WT/MIN(2 2)/ST/84 
12 June 2022 
(22-4521) Page: 1/3 
Ministerial Conference  
Twelfth Session  
Geneva, 12-15 June  2022  Original:  French  
 
  
STATEMENT BY H.E. MR  AHMED ALI BAZI  
MINISTER OF THE ECONOMY, INDUSTRY, INVESTMENT,  
RESPONSIBLE FOR ECONOMIC INTEGRATION  
COMOROS  
(Speaking as an Observer ) 
The Union of the Comoros is pleased to participate in the Twelfth Ministerial Conference of the World 
Trade Organization  (WTO)  at its headquarters in Geneva.  
The delegation of the Comoros commends the Swiss Confederation, the WTO and Kazakhstan for 
the successful joint organization of the Twelfth Ministerial Conference, and expresses its gratitude 
for the welcome and the  facilities and amenities provided . 
The Union of the Comoros, which has been an observer country since 2017, began the accession 
negotiations process in 2016, following the  appointment to the country's highest  office  of His 
Excellency President  Azali Assoumani . 
Since then, in collaboration with the relevant  Working Group, the Union of the Comoros has 
undertaken a long and difficult technical process, which has been recognized and welcomed by al l 
partners.  
Thanks to this hard work, carried out with diligence  and determination,  the process for the accession 
of the Comoros has advanced sufficiently for a formal accession of the Comoros to the WTO to be 
reasonably envisaged, ideally for 2022.  
For a country in the LDC category, this would be a remarkable technical feat that would certainly 
encourage other LDCs to overcome the challenge of accession. We note that, since 2016, when 
Afghanistan and Liberia became Members of the Organization, there have b een no new accessions.  
We would like to express our thanks to all the countries and organizations that have provided 
technical and financial assistance to help us complete the negotiations, in particular the 
WTO Secretariat, the World Bank , the International Trade Centre, and on the bilateral front, the 
Sultanate of Oman and China.  We also thank the countries that concluded bilateral negotiations , in 
particular the Sultanate of Oman, the People's Republic of China, Brazil, Japan, Canada, th e 
United  States of America and the European Union.  
We welcome the constructive spirit with which our negotiations are always carried out, and hope 
that this will also be the case at the Eighth Meeting of the Working Party scheduled for 
September  2022 which , we hope, will close the round of our negotiations.  
We thank the Chair of the Working Party, His Excellency Mr Omar Zniber, Ambassador of 
the Kingdom of Morocco to the Office of the United Nations and Other International Organizations in 
Geneva . 
His exten sive experience, personal commitment and dedication  have greatly helped us to achieve 
the excellent results that we have seen. WT/MIN(2 2)/ST/84 
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  I wish to take the opportunity of this Twelfth Ministerial Conference to reiterate the strong 
commitment of the Comoros to joining the multilateral trading system. In this spirit , His Excellency 
the President of the Union of the Comoros, Mr Azali Assoumani, has repeatedly expressed this 
willingness and commitment to the WTO Director -General . 
Our country has drafted a document entitled "Plan Comores Emergent à l'horizon 2030 " ("Emerging 
Comoros Plan 2030" ), which aims to raise the Comoros to the level of an emerging country . We 
consider that our accession to the multilateral trading system is a n essential element and lever for 
achieving this objective.  
In the Emerging Comoros Plan, trade finds its place in sustained and sustainable growth  conducive 
to generating employment and income for our population .  
The Union of the Comoros counts on the fi rm support of Member States in order to be  able to 
capitalize on  its accession.  
During a dedicated roundtable, the Union of the Comoros presented to bilateral and multilateral 
partners a post-accession technical assistance plan,  the implementation of which  is indispensable  
for meeting the requirements arising from its accession to the WTO.  
A formal document outlining the main needs identified and stated at the dedicated virtual roundtable 
will be submitted to partners.  
We are very much reliant on this technical assistance to help us overcome the challenges arising 
from our accession to the multilateral trading system, which must be beneficial to our country.  
The Union of the Comoros is among the countries that have graduated from the LDC category and, 
for two years, it has had the status of middle -income country . We call for the application of the 
relevant United Nations resolutions on "Smooth transition for countries graduating from the list of 
least developed countries".  
We share with the LDC Group the  need for  fresh support measures by the development partners  
targeted at LDCs after graduation to ensure a smooth and sustainable transition and graduation with 
momentum.  
We support the statement by the LDC Group, which invites all Members of the World Tra de 
Organization to consider extending to graduated countries the existing special and differential 
treatment measures and exemptions available to least developed countries for a period appropriate 
to the development situation of the country . 
We call for th e application of the relevant United Nations General Assembly resolutions which also 
invite LDC trading partners to establish procedures for extending or phasing out preferential market 
access, and to continue providing technical assistance to graduated countries over a certain period . 
In this regard, we consider that the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) Programme is an 
appropriate mechanism for providing targeted aid for trade, with the necessary adjustments to the 
Programme based on the eva luation of its results.  
As a beneficiary of the EIF, the Comoros recognizes the Programme's role as a catalyst and a vehicle 
for aid for trade in LDCs . The Programme has contributed significantly to the efforts made by our 
country to integrate into the mul tilateral trading system  and to build trade -related capacity with a 
view to attaining its own development goals.  
Taking into account the tangible results recorded by the EIF and beneficiary countries, we call on 
the EIF partners to continue to provide it w ith financial and technical support to pursue its activities 
beyond the current phase in order to further strengthen the institutional and production capacity of 
LDCs in their post -COVID -19 recovery plans.  
Like other countries in the world, especially deve loping countries, the Union of the Comoros has 
been doubly impacted by the COVID -19 pandemic and the economic crisis resulting from the war in 
Ukraine.  WT/MIN(2 2)/ST/84 
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  With regard to health , the recovery plan implemented by the Government has made it possible to 
limit the  impact . 
According to the data published by the Ministry of Health during the first wave of the pandemic, the 
total number of individuals infected  was 8,131, of which  7,967 recovered . To date, the country has 
recorded 160 deaths. No cases of infection  have been recorded for three months, which represents 
a fatality rate of 2%. The vaccination coverage of the population is 34.6%. 
However , macroeconomic indicators deteriorated sharply over  the period. Growth was zero in 2021, 
following a recession in 2 020 (-0.5%) against the backdrop  of the health crisis. This slump  is mainly  
due to the sharp decline in income from agricultural exports, and the fall in tourism and in the 
transfer of funds from our diaspora. An increase in the growth rate to 3.6% is expected  for 2022, 
as a result of the recovery in activity.  
The IMF estimates the growth rate at +3.6% in 2022. Yet this outlook may be undermined by the 
effects of the war in Ukraine and in particular by the hike in prices for petroleum and food products 
which ha s led to a general surge in domestic prices . 
Against this backdrop of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the country is at risk of slipping into  
a recession . 
The stimulus packages  announced  around the world need to be supported with sufficient resources, 
particularly in developing countries. As a net importer of food products for everyday consumption, 
the risk of food insecurity is a hard reality  that we have to face . We count firmly on our p artners to 
address this dramatic situation.  
Like other States, we consider that trade policy may be an answer to the crisis and economic  
recovery.  
The crisis of the multilateral trading system, combined with the twin health and economic crises  
linked to th e COVID -19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine , call for urgent and adapted measures to 
help developing countries in general, and LDCs and small island developing States in particular.  
It is with this hope that I conclude my speech and thank you for your kind  attention.  
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