WT/ACC/25  
WT/GC/174  
WT/MIN(15)/7  
 
 16 November 2015  
(15-6081)  Page: 1/39  
    
  
 
 
WTO ACCESSIONS 
 
2015 ANNUAL REPORT BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL* 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
                                               
* This Annual Report takes account of confirmed accession-related developments up until Monday, 
16 November 2015.   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/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
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  TABLE  OF CONTENTS 
I.  INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW .................................................................................... 3  
II.  2015 DEVELOPMENTS ..................................................................................................... 5  
1. ACCESSION WORKING PARTIES:  AN OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES ................................... 5  
2. WORKING PARTY CH AIRPERSONS ................................................................................. 6  
3. TRANSPARENCY IN THE ACCESSION PROCESS ............................................................... 7  
4. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  AND OUTREACH ...................................................................... 8  
5. ACCESSIONS TRANSPARENCY TOOLS BOX (A TTB) ....................................................... 11  
III.  STATE-OF-PLAY IN ACCESSI ON WORKING PARTIES .................................................... 11  
IV. LEAST-DEVELOPED COUNTR IES' ACCE SSIONS ............................................................. 15  
V.  'WTO AT TWENTY' - ACCESSION EVENTS AND IN ITIATIVES......................................... 16  
VI.  20-YEAR LANDSCAPE OF WTO ACCESSIONS ................................................................. 17  
1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 17  
2. ACCESSION RE SULTS ................................................................................................... 17  
3. ACCESSION COMMITMENTS .......................................................................................... 18  
4. ACCESSION PROCESSE S AND PROCEDURES – EVOLUT ION ........................................... 19  
5. LESSONS FROM WTO ACCESSIONS MANAGEMENT ........................................................ 22  
6. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................ 23  
VII. WTO POST-ACCESSION SUPPORT:  CONCEP T, STRATEGY AND APPLICATION .............. 23  
VIII. TRADE AND ECONOMIC PERFORMANC E OF ARTICLE XII MEMBERS .............................. 24  
IX. CONCLUSIONS - OU TLOOK 2016 .................................................................................. 29  
ANNEX 1 - ACCESSION S DIVISION WORK INDICATO RS ....................................................... 31  
ANNEX 2 - ACCESSIONS NE GOTIATED PURSUANT TO ARTICLE XII ....................................... 32  
ANNEX 3 - WTO ACCESSIONS WORKIN G PARTY (WP) CH AIRPERSONS................................. 33  
ANNEX 4 – LENGTH OF TIME OF COMPLETED ACCESSION S ................................................... 34  
ANNEX 5 - SECTION VI-DATA ON  SELECTED OBLIGATIONS IN WORKING PARTY REPORTS .. 35  
ANNEX 6 - SECTION VIII-DATA ON ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE ............................................. 37  
ANNEX 7 - ACCESSION S MANAGEMENT ................................................................................. 38  WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
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  I.  INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW 
1. This is the Seventh Annual Report on WTO A ccessions and my Third as Director-General.  
This year the Organization registered historic and strong progress on accessions.  The accession of 
Kazakhstan and, the two LDCs' accessions of Liberia and Afghanistan, were concluded.  
We increased our membership by two, from 160 in 2014 to 162 in 2015, with the accessions of 
Seychelles and Kazakhstan1.  Progress in 2015 was made possible by the robust engagement of 
WTO members, their determination to achieve concrete results and, demonstrate that the 
Organization also delivers in its regular work.  Although there is still work to be done, I am pleased 
to report to Members that, the results from accessions in 2015 strengthened the WTO and advanced the strategic objective of "universality of membership". The Secretariat continued to upgrade its tool box and electronic platforms so as to better serve the membership.  Before the 
end of the year, we will launch the upgraded A ccessions Intelligence Portal (AIP), which is a 
follow-up on the system-wide merger of th e website for members and the Secretariat. 
2.  This year, we successfully implemented the programme to commemorate twenty years of 
WTO accessions, from 28 to 30 September during which the Second Global Seminar on Accessions 
was held; the Tenth Anniversary of the Accession of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was celebrated; 
and, we launched the book: WTO Accessions and Trade Multilateralism: Case Studies and Lessons 
for the WTO at Twenty.  A wide range of part icipants, reflecting different constituencies, 
participated in the Twenty Year Accessions Anniversary Programme.  The exchange of views made evident a shared consensus that WTO accession was a success story of the organization.   In the exchange of experiences and review of challeng es attendant on the process, the consensus was 
that the benefits of accession far outweighed any costs of adjustment.  The varied contributions 
confirmed that WTO accession is being used as an instrument for domestic economic, legal, institutional and structural reforms.   
  
3. The conclusion of the Accessions of Kazakhstan, Liberia and Afghanistan were unique and 
enriching experiences for the entire membership.  They conveyed distinct and original messages 
about the ability of the WTO to focus, solve problems and deliver.  The Accession Negotiations of 
Kazakhstan rank among the toughest and most complex undertaken by the WTO.  It is a high quality package that has made far-reaching systemic contributions.  It elaborated, inter alia , the 
principles and formula for the actual practice of tariff adjustment, compensation and associated 
regulatory adjustments.  Pragmatic outcomes were  defined on several aspects of the relationship 
between the functioning of customs unions and the rules-based Multilateral Trading System.  
The Accessions of Liberia and Afghanistan responde d to the needs of post-conflict economies to 
build a solid foundation for their economic development.  It was critical that the Organization 
demonstrated a keen sensitivity to deliver for the most vulnerable in the global economy and those most in need to draw on the benefits of an inte grated global market and international cooperation, 
including in their post-accession phase. 
4. From these three accessions, the fundamental lesson was reaffirmed about the 
indispensable importance of strong leadership at  the top.  These negotiations were concluded 
because of the direct engagement of Mr. Nursul tan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan; Madame 
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia; and, Mr. Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, President of 
Afghanistan.  These leaders took conscious decision s on domestic reforms to set their countries on 
the path of sustained growth and development.   They set examples about the necessity of 
leadership in domestic reforms for growth.  Trade negotiations in general and accession 
negotiations in particular have never been a bureaucratic exercise.   
5. Every year, this Annual Report on Accessions has a thematic focus.  The focus this year was 
on the 20-year landscape of WTO accessions.  The longstanding conclusion is reaffirmed that the 
process of accession per se  and its results, are uniquely WTO in supporting domestic priorities for 
economic diversification and modernization, upda ting the rules of trade and promoting broader 
international cooperation for trade.  Accession process and results have been used to consolidate 
and promote WTO core values of an integrat ed global market economy, trade openness, 
transparency, good governance and the rule of la w.  This is a confirmation of what the WTO 
represents and reflects an aspect of its co re role in global economic governance.   
                                               
1 Kazakhstan ratified its Protocol of Accession to the WTO and deposited its "Instrument of Acceptance" 
on 31 October 2015.  It shall become a Member of the WTO on 30 November 2015.  WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
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  6. This year I have deepened my emphasis on the necessity of a "WTO Post-Accession Support 
Strategy".  The objective of this strategy is to assist new member's transition, smoothly and 
rapidly, to support functional behaviour in ways that strengthen the rules-based Multilateral Trading System and supports their efforts to ma ximize the gains of integration to the global 
economy.  The rules-based multilateral trading system is strengthened, if new Members are able 
to demonstrate the gains from trade that accrue from their disciplined implementation of accession-based domestic reforms.  I believe that these gains include assistance from the 
multilateral and bilateral development communities to provide soft and hard infrastructure support 
for improved competitiveness and expansion of supply elasticity.  While the leadership for Post-Accession priorities will be the responsi bility of Article XII Members and Acceding 
Governments, the Secretariat is preparing a "WTO Post-Accession Support Strategy Note" that, will 
provide the platform for "networking" and accessin g this support.  This Implementation Strategy 
Note, as indicated in this Annual Report also describes "best practices" based on returns from questionnaires completed by Members.  This is work in progress and I will be reporting on this in 
greater detail next year.   
7. I am grateful for the support that the WTO has received in the area of technical assistance 
and capacity-building from Australia, China, the European Union, India, New Zealand, Oman and 
the United States.  I pay particular tribute to Cuba, the European Union (including several of its 
individual Member States such as Sweden) and the United States for assistance on the Accession of Liberia at a challenging moment in 2014 and 2015.  I am grateful to the support from sister agencies in particular the Asian Development Bank (ADB), International Monetary Fund (IMF), 
International Trade Center (ITC), United Na tions Conference on Trade and Development 
(UNCTAD), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the World Bank (WB) and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).  Multilateral and Bilateral action shall be 
critical in the coordinated delivery of WTO Post-Accession Support for new members, including 
within the framework of our common endeavours on Aid for Trade and the Enhanced Integrated 
Framework.  
8. The "China Least Developed Countries' and Accessions Programme" ("China Programme") 
continues to make a distinct and valuable contribution to support Acceding Governments and Article XII Least Developed and Developing Country Members.  Exceptionally, this year two Round Tables would have been held by December.  The Third Round Table was held in Dushanbe, 
Tajikistan, in June.  The thematic focus was on "Post-Accession: Maximizing the Benefits of WTO 
Membership and Global Economic Integration".  The Dushanbe Round Table contributed to drawing 
the attention of the WTO to the opportunities and challenges in Central Asia.  Central Asia merits 
greater attention in more intensive WTO engagement.  The Fourth China Round Table has been 
convened from 13 to 14 December, in Nairobi, back-to-back with the Tenth Ministerial Conference.   
9. As Director-General, I know that the remarkable progress that we achieved this year reflects 
the combined efforts of all Members, the purposeful leadership of Working Party Chairpersons, 
supported by dedicated Secretariat staff, led by the Accessions Division.  I am grateful to all 
Members for making the Informal Group of Accessions (IGA) a unique forum that demonstrates the mutual trust and confidence between Members and the WTO Secretariat.   WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
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  II.  2015 DEVELOPMENTS 
1. ACCESSION WORKING PARTIES:  AN OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES 
10. Twenty two (22) acceding governments were in the process of WTO accession, at the start 
of the year. These negotiations were managed through a combination of formal and/or informal 
multilateral, plurilateral and bilateral meetings (See Annex 1).  In the year under review: 
 Six (6) formal Working Party meetings were held.  These were on the - accessions of:  
Afghanistan (one (1)2 meeting); Azerbaijan (one (1)3 meeting); Kazakhstan (one (1)4 
meeting); and Liberia (three (3)5 meetings).  
 
 Three (3) final formal Working Party meetings were convened on Kazakhstan, Liberia and 
Afghanistan.  The final formal WP Meeting on the Accession of Kazakhstan was convened on 
10 June and suspended, resumed and concluded on 22 June.  The final formal meeting on the Accession of Liberia was convened and co ncluded on 6 October.  The final formal 
meeting of the Working Party on the Accession  of Afghanistan was convened and concluded 
on 11 November 2015.  At these formal meetings, the Draft Accession Packages of Kazakhstan, Liberia and Afghanistan were adopted, ad referendum, by their Accession 
Working Parties;  
 
 One (1) informal Working Party meeting took place in the context of the 20th Working Party 
on the accession of Kazakhstan6;  
 
 At two (2) Technical Verification meetings, th e Consolidated Draft Schedule on Goods of 
Kazakhstan7 and the Consolidated Draft Schedules on Goods and Services of Liberia8 were 
verified; and,  
 Three (3) plurilateral meetings addressed specific technical issues in the areas of 
agriculture9, and SPS10 on the accessions of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and, Liberia.  
The plurilateral meetings were chaired by the Director of the Accessions Division in 
accordance with practice. 
 
11. In 2015, progress, specifically, at Accession Working Parties, was documented as follows:  
 Draft Reports were revised and updated by the Secretariat for four Working Parties – 
Afghanistan (one (1) revision), Azerbaijan (one (1) revision), Kazakhstan (two (2) 
revisions), and Liberia (three (3) revisions).   
 
 The Draft Accession Packages for Kazakhstan, Liberia and Afghanistan11 were prepared and 
circulated by the Secretariat.  These three Dr aft Accession Packages, of Kazakhstan, Liberia 
and Afghanistan, were adopted by their respective Working Parties, ad referendum , and 
re-issued in the WT/ACC- and Genera l Council / Ministerial Conference12 series.  
  Formal action on the Accession Package of Kazakhstan was taken at the 27 July General 
Council.   
 
                                               
2 11 November 2015. 
3 6 March 2015. 
4 10 and 22 June 2015. 
5 7 May, 23 July, and 6 October 2015. 
6 9 June 2015. 
7 8 April 2015.  
8 28 July 2015. 
9 5 March 2015, in the context of the accession of Azerbaijan; and 7 May 2015, in the context of the 
accession of Liberia. 
10 9 June 2015, in the context of the accession of Kazakhstan. 
11 The Draft Accession Package of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, initially circulated on 3 March 
2014, was updated and re-circulated to all Members of the Working Party on 19 October 2015. 
12 WT/MIN(15)/2 (Liberia); WT/MIN(15)/6 (Afghanistan). WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
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   Formal action on the Accession Packages of Liberia and Afghanistan, which were adopted 
ad referendum  at the final meetings of their respective Working Parties on 6 October and 
11 November, will be taken at the 10th Ministerial Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, 
15 to 18 December 2015.  
 
