WT/ACC/42  
 
12 July 2022  
(22-5332) Page: 1/15 
  Original: English  
 
2ND HIGH -LEVEL REGIONAL DIALOGUE ON WTO ACCESSIONS  
FOR THE ARAB REGION  
ADAPTIVE APPROACHES TO WTO ACCESSION AMID COVID -19 
Virtual, 7-9 February  2022 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
_______________  
 
 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/42  
 
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  1   OVERVIEW  
1. The 2nd High-Level Regional Dialogue on WTO Accessions for the Arab Region (hereinafter:  
2nd High-Level Dialogue) , organized by the WTO Secretariat collaboration with the Arab Monetary 
Fund (AMF) and Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) , took place virtually on Zoom from 7 to 
9 February  2022. The event was attended by over 80 participants from seven Ar ab acceding 
governments1 and Palestine2, including from Geneva and the capitals.  
2. Following the interest garnered by the first High -Level Dialogue on WTO Accessions for the 
Arab Region , organized in November 2020 (see WC/ACC/39), the 2nd High-Level Dialogue sought to 
maintain the engagement  and momentum in the region regarding WTO accession  by acting as a 
platform for open communication on the benefits of accession and how to address the challenges 
that come with it .  
3. To this end, s ix ses sions were organized across three days, with a thematic focus on "Adaptive 
Approaches to WTO Accession amid COVID -19". Sessions included: (1) a high -level opening , 
(2) a roundtable discussion on the challenges and opportunities generated by WTO accession, 
(3) the potential for trade in services in the region, (4) the role of the private sector in 
WTO accession, (5) trade facilitation amid and beyond COVID -19, and (6) Trade  for Peace through 
WTO accession. The  full programme can be found annexed to this document.  
4. These sessions allowed for an open and interactive dialogue across the three days that 
reflected greater enthusiasm and participation relative to the first High -Level Dialogue. The ensuing 
open discussions with participants illustrated the interest they had in WTO accession, as evidenced 
by the large number of questions after each session  and the discussions that they generated .  
2  HIGH -LEVEL OPENING SESSION: ADAPTIVE  APPROACHES TO WTO ACCESSION AMID 
COVID -19 
5. The High -Level opening session, moderated by Ms. Maika Oshikawa, Director of the Accessions 
Division of the WTO, featured a pre -recorded keynote speech by H.E Mr. Azali Assoumani, President  
of the Union of the Comoros, as well as interventions from: Dr. Ng ozi Okonjo -Iweala, 
Director -General of the WTO; H.E Dr. Abdulrahman A. Al Hamidy, Director General Chairman of the 
Board  of the  AMF; Mr. Amer Bukvic, Director -General  of Global Practice and Partnerships  at the  
IsDB; and, H.E. Mr. Saqer Abdullah A lmoqbel , Ambassado r of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the 
WTO,  and Coordinator of the Arab Group . 
6. Opening the session with  his pre -recorded statement, H.E Mr. Azali Assoumani highlighted the 
progress that had been made to date in the accession process of the Comoros  to the WTO and 
thanked all actors who played a role in it, including inter alia: WTO Members, international 
organizations, development partners, the public and private sectors as well as Comorian civil society. 
WTO accession represented a lever for the rise of the Comoros and the modernisation of its economic 
and financial administration services. He underscored the effects of the COVID -19 pandemic on world 
trade and economies everywhere , but particularly on Arab economies. The pandemic aggravated 
existi ng conflict, inequality, unemployment, and poverty in the region while straining insufficiently 
developed social safety nets. Despite this, the Comoros demonstrated resilience, with a positive 
growth rate in 2021 and a growth rate of 3.6% envisaged for 202 2. He discussed the development 
of the Emerging Comoros Plan (ECP) to diversify the Comorian economy by 2030 with a focus on 
services , particularly tourism and financial services. He commended the opportunity to discuss 
challenges and opportunities generat ed by WTO accessions with fellow Arab acceding governments, 
with discussions among countries being key in the recovery of the global economy from COVID -19. 
Finally, he called on the WTO to play an active role in facilitating the production of vaccines in 
developing countries and promote an equal distribution of vaccines by lifting export restrictions to 
achieve a transparent multilateral trading system.  
7. In her opening remarks,  WTO DG Ngozi Okonjo -Iweala recounted her experience working with 
the MENA region  during her time as Vice President of the World Bank which offered a unique insight 
on the opportunities the region had to offer despite the challenges it faced. She discussed her 
meetings with Arab acceding governments since taking office in 2021, noting their efforts in 
 
1 Algeria, Comoros, Iraq, Lebanese Republic, Libya, Sudan and the Syrian Arab Republic.  
2 Palestine has been granted an  ad hoc observer status at WTO ministerial conferences since 2005.  WT/ACC/42  
 
