and the application or non -application of 
import restrictions for balance of payment reasons.62 In some cases the IMF/World Bank 
have also supported acceding governments in putting in place legislation  on foreign 
exchange -related measures.63 In three cases, specific accession commitment paragraphs 
(i.e., WTO contractually -binding obligations) relate to obligations under the IMF:  
o Pursuant to Article  XV:6 of the GATT  1994, Chinese Taipei, as non -member of the 
IMF, concluded a  Special Exchange Agreement with the WTO with a view to 
 
58 Belarus an d Ethiopia, Somalia and Timor -Leste.  
59 The most ubiquitous reference is to membership of the acceding government in the IMF/World Bank . 
60 Albania, Kyrgyz Republic, Liberia, Moldova, Montenegro, Nepal, Tajikistan, Viet Nam and Yemen.  
61 Armenia, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, China, Croatia, Estonia, Georgia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz 
Republic, Lao PDR, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Nepal, North Macedo nia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Chinese Taipei, 
Tajikistan, Tonga, Ukraine, Vanuatu, Viet Nam and Yemen.  
62 Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, Moldova and Nepal.  
63 Lao PDR and Viet Nam.   WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207 
 
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  incorporating obligations consistent with Article VIII of the IMF Articles of 
Agreement.64 Pursuant to the Agreement, Chinese Taipei neither imposes 
restrictions on payments and tra nsfers relating to current account transactions nor 
engages in discriminatory or multiple currency practices without the approval of the 
WTO. Chinese Taipei also committed to furnish WTO Members with information 
within the scope of Section 5 of Article VII I of the IMF Articles of Agreement.  
o China and Viet Nam undertook commitments to implement their foreign exchange 
obligations in accordance with the provisions of the WTO Agreement and related 
WTO declarations and decisions that concern the IMF. Specifically, they committed 
to act in accordance with their obligations under Article VIII of the IMF Articles of 
Agreement.65 In the context of its WTO transitional review mechanism, China 
committed to provide WTO Members with information on exchange meas ures 
pursuant to its obligation under Section 5 of Article VIII of the IMF Articles of 
Agreement.66 Particular reference has also been made to IMF Article IV consultation 
missions monitoring foreign exchange regulations in China and Viet Nam.67  
• Several Work ing Party Reports have recorded that the World Bank has played an 
important role in providing assistance to acceding governments - including through 
financial aid - to modernize their economies through the restructuring of state -owned 
enterprises (SOEs) and the implementation  of privatization  reform programmes 
aimed at improving economic efficiency.68  
• A number of Reports make references to IMF/World Bank policy advice provided to 
acceding governments aimed at simplifying and improving import regulation 
procedures  including taxation (application of internal taxes on imports), customs 
formalities, duties and tariffs.69 Some acceding governments have introduced 
trade -related reforms of import regulations based on IMF/World Bank policy advice.70 
• In some cases, acc eding governments have discussed carrying out government 
procurement  based on the recommendations, norms, guidelines, standards and legal 
documents of the World Bank.71 
• One acceding government72 undertook specific commitments in the area of trade in 
services  (insurance) that the necessary regulatory reforms be consistent and in line with 
the financial services transparency code of the IMF.  
• On transparency , one acceding government73 undertook a commitment to supply WTO 
Members with economic data, namely (i)  current account data on services by sources and 
destination; and (ii)  capital account data for inward and outward direct investment by 
source and destination, in line with the sta tistical requirements of the IMF. The World 
Bank provided technical assistance to one acceding government74 in establishing an 
investment promotion website dedicated to the publication of all trade -related regulation.  
 
64 Annex II of Protocol of Accession of Chinese Taipei.  
65 Para. 35 of Working Party Report  on the Accession of China (WT/ACC/CHN/49); para. 31 of Working 
Party Report on the Accession of Viet Nam (WT/ACC/VNM/48).  
66 Para. 36 of Working Party Report on the Accession of China (WT/ACC/CHN/49); Section 18.1 and 
Annex  1A of Protocol of Accession of C hina. 
67 Para. 28 of Working Party Report on the Accession of China (WT/ACC/CHN/49); para. 24 of Working 
Party Report on the Accession of Viet Nam (WT/ACC/VNM/48).  
68 Albania, Bulgaria, Jordan, Lao PDR, North Macedonia and Saudi Arabia.  
69 Albania, Croatia, L iberia, Seychelles, Tajikistan, Tonga, Viet Nam and Yemen.  
70 E.g., Viet Nam replaced its non -tariff measures with import duties with a view to fulfilling its 
commitments vis -à-vis the IMF and the World Bank (para. 149 of Working Party Report on the Access ion of 
Viet Nam (WT/ACC/VNM/48)). Tonga substantially revised its Customs and Excise Act with the assistance of 
the IMF (para. 87 of Working Party Report on the Accession of Tonga (WT/ACC/TON/17)).  
71 Cabo Verde, Seychelles and Tajikistan.  
72 Saudi Arabia, paras. 296, 298 and 299 of Working Party Report on the Accession of Saudi Arabia 
(WT/ACC/SAU/61).  
73 China, para. 322 of Working Party Report on the Accession of China (WT/ACC/CHN/49); Section 18.1 
and Annex 1A of Protocol of Accession of China.  
74 Tonga, pa ra. 179 of Working Party Report on the Accession of Tonga (WT/ACC/TON/17).  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
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  Table 4 : References  to the IMF and Worl d Bank in accession Working Party Repo rts of 
Article XII Members  
Policy areas discussed in accession 
Working Party Reports  Reference to IMF  Reference to World Bank  
Membership in the IMF/WB  Albania, Cambodia, China, Croatia, 
Estonia, Georgia, Jordan, Kyrgyz 
Republic, Latvia, Moldova, Mongolia, 
Montenegro, North Macedonia, 
Panama, Russian Federation, Samoa, 
Tajikistan, Tonga, Vanuatu  Albania, Cabo Verde, 
Cambodia, Georgia, 
Jordan, Moldova, 
Mongolia, Montenegro, 
Nepal, Samoa  
 
Economic policies (general)  Panama   Economic policies  Monetary and fiscal policies  
(including poverty reduction 
strategy programmes)  Albania, Kyrgyz Republic, Liberia, 
Moldova, Montenegro, Nepal, 
Tajikistan, Viet Nam, Yemen  Liberia, Moldova, 
Montenegro, Yemen  
Foreign exchange and payments  
(including import restrictions and 
surcharges for balance of 
payment reasons)  Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, 
Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, 
China, Croatia, Ecuador, Estonia, 
Georgia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz 
Republic, Lao PDR, Latvia, Liberia, 
Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, 
Nepal, North Macedonia, Oman, 
Russian Federation, Samoa, Saudi 
Arabia, Seychelles, Chinese Taipei, 
Tajikistan, Tonga, Ukraine, Vanuatu, 
Viet Nam, Yemen  Liberia, Montenegro, 
Kazakhstan, Vie t Nam  
Investment Regime   Afghanistan, Cabo Verde, 
Cambodia, Moldova, 
Nepal  
State -ownership, State -trading 
and Privatization   Albania, Bulgaria, Jordan, 
Lao PDR, North 
Macedonia, Saudi Arabia  
Import regulations, customs, tariffs,  
(including taxation and trading rights)  Albania, Liberia, Seychelles, Tonga, 
Viet Nam, Yemen  Croatia, Liberia, 
Seychelles, Tajikistan, 
Viet Nam  
Subsidies  Cabo Verde  Croatia  
Agricultural policies  Albania  Jordan, Yemen  
Sanitary and phytosanitary measures   Jordan, Lao PDR  
Government/public procurement   Cabo Verde, Moldova, 
Seychelles, Tajikistan  
Export regulations  Russian Federation   
Policies affecting trade in services  Saudi Arabia  Afghanistan, Samoa  
Transparency  China  Tonga  
 
3.2 Implementation  of the Coherence Mandate in the area of WTO accession  
109.  The cooperation Agreements provide a formal basis for collaboration between the WTO and 
the IMF and the World Bank. In the context of WTO accession, this collaboration has been expressed 
through the (i)  use of observer  status rights; (ii) access to documents; (iii) use of documents in 
Working Party meetings; (iv) technical cooperation; and (v) consultations between staff.  A detailed 
outline of the provisions of the WTO -IMF and WTO -World Bank cooperation Agreements relevant to 
WTO accession is provided in Annex 9.  
3.2.1  Observer status  
110.  The cooperatio n Agreements provide for the mutual granting of observer status in the relevant 
bodies of the three institutions.75 More specifically, the cooperation Agreements provide for observer 
status in meetings  where matters of particular common interest are discuss ed. Accession Working 
Parties are thus open to representatives of the IMF and the World Bank.  
 
75 Paragraphs 5 and 6 of the WTO -IMF Agreement and paragraphs 3, 4 and 5 of the WTO -World Bank 
Agreement.   WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207 
 
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  111.  Accession Working Party meetings have sometimes been attended by representatives of the 
IMF and the World Bank. Attendance of Working Party meetings provides IMF  and World Bank 
country teams with an opportunity to follow discussions and to hear from the government officials 
directly responsible for policy areas covered by the IMF and the World Bank.  
3.2.2  Access to meetings' agenda, documents and reports  
112.  Pursuant  to the coope ration Agreements, the WTO shall make available to the IMF or the 
World Bank in advance the official documents of the meetings to which the other organization 
is invited, and vice versa .76 In addition, the WTO -IMF Agreement specifically calls on the IMF to 
promptly provide, for the confidential use of the WTO Secretariat, the staff reports and related 
background staff papers on Article IV consultations on common members as well as on IMF members 
seeking accession to the WTO, subject to the consent of the member concerned.77 The World Bank 
shall also arrange for the timely exchange of information, reports and other documents with the 
WTO.78 In turn, the WTO provides for the confidential use of the IMF and the World Bank staff the  
records and reports of WTO councils, bodies and committees.79  
113.  Accession -relevant documents are in principle available through the respective document 
portals  of the three institutions. On an operational level, however, these documents do not always 
reach the relevant desk officers/country teams. More could be done, therefore, to facilitate the 
sharing of accession -relevant documents between interested  country teams (e.g. meeting agendas, 
"Questions and Replies" documents).  
3.2.3  Use of documents in accession Working Party meetings  
114.  In accordance with the cooperation agreement between the WTO and the IMF, the two 
organizations may communicate their views in writing to each other on issues of mutual interest. 
Such views are to be included in the officia l record of the relevant body or organ.80 
115.  Such an exchange of views in writing has taken place once81. In addition, there have been 
cases where acceding  governments have presented to their respective Working Parties 
legislation/consultation documents relatin g to projects with the IMF/World Bank.82 Relevant 
reports/papers by the IMF and the World Bank have also been presented to accession Working 
Parties at the request of WTO Members.83 The presentation of documents prepared by another 
institution in an accessio n Working Party may be initiated by WTO Members or by the acceding 
governments.   
3.2.4  Technical cooperation  
116.  The cooperation  Agreements provide for collaboration between staffs on inter alia  joint 
research and technical cooperation activities.84  
117.  Technical  cooperation between the WTO Secretariat and the staff of the IMF and the World Bank 
on WTO accession has been generally successful. The WTO  Secretariat and the World  Bank have 
collaborated closely  on accession -related technical assistance85 and are current ly working on a joint 
 
76 Paragraph 7 of the WTO -IMF Agreement and paragraph 6 of the WTO -World Bank  Agreement.  
77 Paragraphs 11 of the WTO -IMF Agreement.  
78 Paragraph 9 of the WTO -World Bank Agreement.  
79 Paragraphs 12 and 9 of Agreements with the IMF and the World Bank, respectively.  
80 Paragraph 8 of the WTO -IMF Agreement.  
81 In the context of China's a ccession to the WTO. In March 1996, an official written communication from 
the IMF  (WT/SPEC/23) was circulated to the Working Party on the Accession of China, in which the IMF Managing 
Director suggested that all references to exchange measures under Fund jurisdiction be dropped from the draft 
Accession Protocol of China.  
82 Armenia, Cambodia, Croatia, Kyrgyz Republic and Seychelles.  
83 As requested by the members of the Working Party on the Accession of Belarus, three IMF and World 
Bank documents were prese nted to the Working Party, specifically IMF Country Report No. 12/113, 
IMF Country Report No. 12/114 and World Bank Report No. 66614 -BY (circulated as WTO documents 
WT/ACC/BLR/63, WT/ACC/BLR/64 and WT/ACC/BLR/65).  
84 Paragraphs 9 and 7 of Agreements with th e IMF and the World Bank respectively.  
85 Most recent examples include a joint scoping workshop on WTO accession for Iraq, a joint training on 
trade in services and market access negotiations for Uzbekistan.  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
- 30 - 
 