2. WORKING PARTY CHAIRPERSONS 
12. There were several changes in the status of Accession Working Party Chairpersons:   
  Ms Hilda Al-Hinai (Oman), Chairperson of the Working Party on the Accession of the Republic 
of Seychelles, successfully accomplished her task as Chairperson for the Working Party on 
the Accession of Seychelles.  The Seychelles became the 161
st WTO Member on 
26 April 2015;  
 
 H.E. Ambassador Vesa Himanen (Finland), Chairperson of the Working Party on the 
Accession of the Republic of Kazakhstan, succe ssfully accomplished his task as Chairperson 
of the Working Party on the Accession of Kazakhstan.  Kazakhstan became the 
162nd Member of the WTO on 30 November 2015;   
  H.E. Ambassador Joakim Reiter (Sweden), Chairperson of the Working Party on the 
Accession of Liberia, successfully accomplished his task as the Chairperson of the Working 
Party.  In the period of his role as Chairper son of the Working Party, on 1 April, Ambassador 
Reiter was appointed as Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD;  
 
 H.E. Ambassador Roderick van Schreven (Nethe rlands), Chairperson of the Working Party on 
the Accession of the Islamic Republic of Afgh anistan, successfully accomplished his task as 
Chairperson of the Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan;   
  
 The position of Chairperson of the Working Party on the Accession of Lebanese Republic 
became vacant due to the unexpected loss of Mrs Laurence Dubois-Destrizais (France).  
Following consultations, H.E. Mr. Jean-Paul 
Thuillier , Permanent Representative of France to 
the WTO was designated as the Chairperson of the Working Party; 
  The position of Chairperson of the Working Party on the Accession of Bosnia and 
Herzegovina also became vacant due to the retirement of H.E. Ambassador István Major 
(Hungary).  Consultations with Members are ongoing on the designation of the new Chairperson of the Working Party. 
 
13. At present, nine (9) of the Chairpersons are Geneva-based.  There are seven (7) vacancies 
for the position of Chairpersons of Accession  Working Parties (see Annex 3).  These include 
vacancies on accessions at their initial stages, where in most cases no documentary basis for work 
exists, at this time.  
 
14. In 2015, Working Party Chairpersons remained actively engaged.  They consulted with 
Members and gave leadership with concrete result s.  They met with representatives of Members 
and Acceding Governments in various formats and co nfigurations.  They facilitated the resolution 
of complex questions.  They engaged in outreach  to improve technical and policy understanding.  
The active engagement of Chairpersons advanced the process, including through country missions.  
15.    The Chairperson of the Working Party on the Accession of the Republic of Seychelles, 
Ms Hilda Al-Hinai (Oman), led a post-accession/ratification activity, accompanied by the 
Secretariat, to Mahé from 23 to 26 March, at the invitation of the Government of the Republic of 
Seychelles.  A presentation was made to Parliamentarians to explain the terms and conditions of 
membership; discuss benefits and challenges; answ er questions from stakeholders; and, review 
the relationship between Seychelles' WTO membership and its role in the global economy.  Seychelles' National Assembly ratified the Accession Protocol of Seychelles, unanimously. 
On 25 March, H.E. President James Michel of Seychelles signed the Instrument of Acceptance of 
the Accession Protocol at a Plenary Meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers; and handed the Instrument to Director Accessions, who received it  on behalf of WTO Director-General Azevêdo.  
Following domestic ratification of the Protocol on the Accession of Seychelles, Seychelles became 
the 161
st WTO Member on 26 April 2015.  WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
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  16. With the emergence of the Draft Accession Pack age, the Chairman of the Working Party on 
the Accession of Liberia, H.E. Ambassador Joakim Reiter (Sweden /Deputy-Secretary General 
UNCTAD) led a mission, accompanied by the Director Accessions, to Monrovia, from 19 to 21 August, to meet with the Executive and Legisl ative Branches of Government.  The purpose of 
the mission was to present the Draft Accession Pack age of Liberia to the Executive and Legislative 
branches of Government and stakeholders, and an swer questions.  The WTO delegation met with 
H.E. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia an d the Vice President and, made presentations to: 
(i) the Cabinet of Ministers, and, (ii) to th e Senate and the House of Representatives.  
Through these engagements with the two branches  of the Government of Liberia, following 
Members' guidance given at the July Working Part y Meeting, the Government of Liberia agreed to 
the circulation of the Draft Accession Package of Liberia to all Members of the Working Party to 
consider for adoption, ad referendum . 
17. Before the Fifth and final meeting of the Workin g Party on the Accession of Afghanistan, the 
Chairman of the Working Party on the Accession of Afghanistan, H.E. Roderick van Schreven 
(Netherlands), and the Director of the Accessions Division undertook a mission to Kabul from 6 to 
8 November 2015.  The purpose of the mission was to present the Draft Accession Package of the 
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the Governme nt and stakeholders; explain the balance between 
commitments and flexibilities in the Package; id entify the opportunities in the Package for the 
integration of Afghanistan to the global market economy and the platform it provides for the rapid trade development of Afghanistan; and,  to answer questions on the Package.  The WTO delegation 
met with H.E. President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan and his Senior Advisors; 
H.E. Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer of the National Unity Government; 
H.E. Commerce and Industries Minister Humayoon  Rasaw; and, the Chairman of the "Economic 
Committee" of Parliament and Members of the Economic Committee.  They also consulted with the 
private sector and the Chambers of Commerce.  Across all stakeholders, at every level, support for 
the WTO Accession of Afghanistan was confirmed.   
18. In keeping with systemic transparency obligat ions, the Chairpersons of the Working Party 
reported to WTO Members on the results of their visit at the Informal Group on Accessions.
13 
3. TRANSPARENCY IN THE ACCESSION PROCESS 19. Ensuring transparency and predictability in the accession process remain key priorities for 
the WTO Director-General and the Membership.  During 2015, the transparency measures that 
were introduced since 2010, continued to be implemented and reinforced.     
i. Informal Group on Accessions (IGA) 
20. The Informal Group on Accessions held 10 meetings in 2015.  Consultations in the Informal 
Group were focused, as traditionally, on:  (i) information exchange on accessions; (ii) Secretariat 
reports to Members on technical developments in accession processes; (iii) reports to Members by Chairpersons of Working Parties on the results of their visits to Capitals of Acceding Governments; 
(iv) planning accession meetings and related ac tivities, based on the Evolving Calendar of 
Accession Meetings (ECAM) proposed by the Secret ariat; and, (v) addressing specific concerns 
raised by Members and Acceding Governments.   
ii. WTO Accessions Newsletter 
21. This year, the Secretariat prepared 12 WTO Accessions Newsletters.  Special editions of the 
Accessions Newsletter are issued to mark signific ant accessions events.  In 2015, three special 
editions of the Accessions Newsletter were issued  in June, October and November: (i) when the 
accession of Kazakhstan was completed at the level of the Working Party; (ii) to report on the 
conclusion of the implementation of the Programme  of Activities to commemorate Twenty Years of 
WTO Accessions and to report on the final meet ing of the Working Party on the Accession of 
Liberia at which the "Working Party Report" (Draft Package) on the Accession of Liberia was 
                                               
13 The Chairperson of the Working Party on the Accession of the Republic of Seychelles, Ms Hilda 
Al-Hinai (Oman), reported on her mission to the 4th IGA, on 23 April 2015. The Chairman of the Working Party 
on the Accession of Liberia, H.E. Ambassador Joakim  Reiter (Sweden /Deputy-Secretary General UNCTAD), 
reported on his mission to the 8th IGA, on 15 September 2015.  The Chairperson of the Working Party on the 
Accession of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan reported to the IGA on 28 October 2015.   WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
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  adopted ad referendum  on 6 October; and, (iii) to report on the final meeting of the Working Party 
on the Accession of Afghanistan at which the "W orking Party Report" (Draft Package) on the 
Accession of Afghanistan was adopted ad referendum  on 11 November. 
22. Overall, the WTO Accessions Newsletter is serv ing its purpose to ensure transparency on 
accession matters, report on monthly meetings of the Informal Group on Accessions and, enhance 
communication with Acceding Governments, Chairpersons, Members and the broader global trade policy community.  
iii. 2015 Annual Outreach Dialogue with WTO Regional Groups  
23. As part of its 2015 annual outreach dialogue with WTO regional groups, the African Group 
and the LDC Consultative Group were provided with  customised briefings on 1 May.   A follow-up 
briefing for LDCs was provided at the Seventy-Fi fth session of the Sub-Committee on LDCs held on 
18 September.  Annual outreach dialogue on accessions was provided with the GRULAC, on 
28 October 2015; the WTO Asian Group of Developing Members, on 5 November 2015; and, the WTO Arab Group, on 16 November 2015. Traditio nal annual outreach dialogue has been also 
scheduled with other regional groups and the core constituency groupings.
14  The objective of the 
Annual Outreach Dialogue is to strengthen communication channels with Members and Acceding Governments alike, through the Regional Groups.  The briefings provide a platform to exchange 
region-specific information on WTO accessions; and respond to accession-specific concerns by 
Members and Acceding Governments.  They strengthen the collaboration between Members, Acceding Governments and the Secretariat.    
4. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND OUTREACH 
24.  As described in last year's Annual Report,
15 the WTO Biennial Technical Assistance and 
Training Plan for 2014-2015 (hereinafter: Plan) establishes support for Acceding Governments as one of its four overarching objectives.
16  The Plan grants priority attention to acceding 
Least-developed countries (LDCs).   
25. 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 private sector, academia, civil society and the media.   
26. In the period under review, technical assistance and capacity-building activities 
included:  (i) national seminars; (ii) sessions on accessions in advanced trade policy courses, regional courses and introductory courses for LDCs; (iii) workshops; (iv) technical missions; 
(v) establishment/upgrade of WTO Reference Centres;  (vi) e-Learning; (vii) outreach dialogue with 
WTO groupings; and, (viii) participation in conferences.  Customized briefings on accessions for delegations (including non-residents) were also pr ovided on the margins of the Fifth Global Review 
of Aid for Trade, held between 30 June and 2 July.   
27. This year, the Secretariat pioneered the first-ever E-lecture on Accessions titled: "The Power 
and Relevance of the WTO", on 7 October 2015, as part of the WTO 20
th Anniversary Accessions 
Events. The E-lecture was delivered by the Direct or of the Accessions Division. 54 participants 
accessed the lecture from across the world, including from Bhutan, China, India, Kenya, Mongolia, Myanmar and Switzerland.  The recording of  the session was made available on the 
WTO Accessions Gateway: http://wto2. adobeconnect.com/p5dyofi94nj.   
28. In 2015, 22 Technical Assistance and Capacity-Building activities were held by the 
Accessions Division, including two China WTO Accessions Round Table Meetings: in Dushanbe, Tajikistan (from 2 to 4 June) and, Nairobi, Kenia (from 13 to 14 December). The beneficiary 
countries included all acceding governments and, several Members.  Specifically, tailor-made 
technical assistance was provided to Seychelles, Iran, Liberia and Belarus.  
                                               
14 Secretariat annual outreach dialogue on accessions has been envisaged with other groups as follows: 
(i) the WTO LDC Group, on 23 November 2015; (ii) the WTO Informal Group of Developing Countries (IGDC), 
on 25 November 2015; and, (iii) the WTO African Group, as soon as scheduled, before the end of 2015.    
15 WT/ACC/23. 
16 WT/COMTD/W/200. WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
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  29. In general technical assistance and capacity-building, in 2015, Acceding Governments were 
invited to participate in over 40 WTO TA activiti es.  Six Acceding Governments acted as hosts for 
some of these activities.  Chart 1, below, sh ows the number of participants from Acceding 
Governments that completed TA activities during 201517.  
Chart 1 - Participants from Acceding Governments in WTO TA Activities – 2015 
 
30. Accession-related TA and capacity-building were also provided by other institutions, and 
often in partnership with WTO Members.  The Secretariat continues to work in a strong and effective partnership with the Enhanced Integr ated Framework (EIF), the International Trade 
Centre (ITC) and the World Bank.  Activities have been coordinated with positive results.    
31. In 2015, the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) provided significant technical and 
capacity-building support in selected Accedi ng Governments and completed accessions.  
WTO accessions are currently in progress in the following EIF Countries: Afghanistan, Bhutan, 
Comoros, Ethiopia, Liberia, Sao Tomé and Principe
18 and Sudan.  Vanuatu and Yemen acceded to 
the WTO in 2012 and 2014, respectively.  The EIF is supporting the accession process in accordance with countries' demands. The Diagnostic Trade Integration Studies (DTIS, EIF flagship 
country reports highlighting trade opportunities and constraints to trade integration) for Sao Tomé 
and Principe and Sudan which were completed in 2014, address WTO accession issues.  Accession to the WTO is an important aspect of DTIS Updates for Comoros and Ethiopia which were launched in 2014.  The EIF provides concrete support in  Vanuatu and Yemen following their accession.  
In Yemen, the DTIS Update under way since 2013 includes the formulation of a "post-Accession" 
capacity development plan.  In Vanuatu, the EIF helped to enhance the country's capacity to manage the "post-Accession" process.  Beyond th e DTIS and DTIS Updates, a number of countries 
use EIF funded projects to support accession.  In Liberia, support for WTO accession is part of an 
EIF funded institutional capacity building project which for accession issues are closely coordinated with the Swedish National Board of Trade projec t.  In the Comoros and Ethiopia, EIF funded 
institutional support projects are instrumental for capacity building for trade negotiations, outreach 
and awareness-raising on accession issues.  
                                               