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  advancing or reactivating their respective accession processes. Discussions centred on difficulties in 
advancing the accession process despite facing complex issues at home, as well as the benefits of 
WTO accession and related reforms in t ransforming economies, raising living standards and 
expanding job opportunities. She recounted recent advancements  in the accessions of the Comoros, 
Sudan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Libya and explained that the increased engagement of Arab acceding 
governments sh ould be met by the WTO's joint efforts to support them. To this end, a study detailing 
the accession and post -accession experience of Arab WTO Article XII Members could serve as a guide 
for Arab acceding governments. Finally, she presented the Trade for Pe ace programme as 
particularly relevant to Arab acceding governments, given that eight out of the nine Arab states still 
outside the WTO were classified as fragile and conflict -affected situations (FCS).  The Trade for Peace 
programme brough to light how the  WTO accession process and related reforms could foster 
resilience, prosperity, peace and stability.  
8. The Comoros, one of the most advanced accessions, were determined to finalize the accession 
process in 2022 and stressed the importance of technical assist ance from partners, including 
post-accession support. After a four -year break, Sudan's accession process formally resumed. Iraq 
and Lebanon were in the process of reactivating their accession following years of stalled progress 
due to internal circumstance s, while Libya expressed renewed interest in starting the accession 
process.  DG Okonjo -Iweala reaffirmed the Secretariat's support  for these accession efforts , which 
included close coordination with global institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank or regional 
institutions such as the AMF and the IsDB.  
9. H.E Dr. Abdulrahman A. Al Hamidy  unders cored the strong partnership with the WTO and IsDB 
to assist Arab countries by accelerating their accession processes and allowing them to better 
integrate into the world economy. H.E Dr. Al Hamidy indicated that this dialogue, which now extends 
for more than three years, reflects the effective cooperation between the AM F, IsDB, and WTO with 
the aim of providing support to Arab acceding governments to overcome all the current challenges 
they face and to benefit from the gains associated with the liberalization of international trade in 
goods and services. His Excellency p ointed out to the challenges facing Arab economies due to the 
spread of the COVID -19 pandemic on economic growth and international trade. Despite the 
previously mentioned unfavourable  developments, the Arab region has recently witnessed many 
positive devel opments in terms of liberalizing and facilitating trade within the framework of the 
Greater Arab Trade Area (GAFTA), which  would be addressed in more detail during the ensuing 
sessions  and includ ed the activati on of  the agreement to liberalize trade in ser vices between 
Arab countries, the ongoing fulfilment of  the requirements to establish the Arab Customs Union, the 
development of  the legislative structure of the GAFTA  and the adoption of the transparency 
mechanism within its framework. At the conclusion of his speech, His Excellency affirmed the 
keenness of the Arab Monetary Fund to strengthen its partnerships with the IsDB, and WTO, to 
support the efforts of Arab coun tries and their aspirations to activate their international trade 
relations with all countries of the world, which enhances the endeavours  of these countries towards 
achieving inclusive and sustainable growth and achieving the SDGs goals.  
10. Mr. Amer Bukvic  detailed the destructive effects of the COVID -19 pandemic on the global 
development landscape, which exacerbated socio -economic disparities and pushed the global 
economy into recession. The 2nd High-Level Dialogue therefore came at a time when increased 
collaboration between relevant regional and international organizations was necessary. He explained 
the collaboration between the IsDB and AMF to assist Arab governments in joining the WTO, which 
came under the form of technical support, training, and worksho ps to build human and institutional 
capacity. Furthermore, given that over half of the 36 countries classified as FCS were IsDB member 
countries, he highlighted the importance of the Trade for Peace programme and the use of trade as 
a vehicle for peace and  stability. He discussed various IsDB programmes that supported Arab 
acceding governments, which included inter alia  the Technical Assistance Programme for Regional 
and Global Integration in Trade , a programme aimed at facilitating accession to the WTO, en hancing 
the awareness of IsDB member countries on WTO Agreements and providing a forum to exchange 
views on the multilateral trading system. Finally, he highlighted the IsDB's commitment to work with 
all partners in providing the necessary support to Arab acceding governments.  
11. H.E. Mr. Saqer Abdullah Almoqbel , speaking in his capacity as coordinator of the Arab Group 
at the WTO, commended President Assoumani's  video message as a clear indication of the strong 
political will of the Comoros to finalize the accession process. The COVID -19 pandemic and its 
long-lasting, cross -cutting impacts  confirmed more than ever the need for WTO membership as a 
way for Arab acc eding governments to strengthen their economies and contribute to global supply WT/ACC/42  
 
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  chains. He explained that the most important challenge faced by Arab acceding governments was 
the need for domestic reform to harmonize internal laws with WTO conventions paire d with a need 
for technical assistance and capacity building (TA/CB). Providing training and the financial support 
it required would go a long way in accelerating the accession processes of Arab governments. Finally, 
he stressed the importance of accelerat ing the pace of Arab accessions and granting Arab least 
developed countries (LDCs) preferential treatment to give them an opportunity to reform their 
legislation to be able to advance their economies and open up to the world.  
3  SESSION 1:  CHIEF NEGOTIATOR'S ROUNDTABLE – ACCESSION CHALLENGES AND 
OPPORTUNITIES IN THE ARAB REGION  
12. With the aim of gaining a better understanding of the challenges specific to each accession, 
as well as the country -specific benefits of WTO accession, a Chief  Negot iator's Roundtable  session 
was organized , moderated  by Ambassador Xiangchen Zhang, Deputy Director -General of the WTO . 
Representatives at different levels from acceding governments were invited to openly discuss 
political, economic and financial challenges  faced by their countries that presented a roadblock to 
WTO accession , as well as the ways in which acceding to the WTO would help their respective 
countries. A representative from Jordan was invited to discuss the government's experience during 
the access ion process and share best practices and retrospective advice with the acceding 
governments.  
13. Before the roundtable discussion, a presentation on the state of play in Arab accessions was 
given by Ms. Mena Hassan, Legal and Economic Affairs Officer of the WTO Accessions Division.  
Accounting for more than one -third of acceding governments , eight of the 23 ongoing accessions 
were in the Arab region, of which t hree were LDCs3 and seven were classified as FCS4. The average 
length of ongoing Arab accessions wa s 18 years and 10 months, 9 months longer than the average 
length of the 23 ongoing accessions. Regarding the stage of the accession process, no accession 
documentation had been submitted by Libya and the Syrian Arab Republic. Iraq and Somalia had 
submitte d their MFTR. Algeria, Comoros and the Lebanese Republic were at the draft stage of the 
Working Party Report. Regarding bilateral negotiations, Algeria, Comoros, the Lebanese Republic 
and Sudan were in the revised Goods  and Services Offer stage. Regarding accession status, the 
Comoros were a strategic focus given their progress in the accession process, the strong political 
will behind accession , and their upcoming WP meeting, scheduled for May 2022 . Sudan  had made  
ongoing efforts to move the accession proc ess forward since the 5th WP Meeting in July 2021 . Iraq 
and the Lebanese Republic were in the process of reactivating their accession process after their last 
WP meeting, which took place in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Somalia was in the process of 
activa ting its accession process, with its first WP meeting tentatively scheduled for 2022. Algeria, 
Libya and the Syrian Arab Republic were classified as inactive accessions.  
14. The Chief Negotiator's Roundtable started with an intervention from H.E Ambassador 
Mzé Abdou Mohamed C hanfiou, Chief Negotiator for the WTO Accession of the Comoros, in which he 
detailed challenges caused by the COVID -19 pandemic. These included, inter alia: containing the 
pandemic and ensuring optimal vaccine coverage, controlling  inflatio n for general commodities, and 
reviving the economy.  Supply shortages paired with price hikes for essential goods have pushed the 
government to take exceptional measures to support the economy. He reaffirmed the determination 
of the Comoros to finalize the  accession process in 2022 and recounted progress made in bilateral 
negotiations with Members. WTO accession would act as a lever to help Comoros attain its 2030 
goals set by the ECP, as well as modernise its financial and administrative management system by 
adopting internationally recognized best practices. In closing, he called on all partners to assist in 
the Comorian economic recovery plan and the post -accession technical assistance plan that had 
been presented during a January 2022 R oundtable.  
15. Mr. Adel Al -Masoodi, Director General , Economic Relations Department , Ministry of Trade of 
Iraq, detailed the challenges faced by Iraq in general, which have slowed the accession process over 
the years. The wars against ISIS in particular had ba dly affected the implementation of economic  
reforms as well as the timing of the implementation and submission of accession documents. Despite 
this, reforms were passed to align Iraq's legislation with international standard and updates to 
accession docume ntation such as the Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime (MFTR) and the 
Legislative Action Plan (LAP) were carried out. He explained that Iraq would benefit from 
 