  research publication on the impacts of WTO accession. In another recent case86, the WTO Director -
General sent a written communication to the IMF Managing Director seeking IMF support for 
implementing a VAT reform programme in an accedi ng government.  
3.2.5  Consultations between staff  
118.  In addition to providing for an exchange of views on policy issues,87 the cooperation 
Agreements mandate the  WTO Secretariat and the IMF's staff to consult on issues of possible 
inconsistency between measure s under discussion with a common member and respective 
obligations under the IMF/WTO.88 The staff of the WTO and the World Bank should also consult and 
exchange views on issues of mutual interest with a view to ensuring the adoption of consistent and 
mutually supportive policies.89  
119.  There is a long-standing tradition of consultations between IMF/World Bank staff and the WTO 
Secretariat on issues related to WTO accession. These consultations can be initiated by the WTO 
Secretariat or by IMF/World Bank staff. Although conducted in a largely ad hoc manner, such 
contacts have been generally succes sful (see Table 5 and Annex 10 for an illustrative list of recent 
consultations ). Consultations and technical meetings have taken place  (i) on an ad hoc basis; (ii)  on 
the margins of the meetings of Working Parties on accessions; (iii)  during the missions of the 
WTO Secretariat to acceding governments with IMF country missions and World Bank country teams; 
(iv) during Article IV consultation or other IMF missions; and (v)  during the spring and annual meetings 
of the IMF and the World Bank Group . Information -exchange  can be valuable at all stages of the WTO 
accession process, in particular at the early and intermediate stages of the accession process, when 
structural reform programmes are being introduced and implemented . 
Table 5 : Ongoing WTO accessions and the IMF and World Bank  
 Acceding 
government  Working Party 
Establishment  Accession status  
(last Working Party 
meeting)  Reference to WTO 
accession in recent 
IMF Article IV Staff 
Reports  Information 
exchange/ 
technical 
assistance 
with World 
Bank 
1 Algeria  17 June 1987  14WPM, 31 March 2014  NO (June 2018)  YES 
2 Andorra  22 October 1997  No WPM held to date  n.a.  
3 Azerbaijan  July 1997  14WPM, July 2017  YES (September 
2019)   
4 The Bahamas  July 2001  4WPM, April 2019  YES (July 2019)   
5 Belarus  October 1993  12WPM, July 2019  YES (January 2019)  YES 
6 Bhutan*  6 October 1999  4WPM, 30 January 2008  NO (October 2018)   
7 Bosnia and 
Herzegovina  July 1999  13WPM, February 2018  YES (February 2018)   
8 Comoros*  October 2007  4WPM, March 2018  NO (June 2018)  YES 
9 Equatorial 
Guinea  February 2008  No WPM held to  date NO (November 2016)   
10 Ethiopia*  February 2003  4WPM, January 2020  YES (January 2020)  YES 
11 Iran 26 May 2005  No WPM held to date  YES (March 2018)   
12 Iraq December 2004  2WPM, April 2008 NO (July 2019)  YES 
13 Lebanese 
Republic   April 1999  7WPM, October 2009  NO (October 2019)   
14 Libya 27 July 2004  No WPM held to  date NO (May 2013)   
15 Sao Tomé et 
Principe*  26 May 2005  No WPM held to  date NO (August 2018)   
16 Serbia  February 2005  13WPM, June 2013  NO (reference to EU 
accession, which is 
directly linked to 
WTO accession, July 
2019)   
17 Somalia*  December 2016  No WPM held to date  YES (August 2019)  YES 
 
86 DG Azevêdo  letter to MD Christine Lagarde in April 2017 concerning the implementation of VAT in 
Comoros.  
87 Paragraphs 9 and 7 of Agreements with the IMF and the World Bank respectively.  
88 Paragraph 10 of the WTO -IMF Agreement.  
89 Paragraph 8 of the WTO -World Bank Ag reement.   WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207 
 
- 31 - 
 
   Acceding 
government  Working Party 
Establishment  Accession status  
(last Working Party 
meeting)  Reference to WTO 
accession in recent 
IMF Article IV Staff 
Reports  Information 
exchange/ 
technical 
assistance 
with World 
Bank 
18 South Sudan*  December 2017  1WPM, March 2019  NO (June 2019)  YES 
19 Sudan*  October 1994  4WPM, July 2017  YES (November 
2017)  YES 
20 Syrian Arab 
Republic  4 May 2010  No WPM held to  date NO (March 2010)   
21 Timor -Leste*  December 2016  No WPM held to  date NO (May 2019)  YES 
22 Uzbekistan  December 1994  3WPM, October 2005  YES (May 2019)  YES 
* LDCs. 
4. EXAMPLES OF COLLABOR ATION ON ACCESSIONS -RELATED TECHNICAL AS SISTANCE  
120.  In the past five years, there have been five accession -related technical assistance and 
capacity -building activities organized by the WTO Secretariat in partnership with other international 
organizations – namely the African Union Commission, ITC, UN, and the World Bank (see Table 6).  
Some of these a ctivities have targeted particular acceding  governments while others have been 
organized on a regional basis. Most of these activities have focused on launching or reactivating 
inactive accession processes. In one case, the objective of the activity was to  prepare a newly 
acceded WTO Member for the immediate post -accession period. The partnerships allowed the WTO 
Secretariat to benefit from the regional and technical expertise of the partner institutions. In 
addition, in several cases, the local presence of  a partner institution facilitated logistical 
arrangements.  
Table 6:  Collaboration on technical assistance and capacity building for acceding 
governments (2016 -2020)  
 Beneficiary 
Government  Partner 
Organizations  Date / Venue  Format  Objectives  
1. Afghanistan  UN Economic 
and Social 
Commission for 
Asia and the 
Pacific  11-15 July  
2016, Thailand  Policy Dialogue  Post-accession  
support  
2. Iraq World Bank  25-26 July 
2019, Leban ese 
Republic  Scoping 
Workshop  Reactivation  
3. Uzbekistan  World Bank  14-18 May 
2018, 
Uzbekistan  Workshop  Reactivation  
4. Comoros, Equatorial 
Guinea, Ethiopia, 
Somalia, South Sudan, 
and Sudan  International 
Trade Centre 
(ITC) 3-6 December 
2018, Djibouti  Regional 
Dialogue  Reactivation , 
coordination 
and synergy in 
accessions in 
Africa  
5. Algeria, Comoros, 
Equatorial Guinea, 
Ethiopia, Somalia, 
South Sudan, and 
Sudan  African Union 
Commission, 
ITC, UN 
Economic 
Commission for 
Africa,  
World Bank  12-14 February 
2020, Ethiopia  Regional 
Dialogue  Reactivation , 
coordination 
and synergy in 
accessions in 
Africa  
 
121.  Within the framework of the WTO -IMF-World Bank coherence mandate,  the WTO Secretariat, 
in partnership with the IMF and the World Bank, organised a conference entitled "Greater Coherence 
in Global Economic Policymaking: the case of WTO accession" as a side event during the IMF/World 
Bank Annual Meetings  in October 2019 . This conference provided a platform to discuss issues of 
common policy interest to the three institutions in the context of WTO accessions and to explore the WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
- 32 - 
 
  scope for heightened cooperation at the country level.  Participants90 recognized that better 
information -exchange between the three institutions would (i) result in better alignment in the 
provision of trade -related technical assistance; and (ii) enable the WTO Secretariat to facilitate the 
conversation between WTO Members and acceding governments. A follow -up event is envisaged 
during the 2020 IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings.   
5. CONCLUSION:  TOWARDS A MORE EFFEC TIVE COLLABORATION  
122.  The WTO's institutional cooperation with other international organizations on WTO accessions 
has been generally successful. In many cases, it has its roots in long -established partnership 
arrangements. In particular, the formal frameworks for cooperation w ith the IMF and the World Bank 
have provided a solid basis for cooperation on WTO accession in areas of mutual interest. More 
effective collaboration between international organizations would potentially contribute towards the 
implementation of mutually su pportive and complementary objectives and could benefit acceding 
governments at all stages of the accession process, including in the immediate post -accession phase :  
• From the WTO's perspective, it would facilitate the accession process for the benefit of 
WTO acceding governments and the multilateral trading system.  
• From the perspective of other international organizations, it could help inform policy 
advice and calibrate expectations.  
• For WTO acceding governments, it would promote the adoption of more coh erent 
economic reform programmes, which build in a WTO accession -specific reform agenda 
into a broader long -term vision of economic development and modernization . 
123.  Building on the areas of mutual interest  and the existing channels of cooperation, such as th e 
ones stipulated in the cooperation Agreements with the IMF and the World Bank, heightened  
collaboration could take place at both institutional and country levels and could include:  
• practical steps - e.g., promote attendance of WTO accession Working Parti es meetings; 
facilitate document -sharing; identify contact points for individual WTO accessions . 
• dedicated projects - e.g., specific joint research or on -the-ground technical assistance 
and capacity -building  projects.  
_______________  
 
90 The conference was attended by the r epresentatives of five acceding governments (Belarus, Ethiopia, 
Iraq, Timor -Leste and Uzbekistan), one potential applicant (Turkmenistan) and three WTO Members (European 
Union, Switzerland and United States).  On the IMF side, attendees were largely drawn from the country teams 
working with currently acceding countries. On the World Bank side, attendees were drawn from the Global 
Trade team as well as the country teams working with acceding countries .  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207 
 
- 33 - 
 
  ANNEX 1 – ACCESSIONS  DIVISION WORK INDIC ATORS (2017 -2019)  
Source:  Accessions Division internal data.  
*  Includes the meeting of the IGAG  on 6 December 2019 in Moscow, Russian Federation.    2017  2018  2019  
Membership & Accessions  
New WTO member  0 0 0 
Acceding Government  
(New application)  21  
(1) 22  
(0) 22 
(1) 
Active Accessions  10 16 14 
Accession -related Meetings & Missions  
Working Party meetings  11 5 4 
 
Informal Group on 
Accessions (I GA) 10 10 8 
Informal Group of Acceding 
Governments ( IGAG ) - 3 7* 
Transparency & outreach  22 25 20 
Missions  8 19 17 
Document outputs  
Newsletter  12 10 7 
Pages of acc ession  
documents to WPs  2,915 2,647 1,826  
  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207 
 
- 34 - ANNEX 2 – ACCESSIONS  NEGOTIATED PURSUANT  TO ARTICLE XII  
Government*  Membership 
Date  Working Party Report  Goods Schedule  Services 
Schedule  Protocol of Accession  General Council Decision  
1. Ecuador  21/01/1996  WT/L/77 & Corr.1  Add.1 & Corr.1, 2  Add.2  WT/ACC/ECU/6  WT/ACC/ECU/5  
2. Bulgaria  01/12/1996  WT/ACC/BGR/5 & Corr.1  Add.1  Add.2  WT/ACC/BGR/7  WT/ACC/BGR/6  
3. Mongolia  29/01/1997  WT/ACC/MNG/9 & Corr.1  Add.1 & Corr.1  Add.2  WT/ACC/MNG/11  WT/ACC/MNG/10  
4. Panama  06/09/1997  WT/ACC/PAN/19 & Corr.1  Add.1  Add.2  WT/ACC/PAN/21  WT/ACC/PAN/20  
5. Kyrgyz Republic  20/12/1998  WT/ACC/KGZ/26 & Corr.1  Add.1  Add.2  WT/ACC/KGZ/29  WT/ACC/KGZ /28 
6. Latvia  10/02/1999  WT/ACC/LVA/32  Add.1 & Corr.1  Add.2  WT/ACC/LVA/35  WT/ACC/LVA/34  
7. Estonia  13/11/1999  WT/ACC/EST/28  Add.1  Add.2 & Corr.1  WT/ACC/EST/30  WT/ACC/EST/29  
8. Jordan  11/04/2000  WT/ACC/JOR/33 & Corr.1  Add.1  Add.2  WT/ACC/JOR/35  WT/ACC/JOR/34  
9. Georgia  14/06/2000  WT/ACC/GEO/31  Add.1  Add.2  WT/ACC/GEO/33  WT/ACC/GEO/32  
10. Albania  08/09/2000  WT/ACC/ALB/51 & Corr.1  Add.1  Add.2 & Corr.1, 2  WT/ACC/ALB/53 & Corr.1  WT/ACC/ALB/52 & Corr.1  
11. Oman  09/11/2000  WT/ACC/OMN/26  Add.1  Add.2  WT/ACC/OMN/28  WT/ACC/OMN/27  
12. Croatia  30/11/2000  WT/ACC/HRV/59  Add.1  Add.2 & Corr.1, 2  WT/ACC/HRV/61  WT/ACC/HRV/60  
13. Lithuania  31/05/2001  WT/ACC/LTU/52  Add.1 & Corr.1  Add.2  WT/ACC/LTU/54  WT/ACC/LTU/53  
14. Moldova, Republic of  26/07/2001  WT/ACC/MOL/37 & Corr.1 -4 Add.1  Add.2  WT/ACC/MOL/40  WT/ACC/MOL/39  
15. China  11/12/2001  WT/ACC/CHN/49 & Corr.1  
WT/MIN(01)/3  Add.1  
Add.1  Add.2  
Add.2  WT/L/432  WT/L/432  
16. Chinese Taipei  01/01/2002  WT/ACC/TPKM/18  
WT/MIN(01)/4  Add.1  
Add.1  Add.2  
Add.2  WT/L/433  WT/L/433  
17. Armenia  05/02/2003  WT/ACC/ARM/23 & Corr.1  Add.1  Add.2  WT/L/506  WT/L/506  
18. The former Yugoslav Republic 
of Macedonia  04/04/2003  WT/ACC/807/27  Add.1  Add.2  WT/L/494  WT/L/494  
19. Nepal  23/04/2004  WT/ACC/NPL/16  Add.1  Add.2  WT/MIN(03)/19  WT/MIN(03)/19  
20. Cambodia  13/10/2004  WT/ACC/KHM/21  Add.1  Add.2  WT/MIN(03)/18  WT/MIN(03)/18  
21. Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of  11/12/2005  WT/ACC/SAU/61  Add.1  Add.2  WT/L/627  WT/L/627  
22. Viet Nam  11/01/2007  WT/ACC/VNM/48  Add.1  Add.2  WT/L/662  WT/L/662  
23. Tonga  27/07/2007  WT/ACC/TON/17  
WT/MIN(05)/4  Add.1  Add.2  WT/L/644  WT/L/644  
24. Ukraine  16/05/2008  WT/ACC/UKR/152  Add.1  Add.2  WT/L/718  WT/L/718  
25. Cabo Verde  23/07/2008  WT/ACC/CPV/30  Add.1  Add.2  WT/L/715  WT/L/715  
26. Montenegro  29/04/2012  WT/ACC/CGR/38  
WT/MIN(11)/7  Add.1  Add.2  WT/L/841  WT/MIN(11)/28  
WT/L/841  
27. Samoa  10/05/2012  WT/ACC/SAM/30  
WT/MIN(11)/1  Add.1  Add.2  WT/L/840  WT/MIN(11)/27  
WT/L/840  
28. Russian Federation  22/08/2012  WT/ACC/RUS/70  
WT/MIN(11)/2  Add.1  Add.2  WT/L/839  WT/MIN(11)/24  
WT/L/839  
29. Vanuatu  24/08/2012  WT/ACC/VUT/17  Add.1  Add.2  WT/L/862  WT/L/823  
30. Lao People's Democratic 
Republic  02/02/2013  WT/ACC/LAO/45  Add.1  Add.2  WT/L/865  WT/L/865  
31. Tajikistan  02/03/2013  WT/ACC/TJK/30  Add.1  Add.2  WT/L/872  WT/L/872  
32. Yemen  26/06/2014  WT/ACC/YEM/42  Add.1  Add.2  WT/MIN(13)/24  
WT/L/905  WT/MIN(13)/24  
WT/L/905  
33. Seychelles, Republic of  26/04/2015  WT/ACC/SYC/64  Add.1  Add.2  WT/L/944  WT/L/944  
34. Kazakhstan  30/11/2015  WT/ACC/KAZ/93  Add.1  Add.2  WT/L/957  WT/L/957  
35. Liberia  14/07/2016  WT/ACC/LBR/23  Add.1  Add.2  WT/MIN(15)/38  
WT/L/973  WT/MIN(15)/38  
WT/L/973  
36. Afghanistan  29/07/2016  WT/ACC/AFG/36  Add.1  Add.2  WT/MIN(15)/39  
WT/L/974  WT/MIN(15)/39  
WT/L/974  
*  Sorted by date of membership.  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
- 35 - 
 