17 Data source: WTO TRTA Database (16 November 2015). 
18 The Working Party on the Accession of Sao Tomé and Principe is in suspension due to non-payment of 
assessed contributions.   WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
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  i. WTO/ITC Joint Programme for Trade Capacity for Acceding LDCs 
32. The Joint Programme for Trade Capacity for Acceding LDCs was launched by the WTO and 
the International Trade Centre (ITC) on 1 December 2009. This Joint Programme provides accession-specific technical assistance for the private sector, parliamentarians and government 
officials.  The purpose is to enhance their understanding of the accession process and 
WTO Membership.  During 2015, Comoros benefited fr om this Joint Programme.  The International 
Trade Centre remains pro-active in accession-tailored support.  It was instrumental in securing 
increased national awareness for WTO accession and high level political engagement.  
The coordinated partnership between ITC and the WTO Secretariat is vital in the delivery of technical assistance and capacity building.  The two Secretariats will continue to improve on this coordinated partnership in the year to come.
    
ii. China LDCs' and Accessions Programme 
33. The China "Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Accessions Programme" (hereafter:  the 
China Programme) was established by the Government of China and the WTO on 14 July 2011.  
China undertook the fourth renewal and extens ion in July 2015, with a contribution of 
US$500,000.   
34. The China Programme is aimed at strengthening LDCs' participation in the WTO and 
assisting LDCs acceding to the WTO.  It is an accession-specific focused programme that takes 
account of the concerns and priorities of LDCs.  The China Programme comprises five pillars:  (a) the WTO Accessions Internship Programme; (b) WTO Accessions Round Table Meeting process; 
(c) LDCs' participation in WTO meetings; (d) South-South dialogue on LDCs and development; and 
(e) LDCs' Trade Policy Review follow-up workshops.  
35. With respect to the WTO Accessions Internship Programme, in the year under review, five 
interns benefited from this Programme, including fo ur interns from Members, (two from Article XII 
Members), and an intern from an Acceding LDC Government.
19   So far, a total of 16 participants 
have benefitted from the Chin a Internship Programme.   
36. In 2015, two China WTO Accessions Round Table Meetings were held. The Third China 
Round Table was held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, from 2 to 4 June.  The thematic focus was on 
"Post-Accession: Maximizing the Benefits of WTO Membership and Global Economic Integration".  
The outcome document from the Fourth China Round Table was issued as the "Dushanbe Statement."
20  The Fourth China Round Table on WTO Accessions and the Multilateral Trading 
System is scheduled to take place in Nairobi, Kenya from 13 to 14 December, back-to-back with 
the Tenth WTO Ministerial Conference.  The theme of the Fourth China Round Table is: Domestic 
Reforms for Competitiveness and Deeper Trade Integration in the Global Economy, with the focus 
on Africa.   
iii. Other Outreach Activities 
37. A three-part activity was organized from 28 to 30 September 2015 as part of the system-
wide series of activities to commemorate th e Twentieth Anniversary of the WTO: "Accessions 
Twentieth Anniversary Programme".  The 3-part activities were: (i) the Second Global Seminar on Accessions; (ii) the Special Session on Ten Years of the WTO Accession of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and, (iii) the launch by the WTO Dire ctor-General of the book: "WTO Accessions and 
Trade Multilateralism: Case Studies and Lessons for the WTO at Twenty".     
                                               
19 The five interns are from Afghanistan (LDC accedi ng Government), Brazil/Colombia (Member), China 
(Article XII Member), Montenegro (Article XII Member) and Uganda (LDC Member).  
20 The Dushanbe Statement was issued in document WT/ACC/24.  The programme and other 
information on the Third China Round Table is available at: https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e /acc_e/beijingro undtable2015_e.htm WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
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  5. ACCESSIONS TRANSPARENCY TOOLS BOX (ATTB) 
i. Accession Commitments Database (ACDB) 
38. The Accessions Commitments Database (ACDB) provides access to all accession-specific 
commitments and related information contained in Accession Working Party Reports and the 
Accession Protocols of 33 Article XII Members.  The ACDB is available in the three official 
languages of the WTO at: http://acdb.wto.org.    
39. In 2015, the ACDB was updated to include the accession-specific commitments as contained 
in the Report of the Working Party on the Acce ssion of Seychelles, which became a WTO Member 
on 26 April 2015.  The ACDB shall be updated in real time to reflect the commitments of all new 
Members.       
ii. Secretariat Register of Bilateral Market Access Agreements 
40. The Register of Bilateral Market Access Agreements contains basic information regarding 
signed Bilateral Market Access Agreements on Good s and Services that have been deposited with 
the Secretariat.  The information includes: the se ctor of the agreement (goods; services; or both, 
as applicable); and, the dates of signature and de posit.  Reports generated by this Register are 
available to WTO members only via a secure/password-protected access.   
41. In accordance with long-standing practice, the substantive content of Bilateral Market Access 
Agreements remains absolutely confidential to the parties that signed the Agreement, as well as 
the Secretariat with whom the Agreements are deposited.   
iii. WTO Accessions Intelligence Portal (AIP) 
42. In the past two years (2014 and 2015), the Secretariat (Accessions Division and the 
Information and External Relations Division) ha ve developed the prototype of an "Accessions 
Intelligence Portal (AIP)".  The aim is to upgrade the current 'Accessions Gateway' on the 
WTO website (https://www.wto.org/en glish/thewto_e/acc_e/acc_e.htm).   
43. The AIP, when fully functional, will provide easier access to all accession-related negotiating 
inputs, circulated as part of the WTO accession processes, internal documents, such as speaking notes of accession Working Party Chairpersons; delegation lists; statements by heads of 
delegations of acceding governments.  A link will  exist to essential background to all accessions.    
44. The AIP will also integrate the 'E-legislation link' system.  Access will be provided to draft 
laws (bills), legislation and consultation documents, by both – acceding governments and Article XII members.
21   
45. While the AIP will provide greater transparen cy, it will also ensure and safeguard the 
existing, agreed restriction levels of different types of negotiating inputs, documents and information.  Data integrity shall be preserved and documentation shall remain restricted and only 
available to parties with right of access, through a secure (i.e. password-protected) access.  
The "Accession Intelligence Portal (AIP)" will be launched before the end of 2015.   
III.  STATE-OF-PLAY IN AC CESSION WORKING PARTIES 
46. WTO accessions advance on the basis of interdependent tracks of multilateral, plurilateral 
and bilateral negotiations.  Separately, are domestic negotiations to establish national negotiating positions and to decide on inputs.   
                                               
21 The E-legislation link is a comprehensive record/database of all submitted pieces of legislation and 
consultation documents for all completed WTO acce ssions - is a novelty.  It provides for the first time ever  an 
easily accessible record of all projects of legislation t h a t  h a v e  b e e n  n o t i f i e d  a s  p a r t  o f  t h e  W T O  a c c e s s i o n  
process over the past 20 years.    
 WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
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  47. In the period under review, 3 accession negotiatio ns were concluded.  First, the negotiations 
on the accession of Kazakhstan were complete d.  The Draft Accession Package was adopted 
ad referendum  at the resumed session of the Working Party on 22 June 2015.  The General 
Council formally approved Kazakhstan's Accession Package at its session on 27 July 2015.  
Second, the Draft Accession Package of Liberia was approved ad referendum  at the Working Party 
level on 6 October 2015.  Formal action is expected to be taken at the 10th Ministerial Conference 
in Nairobi, Kenya, 15 to 18 December 2015.  Th ird, the Draft Accession Package of the Islamic 
Republic of Afghanistan was adopted ad referendum  at the Working Party Level on 
11 November 2015.  Formal action is expected to be taken at the Tenth WTO Ministerial Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, 15 to 18 December 2015.   
48. On other accessions, there was mixed progress.  Some advanced whereas others did not 
advance, as planned.  A range of factors, as in the past, remain in play.  They include but are not 
limited to, continued negotiations with Members; technical complexities; domestic challenges; political choices to delay for more impact analysis, for example, re-ordered priorities, and/or 
immediate post-conflict situations.  
49. Afghanistan: Afghanistan applied for WTO acce ssion in November 2004. The Working Party 
on the Accession of Afghanistan was establishe d in December 2004. The fourth meeting of the 
Working Party was held in July 2013.  The Draft Accession Package of Afghanistan was initially 
circulated in March 2014. In October 2015, Kabul re-engaged with Members and the Secretariat, to conclude the accession. The Draft Accession Package of Afghanistan was re-circulated on 
19 October. The Draft Accession Package consisted of three (3) components: (i) the Draft Report 
of the Working Party on the Accession of Afghanis tan; (ii) the Draft Schedule of Concessions and 
Commitments on Goods of Afghanistan; and, (iii) the Draft Schedule of the Specific Commitments o n  S e r v i c e s  o f  A f g h a n i s t a n .    T h e  F i f t h  a n d  f i nal meeting of the Working Party took place on 
11 November. At the meeting, Members of the Working Party adopted the Draft Accession 
Package, ad referendum , and transmitted it for formal action to the Tenth WTO Ministerial 
Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, from 15 to 18 December.   
50. Algeria: Algeria applied for WTO accession in June 1987. The Working Party on the Accession 
of Algeria was established in June 1987.  The 12th meeting of the Working Party was held in 
March 2014.  The most recent version of the Draft Working Party Report was circulated in February 2014.  Bilateral market access negotiatio ns are on-going with interested Members on the 
basis of revised market access offers on goods, circulated in November 2013; and services, 
circulated in October 2013.  Six bilateral market access agreements have been concluded (Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Switzerland, Uruguay and Venezuela).  The next meeting of the Working 
Party will be convened after replies to Members' questions and a complete set of updated technical 
inputs have been submitted by the Acceding Government.
   