3 Como ros, Somalia, and Sudan.  
4 Comoros, Le banese Republic, Libya, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic.  WT/ACC/42  
 
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  WTO accession thanks to the potential of its economy and its important strategic position in  the 
region. Finally, he hoped for more cooperation between the international organizations and the 
Iraqi Government to overcome the challenges it faces to accede to the WTO.  
16. Mr. Dawoud Daraldik, Ministry of National Economy , Palestine explained the effort s put forth 
by the government to accede to the WTO, which included inter alia : establishing a WTO information 
centre  in cooperation with the Secretariat and UNCTAD as a contact point for all issues related to 
accession, organizing transparency and oversigh t committees, building institutional and human 
capacity, and ongoing legislative reforms to be in line with the multilateral trade system. 
The objection of Palestine's application for WTO Membership presented a roadblock in their 
accession, on top  of the a dministrative costs of capacity building and the impacts of the COVID -19 
Pandemic. Palestine viewed WTO accession as an important contributor to the economic 
development and necessary legislative and institutional reform of Palestine.  
17. H.E. Mr. Zaher Al -Qatarneh, Secretary General, Ministry of Investment, The Hashemite 
Kingdom of Jordan , recounted his experiences from Jordan's accession to the WTO to share the 
challenges they faced, best practices to overcome them and the benefits of WTO Membership. 
He warne d against delaying the negotiation process due to high cost s in the form of Members 
changing their policies or their requests , as well as the loss of institutional memory and relations 
with negotiators that since retired ; the pace of the accession process was key. To this end, a national 
committee for accession was created to ensure internal coordination. Developing good relations with 
WTO Members and fostering support for the accession went a long way in facilitating neg otiations 
and accelerating the process. He explained that there would always be challenges with regards to 
TA/CB, which made the assistance of international organizations such as the WTO, AMF, and IsDB 
crucial. Market liberalization presented some costs to  the economy, which were however outweighed 
by the benefits of accession to the WTO. These included, inter alia: access to global markets, a fair 
opportunity to discuss and deal with trading partners, access to a platform where your voice can be 
heard, and  the facilitation of legislative and institutional reforms to be in line with the multilateral 
trading system.  
18. H.E. Mr. Amin SALAM, Chief Negotiator for the WTO Accession  of the Leban ese Republic, 
started his intervention by expressing his enthusiasm follo wing negotiations in the Lebanese 
parliament to finalize a Competition Law that had been pending for 11 years. The Lebanese Republic 
had long been an advocate of a liberal and market -oriented econom y and believed in the 
transformative  power of enhanced eco nomic integration with the global economy. To this end, the 
accession process of the Lebanese Republic had reached an advanced status at the 7th WP meeting. 
Since then, however, the Lebanese Republic faced additional, unexpected challenges that slowed 
progress in the accession process: the COVID -19 Pandemic and the explosion of the Beirut port. 
Their repercussions on the Lebanese economy were severe, with multidimensional poverty in 
Lebanon almost doubling from 42% to 82% and inflation exceeding 140%. This,  paired with a lack 
of awareness on the benefits of joining the WTO , led to a lack of progress on the accession front. 
However, he explained that the Lebanese Republic remained convinced that WTO accession was an 
enabler of the reforms necessary for the Le banese economy to prosper. For this purpose, operational 
steps were put in place to revive the process at all levels while putting forth strong political will to 
advance it.  
19. Ms. Fatima Ibrahim, A cting Secretary General of the General Secretariat for WTO Af fairs of 
Sudan, affirmed Sudan's strong commitment and political will to continue work in the accession 
process. This political will had faltered in the past 20 years due to internal conflict that fragilized 
Sudan's economy and slowed efforts to join the W TO. Since then, an unstable economy and a lack 
of legislative reforms paired with a need for TA/CB have made the accession process very difficult. 
Sudan was seeking assistance in bringing the private sector into the process to convince them of 
the benefits  of compatibility with WTO requirements. She discussed the Trade for Peace programme 
and asked for greater emphasis on the Arab region and more work to be done in the regard.  
20. Mr. Luai Turjiman, Minister Plenipotentiary, Deputy Permanent Representative, Pe rmanent 
Mission of the State of Libya to the UNOG, stressed the importance of WTO accession for the 
development and stability of Libya . Libya's strategic geographical location between Africa and Europe 
and 1770km coastline would allow it to contribute to t he development of the multilateral trading 
system. Institutional reforms would assist in combating corruption. Trade for Peace also represented 
a way to achieve stability and create jobs in Libya. However, he expressed dissatisfaction with the 
way the acce ssion process had been handled, with accession procedures having come to a complete WT/ACC/42  
 