  ANNEX 3 - WTO ACCESS IONS WORKING PARTY C HAIRPERSONS  
No. Government  Date Working 
Party established  WP Chairperson*  Geneva
-based  
(Y/N)  
1.  Algeria  17 June 1987 H.E. Mr. José Luís CANCELA GÓMEZ 
(Uruguay)  Y 
2.  Andorra  22 October  1997 Pending  
3.  Azerbaijan  16 July 1997 H.E. Dr Walter WERNER  (Germany)  N 
4.  The Bahamas  18 July 2001 H.E. Mr H.E. Mr. Andrew STAINES (United 
Kingdom)  Y 
5.  Belarus  27 October  1993 H.E. Mr Kemal MADENOĞLU (Turkey)  Y 
6.  Bhutan  6 October  1999 H.E. Dr Elisabeth TICHY -FISSLBERGER 
(Austria)  Y 
7.  Bosnia and 
Herzegovina  15 July 1999 H.E. Mr. Atanas PAPARIZOV (Bulgaria)   Y 
8.  Comoros, Union of 
the 9 October  2007 H.E. Mr Luis Enrique CHÁVEZ BASAGOITIA 
(Peru)  N 
9.  Equatorial Guinea  5 February  2008 Pending  
10.  Ethiopia  10 February  2003 H.E. Mr Morten JESPERSEN (Denmark)  Y 
11.  Iran 26 May 2005 Pending  
12.  Iraq 13 December  2004 H.E. Mr Omar HILALE (Morocco)  N 
13.  Lebanese Republic  14 April 1999 Mr Jean -Paul THUILLIER (France)  N 
14.  Libya 27 July 2004 Mr Victor ECHEVARRÍA UGARTE (Spain)  N 
15.  Sao Tomé and 
Principe  26 May 2005 Pending  
16.  Serbia  15 February  2005 H.E. Mrs. Marie -Claire SWÄRD CAPRA 
(Sweden)  N 
17.  Somalia  7 December 2016  Pending  
18.  South Sudan  13 December 2017  H.E. Mr. Mohammad Qurban HAQJO 
(Afghanistan)  Y 
19.  Sudan  25 October  1994 Mr. Katsuro NAGAI (Japan)  Y 
20.  Syrian Arab 
Republic  4 May 2010 Pending  
21.  Timor -Leste  7 December 2016  H.E. Mr. Rui MACIEIRA (Portugal)  Y 
22.  Uzbekistan  21 December  1994 H.E. Ms Ji -ah PAIK (Republic of Korea)  Y 
*  As of December 2019.   WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207 
 
- 36 - 
 
  ANNEX 4 – LENGTH OF TIME OF COMPLETED AC CESSIONS  
No. Article XII Member  Date of  
WP 
Establishment  Date of 
Membership  Total Time of 
Accession 
Process  
1.  Ecuador  09/1992  01/1996  3 years 4 months  
2.  Bulgaria  11/1986  12/1996  10 years 1 month  
3.  Mongolia  10/1991  01/1997  5 years 3 months  
4.  Panama  10/1991  09/1997  5 years 11 months  
5.  Kyrgyz Republic  04/1996  12/1998  2 years 8 months  
6.  Latvia  12/1993  02/1999  5 years 2 months  
7.  Estonia  03/1994  11/1999  5 years 8 months  
8.  Jordan  01/1994  04/2000  6 years 3 months  
9.  Georgia  07/1996  06/2000  3 years 11 months  
10.  Albania  12/1992  09/2000  7 years 9 months  
11.  Oman  06/1996  11/2000  4 years 5 months  
12.  Croatia  10/1993  11/2000  7 years 1 month  
13.  Lithuania  02/1994  05/2001  7 years 3 months  
14.  Moldova, Republic of  12/1993  07/2001  7 years 7 months  
15.  China  03/1987  12/2001  14 years 9 months  
16.  Chinese Taipei  09/1992  01/2002  9 years 4 months  
17.  Armenia  12/1993  02/2003  9 years 2 months  
18.  The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia  12/1994  04/2003  8 years 4 months  
19.  Nepal*  06/1989  04/2004  14 years 10 months  
20.  Cambodia*  12/1994  10/2004  9 years 10 months  
21.  Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of  07/1993  12/2005  12 years 5 months  
22.  Viet Nam  01/1995  01/2007  12 years  
23.  Tonga  11/1995  07/2007  11 years 8 months  
24.  Ukraine  12/1993  05/2008  14 years 5 months  
25.  Cabo Verde*  07/2000  07/2008  8 years  
26.  Montenegro  02/2005  04/2012  7 years 2 months  
27.  Samoa*  07/1998  05/2012  13 years 10 months  
28.  Russian Federation  07/1993  08/2012  19 years 1 month  
29.  Vanuatu*  07/1995  08/2012  17 years 1 month  
30.  Lao PDR*  02/1998  02/2013  15 years  
31.  Tajikistan  07/2001  03/2013  11 years 8 months  
32.  Yemen*  07/2000  06/2014  13 years 11 months  
33.  Seychelles  07/1995  04/2015  19 years 9 months  
34.  Kazakhstan  02/1996  11/2015  19 years 9 months  
35.  Liberia*  12/2007  07/2016  8 years 7 months  
36.  Afghanistan*  12/2004  07/2016  11 years 7 months  
 
Overall Average  10 years 2 months  
LDCs Accessions  12 years 6 months  
Non-LDCs Accessions  9 years 4 months  
*  LDCs. Cabo Verde and Samoa acceded to the WTO as LDCs. They graduated from LDC  status in 
2007 and in 2014, respectively.  
 
   
  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
- 37 - ANNEX 5 – BASIC ECON OMIC PROFILES OF ACC EDING GOVERNMENTS  AND ARTICLE XII MEMBERS  
Table 5 -1: Acceding Governments  
 
Acceding 
Government  Population1 
(thousands)  GDP2 
(millions 
USD)  GDP per 
Capita3 
(USD)  Trade per 
capita3 
(USD)  Trade as % 
GDP3 Merchandise 
exports4 
(millions 
USD)  Merchandise 
imports4 
(millions 
USD)  Commercial 
services 
exports4 
(millions 
USD)  Commercial 
services 
imports4 
(millions 
USD)  
Algeria  42,228.43  180,441 4,060 1,171 28.8 40,883 47,002 3,040 10,452 
Andorra  77.01  No data available  
Azerbaijan  9,942.33  45,418 4,225 1,933 45.8 21,500 11,000   4,661 6,679 
The Bahamas  385.64  12,803 32,949 11,149 33.8 630 3,560 3,235 2,080 
Belarus  9,485.39  59,643 5,695 3,795 66.6 33,716 38,391 8,700 5,369 
Bhutan  754.39  2,627 2,964 1,210 40.8 620 1,020 183 230 
Bosnia and 
Herzegovina  3,323.93  19,881 5,220 2,460 47.1 7,500 12,000 2,078 609 
Comoros, Union of 
the* 832.32  742 807 2515 31.45 52 301 756 846 
Equatorial Guinea  1,308.97  13,734 9,769 5,8925 45.05 6,100 2,110 2816 1,4156 
Ethiopia*  109,224.56  80,279 816 141 17.3 2,803 15,195 4,498 6,695 
Iran 81,800.27  452,275 5,271 1,060 21.0 107,900 49,354 9,7736 15,1326 
Iraq 38,433.60  226,070 5,296 1,577 29.8 89,355 47,850 5,306 17,785 
Lebanese Republic  6,848.93  56,409 8,857 4,202 47.4 3,830 20,396 15,295 14,338 
Libya  6,678.57  43,587 4,791 2,1737 62.87 21,253 12,493 1078 3,7498 
Sao Tome and 
Principe*  211.03  449 1,875 656 35.0 15 153 82 61 
Serbia  6,982.08  50,651 6,426 3,389 52.7 19,227 25,882 7,056 5,724 
Somalia*  15,008.15  No data available  
South Sudan*  10,975.92  3,929 260 169 64.9 n/a n/a 217 596 
Sudan*  41,801.53  33,903 1,104 171 15.5 3,485 7,850 1,486 1,063 
 
1 For the  year 2018 . Source: World Bank, Population: All Countries and Economies, available at https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL . 
2 For 2018 unless otherwise indicated.  
3 For 2016 –2018 unless otherwise indicated.  
4 For 2018 unless otherwise indicated.  
5 For 201 4–2016. 
6 For 201 6. 
7 For 2015 –2017.  
8 For 2017.   
  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
- 38 - Acceding 
Government  Population1 
(thousands)  GDP2 
(millions 
USD)  GDP per 
Capita3 
(USD)  Trade per 
capita3 
(USD)  Trade as % 
GDP3 Merchandise 
exports4 
(millions 
USD)  Merchandise 
imports4 
(millions 
USD)  Commercial 
services 
exports4 
(millions 
USD)  Commercial 
services 
imports4 
(millions 
USD)  
Syrian Arab 
Republic  16,906.28  60,0439 2,64210 86710 32.810 2,000 5,600 2,43411 2,81811 
Timor -Leste*  1,267.97  3,090 2,255 458 20.3 47 565 223 349 
Uzbekistan  32,955.40  41,241 1,631 442 27.1 11,218 17,306 4,283 1,241 
 
Table 5 -2: Article XII Members  
Article XII Member  Population1 
(thousands)  GDP2 
(millions 
USD)  GDP per 
Capita3 
(USD)  Trade per 
capita3 
(USD)  Trade as % 
GDP3 Merchandise 
exports4 
(millions 
USD)  Merchandise 
imports4 
(millions 
USD)  Commercial 
services 
exports4 
(millions 
USD)  Commercial 
services 
imports4 
(millions 
USD)  
Afghanistan*  37,172.39  19,585 558 128 22.9 875 7,407 482 1,196 
Albania  2,866.38  15,202 4,652 1,759 37.8 2,876 5,941 3,566 2,193 
Armenia  2,951.78  12,411 3,844 1,620 42.1 2,412 4,963 2,018 2,174 
Bulgaria  7,024.22  64,963 8,342 5,322 63.8 33,151 37,901 9,917 6,024 
Cabo Verde  543.77  1,970 3,301 1,810 54.8 76 816 669 370 
Cambodia*  16,249.80  24,523 1,390 1,087 78.2 14,350 19,070 5,249 2,982 
China  1,392,730.00  13,407,398 8,803 1,682 19.1 2,487,045 2,135,905 265,088 520,569 
Croatia  4,089.40  60,688 13,514 6,695 49.5 17,372 28,100 16,551 5,285 
Ecuador  17,084.36  107,511 6,194 1,317 21.3 21,606 23,193 2,407 3,166 
Estonia  1,320.88  30,312 20,489 15,192 74.1 17,006 19,132 7,639 5,483 
Georgia  3,731.00  16,324 4,100 2,271 55.4 3,354 9,119 4,392 2,171 
 
9 For 2010.  
10 For 2008 –2010.  
11 For 2011.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
- 39 - Article XII Member  Population1 
(thousands)  GDP2 
(millions 
USD)  GDP per 
Capita3 
(USD)  Trade per 
capita3 
(USD)  Trade as % 
GDP3 Merchandise 
exports4 
(millions 
USD)  Merchandise 
imports4 
(millions 
USD)  Commercial 
services 
exports4 
(millions 
USD)  Commercial 
services 
imports4 
(millions 
USD)  
Jordan  9,956.01  42,371 4,211 1,878 44.6 7,773 20,216 7,021 4,662 
Kazakhstan  18,276.50  170,539 8,624 2,593 30.1 60,956 32,534 7,026 11,739 
Kyrgyz Republic  6,315.80  8,093 1,204 608 50.5 1,765 4,907 822 952 
Lao PDR*  7,061.51  18,434 2,566 935 36.4 5,260 6,340 915 1,149 
Latvia  1,926.54  34,881 15,908 9,500 59.7 15,643 19,257 6,165 3,386 
Liberia*  4,818.98  3,249 751 213 27.9 490 1,100 21 217 
Lithuania  2,789.53  53,323 16,980 13,256 78.1 33,407 36,515 11,494 6,771 
Moldova  3,545.88  11,404 2,739 1,181 43.1 2,707 5,764 1,432 1,066 
Mongolia  3,170.21  13,038 3,736 2,155 57.7 7,012 5,875 1,109 3,068 
Montenegro  622.35  5,402 7,820 4,192 53.6 472 3,010 1,832 723 
Nepal*  28,087.87  28,812 852 265 31.1 840 13,465 1,780 2,275 
Oman  4,829.48  82,243 17,654 8,8067 517 46,637 25,412 4,0108 10,8118 
Panama  4,176.87  65,206 15,084 6,566 43.5 11,480 23,006 13,671 4,392 
Russian Federation  144,478.05  1,630,659 10,399 2,525 24.3 444,008 249,055 63,836 93,342 
Samoa  196.13  861 4,196 1,6527 407 46 363 2438 878 
Saudi Arabia  33,699.95  782,483 21,703 6,598 30.4 299,100 135,016 17,386 55,477 
Seychelles  96.76  1,573 15,894 16,635 104.7  573 1,284 1,008 528 
Chinese Taipei  12 589,391 23,979 14,865 62.0 335,909 286,333 49,913 56,143 
Tajikistan  9,100.84  7,520 808 224 27.8 1,209 2,447 238 434 
North Macedonia  2,082.96  12,669 5,567 3,480 62.5 6,908 9,052 1,838 1,397 
Tonga  103.20  470 4,465 1,938 43.4 15 270 87 99 
Ukraine  44,622.52  124,603 2,605 1,345 51.6 47,348 57,046 15,472 13,676 
Vanuatu*  292.68  928 3,117 1,5227 50.97 70 350 3608 1558 
Viet Nam  95,540.40  241,272 2,360 2,359 100.0  245,635 244,195 14,919 18,175 
Yemen*  28,498.69  26,914 942 2545 18.55 2,500 8,400 3096 1,4506 
  LDCs. 
Source:  WTO Data  Portal , unless otherwise indicated. For dates of establishment of Working Parties for Acceding Governments, and dates of Membership  for Article XII Members, 
see Annex 4.  
 