51. Andorra: Andorra applied for WTO accession in July 1997. The Working Party on the 
Accession of Azerbaijan was established in October 1997. The Working Party held its first and only 
meeting in October 1999.  This accession process is inactive, and there are no indications of any intentions to re-start the process.   
52. Azerbaijan: Azerbaijan applied for WTO accession in June 1997.  The Working Party on the 
Accession of Azerbaijan was established in July 1997.  The 12th meeting of the Working Party was 
held in February 2015.  Multilateral negotiations are under way on the basis of a Draft Working Party Report, circulated in January 2015.  Bilateral market access negotiations with interested 
Members are ongoing on the basis of revised market access offers on goods, circulated in 
November 2014, and on services, circulated on in February 2015.   
53. The Bahamas: The Bahamas applied for WTO accession in May 2001.  The Working Party on 
the Accession of The Bahamas was established in July 2001.  The Second Working Party meeting 
was held in June 2012.  A Factual Summary was sent to Nassau for factual updates in August 2013.  In July 2015, Nassau submitted Negoti ating Inputs, comprising its feedback on the 
Factual Summary of 2013, an updated Legislative Ac tion Plan and three projects of legislation.  
The timing of the next meeting of the Working Party will be subject to the finalization of the Draft 
Factual Summary, and submission by Nassau of required updated Negotiating Inputs, including 
market access offers.  Required Negotiating Inputs from Nassau include an updated Factual 
Summary, the Legislative Action Plan (LAP); and revised Market Access Offers on Goods and 
Services.   WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
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  54. Belarus: Belarus applied for WTO accession in September 1993.  The Working Party on the 
Accession of Belarus was established in October 1993.  The seventh meeting of the Working Party 
was held in May 2005.  Informal Consultations by the Chairperson took place in 2010, 2012 and 2013.  The latest version of the Factual Summary of Points Raised was circulated in 
November 2012.  The Secretariat continues to review with Minsk a number of bilateral market 
access agreements brought to the attention of the Secretariat.  Following the conclusion of the Accession of Kazakhstan, the Secretariat visited Minsk in September 2015, at the request of the 
Government of Belarus, to review the state-of-play with a view to re-starting and expediting the 
accession negotiations.  Required negotiating inputs and next steps were identified for re-activating the Accession of Belarus with the objective of an expedited conclusion.  These included: (i) inputs to a first version of the Draft Working Party Report; (ii) an updated 
Legislative Action Plan; (iii) a revised market access offer on goods that would take account of 
commitments of its EAEU partners, and (iv) a revised market offer on services.  When the negotiating inputs are submitted, the Working Party will convene its next meeting.    
55. Bhutan: Bhutan applied for WTO accession in September 1999.  The Working Party on the 
Accession of Bhutan was established in October 1999.  The fourth meeting of the Working Party 
was held in January 2008.  The most recent market access offers on goods and services were 
circulated in November 2007.  The latest version of the Draft Working Party Report was circulated 
in December 2007.  The Secretariat prepared a revi sion of the draft Report in 2008, but Bhutan is 
yet to submit its comments on the revised draft.  Bhutan is periodically in touch with the Secretariat on domestic consultations under way.   
56. Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosnia and Herzegovina applied for WTO accession in May 1999.  
The Working Party on the Accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina was established in July 1999.  
The 12th meeting of the Working Party was held in June 2013.  The latest version of the 
Draft Working Party Report was circulated in May 2013.  Bilateral market access negotiations with 
interested Members are ongoing.  Working Party m eetings and/or informal consultations would be 
convened, as appropriate, to address: (i) outsta nding domestic legislative action; (ii) drafting 
questions prior to finalization of the Draft Working Party Report; and, (iii) remaining bilateral 
market access negotiations.      
57. The Union of the Comoros: The Union of the Comoros applied for WTO accession in 
March 2007. The Working Party on the Accession of the Union of the Comoros was established in 
October 2007. The Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime was circulated in October 2013.  
Inputs were received from Moroni on 18 September 2015 and are being processed by the Secretariat. These include replies to Members' questions on the MFTR, initial market access offers 
on goods and services, a draft LAP, filled questionnaires on import licensing, customs valuation, 
TBT, STEs, SPS and TRIPS.  Technical exchanges between Moroni and the Secretariat are ongoing 
to update the documentation so far received. Th e first meeting of the Working Party will be 
convened after the set of negotiating inputs subm itted by the Acceding Government is complete, 
processed by the Secretariat and Members have ha d, at the minimum, four weeks to review the 
updated inputs.  
58. Equatorial Guinea: Equatorial Guinea applied for WTO accession in March 2007. The Working 
Party on the Accession of the Republic of Equa torial Guinea was established in February 2008. 
Equatorial Guinea has not submitted any negotiating inputs to initiate the process of its accession negotiations.   
59. Ethiopia: Ethiopia applied for WTO accession in January 2003.  The Working Party on the 
Accession of Ethiopia was established in February 2003. The most third, and most recent, meeting 
of the Working Party was held in March 2012.  At that meeting, the Working Party mandated the 
Secretariat to upgrade the Factual Summary of Points Raised to the Elements of a Draft Working 
Party Report. The next Working Party meeting would be convened once Ethiopia submits the inputs required for the preparation of the Elem ents of the Draft Working Party Report, and the 
Initial Market Access Offer on Services.  At this stage, there is no multilateral activity in the 
Working Party on the Accession of Ethiopia.  The Secretariat has been made aware that there is 
domestic preparatory activity to provide a platform  for the re-engagement of Ethiopia when ready. 
Periodically, the delegation of Ethiopia briefs Secretariat officials on domestic activity underway.   WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
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  60. 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 Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime (MFTR) was circulated in November 2009.  In February 2010, questions from Members on the MFTR were forwarded to the 
Government of Iran.  Technical inputs submitted by Iran, including the replies to Members' 
questions, were circulated in 2011.  To conv ene the first meeting of the Working Party, 
consultations with Members would need to be undertaken by the Chairman of the General Council 
for the designation of a Chairperson of the Working Party.  There is domestic preparatory activity 
to provide a platform for the re-engagement of the Islamic Republic of Iran when a Chairperson is 
designated.  Prior to that moment, the Secretariat continues to provide technical assistance and capacity-building support, either upon request, or as part of WTO Regional Activities.   
61. Iraq: Iraq applied for WTO accession in September 2004. The Working Party on the 
Accession of Iraq was established in December 2004. The second meeting of the Working Party 
was held in April 2008.  Iraq has provided a number of negotiating inputs requested by the 
Working Party.  Iraq has yet to submit its initial market access offers on goods and services.  
The next Working Party meeting would be scheduled as soon as Iraq submits its initial market access offers.      
62. Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan applied for WTO accession in January 1996.  The Working Party on 
the Accession of Kazakhstan was established in February 1996.  The Twentieth and Final Meeting 
of the Working Party was held on 10 and 22 June  2015.  At this meeting, the Draft Accession 
Package was adopted, ad referendum .  The Working Party concluded its mandate and transmitted 
the Report of the Working Party on the Accession of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the General 
Council for formal action.  The General Council  o n  2 7  J u l y  f o r m a l l y  a p p r o v e d  t h e  R e p o r t .   
WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo and H.E. President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan 
signed the Protocol on the Accession of Kaza khstan, subject to domestic ratification by 
31 October 2015.  Kazakhstan will become a WTO Member on 30 November 2015. 
63. Lebanese Republic: The Lebanese Republic applied for WTO accession in January 1999.  
The Working Party on the Accession of the Leba nese Republic was established in April 1999.  
The seventh meeting of the Working Party was held  in October 2009.  The first revision of the 
Draft Working Party Report was circulated in October 2009.  The latest revision of the market access offer on goods and services was circulated in June 2004. The next meeting of the 
Working Party will be convened after the vacant Chairmanship of the Working Party is filled, the 
Lebanese Republic agrees to a roadmap to restart and advance its accession negotiations, and submits updated inputs.  Beirut submitted, on 16 October, updated replies to Members' questions 
from 2010 and three pieces of legislation.  Outstanding inputs include factual updates to the draft 
Report of the Working Party to reflect developments since 2009, an updated Legislative Action Plan (LAP) to indicate the enactment of laws and associated implementing regulations and updated 
initial market access offers.  
64. Liberia: Liberia applied for WTO accession in June 2007.  The Working Party on the 
Accession of Liberia was established in December 2007.  In 2014, there was strong re-engagement 
by Monrovia.  In 2015, Liberia concluded bilateral market access negotiations with six (6) 
Signatory Members. The draft Report of the Wo rking Party on the accession of Liberia was 
prepared and updated to reflect negotiating progress.  The Second and Third Meetings of the Working Party were held in May and July, respectively.  In May 2015, Members and the Acceding 
Government of Liberia finalized Liberia's Agriculture Supporting Tables. The verification of the 
Draft Goods and Services Schedules of Liberia wa s completed with six (6) Signatory Members in 
July, following the deposit of all signed bilateral agreements with the Director-General.  With the 
emergence of the Draft Accession Package, the Chai rman of the Working Party on the Accession of 
Liberia, H.E. Ambassador Joakim Reiter (Sweden/Deputy-Secretary General UNCTAD) and the Director of the WTO Accessions Division undertook  a high-level country visit to Monrovia, from 
19 to 21 August. In the course of the mission, Director Accessions hand-delivered a letter from 
WTO Director-General Azevêdo to H.E. President Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia.  Following 
consultations with the Executive and Legislative Branches of Government in Liberia, as follow-up to the Mission to Monrovia, the Draft Accession Packag e of Liberia was circulated to all Members of 
the Working Party on 4 September.  The Draft Accession Package consisted of three (3) 
components: (i) the Draft Report of the Working Pa rty on the Accession of Liberia; (ii) the Draft 
Schedule of Concessions and Commitments on Goods of Liberia; and, (iii) the Draft Schedule of 
the Specific Commitments on Services of Liberia.   The Fourth and final meeting of the Working WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
- 15 - 
 
  Party took place on 6 October, at which Members adopted the Draft Accession Package of Liberia, 
ad referendum , and transmitted it for formal action to the Tenth WTO Ministerial Conference in 
Nairobi, Kenya, from 15 to 18 December.   
65. Libya: Libya applied for WTO accession in June 2004.  The Working Party on the Accession of 
Libya was established in September 2004.  The Working Party has never met.  Libya has neither 
submitted a Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime (MFTR) nor initial market access offers, to initiate the process of accession negotiations.   
66. Sao Tomé and Principe: Sao Tomé and Principe applied for WTO accession in February 2005. 
The Working Party on the Accession of the Democr atic Republic of Sao Tomé and Principe was 
established in June 2005.  Sao Tomé and Principe has neither submitted a Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime (MFTR) nor initial market access offers to initiate the process of accession 
negotiations.  Sao Tomé and Principe is subject to Category III
22 administrative measures and 
therefore its Accession Working Party is in suspension until its debts are redeemed.   
67. Serbia: Serbia applied for WTO accession in December 2004. The Working Party on the 
Accession of Serbia was established in February 2005.  The thirteenth (13th) Meeting of the 
Working Party was held in June 2013.  The latest version of the Draft Working Party Report was circulated in October 2012.  Bilateral market access negotiations with interested Members are 
outstanding.  The next meeting of the Working Party would be convened when: (i) outstanding 
domestic legislative action has been completed by Belgrade; (ii) work on the latest Draft Working Party Report has been finalized; and, (iii) substantial progress on the remaining bilateral market access negotiations has been registered. In 2015, the Negotiating Team in Belgrade sustained its 
routine technical contact with the Secretariat to provide updates on domestic state-of-play.     
68. Sudan: Sudan applied for WTO accession in October 1994.  The Working Party on the 
Accession of Sudan was also established in October 1994.  The Second meeting of the Working 
Party was held in March 2004.  Two signed bilateral market access agreements were deposited 
with the Secretariat (Brazil and China).  Updated technical Negotiating inputs are still pending, including a description of Constitutional changes after the independence of South Sudan in 2012.  
The Secretariat has been in technical contacts with Sudan to identify areas where updated 
materials and information are required.  However, there is no substantive technical engagement by Sudan.   
69. The Syrian Arab Republic: The Syrian Arab Republic applied for WTO accession in 
October 2001.  It renewed its application in 2004, 2005, and 2010.  The Working Party on the 
Accession of the Syrian Arab Republic was established in May 2010.  No Working Party meeting has been held to date.  The Syrian Arab Republic has neither submitted a Memorandum on the 
Foreign Trade Regime (MFTR), nor initial market access offers to initiate the process of accession 
negotiations.    
70. Uzbekistan: Uzbekistan applied for WTO accession in December 1994.  The Working Party on 
the Accession of Uzbekistan was also establishe d in December 1994.  The Third Meeting of the 
Working Party took place in October 2005.  This accession is dormant.    
IV. LEAST-DEVELOPED COUNTRIES' ACCESSIONS 71. The year 2015 has been active for a number of LDCs.  In the year under review, Liberia 
concluded its accession negotiations at the level of the Working Party in October 2015, when its 
Draft Accession Package was adopted ad referendum .  Formal action shall be taken at the 
10
th WTO Ministerial Conference in December 2015.  
72. Afghanistan re-engaged robustly in its accession process.  It submitted negotiating inputs 
which allowed the update and re-circulation of its Draft Accession Package on 19 October 2015.  
Afghanistan concluded its accession negotiations at the level of the Working Party in 
November 2015, when its Draft Accession Package was adopted ad referendum .  Formal action 
shall be taken at the 10th WTO Ministerial Conference in December 2015.  
                                               
22 As of November 2014. WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
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  73. Bhutan, Comoros, Ethiopia and Sudan sustained technical non-negotiating contacts with the 
Secretariat, but with no substantive technical engagement at the multilateral level of the Working Parties on these dossiers.   
74. Equatorial Guinea remained dormant.  Sao Tomé and Principe is still subject to Category III 
of Administrative Measures.    
75. In response to the human capital and resource constraints of LDCs, the Secretariat 
continues to provide a combination of generalized start-up technical assistance activities with 
tailored accession-specific activities to acceding LDCs at all stages of their WTO accession process.  
This year, as in previous years, technical assistance to acceding LDCs delegations in Geneva was combined with assistance to capital-based officials.   This customized assistance is being improved and refined in several ways.  For instance, a ccession-specific training sessions have been 
developed to train entire LDC' Negotiating Teams.  These are timed to coincide with their 
scheduled Working Party Cycles.   
76. In addition to in-house Secretariat support,  Members have continued to provide technical 
support for LDC Accessions.  This includes, amongst others, capacity-building on the platform of 
the China "Least-Developed Countries (LDCs) and Accessions Programme".  So far, sixteen (16) China Accession interns have been trained.    
77. Several other WTO Members continue to sustain and upgrade their capacity-building and 
technical support for Acceding LDCs.  Some do, nationally, others on the platform of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF).  Steady support has been extended from Australia, Brazil, Canada, 
European Union (including dedicated programmes from its individual Member States), India, New 
Zealand and the United States.   
78. In 2012, the General Council adopted the Addendum to WT/L/508 to strengthen, streamline 
and operationalize the Guidelines on LDCs' Accessions.
23  Members are mindful of these Guidelines 
in on-going active LDCs' accessions.  The Director-General has underscored the vital importance of 
Members to be cognizant of these Guidelines in facilitating negotiations with LDCs.  Members were sensitive to these Guidelines in the conclusion of the accession negotiations of Liberia and 
Afghanistan.   
V.  'WTO AT TWENTY' - ACCE SSION EVENTS AND INITIATIVES 
79. On 1 January 2015, in his message to the international community, the Director-General 
launched a series of activities to mark the Tw entieth Anniversary of the WTO.  The Accessions 
Division developed a Programme of activities and an exhibition to commemorate Twenty Years of 
WTO Accessions.   
i. WTO at Twenty exhibition: The WTO: a rules-based system - The 'accessions corner' 
80. The exhibition "The WTO: a rules-based system" was developed (as a joint initiative of the 
Legal Affairs Division and the Accessions Division).   The 'accessions corner', as part of this 
exhibition, contains an 'information stand', disp laying Accession Protocols and an interactive WTO 
accession map. The exhibition will show until De cember 2015.  It can be viewed on the ground 
floor of the new building.  
ii. WTO at Twenty Photo Exhibition – Tw enty years of WTO accession signing 
ceremonies 
81. As part of the exhibition of Accession Prot ocols is the "Photographic Exhibition" of the 
twenty-year history of the Organization, which includes 20 years of WTO accession protocol 
signing ceremonies.  The exhibition will also stay  in place until December 2015.  It can be viewed 
at the Atrium of the Centre William Rappard at  Rue de Lausanne 154, Geneva, Switzerland.   
                                               
