RESTRICTED  
  
JOB/ACC/COM/6  
1 June 2017 
(17-2942) Page: 1/3 
Working Party on the Accession of the Comoros  Original:  French  
 
  ACCESSION OF THE UNION OF THE COMOROS  
STATEMENT BY H.E.  MR DJAFFAR AHMED SAID HASSANI,  
VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE UNION OF THE COMOROS  
Second Meeting of the Working Party on the Union of the Comoros  
1 June 2017 
Esteemed Chairman , 
Members of the Working Party,  
Ladies and Gentlemen,  
1.  We have come together again to move forward our constructive dialogue in the process of 
accession of my country, the Comoros, to the World Trade Organization (WTO) . 
2.  On this occasion, permit me first and foremost to thank the Chair man of the Working Party, 
Ambassador Chávez Basag oitia and the entire team of the WTO Accessions Division supporting 
him, for the working visit they made to the Comoros in accordance with the established roadmap.  
3.  During that visit, the delegation from Geneva wa s able to take  stock of the ongoi ng and 
steadfast commitment of His Excellency Mr Azali Assoumani , of his Government and all the 
stakeholders, to suc cessfully complete the Comoros'  accession to the WTO within the agreed 
deadlines.  
4.  This accession is one of the priority objectives established by the Comoros for the year 2017 . 
Indeed, apart from the expected economic benefits, the Government is convinced that the 
accession process is a window of opportunity to modernize trade through implementation of 
innovati ve legislative and administrative tools, in accordance with the new trade framework that 
will be determined by our Membership of the WTO . In this connection, the Comorian authorities 
are determined to complete the negotiations with a view to WTO accession in the context of the 
eleventh  WTO Ministerial Conference to be held in Buenos Aires in Decemb er. 
5.  We are convinced that the Comoros'  integration into the multilateral trading system will enable 
us to secure greater integration in the world economy, with a substantial increase in our market 
shares and a broadening of our export base in goods and services . 
6.  We also hope that our accession to the WTO will reassure our partners and attract more foreign 
direct investment, and that it will encourage the national p rivate sector to invest in new 
opportunities . 
7.  I am also here, therefore, to let you know how great are our hopes and expectations.  
8.  At the same time, and above all, I am here to renew and personify the commitment 
undertaken, on behalf of my Government, to m ove forward unwaveringly in our accession process.  
9.  I am convinced that you, our partners, will continue to support our efforts and our 
determination, with the same constructive and benign spirit of rigour . That is very reassuring to 
me, but also means that  we must continue stepping up our demands.  JOB/ACC/COM/6  
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  10.  What also reassures me about the chances of success is the inclusive approach adopted by the 
Government to carry out this process . Nothing better illustrates this approach than the 
composition of the delegation ac compan ying me, which includes a member of our Parliament, the 
Vice-President of the Finance Commission, public sector experts from the different departments 
and services concerned, the President of the Chamber of Commerce representing the private 
sector, a nd finally a trade union delegate from the Confederation of Comorian Worker s, 
representing civil society.  
Ladies and gentlemen , 
 
11.  Since the first meeting of the Working Party, our national experts, the ones that are here and 
those that have remained in our country and are following these proceedings by videoconference, 
have spared no effort to rise to the expectations placed upon them . I congratulate them warmly 
and invite them to persevere in their efforts.  
12.  I take this opportunity to pay a well -deserved tri bute to them, and to the team from the 
Accessions Division, for the enormous task they have performed.  
13.  The first task was to be as specific as possible in the replies to questions asked by the Parties 
that you represent here . Our experts are here to provid e all the clarifications desired.  
14.  With regard to concessions, in the context of the bilateral negotiations, significant work has 
been done, with revised offers in terms of market access for goods and services.  
15.  In the matter of concessions, substantial work  has been done, and our goods offer provides 
for tariffs even lower than the benchmarks for agricultural and non -agricultural products.  
16.  The negotiations remain open on the basis of your comments and observations concerning 
these revised offers . We are prep ared to move forward on a second revision which would establish 
final binding offers within a few weeks.  
17.  I am particularly happy to inform you that, in the context of these bilateral negotiations, 
five countries (China, the Sultanate of Oman, Japan and Can ada) have expressed their readiness 
to sign agreements at this stage in the negotiations.  
18.  Our discussions with the United States and Brazil are also very promising, and we consider 
that we are not far away from an agreement based on the second revision of the offers upon 
completion of our bilateral negotiations on the sidelines of this meeting.  
19.  On the basis of the comments and observations and the questions asked, a revised 
background note on licensing has been prepared.  
20.  That is also the case for TRIPS.  
21.  The legislative action plan has been revised . It is accompanied by draft laws and regulations . 
Some regulations are in the process of being signed.  
22.  At the same time, draft laws are being transmitted to Parliament for consideration and 
adoption at the current session . Others will be submitted at the end -of-year session . That is the 
case for the Draft Law on the Value Added Tax Regime, a draft for which technical assistance has 
been requested from the IMF.  
23.  Furthermore, a draft factual summary on the points raise d has been prepared and distributed 
for this second meeting of the Working Party . It will be completed through the discussions 
expected at this session of the Working Party.  JOB/ACC/COM/6  
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  24.  Lastly, our roadmap for the Working Party's work has been revised and distributed on the 
occasion of this second meeting of the Working Party . The proposed work plan is as follows:  
i. First, late July, finalization of all the bilateral agreements.  
ii. Second, again late July, submission of the following inputs : specific commitment 
texts, defin ition of transition periods, replies to Members' questions ; revised (close to 
final) legislative action plan, legislation and other consultation documents.  
iii. Third, preparation of the Working Party's report, with final documents.  
25.  I invite you to take note of  this revised roadmap which culminates in the Buenos Aires 
Ministerial Conference in December . In consultation with the bodies concerned, this roadmap can 
be completed and refined to meet the deadline established for accession.  
26.  In conclusion, allow me to e xpress the deep gratitude of the Government of the Comoros to 
all the partners that have facilitated the Comoros' full participation in the negotiations . For the 
record, I would mention the Sultanate of Oman, the People's Republic of China, the Enhanced 
Integrated Framework Programme and UNDP.  
27.  Special thanks are due to the Chairman of the Working Party and the WTO Accessions Division 
for their efficient and steadfast commitment to ensuring the success of our accession.  
28.  On this note I will conclude and thank  you for your kind attention.  
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