RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/ACC/YEM/9/Rev.4 
6 April 2009 
 
 (09-1685) 
Working Party on the  
Accession of Yemen Original:   English 
 
 
 
ACCESSION OF YEMEN 
 
Provisional Legislative Action Plan  
 
Revision  
   The following submission, dated 17 March 2009, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the Republic of Yemen. 
 
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Agenda for Yemen's Law-Making Process for WTO Conformity
 
 
 Yemen submits this Provisional Legislative Ac tion Plan as part of its endeavour to provide 
for maximum transparency in its process of ac cession to the WTO.  Yemen reserves the right, 
however, to amend this Plan from time to time to  reflect progress and, if necessary, new issues. 
  This Plan should serve as a basis for discussion and should not be understood to create firm 
commitments.  The envisaged timelines are at present tentative and subject to confirmation. 
  It should be noted that references to WT O Agreements do not necessarily reflect present non-
compliance with the respective agreements.  
 
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  WT/ACC/YEM/9/Rev.4 
Page 2 Provisional Legislative Action Plan  
 
(Agenda for Yemen's Law-Making Process for WTO Conformity) 
 
No. Laws/Regulations/ 
Administrative Decisions WTO Agreement Status of Draft/Intended Actions Expected Approval 
Date 
1. Instrument of Ratification of 
Accession to WTO Marrakech Agreement 
Establishing WTO 1994 - Yemen's Protocol of Accession is to be approved by WTO. 
- Approval by the Council of Ministers. 
- Review and approval by the Parliament. - The President issues th e Decree for Ratification. Up to 6 months after the 
WTO approval of 
Yemen's Protocol of Accession 
2. Amendments to Customs Law 
No. 14 of 1990 General Agreement on 
Tariffs and 
Trade (GATT) - The draft amendments have been approved by the Council of Ministers on 
15 July 2008. 
- The draft amendments is currently being Reviewed by the Parliament. 
- Issuance by the President. 2009 
3. Law on Protection of Local 
Production against Unfair 
Trade Practices GATT, Anti-Dumping 
Agreement, SCM 
Agreement, Safeguards Agreement - The draft law has been approved by the Council of Ministers on 
3 February 2009. 
- Review and approval by the Parliament. - Issuance by the President. 2009 
4. Decision on the establishment 
of TBT/SPS Enquiry Points Agreements on Technical 
Barriers to Trade and 
Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary 
Measures - A decree has been issued to set up  an Enquiry Point for (SPS) at the 
Ministry of Agriculture and is currently operational. 
- A decree has been issued to set up an Enquiry Point for (TBT).  It is at the 
Yemen Standardization, Metrology and Quality Organization(YSMO) and 
establishment is currently underway. 2009 
5. Draft law on the Protection of 
Copyright and Related Rights: 
(Revision of existing 
provisions in Law No. 19 of 1994 on Intellectual 
Property Rights Relating to 
Copyright and Related Rights) Trade-Related Aspects of 
Intellectual Property 
(TRIPS) - The draft law on the Protection of Copyright and Related Rights has been 
prepared. 
- The draft law has been sent to WIPO for consultation. 
- The draft law has been reviewed by the Ministry of Legal Affairs. - The draft law has been approved by the Council of Ministers on 
February 2008. 
- The draft law is currently being reviewed by the Parliament. - Issuance by the President. 2010  
   WT/ACC/YEM/9/Rev.4
 Page 3No. Laws/Regulations/ 
Administrative Decisions WTO Agreement Status of Draft/Intended Actions Expected Approval 
Date 
6. Draft laws on the Protection of 
Industrial Property: - Trademarks and 
geographical indications; 
- Industrial designs; - Patents; 
- Undisclosed information; 
- Layout-designs of 
integrated circuits; and 
- Control of anti-
competitive practices in contractual licenses 
 (Revision of existing 
provisions in Law No. 19 of 1994 on Intellectual 
Property Rights Relating 
to Industrial Property). Trade-Related Aspects of 
Intellectual Property (TRIPS) - The draft laws on the Protection of Industrial Property have been prepared. 
- The draft laws have been sent to WIPO for consultation. - The draft laws are currently being reviewed with consultation with the 
competent authorities. 
- Review by the Ministry of Legal Affairs. - Approval by the Council of Ministers. 
- Review and approval by the Parliament. 
- Issuance by the President. 2010 
7. Membership to the Berne 
Convention for the Protection 
of Literary and Artistic Works (1971) Trade-Related Aspects of 
Intellectual Property 
(TRIPS) - Yemen has been a member to the Be rne Convention for the Protection of 
Literary and Artistic Works (1971) since 14 April 2008. 2007 
8. Membership to the Paris 
Convention for the Protection 
of Industrial Property (1967) Trade-Related Aspects of 
Intellectual Property 
(TRIPS) - Yemen has been a member to the Paris Convention for the Protection of 
Industrial Property (1967) since 15 November 2006. 2008 
9. Internal Trade Law GATT - The law has been approved by the President on 28 March 2007.  The law is 
in force. 2007 
10. External Trade Law GATT - The law has been approved by the President on 24 July 2007.  The law is in 
force. 2007 
11. Plant Quarantine and 
Phytosanitary Measures Draft Law SPS Agreement - The draft law has been prepar ed and it is currently being reviewed to 
comply with the WTO rules. 
- Review by the Ministry of Legal Affairs. 
- Approval by the Council of Ministers. 
- Review and approval by the Parliament. - Issuance by the President. 2010 
12. Arbitration Draft Law Dispute 
Settlement 
Understanding - The draft law has been approved by the Council of Ministers on July 2007. 
- The draft law is currently being reviewed by the Parliament. 
- Issuance by the President. 2009 
13. Law on Bids, Tenders, and 
Government Warehouses Government 
Procurement - The law has been approved by the President on 14 August 2007.  The law is 
in force. 2008  
  WT/ACC/YEM/9/Rev.4 
Page 4 No. Laws/Regulations/ 
Administrative Decisions WTO Agreement Status of Draft/Intended Actions Expected Approval 
Date 
14. Laws and Regulations related 
to Implementing Trading Rights Commitments GATT Articles III 
and XI - Drafting necessary amendments to legi slations related to Trading Rights. 
- Drafting new legislations related to Trading Rights. 
- Review the package of Trading Rights related legislations by Ministry of 
Legal Affairs. 
- Approval of the package by Council of Ministers. 
- Approval of the package by the Parliament. 
- Issuance of the package by the President. 2011 - 2012 
15. Laws and Regulations related 
to Subsidies SCM and TRIMs - Drafting necessary amendments  to legislations containing prohibited 
subsidies. 
- Review the package of subsidy- related legislations by Ministry of Legal 
Affairs. 
- Approval of the package by Council of Ministers. 
- Approval of the package by the Parliament. 
- Issuance of the package by the President. 2013 - 2014 
 
 
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