WT/MIN(24)/31  
WT/L/1186  
 
4 March 2024  
(24-1998) Page: 1/4 
Ministerial Conference  
Thirteenth Session  
Abu Dhabi, 26 February -2 March 2024    
 
 
ACCESSION OF THE UNION OF THE COMOROS  
MINISTERIAL DECISION  
Adopted on 26 February 2024  
 The Ministerial  Conference , 
 
 Having regard to paragraph 2 of Article  XII and paragraph 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 the Union of the Comoros for accession to the WTO 
Agreement dated 22 February 2007,  
 
 Noting  the results of the negotiations directed toward the establishment of the terms of 
accession of the Union of the Comoros to the WTO  Agreement and having prepared a Protocol on 
the Accession of the Union of the Comoros,  
 
 Decides  as follows:  
 The Union of the Comoros may accede to the WTO  Agreement on the terms and conditions 
set out in the Protocol annexed to this Decision.  
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  PROTOCOL  ON THE ACCESSION OF THE UNION OF THE COMOROS  
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 the 
Union of the Comoros , 
 Taking note  of the Report of the Working Party on the Accession of the Union of the Comoros 
to the WTO  Agreement reproduced in document WT/ACC/COM/51 , dated 18 January 2024 (hereinafter 
referred t o as the "Working Party Report"),  
 Having regard  to the results of the negotiations on the accession of the Union of the Comoros  
to the WTO  Agreement,  
 Agree as follows:  
PART I - GENERAL  
1. Upon entry into force of this Protocol pursuant to paragraph 8, the Union of the Comoros  
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 Union of the Comoros  accedes shall be the WTO  Agreement, 
including the Explanatory Note s 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  311 of the 
Working Party Report, shall be an integral part of the WTO  Agreement.  
3. Except as otherwise provided for in paragraph 311 of the Working Party Report, those 
obligations in the Multilateral Trade  Agreements annexed to the WTO  Agreement that are to b e 
implemented over a period of time starting with the entry into force of that  Agreement shall be 
implemented by the Union of the Comoros  as if it had accepted that  Agreement on the date of its 
entry into force.  
4. The Union of the Comoros  may maintain a m easure 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 annexed to the General  Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 
(hereinafter referred to as the "GATT  1994") and the Schedule of Specific C ommitments annexed to 
the General  Agreement on Trade in Services (hereinafter referred to as "GATS") relating to the Union 
of the Comoros . The staging of the concessions and commitments listed in the Schedules shall be 
implemented as specified in the relev ant 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 Protoco l 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 the Union of the 
Comoros until 31 August 2024 or such later date as may be decided by the General Council.  
8. This Protocol shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the day upon which it shall 
have been accepted by the Union of the Comoros .  WT/MIN(24)/31 • WT/L/1186  
 
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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 
the Union of the Comoros  thereto pursuant to paragraph 7 to each Member of the WTO and to the 
Union of the Comoros .  
10. This Protocol shall be regi stered in accordance with the provisions of Article  102 of the Charter 
of the United Nations.  
 Done at Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, this twenty -sixth day of February two thousand and 
twenty -four in a single copy in the English, French and Spanish lang uages, 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 and French.  
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  ANNEX  
 
SCHEDULE CLXXVII – THE UNION  OF THE COMOROS  
Authentic only in the French language.  
(Circulated in document WT/ACC/COM/51/Add.1 ) 
 
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SCHEDULE OF SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS ON SERVICES  
 
LIST OF ARTICLE  II (MFN) EXEMPTIONS  
Authentic only in the French language.  
(Circulated in document WT/ACC/COM/51/Add.2 ) 
 
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