 
 
 
 
12 Data unavailable.   
  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
- 40 - ANNEX 6 – DATA ON TRADE PERFO RMANCE  
Table 6 -1: Value of merchandise trade and annual  percentage change (1995 –2018) 
(Billion dollars and percentage)  
    1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  
Article XII 
Members  Value  857 911 975 899 941 1,208  1,194  1,360  1,747  2,307  2,846  3,469  4,217  5,122  3,999  
Annual 
percentage 
change   6.2%  7.1%  -7.8%  4.6%  28.4%  -1.1%  13.9%  28.4%  32.1%  23.3%  21.9%  21.6%  21.4%  -21.9%  
World  Value  10,453  10,953  11,331  11,186  11,645  13,183  12,679  13,242  15,459  18,797  21,379  24,592  28,353  32,732  25,337  
Year-on-
year 
percentage 
change   4.8%  3.5%  -1.3%  4.1%  13.2%  -3.8%  4.4%  16.7%  21.6%  13.7%  15.0%  15.3%  15.4%  -22.6%  
 
(Billion dollars and percentage)  
    2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2016  2017  2018  
Article XII 
Members  Value  5,279  6,578  6,926  7,277  7,330  6,341  5,923  6,739  7,660  
Annual percentage 
change  32.0%  24.6%  5.3%  5.1%  0.7%  -13.5%  -6.6%  13.8%  13.7%  
World  Value  30,812  36,841  37,201  37,970  38,106  33,232  32,180  35,754  39,341  
Year-on-year 
percentage 
change  21.6%  19.6%  1.0%  2.1%  0.4%  -12.8%  -3.2%  11.1%  10.0%  
Source:  WTO Data  Portal  
   
  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
- 41 - Table 6 -2: Value of trade in commercial services* and annual  percentage change (1995 –2018) 
(Billion dollars and percentage)  
    1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  
Article XII 
Members  Value  155 168 189 177 179 200 210 237 274 349 412 490 629 736 639 
Annual 
percentage 
change   8.6%  12.5%  -6.3%  0.7%  12.1%  4.7%  12.9%  15.8%  27.2%  18.0%  18.9%  28.4%  17.0%  -13.2%  
World  Value  2,369  2,536  2,629  2,653  2,784  2,955  2,975  3,159  3,644  4,396  5,126  5,763  6,866  7,759  6,898  
Year-on-year 
percentage 
change   7.1%  3.7%  0.9%  4.9%  6.1%  0.7%  6.2%  15.4%  20.6%  16.6%  12.4%  19.1%  13.0%  -11.1%  
 
(Billion dollars and percentage)  
    2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2016  2017  2018  
Article XII 
Members  Value  789 929 1,004  1,105  1,225  1,156  1,154  1,220  1,359  
Annual percentage 
change  23.4%  17.8%  8.1%  10.0%  10.9%  -5.6%  -0.2%  5.7%  11.4%  
World  Value  7,546  8,486  8,773  9,330  10,017  9,432  9,502  10,354  11,254  
Annual percentage 
change  9.4%  12.4%  3.4%  6.3%  7.4%  -5.8%  0.7%  8.9%  8.7%  
*  From 2005 onwards, the commercial services values are compiled using a new services classification in the balance of payments  (BPM 6). Thus, figures are not directly 
comparable to those from earlier years.  
Source:  WTO Data  Portal  
 WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
- 42 - 
 
  ANNEX 7 – ACCESSIONS  MANAGEMENT  
Accession Working Party Management * 
Accession Working Party  Code  Secretary  Co-Secretary  Administrative 
Manager/Support  
Maika Oshikawa, Director  
1. Algeria  DZA Bratanov  Soumaré  Tandara -Stenier  
2. Andorra  
 AND accessions@wto.org  - No Activity   
3. Azerbaijan  
 AZE Rasulov  
 Zhang  
Gozikhonov  Lazorenko  
4. Bahamas  
 BHS Lee     Onyebuchi  Tandara -Stenier  
5. Belarus  BLR Bratanov  
 Rasulov  
Trakhalina  Lazorenko  
6. Bhutan* * 
 BTN Lee  
 Gebremariam  Tandara -Stenier  
7. Bosnia and Herzegovina  BIH Varyanik  
 Zhang  
Trakhalina  Tandara -Stenier  
8. Comoros* * 
 COM Bratanov  
 Soumaré   Tandara -Stenier  
9. Equatorial Guinea  
 GNQ Perez -Esteve  Soumaré  Lazorenko  
10. Ethiopia* * ETH  Varyanik  Soumaré  
Gebremariam  Lazorenko  
11. Iran 
  IRN Varyanik  Gozikhonov  Tandara -Stenier  
 
12. Iraq 
 IRQ Lee Zhang  
Onyebuchi  Lazorenko  
13. Lebanese Republic  LBN Perez -Esteve  Varyanik   
Onyebuchi  Tandara -Stenier  
 
14. Libya  
 LBY Bratanov  Gozikhonov  Lazorenko  
15. Sao Tome et Principe* * 
 STP Soumaré  
 Gebremariam  Lazorenko  
16. Serbia  
  SRB Varyanik  Zhang  
Trakhalina  Tandara -Stenier  
17. Somalia* * 
 SOM Perez -Esteve   
 Soumaré  
Gebremariam  Lazorenko  
18. South Sudan* * 
 SSD Perez -Esteve  Soumaré   
Gebremariam  Lazorenko  
19. Sudan* * 
 SDN Lee Gebremariam  
Onyebuchi  Tandara -Stenier  
20. Syrian Arab Republic  
 SYR Perez -Esteve  Onyebuchi  Lazorenko  
21. Timor -Leste* * TLS Varyanik  
 Gebremariam   
 Lazorenko  
22. Uzbekistan  UZB Rasulov  Zhang  
Gozikhonov   Lazorenko  
*  As of December 2019 . 
** LDCs. 
ACCESSIONS STAFF DIS POSITION 201 9 
− Director;  
− Seven  Professionals;  
− Two Administrative Managers; and  
− Four rotating interns under the WTO Accessions Internship Programme . 
  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
- 43 - ANNEX 8 - REFERENCE TO WTO  AND/OR WTO ACCESSION IN REC ENT IMF ARTICLE IV S TAFF REPORTS  
No. Acceding 
Government  Reference to WTO and/or WTO accession or issues relevant to WTO accession  
1 Algeria  
2018 Article IV 
Consultation – Press 
Release; Staff 
Report; and 
Statement by the 
Executive Director for 
Algeria, June 2018  Press Release:  
Executive Board Assessment  
Directors supported the efforts to raise more nonhydrocarbon revenue, improve public spending efficiency and management, and expand the 
subsidy reform while protecting the poor. They  welcomed the authorities’ intention to advance reforms to foster private sector development by 
improving the business environment, enhancing access to finance, and strengthening governance, transparency, and competition.  Directors also 
saw merit in taking  steps to reduce skills mismatches, improve the functioning of the labor market, foster greater labor market participation of 
women, and further open the economy to trade and foreign direct investment . p. 2. 
Staff Report:  
POLICY DISCUSSIONS  
A. Risks from the New Economic Strategy  
12. The new strategy entails serious risks. In an environment where external risks remain tilted to the downside (Box 1), the  new strategy may 
further exacerbate macroeconomic imbalances and, possibly, social tensions, as it risks to:  
• Put further pressures on foreign reserves . With largely inflexible domestic supply, at least in the short run, liquidity injections will fuel 
import demand. The extent to which this demand is met will depend on the effectiveness of the new trade barriers , but pressures that 
cannot leak through the balance of payments (resulting in greater reserve loss) will further fuel inflation instead. As forei gn reserves 
decline, pressure on the exchange rate will increase. Expectations of a significant exchan ge rate depreciation would intensify the demand 
for foreign exchange (FX) on the parallel market, which would further incentivize rent -seeking behaviors. If sustained, these pressures 
may eventually force a disorderly exchange rate adjustment. p. 11.  
13. In staff’s baseline scenario, based on the authorities’ planned policies, the economy moves along a narrow path with weak grow th and high 
inflation. Quantifying the implications of the new strategy is difficult because of the unknown effectiveness of some m easures (e.g., how much 
will trade restrictions shave off imports?)  and uncertainties about how fast and how widely inflationary expectations may adjust. The scenario 
is based on the 2018 –20 MTBF fiscal path. It assumes a moderate nominal exchange rate dep reciation and some progress on reforms. Growth 
accelerates in 2018 and then slows as fiscal consolidation resumes. The fall in reserves is somewhat curtailed initially by h igher oil prices than in 
2017 and by import restrictions . Inflation, however, accele rates. p. 11.  
C. Reforms for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth  
22. Key structural reforms, carefully sequenced and timely implemented, are needed to reshape the country’s growth model . 
Irrespective of the policy mix adopted by the authorities, deep reforms are needed to diversify the economy and foster private sector development. 
… Reforms should be designed to ensure a fair distribution of the burden of adjustment and to reduce inequalities. Priorities  include:  
• Opening the economy to more foreign investment  and trade . The recent hardening of import barriers creates distortions, will 
contribute to higher prices, and will likely drive more activities underground. Instead, it would be preferable to promote ex ports and 
develop domestic production by improving the competitiv eness of enterprises, in particular through simplified product market regulations 
and expanded powers for the competition authorities. Moreover, there is scope for Algeria to attract more FDI. Relaxing the 5 1-49 rule  
  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
- 44 - No. Acceding 
Government  Reference to WTO and/or WTO accession or issues relevant to WTO accession  
could help increase production capacity , improve domestic competition, and help technology transfers. p. 18.  
STAFF APPRAISAL  
30. Timely progress on structural reforms is crucial . To foster private sector development and reduce the dependence on oil and gas, action 
is needed to remove key constr aints to private sector development. Priorities include reducing red tape, improving access to finance, strengthening 
governance, transparency and competition, further opening the economy to trade and foreign investment , improving the functioning of the 
labor markets, and fostering greater female labor force participation. To increase the effectiveness of economic policies, Alge ria also needs to 
strengthen its economic policy framework, including to improve PFM and the efficiency of public spending.  p. 22.  
2 Andorra  X 
3 Azerbaijan  
2019 Article IV 
Consultation – Press 
Release; Staff 
Report; and 
Statement by the 
Executive Director for 
the Republic of 
Azerbaijan, 
September 2019  Press Release:  
Executive Board Assessment  
Directors emphasized the importance of pressing ahead with structural reforms  to foster diversified, private sector led and inclusive 
economic growth. In this context, they welcomed the progress in improving the business environment and encouraged the authorities to make 
further e fforts to reduce the economic footprint of the state and open the economy to greater international trade and investment.  
Directors also emphasized the importance of addressing governance weaknesses, including by strengthening the AML/CFT and anti -corruptio n 
frameworks. In addition, Directors stressed that better data and transparency would improve decision making, promote private sector participation, 
and reduce vulnerabilities to corruption.   
Staff Report:  
KEY ISSUES  
Main Policy Recommendations  
• Promote inclusive, diversified, and private sector -led growth. Reducing administrative burden for businesses, encouraging 
competition, and strengthening governance and transparency would reduce the cost of doing business , foster 
entrepreneu rship, and attract foreign capital. Prioritizing investment for healthcare and education, improving its efficiency, and bette r 
targeting of social protection would help nurture human capital and improve productivity.  
 
• Strengthen policy frameworks and inst itutions.  Priorities include reforms in public financial and investment management, oversight 
of state -owned enterprises (SOEs) and governance , as well as fiscal accounting and transparency. Stronger financial regulation and 
supervision and modernization o f monetary and foreign exchange (FX) operations  are also needed. Addressing governance 
weaknesses is essential to reduce vulnerabilities to corruption. More integrated policies, along with better data availabilit y, would support 
decision making and credibi lity, and attract investment.   
 