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  standstill after Libya's second application for accession in 2004. Similarly, in 2020, Libya had been 
in contact with some international organizations to prepare the Memora ndum on the Foreign Trade 
Regime (MFTR ) but had not heard back regarding any support for the preparation of the document. 
He therefore called for the creation of a small committee or taskforce, chaired by the Accessions 
Division  to support countries in accession and push the process forward. The taskforce could 
diagnose the reasons for the delay in the accession process of some countries and provide support 
through the dissemination of information and the preparation of studies o n WTO accession. 
This would go a long way in advancing the accession process of some countries and clear the dust 
that had been accumulating in their accession dossiers.  
21. Mr. Louai Soukar, Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade, Syrian Arab Republic, spoke o n the 
progress that had been made in the accession process prior to 2010, with a number of visits to 
Geneva and the organization of TA and workshops by the WTO and the Syrian Arab Republic. 
However, due to the war since 2011, the file had been frozen. He i nquired on the  possibility of 
preferential treatment in the face of the unilateral economic sanctions imposed on the Syrian Arab 
Republic should  it reactivate its accession process. Additionally, he asked if the economic  context 
following the war would be taken into consideration, given this very specific context and the priorities 
of the rebuilding effort. DDG Zhang stressed the limited functions of the WTO Secretariat, which is 
why working with other international organizations to deal with these issues w as key.  
22. In the Q&A at the end of the session, DDG Zhang addressed questions to each speaker 
regarding their specific accession process :  
(a) To Mr. Al -Qatarneh, he asked how Jordan  maintain ed internal support from politicians 
and b usinesspeople during the mara thon process of accession negotiations. 
Mr. Al-Qatarneh explained the importance of maintaining open discussions with the 
private sector throughout the negotiation process, as they would be the ones affected 
by the reforms and new legislation; WTO accessio n was not a process for the 
government, but rather a process for the entire country. Regarding what he would have 
done differently in retrospect, he replied that timing was of the essence. Given the 
continually increasing number  of commitments expected fro m acceding governments, 
he would have focused on applying and acceding to the WTO sooner.  
(b) To Mr. Daraldik, he inquired on the TA needs of Palestine. Mr. Daraldik explained that 
Palestine needed assistance with accession documentation, the development of t he 
Palestinian WTO information centre  and the updating of legislation .  
23. Following a question from the participants  regarding Sudan's TA needs, Ms. Ibrahim explained 
that institutional knowledge had been lost due to customs authorities retiring. Customs aut horities 
therefore needed to be trained regarding WTO Agreements and the preparation and negotiation  of 
the Goods offer and the Customs Valuation Action Plan , among other documentation . Ministry of 
Finance and Ministry of Justice officials needed to be trained to follow WTO commitments and ensure 
the necessary reforms to align domestic legislation with WTO rules.  
4  SESSION 2: TRADE IN SERVICES: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES TODAY  
24. Does the  services sector hold any promise for the economic development of Arab countries? 
This session stimulated an interesting discussion in that regard. Moderated by Dr  Maha Gabbani, 
legal adviser of the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the ses sion highlighted the 
contribution of this sector to Arab economies and challenges requiring attention  and ways of 
addressing them. For an enhanced contribution of the sector, international services agreements are 
crucial. The session further highlighted fe atures of the Arab regional services agreement, synergies 
and complementarities with the GATS, offering a call for Arab countries to accede to these 
agreements. The Panellist comprised experts from the WTO, AMF, and the IsDB.  
25. Mr Hamid Mamdouh, Senior Couns el, King & Spalding LLP and former Director of Trade in 
Services and Investment Division at the WTO, presented the importance of the GATS in liberalising 
trade in services for the Arab Region. He highlighted the importance of the services sector in the 
global economy, indicating, among other things, its significant proportion to GDP (dependent on the 
level of economic advancement) and the role in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). Overall, 
the sector determines the competitiveness of an economy: th e more robust the services sector, the WT/ACC/42  
 
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  more competitive an economy. The GATS, he mentioned, offers an avenue for boosting services 
trade in the Arab region. Having  recounted the GATS' benefits given the positive link between 
services liberalisation and eco nomic development, he emphasised that given the complexities of 
e-commerce, cooperation among countries is crucial for services trade. He mentioned that the GATS 
addresses the challenges. WTO membership is thus essential for Arab countries to advance the 
sector for economic transformation.  
26. To further reinforce the crucial role of the services sector, Dr Heba Abdel Monem, the chief of 
the Studies and Statistics Division at the AMF, presented the general outlook of the sector in the 
region. The service sector 's contribution to the GDP of Arab countries as a group was estimated to 
be 37 percent on average during the period (2016 -2020), while providing around 64 percent of 
employment within the region.  She also highlighted that tourism and transportation contrib ute more 
to the sector. She mentioned, however, that the COVID -19 pandemic has impacted the sector 
extensively, driven by prudential measures by governments. The  said impact differs from country 
to country: those with tourism and travel are most affected. She indicated that the effect would 
remain for a long time – travel and tourism, for instance, will be low – and full recovery is not 
expected in the next four (4) years. She underscored that liberalising the sector will help to 
contribute to a resilient r ecovery.  
27. Dr Mohamed Ismail, an AMF Economist, further explained the approaches to supplying 
services trade, the strategic importance of liberalising services trade in the region – among other 
things, the similarity in culture, the region's tourism opportun ities and in telecommunication and 
engineering, and its strategic location for aviation and maritime travel – and the relevance of 
international services agreement for advancing the sector in the region. He indicated that tourism 
and transport are consider ed the most important traded services as they account for 65.3 
and 52.3 per cent of the total trade receipts and payments, respectively. He addressed the 
Arab Agreement for the Liberalization of Trade in Services in the Arab services agreement and 
further demystified services enhancing provisions in the GATS,  and further demystified services 
enhancing provisions in the GATS, commitments of governments to which will significantly lead to 
more competitiveness, reducing services cost and improving welf are. 
28. The session drew numerous comments and questions from participants, requiring clarifications 
on some issues presented and the future of the region's services sector. Lebanon asked whether 
Article  V of GATS aligns with the Arab services agreement? Dr Hamid explains the compatibility of 
the two agreements, touching on the sectoral coverage, the non -discriminatory measures, 
preferential treatments, and the mode of services supply as contained in the G ATS. Lebanon  further 
asked about the indicators or formula for assessing the comparative advantages of the services 
sector in the Arab region as presented. Dr Heba first shed light on the formula. Dr Ismail emphasised 
the role of logistical services to enh ance the region's competitive edge. Dr Heba acknowledged this 
role and sensitised Arab governments to shift focus from travel and tourism services to other services 
such as finance and logistics. For logistical services, Dr Imed Drine from IsDB saw the nee d for 
creating a database in the region to track such services. Dr Heba called for an overall assessment 
of the region's services sector to enable Arab countries to know how best to integrate to reap the 
sector's benefits.  
29. Libya enquired about how vital th e role of the private sector is for the services trade. Dr  Heba 
emphasised that the private sector is paramount and cannot be dispensed with. Sudan asked if the 
Arab services agreement  accords preferential treatment to LDCs. Dr Heba acknowledged that just 
as it's in the GATS, preferential treatment exists for LDCs in the GATS. An enquiry also related to 
whether the Arab region should have a database providing information on trade in services in the 
region. Mr Hamid welcomed such an initiative. Lebanon asked  about how passing new legislation will 
burden acceding governments. Mr Hamid again indicates that although such a burden is inevitable, 
acceding governments should welcome and embrace them given the post -accession benefits.  
5  SESSION 3: THE ROLE OF THE PRIV ATE SECTOR IN WTO ACCESSION OF ARAB 
COUNTRIES  
30. Just as the private sector is a pivotal contributor to economic development, its role in trade 
policy formulation and WTO accession cannot be overlooked. Moderated by Mr  Rajesh Aggarwal, 
Chief of Business and T rade Policy at the International Trade Centre, the session brought experts 
from the public and private sectors to highlight these roles and discussed ways to harness joint 
efforts towards a successful accession of Arab countries to the WTO. The panel compr ised WT/ACC/42  
 
