WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
WT/L/865 
29 October 2012 
 (12-5906) 
  
  
 
 
 
ACCESSION OF THE LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC 
Decision of 26 October 2012 
 The General Council, 
 Having regard to  paragraph 2 of Article X II and paragraph 1 of Article IX of the Marrakesh 
Agreement Establishing the World Trade Orga nization (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), 
 Conducting  the functions of the Ministerial Confer ence in the interval between meetings 
pursuant to paragraph 2 of Article IV of the WTO Agreement, 
 Taking note of  the application of the Lao People's Democratic Republic for accession to the 
WTO Agreement dated 16 July 1997, 
 Noting  the results of the negotiations directed toward the establishment of the terms of 
accession of the Lao People's Democratic Republic to the WTO Agreement and having prepared a 
Protocol on the Accession of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, 
 Decides  as follows: 
1. The Lao People's Democratic Republic may accede to the WTO Agreement on the terms and 
conditions set out in the Protoc ol annexed to this Decision. 
 
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  PROTOCOL ON THE ACCESSION OF  
THE LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC 
Preamble 
 The World Trade Organization (hereinafter referred to as the "WTO"), pursuant to the approval 
of the General Council of the WTO accorded under Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement 
Establishing the World Trade Organi zation (hereinafter referred to as the "WTO Agreement"), and 
the Lao People's Democratic Republic,  
 Taking note of the Report of the Working Party on the Accession of 
Lao People's Democratic Republic to the WTO Agreement reproduced in document WT/ACC/LAO/45, dated 1 October 2012 (hereinafter  referred to as the "Working Party Report"), 
 Having regard to  the results of the negotiations on the accession of 
the Lao People's Democratic Republic to the WTO Agreement,  
 Agree  as follows: 
PART I - GENERAL 
1. Upon entry into force of this Pr otocol pursuant to paragraph 8, 
the Lao People's Democratic Republic 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 the Lao People's Democratic Republic accedes shall be 
the WTO Agreement, including the Explanatory Notes to that Agreement, as rectified, amended or 
otherwise modified by such legal in struments as may have entered into  force before the date of entry 
into force of this Protocol.  This Protocol, wh ich shall include the comm itments referred to in 
paragraph 248 of the Working Party Report, shall be an integral part of the WTO Agreement. 
3. Except as otherwise provided for in para graph 248 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 the Lao People's Democratic Republic as if it had accepted that Agreement on the date 
of its entry into force. 
4. The Lao People's Democratic Republic may main tain a measure inconsis tent 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 th e conditions of the Annex to the GATS on Article II 
Exemptions. 
PART II - SCHEDULES 
5. The Schedules reproduced in Annex I to th is Protocol shall become the Schedule of 
Concessions and Commitm ents annexed to the General Agr eement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 
(hereinafter referred to as the "GATT 1994") and the Schedule of Specific Co mmitments annexed to the 
General Agreement on Trade in Services (hereinafter referred to as "GATS") relating to the Lao People's Democratic Republic.  The staging of the concessions and commitments listed in the Schedules shall be implemented as  specified in the relevant part s of the respective Schedules.  WT/L/865   
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  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 Schedules of Conc essions 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 acce ptance, by signature or otherwise, by 
the Lao People's Democratic Republic until 24 April 2013. 
8. This Protocol shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the day upon which it shall 
have been accepted by the Lao People's Democratic Republic.  
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 
the Lao People's Democratic Republic thereto pursuant to paragraph 7 to each Member of the WTO and to the Lao People's Democratic Republic.   
10. This Protocol shall be regist ered in accordance with  the provisions of Article 102 of the Charter 
of the United Nations.   
 Done at Geneva this twenty-sixth day of Octo ber two thousand and twelve in a single copy in 
the English, French and Spanish languages, each te xt being authentic, except that a Schedule annexed 
hereto may specify that it is authentic in only one of these languages, and the Report of the Working 
Party is authentic in English only. 
 
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 WT/L/865   
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  ANNEX I 
SCHEDULE CLXVII - LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC 
Authentic only in the English language. 
(Circulated in document WT/ACC/LAO/45/Add.1) 
_______________ 
SCHEDULE OF SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS ON SERVICES 
LIST OF ARTICLE II EXEMPTIONS 
Authentic only in the English language. 
(Circulated in document WT/ACC/LAO/45/Add.2) 
 
 
 
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