 
  
  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
- 45 - No. Acceding 
Government  Reference to WTO and/or WTO accession or issues relevant to WTO accession  
CONTEXT  
Azerbaijan: Implementation of IMF Recommendations  
2017 Article IV Recommendations  Policy Actions Taken  
Structural Policy  
Complete the WTO membership process  and apply the 
OECD's Investment Guidelines and diversify the economy 
away from oil.  Continued to implement the government's 2020 Structural 
Reform agenda. Nonhydrocarbon exports rose but export 
concentration in hydrocarbons remains high. No progress 
on WT O accession.  
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS  
11. The authorities are taking steps to address impediments to growth.  Azerbaijan’s Doing Business score rose by 8.45 points to 78.6, with 
improvements in obtaining credit, construction permits and electricity connections;  registering property, paying taxes, and labor regulations. The 
authorities are also putting in place institutional infrastructure to provide services to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) , implement e -
government, and create specialized business courts. They are developing a new utility tariff schedule to reduce subsidies and improve 
SOE health.  Digitalization of customs services and launching of the Green Corridor regime in February 2019 have simplified customs cleara nce 
procedures, reducing opportunities  for corruption. While applauding progress in e -government, a recent EU business climate report stressed the 
importance of following through on announced reforms and continuing improvements in transparency, education, and market devel opment. p. 7 -
8. 
POLICY  DISCUSSIONS  
A. Rules -Based Fiscal Policy  
18. In staff’s view, improvements in the efficiency of public spending, tax policy, and revenue collection  would allow the fiscal position to 
be consolidated in a growth -friendly way. p. 11.  
23. Staff and the autho rities agreed that SOE restructuring is important  to reduce demands on the public purse and improve economic 
efficiency.  The largest of over 5,000 active SOEs operate as monopolies in strategic sectors and are too big to fail. Past devaluations, sluggish 
growth, quasi -fiscal activity, and poor governance have weakened the financial position of most SOEs, which required increased budget suppo rt. 
In response, the authorities have strengthened financial accounting practices, created an SOE monitoring commissio n, and issued new SOE 
governance guidelines. They agreed with the importance of adjusting tariff schedules to achieve viability and prioritizing in vestments to replace 
aging capital in the electricity, gas, water, railroad and shipping sector SOEs. Staff r ecommended that commercial and noncommercial 
activities be separated, and a commercial performance framework enacted. This would help to accelerate privatization.  p. 13.  
D. Fostering Sustainable, Diversified, and Inclusive Growth  
34. There was a shared vie w that promoting inclusive growth is critical for Azerbaijan’s economic advancement and resilience (Annex V). The 
authorities are continuing discussions with the UN on achieving Sustainable Development Goals. They expected that recent spen ding packages, 
tax exemptions, and the consumer loan restructuring program will increase the purchasing power of the population. Staff caution ed that broad -
based increases in wages that are disconnected from productivity growth are also likely to raise the cost of doing bu siness, disincentivize private 
sector employment, and weaken competitiveness. In this context, staff emphasized the increased importance of lowering entry b arriers, including 
by applying the Anti -Monopoly Law, to improve market efficiency. The authorities are continuing discussions with the WTO on accession, 
and staff encouraged completing the WTO membership process, to inject a needed dose of competition into domestic markets and 
foster diversification.  Applying the OECD’s Investment Guidelines would also attract nonoil FDI and know -how. Regarding financial inclusion,  
  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
- 46 - No. Acceding 
Government  Reference to WTO and/or WTO accession or issues relevant to WTO accession  
staff emphasized the need for expanding financial literacy and promoting competition in the banking sector, to stimulate SMEs  and reduce t he 
reliance on tax incentives. Staff noted that continued skill mismatches highlight the importance of prioritizing and improvin g the efficiency of public 
spending on education. p. 17.  
STAFF APPRAISAL  
41. Transitioning to a new diversified, private sector -led growth model requires removal of structural impediments. Opening to 
international trade and investment, reducing the size of the public sector,  and improving financial inclusion and governance are essential 
for a competitive and efficient private secto r to develop. Recently announced institutional and regulatory reforms are positive steps  that 
should be followed by effective implementation, monitoring, and assessment to ensure that the underlying policy goals are rea lized. Better data 
and transparency w ould improve decision -making and promote private sector growth and reduce vulnerabilities to corruption. p. 19.  
4 The Bahamas  
2019 Article IV 
Consultation - Press 
Release; and Staff 
Report, July 2019  Press Release:  
Executive Board Assessment  
Directors stressed the importance of advancing structural reforms to boost competitiveness and unlock the economy’s potential  for high and 
inclusive growth. In view of the planned accession to the WTO , they recommended prioritizing reforms that tackle high  energy costs, improve 
access to credit, and address skill mismatches in the labor market. Lowering the cost of doing business would help attract ne eded foreign direct 
investment.  
Staff Report:  
POLICY DISCUSSIONS  
A. Fiscal Policy for Sustainable and Inclu sive Growth  
17. Tax policy could play a better role in achieving public policy objectives, including greater equality in income distribut ion. The Bahamas does 
not levy taxes on income, capital gains, or inheritance. Instead, the VAT and business license fees are the m ain tax policy tools, with property 
taxation playing a small role. The government is removing preferential tax treatment of offshore entities by unifying the bus iness fee licensing 
framework (Annex VII). The Bahamas is also seeking membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO) by 2020, a process which 
is expected to reduce revenue from trade.  In the short -term, staff encouraged seeing through efforts to complete a comprehensive 
land/property registry and recommended building comprehensive real estate pri ce indices to provide a basis for market -value -based property 
taxation, and consider an increase in its tax rate or rate structure. Global trends in taxation present an opportunity for a comprehensive approach 
to reform the tax system with a view to increa sing its efficiency and enhancing progressivity. For the medium -term, income taxation can help 
achieve a more equitable income distribution, reduce distortions arising from a tiered business license fee system (especiall y if applied in the 
context of the V AT), and contain the increasing non -residents’ profit repatriation. p. 10.  
E. Enhancing Competitiveness  
32. Decisive structural reforms are needed to enhance competitiveness. Long -standing structural impediments continue to weaken competitiveness 
and const rain private investment and growth. The World Bank’s ease of doing business index (DBI) points to onerous administrative proc esses, 
high costs of trading across borders, poor access to credit, and lack of reliable and affordable electricity. These factors are aggravated by the 
strength of the currency in real effective terms. Tackling these structural bottlenecks is urgent to prepare the economy for the planned 
accession to the WTO in 2020.  p. 15.   
  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
- 47 - No. Acceding 
Government  Reference to WTO and/or WTO accession or issues relevant to WTO accession  
AUTHORITIES' VIEWS  
40. The authorities shared staff’s assess ment of the need to advance structural reforms to strengthen competitiveness. The authorities concurred 
that the external position in 2018 was weaker than suggested by fundamentals and shared staff’s view that structural reforms hold the key to 
shift the e conomy to a higher and more inclusive growth path. They recognized the need to continue building external and fiscal buffers,  and to 
take reforms to lower costs and raise productivity. They stressed that the WTO accession process will allow analyzing the implications 
for the Bahamian economy and putting in place necessary safeguards to mitigate disruptions, enabling a transition towards a m ore 
open and competitive economy . p. 18.  
STAFF APPRAISAL  
44. Fiscal policy should play a greater medium -term role in achieving public policy objectives, including greater income equality. Global tax trends 
and the prospective accession to the WTO present an opportunity for a comprehensive review of the tax regime with a view to 
achieving a more equitable and  less distortionary tax system . In this context, a quantitative review of existing tax and other investment 
incentives can strengthen transparency and inform future policies.  p. 19. 
49. Addressing structural impediments is paramount to strengthen competiti veness and unlock the economy’s potential for high and inclusive 
growth. Significant current account deficits —projected to continue, albeit at a declining rate —over the medium term highlight the need for 
advancing structural reforms to boost competitivenes s alongside fiscal consolidation and accumulation of foreign exchange reserves. Staff argues 
that the planned WTO accession makes it even more urgent to tackle remaining impediments , including high energy costs, bottlenecks 
in access to credit, and skills mismatches in the labor market.  p. 20.  
 
5 Belarus  
2018 Article IV 
Consultation – Press 
Release; Staff 
Report; and 
Statement by the 
Executive Director for 
Republic of Belarus, 
January 2019  Staff Report:  
POLICY DISCUSSIONS  
C. Structural Policies  
Authorities’ Views  
39. The authorities agreed with staff on the need and direction of reforms to address vulnerabilities, however they prefer a more gradual pace. 
They acknowledge that inefficient SOEs have become a burden on the economy and on the budget . At the same time, they believe that 
a gradual approach is needed to build the necessary consensus on the benefits of reform. Regarding the devolution of non -strategic SOEs to local 
governments, they see this as a necessary step to separate the ownership a nd regulatory functions of line ministries, as they lack the capacity to 
manage hundreds of non -systemic SOEs from a central administration. Nevertheless, they recognize that plans to centralize ownership of systemic 
SOE currently dispersed across line min istries could have been firmed up before SOEs were devolved. On the issue of governance, they stressed 
that, in their view, every available third -party indicator and independent assessment shows that corruption in Belarus is low compared to other 
countries  and not macro -critical. More importantly, public pronouncements at the highest level of the state as well as judicial rulings have made 
it clear that there is zero tolerance against corruption. Regarding utility prices, they pointed to the social impact o f rapid utility increases and 
underlined that the nuclear power plant will deliver some cost savings for electricity generation. Finally, they reiterated their priority goal of 
stimulating private initiative and levelling the playing field between private and state -owned companies, as well as their continued 
commitment for WTO membership and EEU integration . p. 16.   
  WT/ACC/3 6 • WT/GC/ 207  
 
- 48 - No. Acceding 
Government  Reference to WTO and/or WTO accession or issues relevant to WTO accession  
STAFF APPRAISAL  
48. Other market -based measures could complement these efforts. Household utility prices need to be raised faster to cost recove ry levels to limit 
costly cross subsidization by firms. Prices should be gradually liberalized, to avoid distorting market signals and pressurin g firm margins, including 
SOEs. Finally, the authorities are encouraged to continue their efforts to join the WT O, which would help diversify exports to the 
benefit of the country . p. 19.  
Statement by Raci Kaya, Executive Director for the Republic of Belarus and Alexander Zaborovskiy, Advisor to the Executive Di rector 
for the Republic of Belarus:  
Liberalization and growth -friendly structural policies will keep up the momentum. The Government’s Action Program up to 2020 stipulates the 
following priority areas: development of the business environment by creating favorable business conditions, ensuring fair co mpetition,  and 
protecting property rights. The polices to promote de -monopolization are being determined with the support of the IFC. On December 19, 2018, 
the Parliament approved amendments to the Criminal Code to decriminalize economic offences along with the effo rts to create more favorable 
conditions for economic activities. The thresholds of damage when criminal liability applies have been increased substantiall y. In addition, economic 
crimes not representing a great danger to the society, committed for the firs t time, will not entail heavy penalties. This has been done primarily 
to ensure that insignificant errors made by small and medium -sized businesses do not become devastating for entrepreneurs. The new 
Government also announced its intention to successfully  complete the ongoing negotiations on Belarus’ accession to the World 
Trade Organization in 2020 . 
6 Bhutan  
2018 Article IV 
Consultation – Press 
Release; Staff 
Report; and 
Statement by the 
Executive Director for 
Bhutan, October 
2018 Staff Report:  
STAFF APPRAISAL  
Box 2. Goods and Services Tax  
Furthermore, the potential to increase indirect tax revenues from other sources, such as raising customs duties , is severely limited by 
Bhutan’s free trade agreement with India (which covers 90 percent of impor ts), as well as South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation 
preferences and the preferential trade agreement with Bangladesh. Thus, indirect tax revenues will rely heavily on GST implementation . 
p. 17.  
7 Bosnia and 
Herzegovina  
2017 Article IV 
Consult ation – Press 
Release; Staff 
Report; and 
Statement by the 
Executive Director for 
Bosnia and 
Herzegovina, 
February 2018  Staff Report:  
Appendix I. Supplementary Letter of Intent (to Ms. Christine Lagarde)  
Program Implementation  
9. We have made progress in advancing our structural reform agenda. Nine of the 24 structural benchmarks have been met, while one was 
elevated to a prior action. We are proposing new deadlines for some of the structural benchmarks that were not met, as they w ill take a lo nger 
time than expected to meet because of a heavy legislative agenda, and the need for adequate consultative processes. We are al so proposing to 
drop four structural benchmarks, largely because the underlying risks are mitigated through other actions. Mor e specifically:  
… 
  
