World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala today welcomed Comoros’s upcoming membership of the organisation.
“I am particularly proud to welcome Comoros as the newest member of the WTO. Comoros can use WTO accession as a vehicle for modernization, economic transformation, and a complement to the country’s regional integration agenda on the African continent,” she stated.
Okonjo-Iweala emphasized that Comoros’s membership would add a valuable voice to the multilateral trading system, reflecting its commitment to WTO values.
The 30-day countdown to Comoros’s membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) has officially begun. On July 22, 2024, Ambassador Sultan Chouzour handed over Comoros’s instrument of acceptance of the Protocol of Accession to WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala during a General Council meeting. This pivotal moment marks the final step before Comoros becomes the 165th member of the global trade body.
At the same time, Comoros submitted its instrument of acceptance for the WTO’s Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, making it the 82nd member to do so. The Agreement, adopted at the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in June 2022, aims to curb harmful fisheries subsidies contributing to the depletion of global fish stocks.
The Director-General also acknowledged the support of WTO members throughout Comoros’s accession process, noting that “they will continue to accompany Comoros in the post-accession phase.”
Comoros’s journey to WTO membership began with its application on February 22, 2007, followed by the establishment of a Working Party in October of the same year. After years of negotiations, the accession process was concluded on January 9, 2024. The official approval took place during the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi on February 26, 2024. Subsequently, Comoros’s National Assembly ratified the Protocol of Accession on June 10, paving the way for the final countdown to membership.
With Comoros set to join, 22 governments, including eight African nations, remain in the process of negotiating their WTO accession. Notably, Timor-Leste is next in line, with its membership slated to take effect on August 30.
The Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, critical to Comoros’s recent acceptance, introduces binding rules to eliminate subsidies for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, as well as for fishing overfished stocks and unregulated high seas activities. The Agreement also provides for continued negotiations to enhance its disciplines and includes provisions to support developing economies and least-developed countries (LDCs) in implementing these new standards.
