WT/MIN(15)/38  
WT/L/973  
 
21 December 2015  
(15-6824)  Page: 1/4  
Ministerial Conference 
Tenth Session 
Nairobi, 15-18 December 2015    
 
ACCESSION OF LIBERIA 
MINISTERIAL DECISION OF 16 DECEMBER 2015 
 The Ministerial Conference, 
 Having regard to  paragraph 2 of Article XII and pa ragraph 1 of Article IX of the 
Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (the "WTO Agreement"), and the 
Decision-Making Procedures under Articles IX and XII of the WTO Agreement agreed by the 
General Council (WT/L/93), 
 
 Taking note  of the application of Liberia for accession to the WTO Agreement dated 
13 June 2007, 
 
 Noting  the results of the negotiations directed toward the establishment of the terms of 
accession of Liberia to the WTO Agreement and having prepared a Protocol on the Accession of 
Liberia,  
 Decides  as follows: 
1. Liberia may accede to the WTO Agreement on the terms and conditions set out in the 
Protocol annexed to this Decision. 
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 WT/MIN(15)/38 • WT/L/973 
 
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  PROTOCOL ON THE ACCESSION OF LIBERIA 
Preamble 
 The World Trade Organization (hereinafter referred to as the "WTO"), pursuant to the 
approval of the Ministerial Conference of the WTO accorded under Article XII of the 
Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (hereinafter referred to as the "WTO Agreement"), and Liberia, 
 Taking note  of the Report of the Working Party on the Accession of Liberia to the 
WTO Agreement reproduced in document WT/ACC/LBR/23, dated 9 October 2015 (hereinafter 
referred to as the "Working Party Report"), 
 Having regard  to the results of the negotiations on the accession of Liberia to the 
WTO Agreement, 
 Agree as follows: 
PART I - GENERAL 
1. Upon entry into force of this Protocol pursuant to paragraph 8, Liberia accedes to the 
WTO Agreement pursuant to Article XII of that Agreement and thereby becomes a Member of the WTO. 
2. The WTO Agreement to which Liberia accede s shall be the WTO Agreement, including the 
Explanatory Notes to that Agreement, as rectified, amended or otherwise modified by such legal 
instruments as may have entered into force before the date of entry into force of this Protocol.  This Protocol, which shall include the commitments referred to in paragraph 332 of the Working Party 
Report, shall be an integral part of the WTO Agreement. 
3. Except as otherwise provided for in paragraph 332 of the Working Party Report, those 
obligations in the Multilateral Trade Agreements annexed to the WTO Agreement that are to be 
implemented over a period of time starting with the entry into force of that Agreement shall be 
implemented by Liberia as if it had accepted that Agreement on the date of its entry into force. 
4. Liberia may maintain a measure inconsistent with paragraph 1 of Article II of the GATS 
provided that such a measure was recorded in the list of Article II Exemptions annexed to this 
Protocol and meets the conditions of the Annex to the GATS on Article II Exemptions. 
PART II - SCHEDULES 
5. The Schedules reproduced in the Annex to this Protocol shall become the Schedule of 
Concessions and Commitments an nexed to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 
(hereinafter referred to as the "GATT 1994") and the Schedule of Specific Commitments annexed to the General Agreement on Trade in Services (hereinafter referred to as "GATS") relating to Liberia.  
The staging of the concessions and commitments listed in the Schedules shall be implemented as 
specified in the relevant parts of the respective Schedules. 
6. For the purpose of the reference in paragraph 6(a) of Article II of the GATT 1994 to the date 
of that Agreement, the applicable date in respect of the Schedule of Concessions and Commitments 
annexed to this Protocol shall be the date of entry into force of this Protocol. 
PART III - FINAL PROVISIONS 
7. This Protocol shall be open for acceptance, by signature or otherwise, by Liberia until 
15 June 2016 or such later date as may be decided by the Ministerial Conference. 
8. This Protocol shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the day upon which it shall 
have been accepted by Liberia.  WT/MIN(15)/38 • WT/L/973 
 
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  9. This Protocol shall be deposited with the Director-General of the WTO.  The Director-General 
of the WTO shall promptly furnish a certified copy of this Protocol and a notification of acceptance by Liberia thereto pursuant to paragraph 7 to each Member of the WTO and to Liberia.   
10. This Protocol shall be registered in accordance with the provisions of Article 102 of the 
Charter of the United Nations.   
 Done at Nairobi, Kenya, this sixteenth day of December two thousand and fifteen, in a single 
copy in the English, French and Spanish language s, each text being authentic, except that a 
Schedule annexed hereto may specify that it is authentic in only one of these languages, and the 
Working Party Report is authentic in English only. 
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  ANNEX 
SCHEDULE CLXXIV – LIBERIA 
Authentic only in the English language. 
(Circulated in document WT/ACC/LBR/23/Add.1) 
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SCHEDULE OF SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS ON SERVICES 
LIST OF ARTICLE II EXEMPTIONS 
Authentic only in the English language. 
(Circulated in document WT/ACC/LBR/23/Add.2)   
 
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