RESTRICTED  
  
JOB/ACC/TLS/1  
 
8 December 2016  
(16-6715) Page: 1/2 
Working Party on the Accession of Timor -Leste  Original: English  
 
 ACCESSION OF TIMOR -LESTE  
STATEMENT BY HIS EXC ELLENCY  ENG. ESTANISLAU ALEI XO DA SILVA  
MINISTER OF STATE, C OORDINATING MIN ISTER FOR ECONOMIC A FFAIRS,  
MINISTER OF AGRICULT URE AND FISHERIES  
OF THE GOVERNMENT OF  THE DEMOCRA TIC REPUBLIC OF TIMO R-LESTE  
General Council  
7 December  2016 
Your Excellency Ambassador Harald Neple, Chairman of the General Council;  
Your Excellency the Director General Roberto Azevêdo;  
Your Excellencies Representatives of WTO Member and Observer Governments;  
Distinguished Officials of WTO Secretariat;  
Ladies and Gentlemen;  
1. It is a great honor for my country, the Democratic Republic of Timor -Leste, to address this 
highest level decision making body of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, for the very 
first time as an Observer and an  acceding government to the WTO. On this historic and auspicious 
occasion, I express warm greetings from Timorese Authorities to all WTO Members, conveying 
heartfelt appreciation for your kind decision to grant Observer Status to Timor -Leste and to 
establi sh the Working Party on the Accession of Timor -Leste.    
 
2. WTO accession has been a major governance,  institutional building, economic and foreign 
policy objective of the Government of Timor -Leste. A formal application was submitted in 
April 2015, after thi rteen years of a rather intense state building and human capital development 
process.  
 
3. Commencing with the United Nations Transitional Administration and after the restoration of 
our independence in 2002, we have put in place the necessary institutions to ensure openness, 
transparency, good go vernance and the rule of law.  
 
4. Our country has certainly developed much since indep endence . We have more people than 
ever before; young people who want to work and contribute to their country. The economy is 
growing an d our access to international markets is expanding. Businesses want to come to 
Timor -Leste, and other countries want to trade and buy our products.  
 
5. We have strived hard to build a multiparty democracy and a peaceful, stable and secure 
society where a fre e market economy is growing in strength , to be able to participate in global 
trade and to promote a better and brighter future for Timorese People.  
 
6. Active citizenship and a culture of development action is taking root in our society to help us 
achieve th e Sustainable Development Goals and revenue mobilization. This is being fortified by the 
economic and fiscal reform programs of the Government.  
 
7. Excellences , Our desire to join the World Trade Organization and the Association of 
Southeast Asia Nations has strengthened  our resolve to anticipate our preparation to participate in 
this multilateral and regional body. To this end we have implemented a forward -looking Customs 
Reform that has restructured the customs organization, established a new Customs Authori ty, JOB/ACC/TLS/1  
 
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  passed a modern Customs Code based on international conventions to facilitate trade and adopted 
the Arusha Declaration revised to promote integrity and transparency in the new Customs 
Authority.  
 
8. I am delighted to inform that Timor -Leste is in the pro cess of establishing a National Single 
Window that will streamline and automate all trade related procedures to improve efficiency and 
significantly reduce customs clearance time to one hour. Our vision is to promote a National Single 
Window for the Commun ity of Portuguese Speaking Countries to bolster and facilitate our trade, 
and that can in the future potentially link CPLP to the ASEAN Region. This initiative can 
exponentially  grow access to market and trade to benefit all involved.  
 
9. Timor -Leste prioriti zes WTO membership, as it would help to leverage the on -going 
improvements in its infrastructure, human capital, and administrative capacity, to accelerate 
growth and economic diversification. It would also set a stepping stone for Tim or-Leste's accession 
to ASEAN. Timor -Leste is fully committed to abide by the principles, objectives and rules of the 
World Trade Organization (WTO), as a Least Developed Country (LDC),  and to implement domestic 
structural, legislative and policy reforms needed to comply with its future WTO commitments, to 
be defined in accordance with Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement.  
 
10. Concrete actions have already been taken to give consistency and coherence to such words. 
The national inter -ministerial Working Group on WTO Accession, comprising Senior Cabinet 
Members and line Directors, has been in place since October and working hard. In this context, I 
would also like to thank the Director -General and the WTO Secretariat for the technical assistance 
provided to our Government in adva nce of this meeting, which allowed putting forward the 
Application for Accession to Members today.    
 
11. Ladies and Gentlemen,  Timor -Leste Strategic Development Plan 2011 -2030, aims to 
transform our country from a low -income country to an upper -middle -income  country by 2030, 
with a healthy, well -educated population.  
 
12. Timor -Leste is open a nd ready for business and trade!  The objective of a diversified growing 
economy has led the Government to engage in proactive policies to attract and stimulate 
investment in  the productive areas of the economy, such as agriculture, fisheries, tourism, light 
manufacturing, and mining, besides downstream oil and gas; while improving economic 
infrastructure; and improving the business environment.   
 
13. We are very much aware that t rade will help Timor -Leste create sustainable jobs, raise 
incomes and improve peoples' lives.  
 
14. By establishing the Working Party on the Accession of Timor -Leste, the General Council has 
greatly encouraged us to persevere and stay on track with our nation building and reform 
initiatives  and to grow in confidence for a better future of continued progress, development and 
economic transformation.  
 
15. Ladies and Gentlemen,  We are  engaged and stand ready to implement all reforms based on 
international best practic es necessary to accede to the WTO. We welcome the establishment of the 
Working Party and hope to immediately start accession negotiations, to come back, as soon as 
possible, to address you all as a full Member. To that end, with pleasure, I am happy to ann ounce 
that, the Working Group has started the preparation of the negotiating inputs of the Working 
Party. Timor -Leste 's Memorandum on Foreign Trade Regime (MFTR)  is now ready and will be 
formally submitted to WTO Secretariat for circulation t o Members in t he coming weeks. As a Least 
Developed Country, we look forward to working closely with Members and the WTO Secretariat.  
 
16. Mr. Chairman,  Excellencies,  This is indeed a historic moment for Timor -Leste! Please accept 
our highest appreciation and consideration of your warm welcome as well as for the 
encouragements and support we have received from Members, the Director General and, the 
Accession Division of the WTO Secretariat. I would also like to pay tribute to the Enhanced 
Integrated Framework Secretariat, fo r their engagement and support.  
 
17. We count on your conti nued solidarity and cooperation! Thank you very much!  
 
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