RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/ACC/YEM/9 
1 August 2005 
 (05-3462) 
Working Party on the  
Accession of Yemen Original:   English 
 
 
 
ACCESSION OF YEMEN 
 
Provisional Legislative Action Plan  
 
 The following Legislative Action Plan is being circulated at the request of the Delegation of 
the Republic of Yemen.  
_______________ 
  
 
 
 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. 
 For transparency purposes, th e plan also contains action items that are currently under 
consideration but with respect to which a final d ecision on implementation has not yet been taken.  
However, this refers only to non-mandatory acti ons, i.e. the accession of Yemen to Berne and Paris 
conventions. 
 It should be noted that references to WT O Agreements do not necessarily reflect present 
non-compliance with the respective agreements. 
 Separate Action Plans would be submitted for TBT, SPS, and IPR. 
 A separate Work Programme would also be submitted on Customs Valuation. 
  
 WT/ACC/YEM/9 
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/Intend ed Actions Expected Approval Date 
1. Instrument of Ratification of  
accession to WTO  Marrakech Agreement 
Establishing WTO 1994 
 As soon as Yemen’s protocol of Accession is approved by WTO, the 
Council of Ministers will submit it to  the House of Representatives for 
approval 
 
The President issues the Decree for ratification  Up to 6 Months after 
WTO General Council / 
Ministerial conference 
approves Yemen’s 
Protocol of Accession 
2. Customs Law  
(re-issue of Law No. 14 of 1990 
on Customs, with amendments) General Agreement on Tariffs 
and Trade Draft prepared by Customs Authority and endorsed by Council of 
Ministers (April 2005) 
 
Draft submitted to House of Representatives Issuance of a Presidential Decree 
 
By-laws will be issued after ratification of the new Customs Law 2007 
3. Law on Safeguards and  
Protection of Local Production 
against Unfair Trade Practices  GATT, Anti-Dumping 
Agreement, SCM Agreement, 
Safeguards Agreement Draft currently being prepared by Ministry of Industry and Trade 
(2005) 
 
Review by Ministry of Legal Affairs   
Review and approval by Council of Ministers and submission to House 
of Representatives   
Issuance by a President Decree  2007 
4. Decisions on the establishment 
of a TBT/SPS Enquiry Points Agreements on Technical 
Barriers to Trade and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Enquiry points shall be established by respective Ministerial Decisions 
in accordance with TBT/SPS Action Plans Upon accession 
  
  WT/ACC/YEM/9
 Page 3 
Law on the Protection of 
Copyright and Related Rights (Revision and re-issue of 
provisions in Law No. 19 of 
1994 on Intellectual Property relating to copyright and related 
rights) Agreement on Trade-related 
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights  
 
  Review of current provisions on copyright and related rights by 
Ministry of Culture and Tourism (2005)  
- Draft has been prepared by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism 
and is currently under review (2005)   
- Consultation with WIPO  
- Review of draft by Ministry of Legal Affairs   
- Review and endorsement by Council of Ministers and submission 
to the House of Representatives. 
- Issuance of Pr esidential  Decree 2008 
  
5. 
Protection of: 
 - Trademarks and 
geographical indications;  
- Industrial designs;  
 
 - Patents.  
(Revision of existing provisions 
in Law No. 19 of 1994 on 
Intellectual Property) 
 Protection of :  
 
- undisclosed information; - layout-designs of 
integrated circuits 
- anti-competitive practices, 
in contractual licenses 
 
     
 - Review on Trademarks and Geographical Indications   
 
- Review on Industrial Designs  
Drafts have been prepared by Ministry of Industry and Trade (2005) 
 - Review on Patents to be prepared by Ministry of Industry and 
Trade  
 
 
  
 
- undisclosed information  - layout-designs of integrated circuits  
 
- anti-competitive practices, in contractual licenses  
Draft to be prepared by the Ministry of Industry and Trade  
 - Consultation with WIPO  
- Review by Ministry of Legal Affairs  
- Review and endorsement by Council of Ministers   - Approval by the Parliament 
- Issuance of Presidential Decree 2008 
 
6. Accession to Berne Convention 
on the Protection of Literary and 
Artistic Works 1971 Agreement on Trade-related 
Aspects of Intellectual Property 
Rights - Council of Ministers has agreed  in principle that Yemen would 
join the Berne Convention (29 November 2004) 
- Completion of constitutional procedures  2007 
  
 WT/ACC/YEM/9 
Page 4 7. Possible Accession to the Paris 
Convention 1967 Agreement on Trade-related 
Aspects of Intellectual Property 
Rights - Study the feasibility to join the Paris Convention by the Ministry 
of Industry and Trade (2006).  
 - Completion of constitutional proced ures, if results of study are 
positive.  2008 
8. Establishment of GATS Enquiry 
Point GATS Enquiry point to be established within the Ministry of Industry & 
Trade.   
Enquiry Point established and operational. Upon accession 
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