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  Damien  Bruckard, Deputy Director of Trade and Investment at the International Chamber of 
Commerce, Mr  Rabih Sabra, Director -General of the Chamber of Commerce at Industry and 
Agriculture of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, Mr Safaa Alshumary of Iraqi Chamber  of Commerce.  
31. Mr Damien Bruckard presented how the private sector influences trade policies. He recounted 
the works of the ICC, including its support for WTO accessions. He emphasised that despite the 
benefits of WTO accession and membership – inter alia, improving an economy's business 
environment, broader market access – the private sector does not seem instrumental in the 
WTO accessions process. He underscored that economic reform with private sector involvement 
could  lead to significant economic outcome s, and such participation can speed up the accession 
process. As a way of demonstrating, he, among other things, mentioned that the private -public 
engagement that characterises the implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement is yielding 
the best out come. He implores acceding governments to engage the private sector actively.  
32. Mr Rabih  Sabra recounted the Role of the Lebanese Private Sector for WTO Accession. He told 
how the COVID -19 pandemic had impacted Lebanon's economy and the response from the Lebanon 
government and highlighted the role of the Beirut Chamber of Commerce at the Micr o and Macro 
level and how Lebanon's challenges – economic and financial crises, political instabilities, the port 
blast, and the COVID -19 – affected its accession process from the GATT era and the discontinuation 
in the Uruguay Round. The challenges notwit hstanding, he mentioned that Lebanon's public and the 
private sector are working in tandem to advance Lebanon's accession. Also, that Legislations are 
continuing to be enacted, showing the commitment of Lebanon in the Accession process. 
He concluded by men tioning that Lebanon needs support from the WTO and development partners 
to advance the process given the crises.  
33. Mr Safaa Alshumary presented on the private sector role in Iraq vis -a-vis WTO Accession. 
He mentioned that the private sector in Iraq is very active, and it's integral in Iraq's 2030  Strategy 
and the country's economic visions. Through various proposals, the sector actively liaises with the 
Iraqi Authority in Iraq's Accession process. For consistent Iraqi laws with the WTO Agreements, he 
indicat ed that the private sector is also active in the ongoing enactments and amendment of statutes 
– given Iraq's transition from a socialist economy to a liberal one – crucial for facilitating the 
accession process. He calls for international support from deve lopment partners and Article  XII Arab 
countries to expedite the accession.  
34. Mr Rajesh Aggarwal, the moderator, asked Mr Rabih Sabra what factors led the Lebanese 
government to adopt the liberal and active engagement of the private sector. He responded that 
such attitude has been inherent in the Lebanese culture and governance spirit since 1920: a 
laissez -faire system that gives due attention to the views and engagement of the private sector with 
minimal government intervention. The moderator also asked Mr Al shumary what challenges  Iraq 
faces – from a socialist to a liberal economy – make integration into the global economy difficult. He 
responded that the key challenges are the difficulties in enacting and amending laws consistent with 
the WTO  Agreement and t he lack of political stability that affects the attractiveness of the business 
environment. He mentioned that public sector colleagues are still inclined with laws from the socialist 
era. Given the challenges, technical support and experience -sharing, he s tressed, is needed from 
the WTO and other Arab countries to facilitate the accession process.  
35. An attendee (Mohanad Hameed – Iraq) enquired whether having a unified stand or alliance 
on WTO accession that harmonise the private sector stakeholders with one v oice is possible? 
Mr Alshumary responded that a similar move in Iraq comprises stakeholders from all private sector 
spheres. Mr Rabin Sabra also indicated that such a move is in Lebanon. The said Lebanese group 
meets regularly, and no policy can be formula ted without first consulting  it. Sudan asked about the 
possibility of constituting a programme in the WTO that builds the capacity of the private sector 
towards liberalising specific sectors of Sudan and other Arab countries. The moderator indicated 
collea gues in the WTO and the ITC would explore this further.  
6  SESSION 4: TRADE FACILITATION AMID AND BEYONG COVID -19 
36. The COVID -19 pandemic has affected the economic and institutional bases of the world's 
economies, slowing the cross -border movement of goods, red ucing export and increasing trade 
costs. The impact on FCAs and LDCs, including those in the Arab region, is more significant. The role 
of trade facilitation - removal of trade impediments - is thus crucial in this period and going forward. WT/ACC/42  
 