23 WT/L/508/Add.1, 30 July 2012.   WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
- 17 - 
 
  iii. Accessions Book Launch and the WTO 20th Anniversary Accessions Programme 
82. A 3-day, 3-part Accessions Twentieth Anniversary Programme was implemented from 28 to 
30 September 2015.  This programme was composed of the Second Global Seminar on Accessions; the Tenth Anniversary of the WTO Acce ssion of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and, the 
launch by WTO Director-General Roberto Azev êdo of the book: 'WTO Accessions and Trade 
Multilateralism: Case Studies and Lessons for the WTO at Twenty' (http://www.cambridge.org/us/academ ic/subjects/law/ internatio nal-trade-law/wto-accessions-
and-trade-multilateralism-case-studies-and-lessons-wto-twenty?format =HB
); a co-publication of 
the WTO and Cambridge University Press. 
VI.  20-YEAR LANDSCAPE OF WTO ACCESSIONS 1. INTRODUCTION 
83. Increasing WTO membership has been a constant  priority for the Organization.  Membership 
is considered as the means to extend the coverage of the rules-based multilateral trading system and foster international cooperation.  WTO acce ssions have expanded the trading system, both 
geographically and conceptually.  Accession results have exercised significant effects in the four 
areas of: domestic reforms, market access, upda ting the rules and international cooperation.  
In this the 20
th anniversary of the WTO, the thematic focus in this year's Annual Report on 
Accessions, identifies and assesses these resu lts, juxtaposed to GATT era accessions.  
84. Specifically, this year's thematic focus: provides an overview of WTO accession results on 
rules and market access; describes the evolutio n in accession procedures over the 20-year 
landscape; and, suggests lessons for accessions management, from the perspective of the 
Secretariat, with the objective of assisting current acceding governments in their WTO accession 
engagement.   
2. ACCESSION RESULTS 
85. In 1995, WTO rules extended to approximately 80% of world trade amongst 128 WTO 
Members.  To date, at 162 Members24, the coverage of WTO rules has been extended to 97.7% of 
world trade. Of this, the 34 Members, includin g Kazakhstan, that have acceded to the WTO 
pursuant to Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization 
(hereinafter: Article XII Members) account for 17.6% of the extension and coverage of the 
rules-based Multilateral Trading System.  Of these 34, as listed in Annex 4 to this Report, 33 are sovereign countries and one is a separate customs territory.  Article XII Members now account for 
21% of WTO membership. With th e imminent membership of Kazakhstan and the conclusion of 
the Accession Negotiations of Liberia and Afghanistan, nineteen (19) more countries are at different stages of accession.  
86. Article XII Membership reflects the rich diversity of the WTO as a multilateral organization.   
Of the 34 Article XII Members, seven
25 (7) were classified least-developed countries (LDCs), in 
accordance with the UN List of Least-developed Countries; the other 27 – acceded on terms and 
conditions that took account of their development status and particular needs.  Twenty had 
previously been centrally planned economies.  A major accomplishment of WTO accession is the integration of economies, which emerged from the collapse of the USSR and had, initially, opposed the ITO/GATT formation
. 
87. The successful conclusion of 34 accession negotiations required the multilateral consensus of 
WTO membership.  An important lesson from these accessions is that there are contexts and modalities which lead multilateral trade negotiations to successful outcomes, even in the complex 
and multi-polar 21
st Century global economy.    
                                               
24 Kazakhstan will become the 162nd Member on 30 November 2015.    
25 Cambodia, Cabo Verde, Lao PDR, Nepal, Samoa, Vanuatu, Yemen. After accession, Vanuatu and 
Samoa graduated from their LDC st atus. UN General Assembly Resolution 68/L.20 adopted on 
4 December 2013, decided that Vanuatu will graduate four years after the adoption of the resolution. WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
- 18 - 
 
  3. ACCESSION COMMITMENTS 
88. WTO accession is a process of negotiating enforceable WTO commitments for 
WTO-consistent domestic reforms.  Article XII Members are bound by WTO rules and disciplines 
that existed at the establishment of the WTO in  1995 and, the negotiated specific terms of 
accession on rules and market access on goods and services, as embodied in their Accession 
Protocols, which vary for individual membership .  Pursuant to Article 2 of the standard WTO 
Accession Protocol, these accession-specific obligations when they enter into force become integral 
to the "WTO Agreement" (i.e., the Marrake sh Agreement Establishing the World Trade 
Organization).   
89. On multilateral rules, during the twenty ye ars of the WTO, Article XII Members undertook 
1,47926 accession-specific commitments (both in their Accession Protocols and Working Party 
Reports), of which 175 commitments were undertake n by Article XII LDCs.  The range of these 
commitments span the 36 chapters/sections contained in their accession Working Party Reports and WTO Accession Protocols.  For the total num ber of accession-specific commitments of these 
34 Article XII Members, across these chapters/sections, see Chart 2 below.   
Chart 2 - Total number of commitments of Article XII Members by 
chapters/sections, as contained in a ccession Working Party Reports and WTO 
Accession Protocols 
 
 
 
 
                                               
26 This number includes the accession-specific ob ligations of Kazakhstan (118) which will become a 
Member on 30 November.  It does not include  the accession-specific obligations of Liberia (32); and, 
Afghanistan (37), which are yet to come into force.   
WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
- 19 - 
 
  90. Within each rules area, the accession-specific commitments establish direct relationships 
with WTO rules, either to clarify, reinforce, deepen and/or extend, depending on the uniqueness for each particular accession.  In Box 1, attached to this Report, as an example, 57 commitments undertaken by 29 Article XII Members on "Framework for Making and Enforcing Policies" are 
summarised.
27 
91. On market access, after twenty years of negotiations, in 34 completed accessions, 
534 bilateral market access agreements on goods and 259 bilateral market access agreements on 
services28 have been negotiated, signed and deposited with the WTO Director-General ex officio .29 
These agreements were consolidated into Schedules of Tariff Concessions and Commitments on Goods and Specific Commitments on Trade in Serv ices, annexed to the accession protocols of the 
acceding governments and applied on an MFN basis.  The sum and effects of these bilateral market 
access agreements stand as significant accomplishments not only for the expansion of market 
access opportunities for all WTO Members on an MFN basis, unheralded progress of multilateral negotiations in the regular work of the WTO and, of the technical capacity and policy capacity of 
WTO Members to get things done, in appropriate formats and configurations.  The expansion of 
market access opportunities by Article XII Members is best demonstrated by comparing original and Article XII Members with regard to their good s tariff concessions and specific commitments on 
services, as summarised in Table 1 below.  
Table 1 – Market access results from 34 Article XII accessions 
 Goods: Final Bound Rates  Services  
 Binding 
coverage All 
products  Agricultural 
products  Non-Agricultural 
products  Number of services 
sub-sectors   
Original Members 74% 45.5% 65.4% 34.0% 48 
Article XII Members 99.98% 13.49% 19.68% 12.56% 102 
 
4. ACCESSION PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES – EVOLUTION 
92. Accession to the GATT, pursuant to Articles  XXXIII and XXVI:5(c) of the GATT 1947, was a 
technical, sponsored, and semi-automatic process.  In 1994, to become an original WTO Member 
on 1 January 1995, an acceding government was requ ired to sign up to the results of the Uruguay 
Round, and submit draft goods and services schedules, for technical verification.  
93. Post-1995, however acceding governments have negotiated the terms of their WTO 
membership, pursuant to Article XII of the WTO Agreement which provides that: 'Any State or 
separate customs territory possessing full autonomy in the conduct of its external commercial 
relations and of the other matters provided for in this Agreement and the Multilateral Trade Agreements may accede to this Agreement on terms to be agreed between it and the WTO.'  
The value of the Article XII process is that it has provided acceding governments with an 
indispensable platform for domestic reforms for improved competitiveness and sustained growth 
for development.  The WTO accession process is a more structured, disciplined process that has enabled acceding governments to integrate trade into their overall policy priorities for 
diversification and modernization.   
94. Unlike the GATT, Article XII WTO accession is a hard and long process and is challenging 
because it is a process of domestic reform combined with fostering broader international 
cooperation on the basis of WTO core values.  On average, accession negotiations last ten years; 
and require far-reaching binding commitments.  For the length of completed and on-going Article XII accessions, see Chart 3.  
                                               
27 This number includes the accession-specific obligations on "Framework for Making and Enforcing 
Policies" of Kazakhstan (3); and, excludes  the accession-specific obligation s on "Framework for Making and 
Enforcing Policies" of Liberia (3); and, Afghanis tan (3), which are yet to come into force. 
28 These include Kazakhstan (30 b ilateral agreements on goods an d 15 bilateral agreements on 
services); and, exclude Liberia (6 bilateral agreem ents on goods and 3 on services) and Afghanistan 
(9 bilateral agreements on goods and 7 on services).  In sum, of the bilateral ag reements for these countries 
are added, the aggregate of bilateral market access agreements across these accessions would total 549 on 
goods and 269 on services.   
29 Register for Bilateral Market A ccess Agreements (WTO Secretariat). WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
- 20 - 
 
  Chart 3 – Length of completed and ongoing Article XII accessions 
BLUE: completed accessions; 
RED: ongoing accessions.  
 WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
- 21 - 
 
  95. Article XII accession proceeds and have been managed on the basis of longstanding 
GATT/WTO accession best practices.  Start-up procedures are broadly and illustratively indicated in WTO document WT/ACC/22, circulated on 1 August 2014.  A useful compendium of accession procedures and longstanding best practices are reflected in the recent book on WTO Accessions.
30  
What is self-evident is that procedures and practice have evolved to keep pace with dynamic and 
rapid transformation in an integrated global economy and reflect the uniqueness of Acceding 
Governments.  To facilitate LDC accessions and address the challenges they face, negotiating 
guidelines for LDCs were agreed in 2002 (WTO document WT/L/508 of 10 December 2002) and 
reinforced on 25 July 2012.  
96. Accession negotiations (excluding internal domestic negotiations) are managed on three 
tracks: (i) multilateral track; (ii) plurilateral track; and, (iii) bilateral track, see Chart 4 below. 
Chart 4 – Stages of Article XII accession process 
 
 
 
97. Regardless of adjustments made over time to longstanding accession procedures and 
processes, the basic principles of "accessions negotiations management" have been largely 
constant, as they were set in November 1994, just prior to the entry into force of the Marrakesh 
Agreement Establishing the WTO.  These principles, as listed in the Box below, mutatis mutandis , 
continue being followed.  
 
10 POINTS ON MANAGEMENT OF AC CESSION NEGOTIATIONS (C/COM/4)31 
 
1. the management of accession negotiations in the GATT should ensure the wider acceptance and 
effective application of rules and disciplines under the GA TT, thus contributing toward s the reform processes in 
the applicant countries or territories, and towards the objective of further strengthening the multilateral trading 
system; 
 
 
                                               
30 WTO Accessions and Trade Multilateralism: Case Studies and Lessons from the WTO at Twenty, Edited 
by Uri Dadush and Chiedu Osakwe, Cambridge Universi ty Press and the World Trade Organization, 2015.   
31 As circulated in GATT document C/COM/4 of 16 November 1994. WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
- 22 - 
 
  2. there shall be no lowering of present st andards for terms of accession to GATT; 
 
3. accession negotiations should be limited to issues related to GATT rights and obligations including 
market access to the applicant country or territory; 
 
4. accession negotiations should be approached on a ca se-by-case basis, while respecting the established 
procedures for negotiatio ns with all applicants; 
 
5. adequate lead-time should be allowed in the preparatory stage of accession negotiations before 
meetings of the respective working parties are convened , in order to allow both the applicant government and 
members of the working party to  better prepare themselves; 
 
6. in line with 5 above, more than one round of qu estions and answers may be organized if necessary; 
subsequent rounds will be designed to select and clarify issues before an initial me eting of the working party; 
 
7. adequate lead-time should be allowed fo r governments to examine documentation;32 the conformity of 
such documentation with established pr ocedures should be checked in advance by the Secretariat, which would 
inform contracting parties and the ap plicant government of its views; 
 
8. the Secretariat may be invited to examine the technical assistance requirements of the applicant 
government so as to elaborate its own plans for assistance  and further coordinate them  with those of individual 
governments; 
 
9. the applicant government should be encouraged to  undertake the necessary in-depth preparation for 
the accession negotiations before the working party meetings, inter alia , through informal consultations with 
contracting parties and the Secretariat; 
 
10. applicant governments should also avail themselves, to the extent po ssible, of the training activities of 
GATT as part of their preparation for negotiations and to  fully use their GATT observer status, in particular, to 
attend meetings of other accession work ing parties and of various committees." 
 
