RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/ACC/YEM/9/Rev.2 
30 October 2007 
 
 (07-4714) 
Working Party on the  
Accession of Yemen Original:   English 
 
 
 
ACCESSION OF YEMEN 
 
Provisional Legislative Action Plan  
 
Revision  
 
 The following submission, dated 26 October 2007, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the Republic of Yemen.  
_______________ 
 
 
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. 
 
 For transparency purposes, the Plan also c ontains 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 actions , i.e. the Accession of Ye men 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.  
 
_______________ 
  
  
  WT/ACC/YEM/9/Rev.2 
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 th e Decree for Ratification. Up to 6 months after the 
WTO  approval of 
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 law still at the House of Representatives. - Issuance of a Presidential Decree. 
- By-laws will be issued after ratif ication 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 has been prepared by Ministry of Industry and Trade (2005). 
- Review by Ministry of Legal Affairs has been done. - Review and approval by the Council of Ministers and submission to the 
House of Representatives. 
- Issuance of a Presidential Decree. 2007 
4. Decision on the 
establishment of TBT/SPS 
Enquiry Points Agreements on Technical 
Barriers to Trade and 
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures - Enquiry points shall be established by respective Ministerial Decisions in 
accordance with the TBT/SPS Action Plans. Upon accession  
   WT/ACC/YEM/9/Rev.2
 Page 3No. Laws/Regulations/ 
Administrative Decisions WTO Agreement Status of Draft/Intend ed Actions Expected Approval Date 
Law on the Protection of 
Copyright and Related Rights (Revision and re-
issuing of provisions in 
Law No. 19 of 1994 on Intellectual Property 
Rights relating to 
copyright and related rights) TRIPS Agreement - Review of current provisions on copyright and related rights conducted 
and new draft law has been prepared. 
 
 - The above draft law has been sent to WIPO for consultation; 
 - Draft Reviewed by Ministry of Legal Affairs;  - Review and endorsement by Council of Ministers and submission to 
the House of Representatives; and 
 - Issuance of Presidential Decree. 2008 
5. 
Protection of: 
- Trademarks and 
geographical indications; 
- Industrial designs; 
and 
- Patents. 
(Revision of existing 
provisions in Law No. 19 
of 1994 on Intellectual 
Property Rights.)  
Protection of: 
- Undisclosed 
information; 
- Layout-designs of 
integrated circuits; and 
- Anti-competitive 
practices in contractual licenses  - The preparation and the review of the following has taken place: 
 
 - Draft Law on Trademarks and Geographical Indications; and  - Draft Law on Industrial Designs. 
 
- Review of current patent protection provisions and preparation of a new 
draft law by the Ministry of Industry & Trade. 
 
- Draft Law prepared by the Ministry of Industry and Trade on: 
 
 - Undisclosed information;  - Layout designs of integrated circuits; and 
 - Anti-competitive practices, in contractual licenses. 
 - Review of above drafts after consultation with WIPO; 
- Review  by the Ministry of Legal Affairs; 
- Review and endorsement by the Council of Ministers; - Approval by the Parliament; 
- Issue of a Pres idential Decree. 2008 
6. Accession to the Berne 
Convention on the 
Protection of Literary and Artistic Works 1971 TRIPS Agreement - Approved by the Parliament on 5 June 2007. 
- Approved by the President on 3 July 2007. 2007 
7. Accession to the Paris 
Convention of 1967 TRIPS Agreement - Yemen has become a member to Paris Convention on 
15 November 2006.  20081 
                                                      
 1 Achieved in November 2006, before the targeted date. 
  
  WT/ACC/YEM/9/Rev.2 
Page 4 No. Laws/Regulations/ 
Administrative Decisions WTO Agreement Status of Draft/Intend ed Actions Expected Approval Date 
8 Internal Trade Draft Law GATT - Approved by the Parliament in November 2007. 
- Approved by the President in March 2007. - The Law is enforceable.  2007 
9 External Trade GATT - Approved by the Parliament in July 2007. 
- Approved by the President in July 2007. 
- The Law is enforceable. 2007 
10 Regulation of Agencies 
and Branches for Foreign 
Companies Draft Laws  GATT - Approved by the Cabinet on 19 October 2005. 
- Completion of constitutional procedures of submitting it to the 
Parliament for approval and final ratification by the President.  2007 
11 Trade Names Draft Law; 
and Competition Protection and Monopoly 
Prevention Law  GATT - The two draft laws have been prepared and finalized for submission to 
the Cabinet. 
- Completion of constitutional procedures of submitting it to the 
Parliament for approval and final ratification by the President. 2008 
12 Plant Quarantine and 
Phytosanitary Measures Draft Law SPS Agreement - Draft has been prepar ed by Ministry of Agriculture. 
- Review the bill by the relevant authorities. 
- Review of draft by Ministry of Legal Affairs. 
- Review and endorsement by Council of Ministers. - Approval by the Parliament. 
- Issuance of a Presidential Decree. 2008 
13 Arbitration Draft Law Dispute 
Settlement Understanding - Approved by the Cabinet in July 2007. 
- Approval by the Parliament. - Issue of a Pres idential Decree. 2009 
14 Draft Law on Bids, 
Tenders, and Government 
Warehouses Government Procurement - Approved by the Parliament in July 2007. 
- Issue of a Pres idential Decree. 2008 
 
 
__________