RESTRICTED  
  
JOB/ACC/TLS/2  
 
1 October 2020  
(20-6718) Page: 1/3 
Working Party on the Accession of Timor -Leste  Original: English  
 
 
 ACCESSION OF TIMOR -LESTE  
OPENING STATEMENT BY H.E. MR. ENG. JOAQUIM AMARAL,  
COORDINATING MINISTER OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS AND CHIEF NEGOTIATOR OF  
THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF TIMOR -LESTE  
1st Meeting of the Working Party on the Accession of Timor -Leste  
1 October  2020 
1. Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the members of my delegation, and on my own behalf, I wish to 
thank you and all the Members of the Working Party for the warm reception accorded to us here in 
Timor -Leste and to our Miss ion in Geneva. I would also like to express our profound gratitude and 
appreciation to the WTO Secretariat for providing a virtual platform that has enabled Timor -Leste 
delegation in realizing this historical event as well as for the endless assistance and  support during 
the Timor -Leste's accession process.  
 
2. Mr. Chairman, we also greatly appreciate the presence of all the distinguished participants, 
both in person in Geneva and virtually from capitals, despite the difficulty amid the pandemic that 
has se t the limits of movement of persons across the globe. Please accept our sincere words of 
gratitude.  
 
3. Timor -Leste comprises the Eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Ataúro 
and Jaco, and the enclave of Oe -Cusse Ambeno on the north -western side of the island, surrounded 
by the Indonesian Province of West Timor and the Northern Territory of Australia.  
 
4. Timor -Leste became the first new sovereign State of the 21st century, on 20 May 2002, when 
independence was restored, and the country  faced with the daunting task of rebuilding its institutions 
and basic infrastructure from the ground up.  
 
5. Trade is an integral part of our strategy and commitment for developing the economy and 
improving living standards. Our vision for trade and inves tment is that by 2030 Timor -Leste will 
have a dynamic and open trading economy that is integrated with regional and global value chains. 
Growing domestic and foreign investment will provide new opportunities for employment and 
transfer of technology helpin g to drive growth of traditional exports and development of new export 
industries. Timor -Leste has adopted a Public Private Partnership (PPP) approach through developing 
the necessary legislation and policy to facilitate our investment.  
 
6. To achieve this vision, we will maintain an open and facilitating approach to trade that complies 
with our laws and regulations, as already reflected in our document on the Memorandum of Foreign 
Trade Regime (MFTR). We will work with existing businesses and n ew investors to address 
constraints to expanding domestic production and increasing our exports. We will also implement 
programs to improve overall economic competitiveness and accelerate the development of key 
sectors and sub -sectors.  
 
7. As Members are a lready informed, besides Timor -Leste's commitment to WTO membership, 
Timor -Leste is also equally committed to seek for an ASEAN membership. Therefore, Timor -Leste 
continues to ensure that these two accession processes can advance expeditiously while contin uing 
to push for the necessary domestic reforms to facilitate trade.  
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  8. Timor -Leste prioritizes WTO membership, as it would help to leverage the on -going 
improvements in its infrastructure, human capital, and administrative capacity, to accelerate growth  
and economic diversification. It would also set a stepping -stone for Timor -Leste's accession to 
ASEAN. Timor -Leste is fully committed to abide by the principles, objectives and rules of the WTO, 
as a Least Developed Country (LDC), and to implement domesti c structural, legislative and policy 
reforms needed to comply with its future WTO commitments, to be defined in accordance with Article 
XII of the Marrakesh Agreement  Establishing the World Trade Organization . 
 
9. Concrete actions have already been taken to give consistency and coherence to such words. 
The Inter -Ministerial Commission and the national technical Working Group on WTO Accession, 
comprising of relevant Ministers, Senior Cabinet Members and line Director s, have been in place 
since July and working hard. In this context, I would also like to thank the WTO Secretariat for the 
technical assistance provided to our Government in advance of this meeting. To that end, with 
pleasure, I am happy to announce that, the Working Group has started the preparation of some 
negotiating inputs that will be formally submitted to WTO Secretariat for circulation to Members in 
the coming weeks.  
 
10. There is a strong political will, across all partisan lines, in support of impl ementation of 
domestic structural, legislative and policy reforms needed to comply with its future WTO 
commitments, to be defined in accordance with Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement.  
 
11. Mr. Chairman, distinguished delegates, having said that, as a n LDC, Timor -Leste 
acknowledges the challenges ahead to attract foreign direct investment and develop domestic 
production as we are trying to diversify our economy beyond the oil and gas sector. These challenges 
will continue as the C OVID -19 pandemic persis ts to exist, as also currently being faced by all the 
nations globally. At the same time, taking this opportunity, Timor -Leste would be open to the 
necessary assistance from Members and development partners, to accelerate Timor -Leste's 
accession  to the WTO . 
 
12. As we further contemplate and better understand what is required of us to become a full WTO 
Member, we appreciate what a cumbersome, long and engaging process we are embarking on. We 
know it is not going to be easy, nor popular or straightforward, b ut we know that it is the way to go 
for our country.  
 
13. Although Members are already aware, Mr. Chairman, please allow me to proudly report that 
Timor -Leste has already made a number of steps since we expressed our commitment towards our 
membership in the WTO. These include:  
 
• Successfully submitted our Memorandum of Foreign Trade Regime (MFTR), which was 
circulated to Members in June 2017;  
• Completed and submitted Replies to Members' questions, with prior endorsement of our 
Council of Ministers, opening t he way for the today's historical meeting;  
• Completed the Checklist on the Implementation and Administration of the Customs 
Valuation Agreement;  
• The Legislation Action Plan (LAP) was also developed and submitted to the Working Party 
in May 2020, together w ith the Q&R document. In this effort, Timor -Leste also completed 
several translations of the legislations.  We will keep the Working Party updated regarding 
our latest development s in the state of play of Timor -Leste's Legislative Action Plan.  
   
14. It is our success in delivering the above -mentioned steps on time that made it possible for us 
to have this historic, first and very important Working Party meeting.  
 
15. To end this note, as Mr. Chairman has stated in his opening statement, on behalf of my 
delegation, I kindly ask for the Working Party's understanding to accept my absence in this historical 
meeting due to a parliamentary hearing on the State Budget, which is taking place in parallel with 
this meeting. With that note, I would therefore like to delegate my competency as the Chief 
Negotiator to my colleague, H.E. Vice Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Domingos Lopes 
Antunes, to lead Timor -Leste's delegati on during my absence.  
 
16. Mr. Chairman, on this note, allow me to thank everyone involved in delivering the above 
milestone. This is indeed a historic moment for Timor -Leste! Please accept our highest appreciation 
and consideration for your warm welcome as well as for the encouragements and support we have JOB/ACC/TLS/2  
 
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  received from Members, the Deputy Director General and the Accession Division of the WTO 
Secretariat.  
 
17. Mr. Chairman, with your continued support and the unshaken determination of m y 
Government, I am confident that we will follow through the accession Roadmap already developed 
with the WTO Secretariat as planned and ensure that we meet the ambitious, but achievable target 
to become a WTO Member by the end of next year.  
 
 
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