 
5. LESSONS FROM WTO ACCESSIONS MANAGEMENT 
98. WTO accession is a process of domestic reform and commitment to WTO core values and 
compliance.  The four modalities of a successful accession include: (i) strong political commitment to WTO accession of the acceding government at the level of the Head of State/Government, on 
the foundation of legislation and implementing regulation;  (ii) effective national coordination; (iii) 
continuity of the negotiating team; and, (iv) domestic outreach on WTO issues.  These are supported by the technical assistance from the Secretariat, which includes, but is not limited to, preparation of roadmaps for acceding government s, tailor-made demand-driven capacity building 
and outreach with Parliamentarians and the private sector.   
 
 
SUCCESSFUL ACCESSION: THE FOUR PILLARS 
 
No.1 -  High Level Political Commitment (Head 
of State/Government): 
 
 Set capacity building priorities 
 Set a clear roadmap for the accession 
 Reassure Working Party of sustained high 
level political commitment  
 
No.2 - Effective National Coordination: 
 
    Design and operationalize a sound domestic 
coordinating  structure 
    Negotiating Authority for Coordinating Body  
 Appointment of Chief Negotiator with 
technical ability and Policy Gravitas 
 Parliamentary Engagement 
 Engagement of sub- central (regional) 
governments 
 No.3 - Continuity of Negotiation Team: 
 
 Build-up and invest in WTO accession team 
 WTO accession is a training and capacity-
building process 
 
 
No.4 - Domestic Outreach on WTO Issues: 
 
 Establish an effective dialogue with the 
private sector  
 Understand transaction costs in the re-
allocation of resources to dynamic sectors 
of growth  
 Engage Civil Society (NGOs) 
 Create critical pro-accession constituency  
 Debate pros and cons and do not evade the 
dialogue and debate 
 
                                               
32 In practice, thr ee to four weeks. WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
- 23 - 
 
   Explain that economies that do not reform, 
transform and modernize, fall behind other 
economies   
 Network  
 
 
 
99. To date, the process of Liberia's accession negoti ations stands as an example of efficiency to 
expedite accession negotiations.  Several elements were central: i) strong political engagement by the President of Liberia, in lock-step engagement with the Legislature, to use the process as an 
instrument of domestic reforms; ii) an engaged Chief Negotiator; iii) an established, technically 
able, mobile negotiating team that took up residency in Geneva to resolve negotiating questions and break logjams; iv) unanimous support by the WTO Membership with strong individual 
members championing this accession; and, v) engagement by the Director-General to ensure that 
systemic resources were directed to serve the need s of an acceding government most in need of 
integration in the global market economy and good trade governance, laws and regulations.  
 
Main Lessons for successf ul technical work from  Liberia's accession: 
 
• Focus on Technical Substance;  
• Provide Full Information; 
• Work in Real Time;  
• Engage actively with Memb ers and the Secretariat.  
 
 
100.  Any process can be improved, including the process of WTO accessions.  The scope for 
improvement revolves around three aspects: (i) transparency, (ii) acceleration, and, (iii) better explanations to improve understanding of the si gnificance of accession-based domestic reforms 
and the lessons to be drawn.  Transparency has been improved since 2010, through such tools as 
this Director-General's Annual Report on Accessi ons, which forms the basis for the debate by 
Members on the dedicated accession item at the end of year General Council session; Accessions 
Commitments Database; IGA meetings; the Accessions Newsletter; the Accessions Global Seminar 
process; the Outreach Dialogue with Regional  Groups; and, the accessions-based China Round 
Table process.  Yet more can be done to improve tran sparency, particularly in in-country activities.   
6. CONCLUSION 
101.  Accession negotiations have been used by the acceding governments as an instrument for 
wide-ranging domestic policy, legal and institutional reforms, to improve the investment climate, diversify, modernize achieve faster growth rates and, also, attempt the facilitation of geopolitical 
relationships. The accession negotiating process per se  continues adapting to new challenges at 
the technical level.  Remaining accessions are more complex, in many ways, than those already completed.     
VII. WTO POST-ACCESSION SUPPORT:  CO NCEPT, STRATEGY AND APPLICATION 
102.  In response to a range of requests from Article XII Members, the Director-General has 
initiated an integrated initiative for a "WTO Post-Accession Strategy" for Article XII Members, in particular the newest amongst them.  The objective of the strategy is assist new Members' 
transition, smoothly, from long negotiating periods, to operational behavior as WTO members so 
as to maximize the benefits of trade integration into the rules-based system on the foundation of their domestic reforms.  The strategy entails 4 integrated steps:  
a. Secretariat coordination with relevant multilateral and bilateral donors to develop 
post-accession support for soft and hard infrastructure to sustain domestic reforms and implementation of WTO obligations, for improved competitiveness, increased 
productivity and supply elasticity;  
b. Secretariat gathering of experiences and best practices on post-accession from Article 
XII Members, through a questionnaire methodol ogy, to be shared with all Article XII 
Members;   WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
- 24 - 
 
  c. Improved internal Secretariat coordination to better support new members from 
day 1 of membership until their first trade policy review; and,  
d. Sustained thematic focus on Post-Accession in the China Accession Round Table 
process.   
103.  Several steps have been taken to implement this initiative by the Director-General.  
First, the Secretariat developed a questionnaire and sent it to all Article XII Members requesting their experience and best practices, post–accessi on.  Second, on 2-4 June 2015, the Third China 
Round Table was held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, with the thematic focus on "Post-Accession: 
M a x i m i s i n g  t h e  B e n e f i t s  o f  W T O  M e m b e r s h i p  a n d  G l o b a l  E c o n o m i c  I n t e g r a t i o n . "   T h i r d ,  a t  t h e  Dushanbe Round Table participants reviewed the preliminary results from the Secretariat's survey on post-accession, welcomed these initial results an d, requested that it be deepened and extended 
(paragraph 29 of The Dushanbe Statement).  The Dushanbe Round Table provided a platform, for 
the first time, for Article XII Members and Acceding Governments to discuss and share their post-accession experiences, practices and lesso ns learned.  Since the Dushanbe China Round 
Table, based on 13 replies received to the questionnaire, the Secretariat has updated the best 
practices on post-accession.  These are structured around seven areas: (i) Policy Framework for Implementation; (ii) Institutional Structural Adjustment; (iii) Legislative Framework for 
Implementation; (iv) Transparency; (v) Technical Assistance and Capacity Building; (vi) Outreach; 
and (viii) Participation in the work of the WTO.  This updated work would be issued in a Secretariat Note on the "Best Practices on Post-Accession", as document WT/ACC/26.   
104.    Fourth, the initial application of "WTO Post-Accession Support Strategy" is being developed 
for Liberia and Afghanistan.  Based on the conti nued rationale of demand-driven support, including 
for efficiency reasons and effectiveness, Article XII Members would have to lead the process.  The role of the WTO would be establish and su ggest the platform for operational action for 
WTO Post-Accession Support Strategy, as reflected in three documents:  
a. WT/ACC/26: "Best Practices on Post-Accession;  
b. WT/ACC–series, to be circulated: "WTO Secretariat Post-Accession Strategy Support 
Note"; and,  
c. "Internal Secretariat Post-Accession Implementation and Monitoring Note".   
VIII. TRADE AND ECONOMIC PERFOR MANCE OF ARTICLE XII MEMBERS
33 
105.  In 2014, the nominal value of world trade in g oods and services increased modestly by 1.2% 
compared to the previous year.  Structural and cy clical factors have been suggested to explain the 
global slowdown of trade growth. These includ e the lack of coordination between monetary 
policies, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, falling demand in emerging 
economies and the sharp decline in commodity pr ices.  Against this background, individual 
situations reflect diversity.    
106.  The trends identified, as identified, in the st atistical analysis of the trade performance of 
Article XII Members in last year's version of this report continued, in spite of the global trade 
growth slowdown.34  Overall, Article XII Members' trade gr owth, led by China, outperformed that 
of the rest of the world by 62% in 2014, down from 159% in 2013.   
107.    Figure 1 provides two snapshots which illust rate the evolution of market shares.  On the 
one hand, original Members' share of world trade decreased from 90% in 1995 to 80% in 2014.  
On the other hand, the share of world trade of Article XII Members' increased from 7.8% in 1995 
and 17.5% in 2014, thus expanding the reach of the MTS to cover approximately 98% of world 
trade.   
                                               
33 See Annex 6 of this Report. 
34 See Section VI of the 2014 Director-General's An nual Report on Accessions in WT/ACC/23.   WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
- 25 - 
 
  Figure 1 - Share of World Trade by Membership Status 
 
  
Source :  WTO Statistics Database.  
108.  Figure 2 shows that in the twenty years si nce the establishment of the WTO in 1995, the 
nominal value of world trade in goods and commer cial services grew by 273% at an average 
annual growth rate of 7.2%. Over the same period , that of Article XII Members increased by 736% 
at an average annual growth rate of 11.8%.  And,  even excluding the largest Article XII Member 
by trade value (China), the other Article XII Memb ers' nominal value of trade increased, over the 
same period, by 410% at an average annual growth rate of 9% i.e. approximately 50% faster than 
global trade growth rate.    
Figure 2 – Evolution of World Trade in nominal value by membership status 
 
109.  Overall, Article XII Members have recorded ra pid trade growth.  Figures 3 and 4 show that, 
in the period 1995 to 2014, the nominal value of trade in goods and services of 
Article XII Members increased by 750% and 661%, resp ectively.  This was faster than the increase 
of the nominal value of global trade in goods and services, which increased respectively, by 264% and 310%.  Even if China, a major trader, is excl uded from the calculations, the trend remains.  
In other words, the trade growth of Article XII Member s is faster than that of the rest of the world. 
WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
- 26 - 
 
  Figure 3 - Value of merchandise trad e of Article XII Members:  1995-2014 
 (Index, 1995=100) 
 
Source :  WTO Statistics Database.   
 
Figure 4 - Value of trade in commercial se rvices of Article XII Members:  1995-2014  
(Index, 1995=100) 
 
 
Source :  WTO Statistics Database.  
110.  Article XII Members have also registered strong trade performance in terms of their 
expanded share of world merchandise trade.  As shown in Figure 5, from 1995 to 2014, the share 
of world merchandise trade of Article XII Members increased significantly from 7.8% to 17.5%.  
WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
- 27 - 
 
  Figure 5 - Share of World Merchand ise Trade of Article XII Members 
 
  
 
Source :  WTO Statistics Database  
Trade and Economic Performance of Article XII LDC Members 
111.  Since the establishment of the WTO in 1995, the value of world merchandise exports grew 
by 268% at an average annual growth rate of 7.1%.  Against this background and given the established stronger performance of Article XII Me mbers when considered as a group, individual 
cases are also worth mentioning.  Seven of th e Members which joined the Organization under 
Article XII acceded as LDCs
35. The disaggregated data show that the value of merchandise exports 
Article XII Members which acceded as LDCs regist ered, grew twice as fast when compared to 
global merchandise trade value.  
112.  The value of LDCs which are Article XII merchandise exports grew, in the period 1995 to 
2014 by 544% at an average annual growth rate  of 10.3%. With the exception of Nepal and 
Vanuatu, other Article XII Members which acceded as LDCs merchandise exports grew faster than 
the world average, hence gaining market shares. Individual performances in the period 1995 to 
2014 worth noting include Cambodia whose value of merchandise exports grew by 1163% at an average annual growth rate of 14.3% and Cabo  Verde whose value of merchandise export 
expanded by 907% at an average annual growth rate of 12.9%. 
 