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  Dr Jaleleddine Ben Re geb, Director of the Economics Department of the AMF, moderated this high -
level session to examine and discuss utilising trade facilitation for resilient post -covid economic 
recovery in the Arab region. The focus was on regional trade facilitation in itiatives, taking, for 
instance, the Greater Arab Free Trade Agreement (GAFTA) and the WTO Trade Facilitation 
Agreement (TFA).  
37. Ms. Dolores Hallor an, Economic Affairs Officer at the WTO, presented the foundations of the 
TFA and its relevance in the post -covid era and in reducing trade costs. She explained that the 
Agreement  sets out multilateral rules to simplify, modernise, and harmonise export and i mport 
processes. She also highlighted the TFA's two primary goals: Improving the movement, release, and 
clearance of goods; and enhancing custom cooperation. She demystified vital provisions in the TFA, 
reinforcing the goals and relevance: provisions on tr ansparency, governance, modernised border 
procedures, trade in transit, custom coordination. For post -covid resilient recovery, the benefits of 
the TFA, she emphasised, include, among other things, sustaining value chains, facilitating access 
to essential goods, and supporting building back better.  
38. Dr Heba Abdel, Chief of the Studies and Statistics Division of the AMF, and Dr Mohamed Ismail, 
Economist at the AMF, presented Arab Countries and Trade Facilitation. They highlighted the 
pre-covid statistics of i ntra- and extr a-Arab trade and how the pandemic has impacted it, indicating 
a reduction thereof and on the region's competitiveness. They underscored that trade  facilitation 
toward post -covid economic recovery remains the prudent approach. They recounted t rade 
facilitation initiatives already implemented (e.g., annexed agreement to GAFTA and an agreement 
on custom entities) and those in -progress and their similarities with the TFA. Given the region's 
international trade challenges, among other things, regul atory barriers, the TFA, they stressed, will 
further boost intra and ext ra-Arab trade significantly. They highlighted that for post -covid recovery, 
studies have shown that the TFA increases exports, enhancing the growth of the global economy 
and benefittin g FCAs and LDCs, including those from the Arab region. They implored Arab 
governments to join the region's trade facilitation initiative and the TFA for an enhanced outcome.  
39. Dr Imed Drine, a Lead Economist at the IsDB's Regional Cooperation and Integration  
Department, further  explored the TFA and post -covid recovery. He mentioned how the free 
movement of goods had been affected by the unorganised and non -coordinated nature of border 
restrictions and other measures amid the pandemic. The TFA, he indicated, i s key to surmounting 
all the challenges. He recounted the rationale for ratifying the TFA, especially to developing countries 
and LDCs' post -covid recovery. He reiterated some of the TFA's provisions reinforcing the relevance: 
among other things, those reg arding digital services, simplified documentation, transparency, 
coordination, reduction of administrative cost, and timesaving. He emphasised that facilitating trade 
through digitisation, as is gaining ground in some countries, is a commendable initiative  and remains 
the way forward. The question remains whether governments have the same capability to this end 
and in implementing the TFA generally. The answer, he indicated, remains to be assessed . 
40. Lebanon asked if it's beneficial to have a digital platform  to follow up on TFA. Ms Halloran  
responded that the WTO already has a TFA database, although no follow -up platform exists. Lebanon 
further asked whether blockchain, climate change, and gender vis -à-vis trade facilitation have been 
explored within the WTO.  Ms Dol ores again indicated that gender and climate change are already in 
the WTO discourses. For blockchain, she undertook to enquire and get back later. Sudan  enquired 
about how Arab trade facilitation agreements are to be implemented and if they differ from the 
WTO's Agreement. Dr Heba responded that the agreements are consistent. Comoros asked about 
how it can implement the GAFTA and if it can benefit from the capacity building. Dr Heba again 
responded that the GAFTA and its trade facilitation annexe, a s previously mentioned, also contains 
preferential provisions for LDCs and developing countries, including Comoros. As regards the mode 
of implementation, digitisation and robust legal and regulatory frameworks remain essential, he 
stressed. On bridging th e North -South digital gap vis -à-vis trade facilitation as prompted by Sudan, 
Ms Dol ores indicated that the TFA acknowledges this gap and recognises the need for technical 
assistance and capacity building for Members in such conditions.  
7  SESSION 5: TRADE FOR PEACE THROUGH WTO ACCESSION   
41. Given the preponderance of FCAs from the Arab region, it was imperative to discuss the 
trade  and WTO accession as instruments for peace in the Arab Region. The session presented 
the WTO Trade  for Peace programme, with  discussions reinforcing the trade -peace nexus. 
Mr Nagib Hamim, Counsellor of WTO Affairs at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Yemen to WT/ACC/42  
 
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  the WTO, moderated the session. Ms Maika Oshikawa, Director of the WTO Accessions Division, 
presented the Trade f or Peace programme. Ambassador Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of 
Morocco to the United  Nations in New York and Chairman of the Working Party of Iraq, remarked 
the relevance and the intertwined link between the programme and the United Nations Charte r and 
programmes, advancing six (6) strategic directions for Arab accessions and the Trade for Peace 
programme. Dr  Linda Kassem, the National Coordinator of Lebanon's Accession to the WTO, recalled 
the trade -peace nexus and the programme's relevance to Leb anon's accession. Mr  Serge Stroobants, 
Director  for the Europe and Mena Region at the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), explored 
the contribution of positive peace to speedy WTO accession.  
42. Ms Maika Oshikawa gave the general overview of the Trade fo r Peace Programme – an 
initiative geared towards better understanding the trade -peace nexus and bringing together trade, 
peace/humanitarian, and development communities. She mentioned that the programme was 
initiated by the G7+WTO Accession Group and launc hed at the Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference 
in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  The goal was to use WTO accession and membership to counter fragility 
and harness sustainable peace and security. She explained past and ongoing activities under each 
of the four pi llars of the programme: political engagement and partnership, public dialogue and 
outreach, research, training and capacity building. As regards the programme's outlook for 2022, 
she, among other things, mentioned some upcoming activities: the World Bank F ragility Forum, the 
2nd Trade for Peace Research and Knowledge Hub meeting, 2nd Trade for Peace Network Meeting, 
Publication of the first Trade for Peace book, the first Trade for Peace Conference, and the first 
Executive Education Programme on Trade for P eace.  
43. Ambassador Omar Hilale's remark essentially explored the role of the United  Nations in 
promoting peace and the relevance of the Trade for Peace programme in the Arab region. 
He explained the interrelationship of the pillars of the UN Charter, including that on Peace and 
Security with the WTO and the Trade for Peace Programme, affirming that the Trade for Peace 
programme is in the right trajectory and welcomes it. He indicated tha t the threats of climate  change 
and the COVID -19 pandemic make critical the active engagement of Arab countries in the 
multilateral trading system, admonishing that the pandemic should not distort accession but rather 
induce it. He reaffirmed his commitmen t to steering Iraq's accession process and, thanking the ITC 
and other partners, called for more capacity building and technical support. He appealed for a more 
strengthened partnership between the WTO and the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission – an 
effort he's personally committed – towards an enhanced benefit for FCAs, including those in the 
Arab Region. He concluded by recommending the following:  
(a) The need for fostering the trade -peace nexus at the national levels when countries are 
acceding to the WTO 
(b) Strengthening the evidence of the trade -peace nexus through actions and initiatives 
that help FCAs put trade at the forefront of their priorities  
(c) Integrating climate change -related security risks in future trade -nexus discussion and 
target solutions.  
(d) Arab acceding governments must prioritise benefiting from capacity building and 
technical support  
(e) An urgent need to convene an in -person meeting for the Working Party chairpersons of 
Arab acceding economies, offering a peer -learning platform and experience  sharing to 
advance Arab Accessions  
(f) An urgent joint meeting among the WTO Secretariate, Arab acceding governments, and 
heads of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank to have frank 
exchanges on enhancing national policies and, in terms of  assistance provided, on what 
is and what is not working.  
44. Dr Linda Kassem recounted the role of trade for peace and prosperity. She presented Lebanon 
being an FCA - the covid -19 pandemic worsening the phenomenon - underscoring that peace  remains 
essential for Lebanon's economic transformation. Lebanon's WTO accession and membership will 
induce peace, creating the right environment for trade and foreign direct investment. She further WT/ACC/42  
 