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k. The amendments to the FBiH Law on Internal Trade, a key requirement for future WTO accession, were adopted in September 
2017 . p. 57 -58. 
Program modalities  
26. We believe that our economic program continues to be on course and the poli cies set forth in our Letter of Intent of July 31, 2016, and this 
Supplementary Letter of Intent are adequate to achieve the objectives of our economic program. We stand ready, however, to ta ke any additional 
measures that may be needed to achieve the obje ctives of our economic program. We will consult with the IMF on the adoption of additional policy 
measures and in advance of any revision to the policies contained in our economic program, in accordance with IMF policies on  such consultation. 
We will conti nue to provide IMF staff with the necessary information for assessing progress in implementing our program and will maintain a close 
policy dialogue with IMF staff. We will also refrain from introducing or intensifying any exchange and trade restrictions a nd other 
measures or policies that could worsen balance of payments difficulties.  p. 63 
Statement by Anthony De Lannoy, Executive Director for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Zorica Kalezic, Advisor to the Executive 
Director:  
Program performance and economic ou tlook  
The authorities admit that the complex institutional set -up and resulting fragile political situation has at times slowed down program 
implementation. They remain, however, strongly committed to the program and are determined to resist any pressures to bac ktrack. The EFF 
arrangement plays a pivotal role in supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina’s economic policy and reform agenda. It also plays a catalytical role in 
fortifying the single economic space within Bosnia and Herzegovina, while boosting cooperation wi th other IFIs, and paving the 
way for eventual EU and WTO integration . p. 1.  
8 Comoros  X 
9 Equatorial Guinea  
2016 Article IV 
Consultation – Press 
Release; Staff 
Report, and 
Statement by the 
Executive Director for 
the Republic of 
Equatorial Guinea, 
November 2016  Staff Report:  
POLICY DISCUSSIONS: CHARTING AN ECONOMIC RESET AND A PATH TO RECOVERY  
B. A Decisive Mode to Promote Nonoil Growth  
21. Discussions with the authorities focused on measures to improve the nonoil sector’s competitiveness and facili tate export 
diversification:  
• Address current real exchange rate overvaluation, a fundamental prerequisite to promote non -oil growth. Beyond fiscal consolidation, it 
requires reducing costs and productivity -boosting structural reforms. The government wage bill is relatively small and t he ongoing 
retrenchment in the construction sector means that wages will remain depressed. Therefore, measures to reduce factor costs, 
such as external trade facilitation, easing barriers to FDI inflows and lowering telecommunication charges, should be a 
priority .  
• Improve the business climate and efficiency of public services to foster private sector development. While staff welcomed the  
authorities’ plan to establish a "one -stop shop" for investors, it underscored that in itself this was insufficient to a ddress the weak 
business climate. As an initial step, they could finalize discussions on business climate diagnostics and reforms with the Wo rld Bank.  
• Advocate further integration with CEMAC by lowering trade policy barriers through behind -the-border measu res. Equatorial 
Guinea could tap into economies of scale by encouraging regional integration. p. 14.   
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10 Ethiopia  
2019 Article IV 
Consultation and 
requests for a three -
year arrangement 
under the extended 
credit facility and an 
arrangement under 
the extend ed fund 
facility  - Press 
Release and Stuff 
Report, January 2020  Press Release:  
The authorities have announced a Homegrown Economic Reform Plan, consisting of a mix of macroeconomic, structural and sectoral 
policies, to address vulnerabilities and tackle structural bottlenecks inhibiting private sector activity . The macroeconomic policy 
measures envisaged under the Plan to address external imbalances, debt vulnerabilities, and inflation are expected to contrib ute to a slower 
growth in real GDP of 6.2 percent in 2019/20. Public expenditure restraint and tighter monetary policy are expected to contri bute to a gradual 
reduction in inflation. Reserves are expected to improve to around US$4 billion by end  2019/20, sufficient  to cover 2 months of prospective 
imports, due to higher external financing flows, including from the Fund.  
Executive Board Assessment : 
Directors supported a comprehensive approach to addressing the exchange rate overvaluation and foreign exchange shortage s. They agreed with 
the priority placed on increasing exchange rate flexibility, reducing inflation, strengthening competitiveness, and rebuildin g international reserves. 
They recommended a reform roadmap to transition to a market clearing exchange rate re gime. Directors also supported monetary tightening, 
complemented by spending restraint by state owned enterprises (SOEs) and the phasing out of central bank financing of the 
government and the Development Bank of Ethiopia (DBE).  Continued efforts are neede d to modernize the monetary policy 
framework and further develop financial markets to deepen inclusion.  
Staff Report:  
Annex III. Authorities’ Response to Past IMF Policy Recommendations  
Structural  
4. Undertaking structural reforms to improve business envir onment . Progress has been in this area. A high -level committee led by the 
Prime Minister has focused on improving the doing  business index. The ten key indicators identified, include starting a business, construction 
permits, registering property, getting electricity, getting credit, paying taxes, trading across borders, resolving insolvency, protecting minority 
rights, and enforcing contracts. Progress is reviewed on a monthly basis. An example of a concrete step taken to address priv ate sector access to 
finance is the NBE issuance of legislation to expand the range of eligible collateral to include moveable assets such as machi nery, transport 
equipment and livestock. After nearly seven years of discontinued negotiations, Ethiopia has initiated the accessio n process to join 
the WTO and the AfCFTA has been ratified.  
IV. THE ECONOMIC PROGRAM AND POLICIES FOR 2019 –2022  
A. Fiscal Policy and Reforms  
In addition, we believe that the recent initiatives in improving business climate and the ongoing reforms to boost private sector activity, including 
addressing the issues of exchange rate overvaluation, FX shortages, availability of credit, and reliability of supply of elec tricity and other inputs, 
will help boost Ethiopia’s exports, particularly in the agro -processin g, tourism, mining, and manufacturing sectors. This will bolster our future 
ability to service debt and reduce our reliance on external financing over time. In this context, a successful accession to the World Trade 
Organization, on which the current gover nment has resumed discussions, should also support expansion of market access for 
Ethiopia’s exports.  
 
E. Structural Reforms to Ensure Sustainable and Inclusive Growth   
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42. The government continues to place a high priority on improving the business climate in Ethiopia. A high -level committee, chaired by the Prime 
Minister, has been set up to address impediments to private sector development and is monitoring reform efforts. Early result s from this work 
include new legislation to expand the range of eligible collateral to include moveable assets, which was approved this fiscal year, and efforts to 
address impediments to the registration and operations of business, including obtaining licenses and construction permits. In  addition to addressing 
FX shortages and  access to finance problems through eliminating the financial repression, the reform agenda will ease other constraints to doi ng 
business and enhance productivity. As laid out in our HERP, we intend to tackle the institutional and structural bottlenecks to productivity and job 
creation and implement sectoral reforms in key strategic sectors. We plan to expedite ongoing efforts to allow privatization in key sectors; 
create a secure and predictable market access to exports, including by expediting accession t o the World Trade Organization (WTO) . 
Joint management action plan, July 2019 – June 2020  
The World Bank work program in the next 12 months:  
Technical Assistance  
• Support to tariff reforms in preparation for WTO accession  (February 2020 – June 2022)   
11 Iran 
2018 Article IV 
Consultation – Press 
Release; Staff 
Report; and 
Statement by the 
Executive Director for 
the Islamic Republic 
of Iran, March 2018  
 Staff Report:  
POLICY DISCUSSIONS  
Enhancing Growth and Job Creation Potential  
40. Reducing trade barriers would stimulate exports. Lack of bilateral and multilateral trade agreements reduce market access for  
Iranian firms.  The tariffs applied to Iran’s exports by its trading partners averaged 8.9 percent in 2014 (compared to a global average of 2 .9 
percent). Domestic import tariffs averaged 20.9 percent in 2017/18 and restrictions on service trade (the fourth highest in t he world) work to 
protect inefficient enterprises. It takes 25 days to clear exports. Proposed Customs Law amendments tackle these constraints by introducing e -
processes, supply chain management and restricting the release of goods from bonded warehouses to licensed brokers to counter smuggling. p. 
20. 
43. The authorities acknowledged the need for wide ranging reforms to increase non -oil growth and job creation. They saw the Customs Law 
amendments in parliament as necessary to combat smuggling and lower trade  costs. They noted that their WTO membership process is 
stalled but are hopeful that with international support it could restart . To increase youth employment, they plan to roll -out nationally a 
pilot internship program for university graduates and offer a  two-year waiver of employer social security contributions for firms retaining interns. 
They noted this would assist women in finding work given half of tertiary -level graduates are female. They have removed gender caps in recruitment 
rounds at most minist ries and have evaluated the contribution of household work to GDP but stressed that greater efforts are needed to bring 
women into formal sector employment. p. 22.  
STAFF APPRAISAL  
51. Faster implementation of business climate reforms would allow the private sector to develop, lifting growth and job creat ion. Reducing red 
tape, modernizing regulations, strengthening the bankruptcy framework and easing market entry will help private f irms grow and create jobs. An 
effective anti -corruption framework in line with international standards would also bolster accountability, improve the business climate, an d help 
attract foreign investment. A review of labor regulation could improve incentiv es for firms to hire and address informality. Development of non -
oil exports will require lowering the costs to trade , better infrastructure, and pursuing non -preferential trade agreements.  p. 24.   
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Appendix I: External Sector Assessment  
B. Exchange Rate Ass essment  
Real effective exchange rate approach. The official REER was overvalued by 16 percent and the market REER by 1 percent at end - 2016/17. The 
overvaluation was mostly driven by the financial home bias and lack of trade openness.  Exchange rate unifica tion and transition to a 
more flexible exchange rate would allow the economy to better manage terms of trade shocks, and greater trade openness would improve 
growth prospects . p. 44.  
 