                                               
35 Cabo Verde and Samoa acceded to the WTO as Least-developed countrie s (LDCs). Cabo Verde 
graduated from LDC status in December 2007; and Sa moa graduated in January 2014. The other Article XII 
Members which acceded as LDCs were Cambod ia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Vanuatu and Yemen. 
WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
- 28 - 
 
  Figure 6 - Value of merchandise export s of Article XII Members:  1995-2014 
(Index, 1995=100) 
 
 
  
WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
- 29 - 
 
   
IX. CONCLUSIONS - OUTLOOK 2016 
113.  My report to Members this year indicates strong and remarkable progress on accessions.  
Membership has been increased.  The process per se  and the results have advanced the objectives 
and core values of the WTO.  We are closer to the strategic goal of universality of membership.  
WTO rules extend to cover 98% of the global economy.  The WTO has used the accession process to reconfirm and extend acceptance of the core va lues of an integrated global market economy, 
trade openness, good governance and a system based on the rule of law. 
114.    In the past twenty years, 33 accessions ha ve been completed; 36 with the addition of 
Kazakhstan
36, Liberia37 and Afghanistan38 in 2015.  Overall, this is a strong record that has kept 
the WTO relevant, contemporary and credible.   
115.  Yet there is work to be done and, we should  now turn our attention to the remaining 2%.  
Nineteen (19) established Working Parties represent work at various levels of activity and progress.  Several are active.  Others are in a do mestic preparatory stage.  Some are inactive and 
dormant.  Every accession negotiation provides opportunities for conclusion.  I am confident that 
Members stand ready, with Secretariat support, to  support those Acceding Governments, who are 
ready to take the domestic reform decisions that are required to complete their accession 
negotiations.  Regardless of development status, there are no short-cuts in accession negotiations 
because WTO membership is a "contract", based on a rules-defined balance of rights and obligations.   
116.  In 2016, the LDCs shall retain the priority fo cus of the WTO in time, resource and effort.  
The accessions of Ethiopia and Comoros reflect technical activity.  Actual progress, however, will 
depend on submission of substantive negotiating inputs.  Ample Secretariat resources are in place to provide support when the negotiating substance is in place.   
117.  Regionally, the results from the Third China Round Table in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, make 
self-evident the necessity for the WTO to increase its engagement with Central Asia.  I carefully reviewed "The Dushanbe Statement"
39 addressed to me, as Director-General, from the Minister of 
Economic Development and Trade of Tajikistan Mr. Nematullo Hikmatullozoda, on behalf of Round 
Table participants.   Attention was drawn to the si gnificant challenges facing the region and scope 
for WTO engagement to support the region in part icular on questions of trade facilitation and 
WTO-assisted accession reforms.   Central Asia merits the increased attention and focus of the 
Organization.  We aim for deeper engagement with  the region.  In 2016 we will be exploring and 
engaging deeper with the region to ascertain how the WTO can more effectively support their 
efforts for improved connectivity and integration to regional and global markets.   Central Asia is a 
growth frontier in the global economy.   
118.  Focus will be sustained on the accessions of Algeria, Belarus, Comoros, Ethiopia and 
The Bahamas, based on substance.  The pace of these accessions will depend on the integrated 
submission of negotiating inputs for comprehensive review and for dynamic engagement 
members.  The authorities in Minsk have been in direct contact with me.  Belarus has underlined that its WTO accession is "a national goal" and priority.   The WTO is ready and set to assist an expedited accession process for Belarus on the basis of substance, sustained engagement and 
required decisions.   
119.  Beyond work underway, in active Working Parties, there are existing applications to be 
considered and signalled expressions of interest.  In April this year, Timor Leste applied for 
membership.  The application will be circulated when Timor Leste submits the requirement of its 
                                               
36 Protocol of Accession has been ratified although In strument of Accession is yet to be deposited with 
the Director-General.   
37 Formal decision shall be taken at the Tenth Ministerial Conference on the Accession Package adopted 
ad referendum  at the final meeting of the Working Party on the Accession of Liberia on 6 October 2015.   
38 Formal decision should be taken at the Tenth Mi nisterial Conference on th e Draft Accession Package 
scheduled for adoption ad referendum  at the final meeting of the Working Party on the Accession of the Islamic 
Republic of Afghanistan on 11 November 2015.  
39 WT/ACC/24; WT/MIN(15)/1; WT/GC/170; WT/C OMTD/LDC/23: "The Dushanbe Statement", 
8 June 2015.   WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
- 30 - 
 
  "Statement of Foreign Trade Regime".  In April 2012, South Sudan – the newest state in the 
international community – applied for Observer Status, preparatory to initiating accession negotiations.
40  This application will be considered at the appropriate moment.  Somalia and 
Turkmenistan have signalled expressions of interest.    
120.  Better designed, focused and tailored technical and capacity-building to support WTO 
accession negotiations will remain critical.  Equally, critical will be improved coordination of multilateral and bilateral effort.  We will follow-up and revert to Members on the pressing necessity 
for WTO Post-Accession technical assistance to ensure that new Members operate to strengthen 
the rules-based MTS and that the multilateral an d bilateral development communities operate in a 
coordinated network to also ensure the gains from trade.   
121.  Notwithstanding the obvious challenges of hard decisions on domestic reforms that are 
integral to successful accession negotiations, we are confident of the year ahead.  Members stand 
ready and are set to support, as soon as the substantive rules-based conditions are met.  As Director-General, I reconfirm that the Secretariat remains at your service.  The year ahead 
holds promise and opportunities for those countries that show the political determination and 
technical engagement that are fundamental to the success of any process of accession.  I look forward to the work in the year ahead with Members and Acceding Governments. 
_______________ 
                                               
40 WT/L/852: Republic of South Sudan – Request for Observer Status, 20 April 2012.    
  WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7  
 
- 31 - ANNEX 1 - ACCESSIONS DIVISION WORK INDICATORS FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2015  
Year Formal WP 
Meetings Informal WP 
Meetings/ 
Consultations Technical 
Verification 
Meetings 
 Plurilateral 
Meetings IGA Technical 
Assistance, 
Capacity-
Building & 
China Round 
Table 
Process  Article XII 
Accessions 
 Newsletters DG's Annual 
Report on 
Accessions Accessions 
Annual 
Outreach 
Cycle 
 
2015 
 6 
Afghanistan (1), 
Azerbaijan (1), 
Liberia (3), 
Kazakhstan (1) 3 
Kazakhstan (1), 
Liberia (2) 
 2 
Kazakhstan 
(1), 
Liberia (1) 3 
Azerbaijan (1), 
Kazakhstan (1), 
Liberia (1) 
 9 22 
 
including, 
inter alia: 
 - Dushanbe 
Third China 
Round Table  - Nairobi Fourth China Round Table  1 
Kazakhstan, 
formal action 
by the 
General 
Council
1  
12 1 
(WT/ACC/25, 
WT/GC/174, 
WT/MIN(15)/7) 3 
African Group 
and LDCs' 
Consultative 
Group; 
Sub-Committee 
on LDCs;  
GRULAC 
 
Source:  Accessions Di vision internal data. 
                                               
1 27 July 2015.  
  WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7  
 
- 32 - ANNEX 2 - ACCESSIONS NEGOTIATED  PURSUANT TO ARTICLE XII  
Government* Membership 
Date Working Party Report Goods Schedule Services 
Schedule Protocol of Accession Ministerial Conference / 
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  26/04/2015 WT/ACC/SYC/64 Add.1 Add.2 WT/L/944 WT/L/944 
* Sorted by date of Membership. WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
- 33 - 
 
  ANNEX 3 - WTO ACCESSIONS WORKING PARTY (WP) CHAIRPERSONS 
No. Government Date WP established WP Chairperson* Geneva
-based 
(Y/N) 
1. Afghanistan 13 December 2004 H.E. Mr. Roderick van Schreven 
(Netherlands) Y 
2. Algeria 17 June 1987 H.E. Mr. Alberto Pedro D'Alotto 
(Argentina) Y 
3. Andorra 22 October 1997 Vacant 
4. Azerbaijan 16 July 1997 H.E. Mr. Walter Lewalter (Germany) N 
5. The Bahamas 18 July 2001 H.E. Mr. Wayne McCook (Jamaica) Y 
6. Belarus 27 October 1993 H.E. Mr. Haluk Ilicak (Turkey) Y 
7. Bhutan 6 October 1999 H.E. Dr. Thomas Hajnoczi (Austria) Y 
8. Bosnia and 
Herzegovina 15 July 1999 Vacant 
9. Comoros, Union of the 9 October 2007 H.E. Mr. Luis Enrique Chávez Basagoitia 
(Peru) Y 
10. Equatorial Guinea 5 February 2008 Vacant 
11. Ethiopia 10 February 2002 H.E. Dr. Steffen Smidt (Denmark) Y 
12. Iran 26 May 2005 Vacant 
13. Iraq 13 December 2004 H.E. Mr. Omar Hilale (Morocco) N 
14. Lebanese Republic 14 April 1999 H.E. Mr. Jean-Paul Thuillier (France) Y 
15. Liberia 18 December 2007 H.E. Mr. Joakim Reiter (Sweden/Deputy-
Secretary General UNCTAD) Y 
16. Libya 27 July 2004 Mr. Victor Echevarría Ugarte (Spain) N 
17. Sao Tomé and Principe 26 May 2005 Vacant 
18. Serbia 15 February 2005 H.E. Mrs. Marie-Claire Swärd Capra 
(Sweden) N 
19. Sudan 25 October 1994 Vacant 
20. Syrian Arab Republic 4 May 2010 Vacant 
21. Uzbekistan 21 December 1994 H.E. Mr. Seokyoung Choi (Korea) N 
* As of November 2015. WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
- 34 - 
 
  ANNEX 4 – LENGTH OF TIME OF COMPLETED ACCESSIONS 
No. Article XII 
Member Date of Application Date of Membership  Total Time of 
Accession Process 
1.  Albania 11/1992 09/2000 7 years 10 months 
2.  Armenia 11/1993 02/2003 9 years 3 months 
3.  Bulgaria 09/1986 12/1996 10 years 3 months 
4.  Cambodia* 12/1994 10/2004 9 years 10 months 
5.  Cabo Verde* 11/1999 07/2008 8 years 8 months 
6.  China 07/1986 12/2001 15 years 5 months 
7.  Croatia 09/1993 11/2000 7 years 2 months 
8.  Ecuador 09/1992 01/1996 3 years 4 months 
9.  Estonia 03/1994 11/1999 5 years 8 months 
10.  Georgia 07/1996 06/2000 4 years 1 month 
11.  Jordan 01/1994 04/2000 6 years 4 months 
12.  Kazakhstan  01/1996 11/2015 19 year 10 months  
13.  Kyrgyz Republic 02/1996 12/1998 2 years 10 months 
14.  Lao PDR* 07/1997 02/2013 15 years 7 months 
15.  Latvia 11/1993 02/1999 5 years 3 months 
16.  Lithuania 01/1994 05/2001 7 years 5 months 
17.  Moldova, Republic 
of 11/1993 07/2001 7 years 4 months 
18.  Mongolia 07/1991 01/1997 5 years 6 months 
19.  Montenegro 12/2004 04/2012 7 years 4 months 
20.  Nepal* 05/1989 04/2004 14 years 11 months 
21.  Oman 04/1996 11/2000 4 years 7 months 
22.  Panama 08/1991 09/1997 5 years 1 month 
23.  Russian Federation 06/1993 08/2012 19 years 2 months 
24.  Samoa* 04/1998 05/2012 14 years 1 month 
25.  Saudi Arabia, 
Kingdom of 06/1993 12/2005 12 years 6 months 
26.  Seychelles 05/1995 04/2015 19 years 11 months 
27.  Chinese Taipei 01/1992 01/2002 10 years 
28.  Tajikistan 05/2001 03/2013 11 years 10 months 
29.  The former 
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 12/1994 04/2003 8 years 3 months 
30.  Tonga 06/1995 07/2007 12 years 1 month 
31.  Ukraine 11/1993 05/2008 14 years 6 months 
32.  Vanuatu* 07/1995 08/2012 17 years 1 month 
33.  Viet Nam 01/1995 01/2007 12 years 
34.  Yemen* 04/2000 06/2014 14 years 2 months 
 
Overall Average 10 years 3 months 
LDCs Accessions 13 years 5 months 
Non-LDCs Accessions 9 years 9 months 
 
* Least-developed country (LDC). Cabo Verd e and Samoa acceded to the WTO as LDCs.  
They graduated from LDC status in 2007 and in 2014, respectively. WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
- 35 - 
 
  ANNEX 5 - SECTION VI-DAT A ON SELECTED OBLIGATIONS IN WORKING PARTY 
REPORTS 
FRAMEWORK FOR MAKING AN D ENFORCING POLICIES 
 
To date, twenty-nine1 Article XII Members undertook fifty-seven commitments in the section on "Framework 
for Making and Enforcing Policies" in the Reports of their Accession Working Parties. These are commitments 
to:2 
 
 confirm the international status of the WTO Agreem ent and its precedence over national legislation;3 
 
 respect WTO commitments at the RTA level;4 
 
 apply WTO provisions uniformly throughout the enti re customs territory and other territories under 
Members' control, including in region s engaging in border trade or frontie r traffic, special economic zones, 
and other areas where special regimes for ta riffs, taxes and regula tions are established;5 
 
 confirm that sub-central authorities shall have no jurisdiction or autonomous authority over issues covered 
by WTO provisions;6 
 
 confirm also that all laws, regulations and other measures of sub-central authorities comply with the WTO 
provisions7 and are administered in a uniform,  impartial and reasonable manner,8 and all measures taken 
by sub-central authorities that are inconsistent with the WTO Agreement are eliminated or nullified;9 
 
 establish the obligation that when apprised of a situation where WTO provisions are not being applied or 
are applied in a non-uniform manner, central author ities shall act to enforce WTO provisions without 
requiring affected parties to petition through courts;10 
 
 confirm and elaborate the right of traders to appeal administrative rulings on matters subject to the WTO 
Agreement to an independent tribunal (i.e., the provision of the right to an independent review) in 
conformity with the WTO commitments, including but not limited to Article X:3(b) of the GATT 1994, and 
the relevant provisions of the SCM Agreement, the Agreement on Customs Valuation, the TRIPS 
Agreement and the GATS;11  
                                               