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  emphasised the relevance of peace for Lebanon, mentioning that Lebanon can become a developed 
country if Lebanon can have peace for ten years.  
45. Mr Serge Stroobants talked about the Peace and the Arab region. He outlined the two main 
elements of peace: negative peace (the absence of violence or fear of violence) and positive peace  
(the attitudes, institutions and structures that create and sustain peaceful societies). He highlighted 
Arab countries' performances in the IEPs Positive Peace Index. He explained  the indicators of positive 
peace: low levels of corruption, sound business environment, well -functioning government, 
equitable distribution of resources, good relations with neighbours, among other things. 
He emphasised that positive peace creates the optimum environment for human potential to flourish 
and result in higher per ca pita income, economic resilience, better environmental outcome, higher 
measures of wellbeing, and better performance on SDGs. And as such, countries that improve 
positive peace stand to have the proper infrastructure for expedited WTO accession. Given the 
worsening positions of Arab countries in the ranking, he called for improvement in positive peace.  
46. Sudan called for the need for assessing the role of trade in conflict. Ms Maika responded that 
such investigation is part of the research pillar and the book  project to be published later in 2022. 
Libya  underscored the relevance of the Trade for Peace programme for the proper functioning of the 
multilateral trading system and looked forward to how best the programme could help revive Libya's 
accession. Another  question further enquired how FCAs can benefit from the Trade for Peace pillars. 
Ambassador Omar emphasised that given the unique needs of FCAs, some level of flexibility is 
needed for their accession and called on the WTO to work on this flexible arrange ment. Dr Linda 
Kassem also agreed, given Lebanon's situation. Ms Maika responded that the Arab region must put 
a special request before the WTO. She pinpointed that Kazakhstan is also leading a similar accession 
reform proposal incorporating the needs of L DCs and FCAs also that the g7+ WTO accession group 
is spearheading a work programme on WTO accession.   
8  CLOSING SESSION  
47. A closing session marked the end of the three -day dialogue. Ms Mena Hassan, Economic Affairs 
Officer at the WTO, moderated this session, with remarks from representatives of the AMF, the IsDB 
and the WTO expressing appreciation for the success of the events and optimism for future 
collaborations.  
48. Dr Jaleleddine Ben Regeb, Director of the Economics Department of the Arab Monetary Fund, 
thank ed the participants and organisers of the dialogues and expressed happiness for its success. 
He emphasised the continued support of the AMF and the IsDB in providing technical assistance  and 
capacity building, and consultations for acceding countries. He m entioned that the two institutions 
(AMF and IsDB) are working to renew the work programme for 2022 -2023 to help identify the needs 
of Arab acceding countries for an expedited accession and fruitful integration into the multilateral 
trading system.  
49. Dr Imed  Drine, a Lead Economist at the IsDB's Regional Cooperation and Integration 
Department, remarked on behalf of the IsDB. The bank expressed appreciation for the event's 
success and indicated that the support and cooperation would continue. He mentioned that  the bank 
had taken notice of the concerns of Arab acceding countries for help during the dialogues: Iraq 
(technical assistance), Sudan (technical assistance and infrastructure), Libya (regarding 
digitisation), and others. Also, the bank has duly noticed t he recommendations of Amb . Omar 
regarding, among other things, convening meetings of Working Party chairpersons of acceding 
governments and among the AMF, the IsDB and the WTO Secretariate. He indicated that the bank 
would revamp such arrangements as it us ed to organise similar in -person meetings for acceding 
governments pre -pandemic and other technical assistance and capacity building, regarding, 
inter alia, the Aid for Trade initiative and other collaborations with the ITC, UNDP, and ITTC. He 
expressed support for the Trade for Peace Programme.   
50. Ms Maika Oshikawa, Director of the Accession Division of the WTO, expressed gratitude to the 
speakers, moderators , and participants for the active engagements throughout the sessions. 
She assured that the Division is ever ready to support Arab accessions and implored Arab acceding  
governments to communicate a specific concern to enable priority in attending to their needs. 
She appealed to the participants to comment on the event's outcome report, which the secretariat WT/ACC/42  
 
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  will issue. She highlighted the action plans the WTO considers pursuing as a follow -up to the 
dialogues:  
1. An accession impact study on Arab Article XII m embers as advanced by 
WTO Director -General in her opening remark. The study – collaborating with the 
AMF and the IsDB – will form the basis for the next in -person dialogue.  
2. A 'diagnostic' assessment of each Arab accession process to identify challenges and  
ways to address them.  
3. A 'regional TA plan for Arab accessions' (partnering with AMF and IsDB), exploring 
the 'impact study', the 'diagnostics', other accession -specific topics and others 
plurilateral discussions on, inter alia, e -commerce, MSMEs, investme nt facilitation, 
and gender.  
4. A Trade for the Peace programme for the Arab region if there is interest.  
5. Further exploring Amb . Omar's six (6) recommendations as previously stated.  
51. Dr Mohamed Adawi  remarked last. He thanked the WTO, AMF, and the IsDB for the successful 
collaboration and expressed support for the continued cooperation. He reiterated the AMF's support  
for Arab accessions and looks forward to next year's event.  
 
_______________  
  WT/ACC/42  
 
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  ANNEX  
PROGRAMME OF THE 2ND HIGH -LEVEL REGIONAL DIALOGUE  
MONDAY, 7 FEBRUARY 2022  
 
SESSION 1 - HIGH -LEVEL SESSION AND ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION  
11:00 - 13:30 CET / 14:00 -16:30 (GST)  
 
The high -level opening session will address "Adaptive Approaches to WTO Accession am id COVID -19 
for the Arab Region" to keep the momentum going among Arab acceding governments and help them 
advance closer to WTO Membership. This will be followed by a roundtable discussion among Chief 
Negotiators from Arab Acceding Governments focusing on the biggest challenges but also opportunities 
for WTO accession.  
 
High -Level Opening Session  
 
11:00 -11:45 
(CET)  
 
14:00 -14:45 
(GST)  Moderator : Ms. Maika Oshikawa, Director, Accessions Division, WTO  
Keynote Speech:  
• H.E. Mr. Azali Assoumani, President, The Union of the Comoros (Video recording)  
Welcome remarks : 
• Dr. Ngozi Okonjo -Iweala, Director -General, WTO  
• H.E. Dr Abdulrahman A. Al Hamidy, Director General Chairman of the Board, Arab 
Monetary Fund (AMF)  
• Mr. Amer Bukvic, Director -General, Glo bal Practice and Partnerships, Islamic 
Development Bank  
• H.E. Mr. Saqer Abdullah ALMOQBEL , Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the Kingdom 
of Saudi Arabia to the WTO, Coordinator of Arab Group  
Chief Negotiators' Roundtable: Accession Challenges and Opportunities in the Arab Region  
 
11:45 -13:30 
(CET)  
 
 
14:45 -16:30 
(GST)  Moderator:  Ambassador Zhang Xiangchen, Deputy Director -General, WTO  
Speakers:   
 
State of Play of Accessions in the Arab Region  
 
• Ms. Mena Hassan, Economic Affairs Officer, Accessions Division, WTO  
Roundtable Discussion: "What are the specific challenges and opportunities in 
accession?"  
 