12 Iraq X 
13 Lebanese Republic  X 
14 Libya  X 
15 Sao Tomé and 
Principe  X 
16 Serbia  
2019 Article IV 
Consultation – Press 
Release; Staff 
Report; Informational 
Annex; and 
Statement by the 
Executive Director for 
Republic of Serbia, 
July 2019 (mentions 
the EU accession, 
which is linked to 
WTO accession)  Press Release:  
At the conclusion of the Executive Board meeting, Mr. Mitsuhiro Furusawa, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair, made the  following 
statement:  
"Serbia's macroeconomic performance, supported by the Policy Coordination Instrument, has been strong. Growth has been robust , public debt 
is declining, employment is rising, the financial sector is sound, and inflation is low. Continued strong program imp lementation and determined 
structural reforms are important  to address the challenges and accelerate income convergence with the EU.  
Executive Board Assessment  
Executive Directors welcomed Serbia’s strong macroeconomic performance supported by the Policy Coordination Instrument. Economic growth 
has been robust, public debt is declining, and inflation is low. Directors emphasized that continued commitment to strong pol icies and 
determined implementation of structural reforms is key to sustaining macroeconom ic and financial stability , addressing external 
and internal challenges, fostering growth, and advancing the EU convergence agenda.  
Staff Report:  
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY  
Context. Macroeconomic stability has been maintained with robust economic growth, declining public debt, as well as low and stable inflation. 
While Serbia continues to address structural challenges, supported by the Policy Coordination Instrument, more determined eff orts are needed 
to ensure faster income convergence with the EU.  
CONTEXT   
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2. Never theless, structural reforms are needed  to ensure faster income convergence with the EU. Improving the private investment climate 
through the better provision of public services and reducing the grey economy should remain government priorities. Creating o pportunities for 
skilled workers within Serbia is critical to limit 'brain drain'. Fiscal achievements need to be better anchored to preserve hard-won gains. Fighting 
corruption and  improving governance frameworks can also bring positive economic dividends, particularly for State -Owned 
Enterprises (SOEs) . The 30 -month Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI) approved in July 2018 is supporting the authorities' program to address 
vulnerabilities and create conditions for accelerated growth. p.4.  
POLICY DISCUSSIONS  
C. FINANCIAL SECTOR POLICIES  
28. The authorities continue to implement their capital account liberalization strategy . Many capital account transactions, such as FDI 
and long -term flows, have already been liberalized. Further steps were taken in 2018 to li beralize the capital account including portfolio flows and 
derivative transactions by eliminating constraints on non -deliverable derivatives. Transactions outside the regulated market are allowed for hedging 
purposes only. To limit balance of payments pres sures, the further capital account liberalization required in the context of EU accession will be 
gradual, particularly in removing restrictions on short -term capital flows and the ability of residents to open deposit accounts abroad. p.19.  
Annex II. Reass essing the Role of State -Owned Enterprises in Serbia: Governance and Performance  
2. In recent years, the authorities have renewed their privatization efforts, successfully privatizing more than 50 companies si nce 
end-2014 . Steps have also been taken to red uce losses and lower fiscal risks from the SOE sector as a whole, including systemic enterprises. 
However, contingent liabilities stemming from unfinished reforms of SOEs could arise and broader governance reform of the state -owned 
sector would be a major step in achieving a level playing field for business , improving efficiency of public resource use and managing 
fiscal risks. Improved governance will also help advance the EU accession agenda. p.51.  
Appendix I. Program Statement (to Ms. Christine Lagarde)  
ECONOMIC POLICIES  
D. Financial Sector Policies  
22. We will continue to strengthen financial sector regulatory and supervisory frameworks , to fully align them with international standards. 
The NBS has adopted in December 2018 regulatory measures that limit banks’ portfolio of long -term cash and consumer loans and set debt -to-
income limits on loans to individuals. We will continue to enhance the prudential framework for banks and insurance companies  to ensure full 
compliance with international standards and E U requirements. We will further harmonize our financial legal framework with EU Acquis taking into 
account the specificities of the Serbian financial market. p.85.  
Statement by the Staff Representative on the Republic of Serbia  
4. On June 27, Serbia opened  negotiations with the European Union on Chapter 9, which covers the field of financial services. This takes the 
total number of open EU accession chapters to seventeen, of which two have been provisionally closed.  
Statement by Mr. Inderbinen  and Mr. Djokovic on Republic of Serbia  
On behalf of the Serbian authorities, we thank staff for their engagement, constructive interactions and sound policy advice,  as well as for a 
comprehensive and balanced report. The authorities are also grateful to t he Executive Board and management for their continued guidance and 
support. The ongoing candid dialogue between Serbia and the Fund is highly valued. The Policy Coordination Instrument remains  pivotal in guiding  
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macroeconomic policies and structural reform s, with the overarching goal of fostering growth, while preserving macro and financial stability. The 
sustained reform momentum under the program is all the more relevant for Serbia in the context of the EU integration process . p.1. 
17 Somalia  
2019 Article IV 
Consultation – Press 
Release; Staff 
Report; and 
Statement by the 
Executive Director 
for, August 2019  Appendix I. Letter of Intent (to Ms. Christine Lagarde)  
Attachment I. Supplemental Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies for 2019 -21 
C. Economic and Financial Policies for 2019 –21 
14. To support the aim of moving towards greater fiscal self -sufficiency, we will broaden domestic revenue mobilization efforts to the FMS. To this 
end, we will (i) roll out the enacted Revenue Bills’ tax instrum ents to facilitate the collection of domestic revenue across FGS and FMS (SB#8); 
and, (ii) report fiscal performance for general government operations covering FGS and FMS (SB#2). With successful implementa tion of customs 
front-end declaration functionalit y at the Port of Mogadishu, work on incorporating the verification of the manifest and goods inspection will follow 
shortly (SBs#6, 7 and 9). We will also work to roll out customs reforms to other main ports and further advance efforts to mo dernize customs  
administration, with the support of our international partners (SB#11). We are committed to the preparation of an ad valorem schedule to 
facilitate the transition to a modern system of customs tariffs by May 2020, and are committed to implementation as ea rly as 
feasible in 2020, depending on progress on capacity building and in line with article 20 of the World Trade Organization (WTO , 
Customs valuation methodology).  At the same time, developing an audit strategy at the LMTO will improve oversight and gove rnance of Inland 
Revenue Department (SB#10), which will safeguard revenues. We will strengthen ongoing revenue reforms, in particular by enhan cing LMTO 
capacity, establishing a tax academy, and enhancing the collection of sales taxes on goods and services,  including by expanding it to the FMS. 
Moving forward, we will continue to identify new measures to mobilize revenues with the continued assistance of TA from IMF. We will also develop 
a medium -term strategy to inform our approaches for increasing domestic  revenues and financing our development spending over the medium 
term. p.64 -65. 
18 South Sudan  X 
19 Sudan  
2017 Article IV 
Consultation – Press 
Release; Staff 
Report; and 
Statement by the 
Executive Director for 
Sudan, November 
2017 Staff Report:  
CONTEXT  
2. The permanent revocation of U.S. sanctions on trade and financial flows on October 12, 2017 has strengthened optimism and is a unique 
opportunity to implement ambitious reforms. In revoking the sanctions, the U.S. government cited progress made on cessation of hostilities in 
internal conflicts, and improved cooperation on regional stability, counterterrorism, and humanitarian access. Sanctions revocation will lead to 
significant reductions in costs of imports, trade, and international financial s ervices, potentially also opening new import sources 
and export destinations.  Domestic optimism has risen since January 2017 —when the sanctions were initially suspended —and there are 
indications that prospective foreign investor interest in Sudan could be substantial. However, most investors (and correspondent banks) are 
proceeding cautiously, while concerns about macroeconomic policies and the investment climate persist.  
DEVELOPMENTS, OUTLOOK, AND RISKS  
The recent improvement in the current account deficit  primarily reflects weaker imports due to  (i) the strong depreciation of the parallel 
exchange rate, and the introduction in late 2016 of a commercial bank incentive rate close to the parallel rate for many form al transactions; 3 (ii) 
fuel and electricity price hikes in November 2016 which helped curb domestic demand; (iii) quantitative import restrictions adopted in 2016, 
including a negative list and a prohibited list of selected imports;  and (iv) lower international import prices which improved the terms  of  
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trade 
POLICY DISCUSSIONS  
A. Exchange Rate Reforms to Boost Competitiveness and Public Finances  
13. Staff recommended unifying all exchange rates at the same time, thus eliminating distortions upfront and sending a clear signal to investors 
about the cr edibility of the authorities’ reform agenda. This would also be consistent with the authorities’ plans to embark on deep 
macroeconomic and structural reforms to strengthen economic growth and facilitate WTO membership . Upfront unification would also 
reduce  the risk of delay and interference from vested interests. Prior to reform, however, it would be important to review banks’ fi nancial positions 
and asset quality to assess their resilience to exchange rate changes and identify measures to address potential  risks. The authorities requested 
Fund Technical Assistance (TA) to help them conduct bank stress tests and identify appropriate remedial measures as needed. p . 10. 
14. With the heavier import duty burden, there may be a need to reduce import tariff rates to mitigate their distortionary impact —
the World Bank has recommended that the number of tariff peaks should be reduced; the maximum tariff rate reduced from 40 
percent to 25 percent; and tariffs on food phased out. [Footnote: A World Bank report found tha t the tariff schedule has a high proportion 
of peaks (15 percent and above), with an economy -wide average of 20 percent and a numerous tariff lines taxed at a 40 percent rate. About 54 
percent of imports are exempted from taxation, via tax holidays and exe mptions in the Investment Law, regional trade agreements, and 
weaknesses in customs administration that are being addressed.]  The negative impact on revenues caused by tariff rate reduction and 
simplification should be offset by broadening the tax base and  strengthening customs administration.  p. 11.  
D. Supply Side Reforms  
29. The authorities have intensified efforts to modernize the business environment, notably in the context of their application f or 
WTO membership . A high -level committee and eight sub -committees have been formed to coordinate this effort, and they have already identified 
151 laws to be amended or completely modernized; staff encouraged them to press on with this effort. The authorities also con tinue to develop 
measures to fight corruption , including the Auditor General Act of 2017 which permits the Auditor General to audit any entity with at least 1 per 
cent government ownership, the establishment of a Special Prosecutor General to investigate cases of abuse of public funds, a nd the establ ishment 
of an Anti -Corruption Commission. p. 15.  
STAFF APPRAISAL  
42. While exchange rate and trade policy reform would be important contributions to competitiveness , the business climate will also need 
to be overhauled to support investment and growth. Sudan ranks very low in the 2017 World Bank doing business rankings, with major weaknesses 
in getting credit, protecting minority investors, and trading across borders . The authorities have intensified efforts to modernize the 
business environment in the context of their application for WTO membership , and staff encourages them to press on with this effort. 
Also, the business environment would benefit from intensified a nti-corruption measures. Efforts to boost investment and productivity in key sectors 
such as agriculture, gold, and oil, as well as better public infrastructure and human capital, could also bear large dividend s. p. 17.  
Statement by Mr. Mkwezalamba, Execut ive Director for Sudan, and Mr. Ismail, Advisor to Executive Director for Sudan:  
To improve the business environment, the authorities are undertaking a comprehensive overhaul of the legal framework that gov erns investment 
in Sudan. In this regard, a high -level committee chaired by the Vice President and eight sub -committees have been established to 
review and modernize investment laws in line with the World Trade Organization (WTO) accession efforts .  
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20 Syrian Arab 
Republic  
2009 Article IV 
Consultation —Staff 
Report; and Public 
Information Notice, 
March 2010  Staff Report:  
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY  
Staff Recommendations  
Accelerate structural reforms, including by modernizing regulations, continuing to streamline the extensive subsidies system,  and 
further liberalizing trade . p. 3.  
II. POLICY DISCUSSIONS  
D. Structural Reforms and Other Issues  
20. The authorities intend to continue to advance structural reforms  in order to accelerate growth, diversify the economy, and create 
employment. Progress has bee n made in many areas, including reducing import tariffs, shortening the import negative list, 
reforming fuel and agricultural subsidies , and establishing a one -stop window for approving private investment. Furthermore, to further 
liberalize current transac tions , each citizen is now allowed to purchase up to $10,000 per month from a local bank and to transfer them 
abroad in payment for current transactions or credit cards bills. The authorities noted that reference prices and customs duties that vary 
by coun try of origin were put in place in order to protect against unfair trade practices.  p. 13-14. 
III. STAFF APPRAISAL  
32. The progress made in transition to a market economy is welcome, but the remaining structural reform agenda is substantial.  
Emphasis should be placed on further reducing the number of goods subject to administrative pricing, and modernizing of the l egal and 
regulatory framework in order to encourage private investment and enhance competitiveness. The staff recommends that the authorities 
reverse the recent introduction of customs duties that vary by country of origin, and address suspected unfair trade practice s by 
other measures  such as enhancing customs’ capacity to examine invoices through computerization and cross border co operation. p. 16.  
21 Timor -Leste  X  
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22 Uzbekistan  
2019 Article IV 
Consultation – Press 
Release and Staff 
Report, May 2019  Staff Report:  
OUTLOOKS, RISKS, AND REGIONAL SPILLOVERS  
B. External Sector Assessment  
10. The external position has deteriorated significantly, reflecting several structural and policy shifts (Table 3, Figure 5).  First, FX and trade 
liberalization constituted a regime change, removing policy props that had repressed imports in the past . p. 7.  
D. Regional Spillovers  
15. Uzbekistan has taken the lead on improving regional cooperation.  The previous state -led growth model sought to minimize regional trade and 
infrastructure interdependencies. Given Uzbekistan’s central geographic location and large population size, this stance cast a pall over regional 
trade and cooperation. Since the sta rt of reforms, significant progress has already been made in boosting regional trade and promoting 
regional integration , including by reconnecting regional energy and transportation networks as well as by defusing the region’s age -old disputes 
about water rights. p. 9.  
POLICY DISCUSSIONS  
D. Prioritizing Structural Reforms  
Reforms Targeting Availability of Economic Resources  
32. SOE reform will be key to improve resource allocation . In the past, SOEs absorbed disproportionate shares of skilled labor, energy,  and 
financial resources, while facing weak competition enforcement and enjoying a wealth of investment preferences. Staff therefo re welcomed the 
authorities’ decision to accelerate SOE restructuring along three prongs. First, the new Agency for Management  of State Assets has been given a 
mandate to strengthen corporate governance. Second, the government has started unbundling SOE activities in the energy and tr ansportation 
sectors, and it has also made some progress on separating SOE management, supervisio n, and regulation. Third, the government is classifying 
SOEs into those that will be privatized, opened for minority stakes, or remain under full state ownership.  
33. Price liberalization is closely linked to SOE reform . During the second half of 2018, th e government liberalized bread prices and brought 
energy prices for businesses closer to cost recovery levels. But significant cost recovery gaps remain, and the mission encou raged continued price 
adjustments, especially in the energy sector, to reduce SOE  losses, save energy, and attract foreign investors to the energy sector. To reduce 
policy uncertainty, future price increases should follow a pre -announced calendar. To alleviate the impact on vulnerable households, the 
government plans to continue to imp rove targeting and coverage of social benefits. [ Footnote : The World Bank is assisting the government in 
developing a unified social registry, a first step toward modernizing the social safety net.]  
Authorities’ views  
35. They noted that SOE reform should  benefit from studying earlier experiences in other transition economies.  p. 17. 
Reforms Targeting Reducing Cost of Doing Business  
Authorities’ views  
37. Efforts to liberalize the foreign trade regime are gathering momentum as part of the WTO accession pro cess.  As a double -
landlocked country, Uzbekistan already faces high trading costs due to geographic challenges, which are further compounded by  the high costs,  
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time delays, and uncertainties imposed by present trade regulations. The authorities noted that applying WTO principles, including the 
Trade Facilitation Agreement, would help address regulatory weaknesses in trade facilitation and import licensing . p. 18.  
Reforms Targeting Strengthening Public Governance  
40. The regulatory framework is undergoing si gnificant upgrades. The authorities noted that streamlining and rationalizing the vast number of 
existing regulations, even in a relatively narrow field like competition regulations, is a Herculean task. Areas that are rec eiving particular attention 
includ e the legal and regulatory frameworks in the airline, wholesale trade, and energy sectors.… Regarding wholesale trade, the government 
recently abolished trading licenses and advance payment requirements . On energy, the government has established a new tari ff 
commission under the Cabinet of Ministers with the goal of adjusting prices to cost recovery levels . p. 18.  
STAFF APPRAISAL  
48. Uzbekistan has successfully implemented a first wave of significant economic reforms. Reflecting the overarching need to create more and 
better jobs, the country has adopted a wide ranging reform agenda to open the economy , level the economic playing field, and improve 
public governance. Foreign exchange liberalization, tax reform,  and a major upgrade in the quality and availabi lity of economic statistics 
spearheaded the early reforms. Uzbekistan is also leading efforts to improve regional cooperation , key for promoting regional trade  and supply 
chains, while reconnecting the region’s public infrastructure networks. p. 20.  
57. The government needs to prioritize its vast structural reform agenda.  The government is rightly concerned that an unfocused, sprawling 
structural reform agenda could overburden its scarce implementation capacity while delaying the economic pay -offs from refo rms. Liberalization 
of prices and steps to restructure SOEs promise to address constraints on resources for the private sector. WTO accession and reforms to the 
trade regime should also help reduce cost. And the authorities’ plans to improve public governa nce should prove especially 
beneficial for the investment climate.  p.21.  
Annex II. External Sector Assessment  
Current Account  
1. Background. FX market liberalization, the removal of trade restrictions, especially on regional trade , and booming investment shifted 
the current account (CA) from a surplus of 2½ percent of GDP in 2017 to a deficit of 7 percent of GDP in 2018. A shift to rel atively high and 
persistent CA deficits has been a typical feature of transitions from state -led to more marked -based economies (Box 1). p.41.  
Annex VI. Recommendations of the 2018 Article IV Consultation ( p.63. )  
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Government  Reference to WTO and/or WTO accession or issues relevant to WTO accession  PROMOTING STRUCTURAL REFORM AND 
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT  Fund 
Recommendations  Authorities’ Views  Developments since March 2018  Assessment  
Uzbekistan should 
further liberalize 
trade, including by 
acceding to the 
WTO  The authorities noted 
efforts to promote 
diversification and 
increase value -added 
in exports.  After the depreciation and cut in import tariffs in 
2017, exports and imports rose 18 and 38 percent, 
respectively, in US dollars in 2018. In June 2018, 
the President signed a resolution to streamline 
customs and tariff regulations. In March 2019, 
an inter -agency commission on joining the 
WTO began meeting.  The 2017 trade and 
exchange rate reforms 
continue to promote 
development of trade in 
2018. Some steps 
were taken on WTO 
accession.  
 
   
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- 60 - ANNEX 9 - PROVISIONS  OF THE COHERENCE MA NDATE RELEVANT TO WT O ACCESSION  
Accession -relevant elements of 
the Coherence Mandate  Agreement with the IMF1 Agreement with the World Bank2 
Use of observer status rights  Para. 5  provides that the WTO Secretariat shall be invited to 
ordinary meetings of the Executive Board on general and regional 
trade policy issues, including the formulation of Fund policies on 
trade matters, and to discussions of the World Economic Outlook 
when there is a significant trade content.   
 