1 These are: Albania, Armenia, Cambodia, Cape Ve rde, China, Croatia, Estonia, Georgia, Jordan, 
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Latvia, Lith uania, Moldova, Montenegro, Nepal, Oman, Russian 
Federation, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Chinese Ta ipei, Tajikistan, Tonga, Ukraine, Vanuatu, Viet Nam 
and, Yemen. 
2 Note: in footnotes 3-20, unless otherwise specified, a reference to a Member means a reference to the 
Report of the respective accession Working Party.  
3 Estonia, paragraph 30; Jordan, paragraph 43; Croa tia, paragraph 41; Armenia, paragraphs 36 and 37; 
Viet Nam, paragraph 119; Vanuatu, paragraph 31.  
4 Kazakhstan, paragraphs 208 and 250; Russ ian Federation, paragraphs 183 and 214. 
5 Albania, paragraph 38; Armenia,  paragraph 36; Cape Verde, paragraph 60; China, paragraph 73 and 
WTO document WT/L/432: Protocol on the Accession of the Peoples Republic of China, paragraph. 2(A)1; Croatia, paragraph 41; Estonia, paragraph 30; Georgi a, paragraph 40; Jordan, paragraph 43; Kazakhstan, 
paragraph 208; Lao PDR, paragraph 55; Lithuania, paragraph 29; Moldova, paragraph 48; Montenegro, paragraph 59; Russian Federation, paragraph 214; Sa moa, paragraph 58; Saudi Arabia, paragraph 88; 
Seychelles, paragraph 96; Ta jikistan, paragraph 76; Tonga, paragrap h 48; Ukraine, paragraph 84; Vanuatu, 
paragraph 31; Viet Nam, paragraph 134; and Yemen, paragraph 59.    
6 Albania, paragraph 38; Armenia, paragraph 36; China, paragraph 70; Croatia, paragraph 41; Estonia, 
paragraph 30; Jordan, paragraph 43; Latvia, paragraph 30; Lithuania, paragraph 29; Moldova, paragraph 48; 
Montenegro, paragraphs 56 and 59; Samoa, paragraph 58; Seychelles, paragraph 96; Tajikistan, paragraph 
76; Tonga, paragraph 48; Ukraine, paragr aph 84; and, Vanuatu, paragraph 31. 
7 China, paragraph  70; Estonia, paragraph 30; Georgia, para graph 40; Kyrgyz Republic, paragraph 26; 
and, Moldova, paragraph 48.  
8 WTO document WT/L/432: Protocol on the Accession of the Peoples Republic of China, paragraph 
2(A)2. 
9 Kyrgyz Republic, paragraph 28; Latvia, paragr aph 30; Albania, paragraph 38; Chinese Taipei, 
paragraph 15; and Armenia, paragraph 36. 
10 Albania, paragraph 38; Armenia,  paragraph 36; Cabo Verde, para graph 60; Estonia, paragraph 30; 
Georgia, paragraph 40; Jordan, paragraph 43; Lao PDR,  paragraph 55; Lithuania, paragraph 29; Moldova, 
paragraph 48; Montenegro, paragraph 59; Samoa, para graph 58; Saudi Arabia, paragraph 88; Tajikistan, 
paragraph 76; Tonga, paragraph 36; Ukraine, paragr aph 84; Vanuatu, paragraph 31; Viet Nam, paragraph 
134; and, Yemen, paragraph 59.   
11 Armenia, paragraph 34; Cabo Verde, paragraph 66;  Cambodia, paragraph 36; Croatia, paragraph 37; 
Georgia, paragraph 35; Kazakhstan, paragraph 209; Kyrgyz Republic, paragraph 26; Lao PDR, paragraph 52; Montenegro, paragraph 56; Oman, paragraph 32; Russia n Federation, paragraph 215; Samoa, paragraph 54; WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
- 36 - 
 
   
 establish the definition of a special mechanism12 or a tribunal responsible for prompt review of all 
administrative actions relating to the implementation of laws, regulations, judicial decisions and 
administrative rulings of general application,13 to be established/design ated and operated, and the 
government authorities shall act promptly to address the situation, and inform the individual or entity of 
the decision or action taken in writing,14 with an opportunity to appeal;15 
 
 establish the obligation that such tribunals shall be impartial and independent of the agency entrusted with 
administrative enforcement and shall have no substantial interest in the outcome of the matter;16 
 
 confirm the adoption of all laws and legislative instruments necessary for the application of WTO 
commitments prior to accession.17 Should a transition period be granted, provide that all measures 
inconsistent with WTO provisions shall be revised or annulled,18 and all central government measures be 
fully implemented in a timely manner, or the a ccession commitments shall be otherwise honoured;19 
 
 confirm the obligation to have the WTO Agreement as the legal basis of trade with other members and to 
ensure consistency with WTO rules.20 
 
 
 
 
                                                                                                                                               
Saudi Arabia, paragraph 85; Seychelles, paragraph 94; Ta jikistan, paragraph 71; Ukraine, paragraph 92; Viet 
Nam, paragraph 135; and, Yemen, paragraph 57.    
12 China, paragraph 75 and WTO document WT/L/432: Protocol on the Accession of the Peoples Republic 
of China, paragraphs 2(D)1 and 2(D)2; and, Russian Federation, paragraph 214. 
13 Nepal, paragraph 31; and Tonga, paragraph 43. 
14 China, paragraph 75 and WTO document WT/L/432: Protocol on the Accession of the Peoples Republic 
of China, paragraphs 2(D)1 and 2(D)2; and, Russian Federation, paragraph 214. 
15 Nepal, paragraph 31; and Tonga, paragraph 43. 
16 Cabo Verde, paragraph 66; China, paragraph 78; Ne pal, paragraph 31; Viet Nam, paragraph 60; and, 
Yemen, paragraph 57. 
17 Armenia, paragraph 37. 
18 China, paragraphs 68, 70 and 78. 
19 China, paragraph 68. 
20 Russian Federation, paragraph 209.  
  WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7  
 
- 37 - ANNEX 6 - SECTION VIII-DATA ON ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE 
Table 1 - Value of Merchandise Trade and Ye ar-on-Year Percentage Change:  1995-2014 
(Billion dollars and percentage) 
 
    1995 1996 1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010  2011  2012  2013  2014 
Article XII 
Members 
  Value    
846    
899    
963    
888    
929    
1,191    
1,177    
1,341    
1,722    
2,271    
2,797    
3,404    
4,132    
5,008    
3,922    
5,180    
6,448    
6,770    
7,121    
7,193  
Year-on-year percentage 
change    6.2% 7.1%  -7.8%  4.6%  28.3%  -1.2%  13.9%  28.5%  31.9% 23.1%  21.7%  21.4%  21.2%  -
21.7%  32.1%  24.5%  5.0%  5.2%  1.0% 
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     
30,812     
36,841     
37,209     
37,980     
38,093  
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%  21.6%  19.6%  1.0%  2.1%  0.3% 
Source:  WTO Statistics Database. 
 
Table 2 - Value of Trade in Commercial Services* and Year-on-Year Percentage Change:  1995-2014 
(Billion dollars and percentage) 
 
    1995 1996 1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010  2011  2012  2013  2014 
Article XII 
Members   Value
           
154            
167            
187         
175         
177         
198         
206         
232         
269         
342         
413         
499         
634         
739         
654         
780         
902       
1,007       
1,094       
1,170  
Year-on-year percentage 
change    8.5% 12.4%  -6.4%  0.8%  11.9%  4.3%  12.6%  16.0%  27.1% 20.8%  20.7%  27.2%  16.5%  -
11.4%  19.1%  15.7%  11.6%  8.6%  6.9% 
World   Value
        
2,369         
2,536         
2,629       
2,653       
2,784       
2,955       
2,975       
3,159       
3,644       
4,396       
5,121       
5,772       
6,876       
7,782       
6,928       
7,569       
8,465       
8,756       
9,254       
9,722  
Year-on-year percentage 
change    7.1% 3.7%  0.9%  4.9%  6.1%  0.7%  6.2%  15.4%  20.6% 16.5%  12.7%  19.1%  13.2%  -
11.0%  9.3%  11.8%  3.4%  5.7%  5.1% 
* 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 Statistics Database.WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
- 38 - 
 
  ANNEX 7 - ACCESSI ONS MANAGEMENT 
Table 1 - Accession Working Party Management 
Accession Working 
Party Code Secretary Co-Secretary Administrative 
Manager/Support 
Chiedu Osakwe, Director, Accessions Division 
1. Afghanistan*1 AFG Varyanik  Mohammady Evans 
2. Algeria DZA Sekkate Zheng Tandara-Stenier 
3. Andorra AND accessions@wto.org - No Activity   
4. Azerbaijan AZE Pardo de León Varyanik Evans 
5. Bahamas BHS Lee Varyanik Tandara-Stenier 
6. Belarus BLR Oshikawa Sekkate 
Varyanik Tandara-Stenier 
Evans 
7. Bhutan* BTN Oshikawa Mohammady Tandara-Stenier  
8. Bosnia and 
Herzegovina BIH Besla ć Leki ć Tandara-Stenier  
9. Comoros, Union of 
the* COM Sekkate  Zheng Tandara-Stenier  
10. Equatorial Guinea* GNQ Pardo de León Anaedu Evans 
11. Ethiopia* ETH Pardo de León Anaedu  
Chemutai Evans 
12. Iran, the Islamic 
Republic of IRN Varyanik Sekkate   Evans 
13. Iraq IRQ Varyanik Lee Evans 
14. Lebanese Republic LBN Sekkate Pardo de León Evans 
15. Liberia*2 LBR Lee  Varyanik 
 Evans 
16. Libya LBY Pardo de León Sekkate Evans 
17. Sao Tome et 
Principe* STP Pardo de León Zheng Evans 
18. Serbia  SRB Besla ć Varyanik Tandara-Stenier 
19. Sudan* SDN Sekkate Lee 
Chemutai Evans 
20. Syrian Arab 
Republic SYR Besla ć Leki ć Evans 
21. Uzbekistan UZB Lee  Varyanik 
Mohammady Tandara-Stenier 
Expression of Interest 
Country Code Focal Point Co-Focal Point Administrative 
Manager/Support 
1. Kosovo XKX Besla ć Leki ć Tandara-Stenier 
2. Somalia* SOM Sekkate Chemutai Tandara-Stenier 
3. South Sudan*3 SSD Varyanik Chemutai  Evans 
4. Timor-Leste*4 TLS Varyanik Anaedu Evans 
5. Turkmenistan TKM Oshikawa Lee Evans 
 
* Least-developed countries (LDCs) 
                                               
1 5th and Final Working Party Meeting took place on 11 November 2015 at which the Draft Accession Package of 
Afghanistan was adopted ad referendum.  Formal Approval of the Package will take place at the 10th WTO 
Ministerial Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, scheduled for 15-18 December 2015. 
 
2 4th and Final Working Party Meeting took place on 6 October 2015 at which the Draft Accession Package of 
Liberia was adopted ad referendum.  Formal Approval of the Package will take place at the 10th WTO Ministerial 
Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, scheduled for 15-18 December 2015. 
 
3 Application circulated (WT/L/852), but not yet considered by the General Council. 
 
4 Application received on 9 April 2015, waiting for a statement on the foreign trade regime. 
 WT/ACC/25 • WT/GC/174 • WT/MIN(15)/7 
 
- 39 - 
 
   
Table 2 - Non-Working Party Workload Distribution 
Responsibility Professional/Focal Point Administrative Manager/ Support 
Director-General's Annual 
Accession Reports 
 Director & Professional 
(rotating) 
(2015: Varyanik)  Evans 
Assisting the Director / Acting 
in the absence of the Director 
 Oshikawa Tandara-Stenier 
Informal Group on Accessions 
 Pardo de León 
Co-Secretary: Mohammady  Tandara-Stenier 
WTO Accessions Newsletter 
(monthly) 
 Director & Varyanik  Tandara-Stenier 
China Programme / 
Accessions Interns Pillar I  Oshikawa / Tandara-Stenier  
China Programme /  
Round Tables Pillar II 
 Oshikawa / Anaedu / Chemutai Tandara-Stenier 
TA Focal Point / Annual 
Outreach  Pardo de León / Interns  Tandara-Stenier 
LDC Focal Point 
 Oshikawa / Chemutai Evans 
Post-Accession Support Oshikawa / WP Secretarie s Tandara-Stenier / Evans 
Databases: 
 
 Accessions 
Commitments 
Database (ACDB) 
  
 
Sekkate (Maintenance) 
 
  
 
Zheng (Data transfer) 
 
 Market Access Register 
 Varyanik /  Sekkate Evans 
 Accessions Intelligence 
Portal (AIP) 
 Beslać / Evans 
 Lekić   
 Trade performance of 
Article XII Members  Sekkate / Chemutai 
(Maintenance / Market 
Intelligence Section) 
 Evans 
Accessions Website Update 
 Working Party Secretaries Tandara-Stenier / Evans 
Accessions Annual Output Plan 
 Sekkate Evans 
Accessions Book Project 
 Beslać  Evans (Divisional Editor) 
WTO @20 Focal Point 
 Oshikawa / Besla ć/ Anaedu Tandara-Stenier 
 
ACCESSIONS STAFF DISPOSITION: 
- Director; 
- 6 Professionals; - 2 Administrative Managers; and, - 4 rotating China's LDCs and Accessions Programme interns. 
 
__________