RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/ACC/SPEC/OMN/1
25September 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-3983)
Original: English Working Party ontheAccession
oftheSultanate ofOman
ACCESSION OFTHE SULTANATE OFOMAN
Communication from theSultanate ofOman
TheMinistry ofCommerce andIndustry oftheSultanate ofOman hassubmitted thefollowing
information concerning proposals ontransitional periods.
_______________
Proposals onTransitional Periods
1. TheMarrakesh Agreement Establishing theWorld Trade Organization andtheMultilateral
Agreements annexed toitcontain transitional periods fordelaying theapplication ofsome Agreements
orsomeoftheprovisionsofsomeAgreements.Also,someAgreementscontaintransitionalarrangements
forphasing outmeasures which maynotbeinconformity withtheWTO rules.
2. Upon accession totheWorld Trade Organization, theSultanate ofOman willassume obligations
andacquire rights under theAgreement Establishing theWTO andunder theMultilateral Agreements
andUnderstandings annexed totheWTO Agreement.
3. After careful consideration, theSultanate ofOman isoftheviewthatitwillneedtransitional
periods inthefollowing areas:
I. IMPLEMENTATION OFTHE AGREEMENT ONCUSTOMS VALUATION
Transitional Period andJustification: Oman would availoftheprovisions ofArticle 20oftheAgreement
onCustoms Valuation todelay theapplication oftheprovisions ofthisAgreement foraperiod of
fiveyears fromthedateofOman ’saccession totheWTO. Itmayneedtofurther delay theapplication
ofthecomputed value method, inArticle 6oftheAgreement.
Oman ’sexisting rulesoncustoms valuation areinasimple form. There arenodetailed rules
andregulations. Oman willhavetodraftnewlawsandregulations oncustoms valuation inaccordance
withtheprovisions oftheCustoms Valuation Agreement. Forthatpurpose, itwillneedhelpand
assistance fromtheWTO Secretariat, fromWCO andfromWTO Member countries. Thedrafting
oflawsandregulations andtheirenactment intolegislation willbeatime-consuming task. Inaddition,
administrative instructions, guidelines andmanuals fortheapplication oftherules willhavetobe
prepared withtheassistance ofexperts from theWTO, theWCO andfrom Member countries.
Thecustoms staffatallcustoms ports, theairport, atthelandborder customs stations andin
theHeadquarters willhavetobetrained thoroughly inthelaw,procedures andtechniques oftheGATTWT/ACC/SPEC/OMN/1
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Valuation Agreement. Thecustoms brokers andimporters willneedtobefamiliarized withthenew
system through seminars andworkshops.
Action Plan: Oman willsoonbeapproaching theWTO Secretariat, theWCO andWTO Member
countries fortechnical assistance fordrafting valuation lawsandregulations. Itwillinvite experts
tovisitOman andwillsendsome ofitscustoms officials abroad tostudy thedesign andarchitecture
ofthelegislation andregulations. After this,thework ofdrafting willbeinitiated. Once thedraft
iscompleted andreviewed bythecompetent authorities ofOman, itwillbesenttotheWCO, theWTO
Secretariat andtoMembers oftheWTO fortheircomments. Thereafter, thedraftlegislation willbe
translated intoArabic andtheprocess ofputting itintotheformofaRoyal Decree willbeundertaken.
Thesecond phase ofthework willbethedrafting ofadministrative instructions, guidelines
andmanuals. Thiswillbeaccomplished withtechnical assistance fromtheWCO, theWTO andfrom
Member countries.
Thethirdphase willbetheinitiation andexecution ofacomprehensive training programme
forcustoms officials, importers andcustoms brokers. Forthisagain, Oman willneedhelpandassistance
from theWCO, theWTO Secretariat andfrom friendly countries. Since avastmajority ofOmani
customs officials arenotfluent inEnglish, itwillnotbefeasible toaskexperts from abroad tocome
toOman totraincustoms officials. Oman willhavetogettraining abroad foraselect group ofofficials
(training fortrainers), whoonreturn toOman willundertake anintensive programme oftraining the
customsstaff.Inaddition,seminarsandworkshopswillbeorganizedforcustomsbrokersandimporters.
After completion oftheforegoing tasks, thenewvaluation lawsandregulations willbeapplied
onanexperimental basis foraperiod ofoneyearsoastomake theofficials andtheprivate sector
fullyfamiliar withthenewsystem before itisformally applied.
II. IMPLEMENTATION OFTHE TRIPS AGREEMENT
Transitional Period andJustification: TheSultanate ofOman would takeatransitional period offive
years fromthedateofitsaccession totheWTO toimplement theAgreement onTrade-Related Aspects
ofIntellectual Property Rights.
Oman hasatpresent intellectual property lawsinonlytwoareas: copyrights andtrademarks.
Even these lawsareinmany ways notconsistent withtheprovisions oftheTRIPS Agreement. Oman
doesnothave lawsandregulations inother areas ofintellectual property. Italsodoesnothave
appropriate enforcement lawsandinstitutional mechanism forenforcement ofintellectual property laws.