Under para. 5 , when consultations between the staffs of the Fund 
and the WTO lead to the conclusion that matters of particular 
common interest to both organizations will be under discussion at 
other meetings of the E xecutive Board, including country -specific 
meetings, or at meetings of the Fund's Committee on Liaison with 
the WTO, the Managing Director will recommend that the WTO 
Secretariat be invited to send an observer.   
 
Para. 6  provides that the Fund staff shall be invited to the Ministerial 
Conference, General Council, Trade Policy Review Body, the three 
sectoral councils, Committee on Trade and Development, Committee 
on Regional Trading Agreements, Committee on TRIMs, and 
Committee on Trade and Environment, and their subsidiary bodies 
(excluding the Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration, 
the DSB and dispute settlement panels).   The Fund staff shall also 
be invited to send an observer to DSB meetings where matters of 
jurisdictional relevance to the Fund are considered.  
 
Under para. 6 , the WTO shall invite the Fund to send a member of 
its staff as observer to other meetings of the DSB as well as other 
WTO bodies for which attendance is not provided above (excluding 
the Budget Committee and dispute settlem ent panels), where the 
Fund and the WTO expect that particular matters of common interest 
to both organizations will be under discussion.  
WTO observership  in the Interim and Development Committees is 
dealt with by an accompanying letter addressed to the WTO Director -
General from the Managing Director of the Fund. In respect of the 
Interim and Development Committees, and in order to foster closer 
cooperation  between the two institutions, the Managing Director of 
the Fund has recommended that the Director -General of the WTO be 
invited regularly as an observer to these committees' plenary Para. 3  provides that the WTO shall be granted observer status at 
the Annual Meetings of the Bank's Board of Governors, and that the 
Bank shall be granted observer status at meetings of the WTO's 
Ministerial Conference.  
 
Para. 4 then provides that the WTO Secretariat shall be invited to 
meetings of the Executive Directors on general and regional trade 
policy issues, including the formulation of World Bank policies on 
trade matters.   
 
Under para. 4 , when consultations between the staffs of the Bank 
and the WTO lead to the conclusion that matters of particular 
common interest to both organizations will be under discussion at 
other meetings of the Executive Directors, including country -specific 
matters, the President of the Bank will recommend that the WTO 
Secretariat be invited to send an observer.   
 
Para. 5  provides that the Bank staff shall be invited to the General 
Council, Trade Policy Review Body, the three sectoral councils, 
Committee on Trade and Development, Committee on Regional 
Trading Agreements, Committee on TRIMs, and Committee on Trade 
and Environment, and their subsidiary bodies (excluding the 
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration, the DSB and 
dispute settlement panels).  
 
Under para. 5 , the WTO shall invit e the Bank to send a member of 
its staff as observer to meetings of other WTO bodies for which 
attendance is not provided above (excluding the Budget Committee 
and dispute settlement panels), where the Bank and the WTO expect 
that particular matters of com mon interest to both organizations will 
be under discussion.  
WTO observership in the Development Committee is dealt with by an 
accompanying letter addressed to the WTO Director -General from 
the President of the World Bank. In respect of the Development 
Committee, and in order to foster closer cooperation between the 
two institutions, the President of the Bank has recommended that 
the Director -General of the WTO be invited regularly as an observer 
 
1 WT/L/195.  
2 Ibid.  
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- 61 - Accession -relevant elements of 
the Coherence Mandate  Agreement with the IMF1 Agreement with the World Bank2 
sessions, as well as to those restricted sessions where matters of 
common  interest are to be addressed.  to this committee's plenary sessions, as well as to those res tricted 
sessions where matters of common interest are to be addressed.  
Access to meetings' agenda, documents 
and reports  Under para. 7 , the WTO and the Fund shall make available to each 
other in advance the agendas, and relevant documents, for the 
meeting s to which they are invited pursuant to the terms of the 
agreement.  The Fund shall make available to the WTO Secretariat 
agendas of meetings of the Executive Board at the time of their 
circulation in the Fund, and the WTO shall make available to the Fund 
the agendas of the DSB at the time of their circulation in the WTO.  
 
According to para. 11 , the Fund shall provide the WTO, promptly 
after circulation to the Executive Board, for the confidential use of its 
Secretariat, with staff reports and related backg round staff papers 
on Article  IV consultations and on use of Fund resources on common 
members and on Fund members seeking accession to the WTO, 
subject to the consent of the member.  
 
Para. 12  commits the WTO to providing the Fund, for the 
confidential use  of its management and staff, with TPR reports, 
summary records and reports of Councils, Bodies and Committees, 
and reports of WTO Members to these organs.  Under para. 6 , the WTO and the Bank shall make available to each 
other in advance the agendas, and r elevant documents, for the 
meetings to which they are invited pursuant to the terms of the 
agreement.  The Bank shall make available to the WTO Secretariat 
agendas of meetings of the Executive Directors at the time of their 
circulation in the Bank, and the WTO shall make available to the Bank 
the agendas of other bodies at the time of their circulation in the 
WTO.  
 
Under para. 9 , subject to such limitations as may be necessary for 
safeguarding of confidential material, the WTO and the Bank shall 
arrange the timely exchange of information, reports and other 
documents of mutual interest.  
 
 
Use of documents in accession Working 
Party meetings  Para.  8 provides for communication in writing from either institution 
to the other or any of its organs or b odies (excluding dispute 
settlement) on matters of mutual interest, which becomes part of 
the official record of such organs and bodies. It further provides that 
the Fund shall inform in writing the relevant WTO body (including 
dispute settlement panels) " considering exchange measures within 
the Fund's jurisdiction whether such measures are consistent with 
the Articles of Agreement of the Fund".   
Technical cooperation  Para. 9  states that the Director -General and the Managing Director 
shall ensure cooperat ion between the staffs of the two institutions 
and, to that end, shall agree on appropriate procedures for 
collaboration, including access to databases, and exchanges of views 
on jurisdictional and policy issues.   Para. 7  provides that the Director -General  and the Bank's President 
shall ensure cooperation between the staffs of the two institutions 
who, to that end, as appropriate, shall share access to databases, 
undertake joint research and technical cooperation activities and 
exchange views on policy issu es.  
Consultations between staff  While para. 9  provides for cooperation between staffs and for 
exchange of views on jurisdictional and policy issues, para. 10  calls 
for consultations on issues of possible inconsistency.  Para. 8  mandates staff consultations with the view to ensuring the 
adoption of consistent and mutually supportive policies. To this end, 
staffs shall keep each other regularly informed of their programmes 
and activities in matters related to international trade.  
 
   
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- 62 - ANNEX 10 - COLLABORATION  BETWEEN THE WTO, TH E IMF AND THE WORLD BANK ON WTO ACCESSIO NS 
Acceding Government  IMF World Bank  
WTO Secretariat contacts with the  IMF WTO Secretariat contacts with the  World Bank  
 Conference on coherence in WTO accessions  
The WTO Secretariat, in partnership with the IMF and the World Bank, organised a conference entitled "Greater Coherence in Global 
Economic Policymaking: the case of WTO accession" on 16  October 2019. The conference provided a platform to discuss issues of common 
policy interest to the three institutions in the context of WTO accessions  and to explore the scope for heightened cooperation at the 
country level. Participants (about 60) included the representatives of five acceding governments (Belarus, Ethiopia, Iraq, Ti mor-Leste and 
Uzbekistan), one potential applicant (Turkmenistan) and t hree WTO Members (European Union, Switzerland and United States). On the 
IMF side, attendees were largely drawn from the country teams working with currently acceding countries. On the World Bank si de, 
attendees were drawn from the Global Trade team as wel l as the country teams working with acceding countries.   
1 Algeria  
X − 2011: DDG Jara meeting with World Bank IFC office (Mr. A.H. Allaoua , 
Senior Manager) in Algiers to exchange information on economic 
developments and the status of the WTO accession process.  
− February 2020: Algeria participated in the third Regional Dialogue on 
WTO Accessions for Africa, co -organized by the WTO Secretariat and 
the World Bank, among others.  
2 Andorra  X X 
3 Azerbaijan  − November/December  2017, June 2018: telephone calls with 
Mission Chiefs.  X 
4 The Bahamas  − March 2018: met with Mission Chief and the team in Nassau.  
X 
5 Belarus  − November 2017 and November 2018: met with IMF team in 
Minsk and discussed Belarus economic reform, especially SOEs.  
− 20 August 2019:  held a conference call with IMF and the World 
Bank to discuss the Belarus -specific coherence event in 
Washington in October  2019.  
− October 2019: met with IMF country team, led by the Mission 
Chief, in Washington, on the margins of the Annual Meetings.  − 2012: as requested by WTO Members, and following a written 
exchange with the IMF/World Bank, the WTO Secretariat circulated 
the most recent economic country assessment on Belarus for the 
information of the Working Party, namely  (i) the IMF  2012 Article IV 
Consultation Staff Report; (ii) the IMF Country Report; and (iii) the 
World Bank Executive Summary of the Belarus Country Econom ic 
Memorandum.   
− September 2017: phone call with IMF country team (David Moore) to 
discuss the latest state of play in Belarus' accession negotiations.  
− November 2017: met with IMF Mission Chief in Minsk. Discussions 
focused on exchanging information on rele vant economic and policy 
developments in Belarus, especially in the area of structural reforms, 
including SOE reforms, and on the relevance of the WTO accession 
process to ongoing work under the IMF Article  IV consultations.   
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- 63 - Acceding Government  IMF World Bank  
WTO Secretariat contacts with the  IMF WTO Secretariat contacts with the  World Bank  
− November 2018: met with World B ank country team in Minsk to 
review the state of play and explore how WTO/World Bank work 
overlaps in the area of SOEs reform;  
− April 2019: videoconference call with the World Bank (country team 
in Minsk) to discuss the state of play in the accession of Bel arus and 
the status of structural reforms in Belarus.   
− July 2019: Mr. Alex Kremer, World Bank Country Manager for Belarus 
represented the World Bank as observer at the 12th Working Party 
Meeting of Belarus.  
− 20 August 2019:  held a conference call with IMF and the World Bank 
to discuss the Belarus -specific coherence event in Washington in 
October 2019.  
− 29 August 2019: videoconference call with the World Bank (country 
team in Minsk) to discuss the coherence event in Washington in 
October 2019.  
6 Bhutan*  X X 
7 Bosnia and 
Herzegovina  X X 
8 Comoros*  − March 2017: WTO delegation met with IMF representative in 
Moroni.  
− April 2017: WTO DG Azevêdo  addressed a letter to IMF 
Managing Director Christine Lagarde seeking IMF support for 
Comoros' reform on VAT, which is linked to WTO accession.  
− 2017-2018: maintained e -mail exchanges.  − October  2019: Met with World Bank country team in Washington, on 
the ma rgin of the Annual Meetings.   
− December 2019: Met with World Bank at the "Conference of Partners  
for the Development of the Comoros" in Paris.  
− February 2020: Comoros participated in the third Regional Dialogue 
on WTO Accessions for Africa, co -organized by the WTO Secretariat 
and the World Bank, among others.  
9 Equatorial Guinea  
X − February 2020: Equatorial Guinea participated in the third Regional 
Dialogue on WTO Accessions for Africa, co -organized by the WTO 
Secretariat and the World Bank, among others.  
10 Ethiopia*  − February 2019: contact with an IMF consultant (Michael Daly, 
former WTO staff) on IMF TA Mission on Tax Policy.  − January 2019: met with country team in Addis.  
− February 2020: The third Regional Dialogue on WTO Accessions for 
Africa  took place in Addis Ababa, co -organized by the WTO 
Secretariat, the World Bank and the Government of Ethiopia, among 
others.  
11 Iran X X 
12 Iraq X − 25-26 July: Jointly delivered a workshop on WTO accession to Iraqi 
officials in Beirut.   
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- 64 - Acceding Government  IMF World Bank  
WTO Secretariat contacts with the  IMF WTO Secretariat contacts with the  World Bank  
13 Lebanese Republic  X X 
14 Libya  X X 
15 São Tomé and 
Principe*  X X 
16 Serbia  X X 
17 Somalia*  − July 2018: met with Finance Minister of Somalia and discussed 
the possibility of presenting WTO accession to a committee of 
senior officials and IFIs.  − February 2020: Somalia participated in the third Regional Dialogue 
on WTO Accessions for Africa, co-organized by the WTO Secretariat 
and the World Bank, among others.  
18 South Sudan*  [Comment: IMF has no representation in Juba.]  − February 2020: South Sudan participated in the third Regional 
Dialogue on WTO Accessions for Africa, co-organized by the WTO 
Secretariat and the World Bank, among others.  
19 Sudan*  − April and December  2018: met with IMF representative in 
Khartoum to discuss Sudan's import ban and FX restrictions for 
imports.  
− Explor ed the possibility for IMF to report to the next Working 
Party meeting on the outcome of the 2019 Article IV Mission.  
− October 2019: met with country team, led by the Mission Chi ef, 
in Washington, on the margins of the Annual Meetings.   − April 2018: met with World Bank team in Khartoum.  
− February 2020: Sudan participated in the third Regional Dialogue on 
WTO Accessions for Africa, co -organized by the WTO Secretariat and 
the World Ba nk, among others.  
20 Syrian Arab Republic  X X 
21 Timor -Leste*  X − November 2016: met with World Bank team in Dili.  
22 Uzbekistan  − May 2018: met with Mission Chief in Tashkent.  − May 2018: participated in World Bank/USAID conference on WTO 
accession.  
− October 2018: World Bank participated in WTO workshop on market 
access for trade in goods.  
− March 2019: jointly delivered a workshop on market access for trade 
in services.  
− October 2019: Met with World Bank Country Manager in Washington, 
on the margins of the Annual Meetings.  
− January 2020: World Bank participated in WTO workshop on trade in 
services in Geneva.  
* LDCs. 
 
__________