• Comoros (Union of) - H.E. Mr. Mzé Abdou Mohamed CHANFIOU, Chief Negotiator for 
WTO Accession  
• Lebanese Republic - H.E. Mr. Amin SALAM, Chief Negotiator for WTO Acce ssion 
• Iraq - Mr. Adel Al -Masoodi, Director General of Economics Relations Department, 
Ministry of Trade  
• Libya – Mr. Luai TURJIMAN, Counsellor, Deputy Permanent Representative  
• Palestine – Mr. Dawoud Daraldik, Ministry of National Economy  
• Sudan - Ms. Fatima Ibrahim, Acting Secretary General of the General Secretariat for 
WTO Affairs  
• Syrian Arab Republic – Mr Louai Arfan SOUKAR, Ministry of Economy and Foreign 
Trade  
Commentator : H.E. Mr. Zaher Al - Qatarneh, Secretary General, Ministry of Investment, The  
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan  
Open Discussion  
 
 WT/ACC/42  
 
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  TUESDAY, 8 FEBRUARY 2022  
 
SESSION 2 – TRADE IN SERVICES: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES TODAY  
 
11:00 -12:15 CET /14:00 -15:15 GST  
 
In this session, experts will examine the importance of trade in services for the Arab acceding 
economies. It will demonstrate how trade in services can be improved through adherence to 
WTO  Agreements and international best practices and highlight the synergies and complementarities of 
the WTO Services Agreement (GATS) and services under the GAFTA. This will be followed by an open 
discussion among participants.  
 
 
11:00 -12:15 
(CET)  
 
14:00 -15:15 
(GST)  Moderator : Dr. Maha Gabbani , Legal Advisor, Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 
to the WTO  
Speakers : 
• Mr. Hamid Mamdouh, Senior Counsel, King & Spalding LLP and Former Director of 
Trade in Services and Investment Division, WTO  
• Dr. Heba Abdel Monem, Chief, Studies & Sta tistics Division, AMF  
• Dr. Mohamed Ismail, Economist, AMF  
Open Discussion  
Short break  
12:15 -13:00 CET / 15:15 -16:00 GST  
 
SESSION 3 – THE ROLE OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN WTO ACCESSION OF ARAB COUNTRIES  
 
13:00 -14:30 CET /16:00 -17:30 GST  
 
In this session, experts will highlight the important role the private sector plays as a key stakeholder in 
trade policy formulation and WTO accession. The session will encourage dialogue between the public 
and private sectors and mobilise joint efforts to wards successful WTO accession. This will be followed 
by an open discussion among participants.  
13:00 -14:30 
(CET)  
 
16:00 -17:30 
(GST)  Moderator : Mr. Rajesh Aggarwal, Chief, Business and Trade Policy, International Trade Center, 
ITC 
Speakers : 
• Mr. Damien Bruckard, Deputy Director of ICC Trade and Investment  
• Mr. Rabih Sabra, Director -General, Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture 
of Beirut & Mount Lebanon  
• Mr. Safaa Alshumary, Iraqi Federation and Chamber of Commerce  
Open Discussion  
 
  WT/ACC/42  
 
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  WEDNESDAY, 9 FEBRUARY 2022  
 
SESSION 4 – TRADE FACILITATION AMID AND BEYOND COVID -19 
 
11:00 -12:15 CET /14:00 -15:15 GST  
 
In this session, experts will examine the importance of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement and 
discuss how trade facilitation measures can be utilised to reduce trade costs, increase exports, and 
support post -COVID -19 economic recovery in the region. This will be followed by an open discussion 
among participants.  
 
 
11:00 -12:15 
(CET)  
 
14:00 -15:15 
(GST)  Moderator :  Dr. Jalel eddine  Ben Regeb, Director,  Economic Department, AMF  
Speakers : 
• Ms. Dolores Halloran, Economic Affairs Officer, WTO  
• Dr. Heba Abdel Monem, Chief, Studies & Statistics Division, AMF  
• Dr. Mohamed Ismail, Economist, AMF  
• Dr. Imed Drine , Lead Economist, Regional Cooperation and Integration Department, 
IsDB 
 
Open Discussion  
Short break  
12:15 -13:00 CET / 15:15 -16:00 GST  
 
SESSION 5 – TRADE FOR PEACE THROUGH WTO ACCESSION  
 
13:00 -14:30 CET /16:00 -17:30 GST  
 
Since many of the countries in the region are Fragile and Conflict -Affected (FCA), this session will 
highlight the relevance and applicability of harnessing trade as a vehicle for peace through WTO 
accession in the Arab region. An overview of the WTO "Trade for Peace Progra mme" will be presented. 
This will be followed by an open discussion among participants.  
13:00 -14:30 
(CET)  
 
16:00 -17:30 
(GST)  Moderator : Mr. Nagib Hamim , Counsellor, WTO Affairs, Permanent Mission of the Republic of 
Yemen to WTO  
Speakers : 
• Ms. Maika Oshikawa, Director, Accessions Division, WTO  
• Ambassador Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations 
in New York and Chairman of the  Working Party of Iraq  
• Dr. Linda Kassem, National Coordinator, Lebanon's Accession to the WTO, Ministry of 
Economy and Trade, Lebanese Republic  
• Mr. Serge Stroobants, Director, Europe & MENA region, Institute for Economics and 
Peace  
Open Discussion  
 
CLOSING SESSION  
 
14:30 -15:00 CET / 17:30 -18:00 GST  
 
14:30 -15:00 
(CET)  
 
17:30 -18:00 
(GST)  Moderator : Ms. Mena Hassan, Legal/Economic Affairs Officer, Accessions Division, WTO  
Speakers : 
• Dr. Jaleleddine Ben Regeb , Director, Economic Department, AMF  
• Dr Imed Drine, Lead Economist, Regional Cooperation and Integration Department, 
IsDB 
• Ms. Maika Oshikawa, Director, Accessions Division, WTO  
 
__________