Before Oman canassume fullobligations under theTRIPS Agreement, itwillhavetoamend
theexisting copyright andtrademark laws, andtoenact newlawsinother areas. Itwillalsohave
tomake lawsforenforcement andtoestablish aninstitutional machinery foreffective enforcement.
Having lawsalone would notbeenough. Officials willhavetobethoroughly trained toapply
theintellectual property lawsandtoensure enforcement ofthelawsinaccordance withtherequirements
oftheTRIPS Agreement.
Action Plan: Oman hasalready beenworking withsome WTO Member countries onitsintellectual
property regime. Ithasrecently joined theWorld Intellectual Property Organization.
Oman istaking steps tostudy theconsistency ofitscopyright andtrademarks lawswiththe
provisions oftheTRIPS Agreement. Forthatpurpose, itisseeking helpandadvice fromtheWIPO.WT/ACC/SPEC/OMN/1
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Oman willalsoconsult withWTO member countries inthisregard. Oncompletion ofthisprocess,
thetaskofrevising thelawsandenacting appropriate legislation willbeundertaken.
Thenextstepwillbetoseekassistance fromtheWTO, fromWIPO andfromWTO Member
countries fordrafting lawsandregulations inthose areas ofintellectual property where there areno
lawsatpresent. Thiswillbealengthy taskasOmani officials willhavetovisitWTO andWIPO to
holddiscussions, andthenexperts fromWTO, WIPO andfromWTO Member countries willbeinvited
tovisitOman toadvise onthedesign ofnewlawsandregulations. Thereafter, thelawsandregulations
willbedrafted inEnglish, discussed again withexperts andsubmitted firsttoWIPO andthentothe
WTO fortheircomments. Once thisprocess hasbeencompleted, thedraftlawswillbetranslated
intoArabic andsteps willbetaken toenact thelawsintheformofRoyal Decrees. Before theRoyal
Decrees areissued theconcerned Ministries andthentheCouncil ofMinisters willapprove thelaws
andmake recommendations toHisMajesty theSultan.
Thenextphase ofworkwillbetheestablishment ofaninstitutional machinery fortheapplication
andenforcement ofintellectual property lawsandthetraining ofofficers andstaffintheapplication
andenforcement oflaws. Since Oman hasnoexperience inthisfield, wewould needtechnical
assistance fromtheWIPO, fromtheWTO andfromMember countries. Incidentally, Oman isalready
sending itsofficials toseminars andworkshops onTRIPS.
Finally, before formally implementing thelaws, Oman willapply thelawsonanexperimental
basis toidentify anyproblems anddifficulties andtofamiliarize theofficials withtheactual working
ofthelaws.
III. AGREEMENT ONTECHNICAL BARRIERS TOTRADE
Transitional Period andJustification: TheSultanate ofOman mayneedtodelay theapplication of
some provisions oftheAgreement onTechnical Barriers toTrade. Forthatpurpose, itmayrequest
theCommittee onTechnical Barriers toTrade tograntittime-limited exceptions fromcertain obligations
under theTBTAgreement.
Thenature andextent ofexceptions andthetimeperiod would beclearer aftertheWorking
Party hascompleted itsexamination oftheforeign trade regime ofOman, including, inparticular,
itsexamination ofOman ’slaws, regulations andprocedures relating tostandards.
Action Plan: Oman willshortly beundertaking astudy ontheconformity ofitsexisting laws, regulations
andprocedures withtheprovisions oftheTBTAgreement. After thecompletion ofthisstudy and
aftertheWorking Party hascompleted itswork, Oman would beinaclearer position toidentify specific
obligations fromwhich Oman would request fortemporary exceptions. Atanappropriate time, Oman
would make arequest totheCommittee onTechnical Barriers toTrade.
TheSultanate ofOman would takestepsduring thetransitional period tobring itsregime into
fullconformity withtheTBTAgreement.
IV. AGREEMENT ONSANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES
Transitional Period andJustification: TheSultanate ofOman mayneedtodelay theapplication of
some provisions oftheAgreement onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures. Forthatpurpose, itmay
request theCommittee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures togrant ittime-limited exceptions from
certain obligations under theSPSAgreement.WT/ACC/SPEC/OMN/1
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Thenature andextent ofexceptions andthetimeperiod would beclearer aftertheWorking
Party hascompleted itsexamination oftheforeign trade regime ofOman, including, inparticular,
itsexamination ofOman ’slaws, regulations andprocedures relating toSPS.
Action Plan: Oman willshortly beundertaking astudy ontheconformity ofitsexisting laws, regulations
andprocedures withtheprovisions oftheSPSAgreement. After thecompletion ofthisstudy and
aftertheWorking Party hascompleted itswork, Oman would beinaclearer position toidentify specific
obligations fromwhich Oman would request fortemporary exceptions. Atanappropriate time, Oman
would make arequest totheCommittee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures.
TheSultanate ofOman would takestepsduring thetransitional period tobring itsregime into
fullconformity withtheSPSAgreement.