DOHA WTO MINISTERIAL 2001:BRIEFING NOTES
MEMBERS
AND ACCESSION
Becoming
a member of the WTO
> Director-General抯 letter to journalists
> Background
> Least-developed countries (LDCs)
> Agriculture
> Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures
> Trade in services
> Implementation issues
> Intellectual property (TRIPS)
> Textiles and clothing
> Information technology (IT) products
> Trade and environment
> Trade and investment
> Trade and competition policy
> Transparency in government procurement
> Trade facilitation
> Trade and labour standards
> Disputes
> Electronic commerce
> Members and accession
> Regional trade agreements
> Some facts and figures
> Glossary of terms
Any state or customs territory having full autonomy in the conduct of its trade policies is eligible to accede to the WTO on terms agreed between it and WTO members (Article XII of the WTO Agreement).
The accession process commences with the submission of a formal written request for accession pursuant to Article XII of the WTO Agreement. This request is considered by the General Council which establishes a Working Party to examine the accession request and to submit recommendations to the General Council which may include a Protocol of Accession. The Working Party is open to all members of the WTO.
Established procedures require the applicant government to present to Working Party members a memorandum covering all aspects of its trade and legal regime. This memorandum forms the basis for detailed fact finding by the Working Party. After examining all aspects of the existing trade and legal regimes of the acceding government, the Working Party goes into the substantive part of the multilateral negotiations involved in accession, i.e. determining the terms and conditions of entry. These terms and conditions, involving commitments to observe WTO rules and disciplines upon accession, and transitional periods if any, are finally incorporated in the Draft Report of the Working Party and the Protocol of Accession.
At the same time, the applicant government engages in bilateral negotiations with interested Working Party members on concessions and commitments on market access for goods and services. This bilateral process determines the specific benefits for WTO members in permitting the applicant to accede to the WTO.
Once both the Working Party抯 Draft Report and Protocol of Accession and the market-access commitments in goods and services are completed to the satisfaction of members of the Working Party, the 揳ccession package?is presented to the General Council or the Ministerial Conference for adoption. Once approved, the applicant is then free to sign the Protocol. Thirty days after the applicant government notifies the WTO Secretariat that it has completed its ratification procedures, the applicant government becomes a member of the WTO.
Questions are often raised as to when a WTO applicant can accede to the WTO and whether it joins the WTO as a developing or a developed country. These questions are an inherent part of each WTO accession negotiation. Basically, this involves the granting of certain flexibilities in the implementation of WTO rules and disciplines ?a matter determined in the negotiation process. While accession processes vary in length and can take several years to complete, much depends on the speed with which the applicant government is able to adjust its trade and legal regime to the requirements of WTO rules and disciplines.
Because each accession Working Party takes decisions by consensus, WTO members must be in agreement that their individual concerns have been met and that all outstanding issues have been resolved in the course of their deliberations.
Since the WTO was established on 1 January 1995, 29 countries have become WTO members. These are: Albania, Angola, Benin, Bulgaria, Chad, Congo, Croatia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Estonia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Grenada, Haiti, Jordan, Latvia, Lithuania, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Mongolia, Niger, Oman, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Solomon Islands, and the United Arab Emirates.
With 30 governments still in the queue for membership to the WTO, accession will remain a major challenge for WTO members in the years ahead.
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Applicants
The following 30 governments have requested to join the WTO and their applications are currently being considered by WTO accession working parties or, as in the case of the People抯 Republic of China and Chinese Taipei and Vanuatu pending approval by the Ministerial Conference. Each of the governments listed below has WTO observer status.
Algeria
Andorra
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Belarus
Bosnia
Herzegovina
Bhutan
Cambodia
Cape
Verde
People抯
Republic of China
Kazakhstan
Lao
People抯 Democratic Republic
Lebanon
Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Nepal
Russian
Federation
Samoa
Saudi
Arabia
Seychelles
Sudan
Chinese
Taipei
Tajikistan
Tonga
Ukraine
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vietnam
Yemen
Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia
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Membership of the World Trade Organization
142 governments as of 26 July 2001
|
Member |
Date of membership |
|
Albania |
8 September 2000 |
|
Angola |
1 December 1996 |
|
Antigua and Barbuda |
1 January 1995 |
|
Argentina |
1 January 1995 |
|
Australia |
1 January 1995 |
|
Austria |
1 January 1995 |
|
Bahrain |
1 January 1995 |
|
Bangladesh |
1 January 1995 |
|
Barbados |
1 January 1995 |
|
Belgium |
1 January 1995 |
|
Belize |
1 January 1995 |
|
Benin |
22 February 1996 |
|
Bolivia |
13 September 1995 |
|
Botswana |
31 May 1995 |
|
Brazil |
1 January 1995 |
|
Brunei Darussalam |
1 January 1995 |
|
Bulgaria |
1 December 1996 |
|
Burkina Faso |
3 June 1995 |
|
Burundi |
23 July 1995 |
|
Cameroon |
13 December 1995 |
|
Canada |
1 January 1995 |
|
Central African Republic |
31 May 1995 |
|
Chad |
19 October 1996 |
|
Chile |
1 January 1995 |
|
Colombia |
30 April 1995 |
|
Congo |
27 March 1997 |
|
Costa Rica |
1 January 1995 |
|
C魌e d捍voire |
1 January 1995 |
|
Croatia |
30 November 2000 |
| Cuba | 20 April 1995 |
|
Cyprus |
30 July 1995 |
|
Czech Republic |
1 January 1995 |
|
Democratic Republic of the Congo |
1 January 1997 |
|
Denmark |
1 January 1995 |
|
Djibouti |
31 May 1995 |
|
Dominica |
1 January 1995 |
|
Dominican Republic |
9 March 1995 |
|
Ecuador |
21 January 1996 |
|
Egypt |
30 June 1995 |
|
El Salvador |
7 May 1995 |
|
Estonia |
13 November 1999 |
|
European Union |
1 January 1995 |
|
Fiji |
14 January 1996 |
|
Finland |
1 January 1995 |
|
France |
1 January 1995 |
|
Gabon |
1 January 1995 |
|
Gambia |
23 October 1996 |
|
Georgia |
14 June 2000 |
|
Germany |
1 January 1995 |
|
Ghana |
1 January 1995 |
|
Greece |
1 January 1995 |
|
Grenada |
22 February 1996 |
|
Guatemala |
21 July 1995 |
|
Guinea Bissau |
31 May 1995 |
|
Guinea |
25 October 1995 |
|
Guyana |
1 January 1995 |
|
Haiti |
30 January 1996 |
|
Honduras |
1 January 1995 |
|
Hong Kong, China |
1 January 1995 |
|
Hungary |
1 January 1995 |
|
Iceland |
1 January 1995 |
|
India |
1 January 1995 |
|
Indonesia |
1January 1995 |
|
Ireland |
1 January 1995 |
|
Israel |
21 April 1995 |
|
Italy |
1 January 1995 |
|
Jamaica |
9 March 1995 |
|
Jordan |
11 April 2000 |
|
Japan |
1 January 1995 |
|
Kenya |
1 January 1995 |
|
Korea |
1 January 1995 |
|
Kuwait |
1 January 1995 |
|
Kyrgyz Republic |
20 December 1998 |
|
Latvia |
10 February 1999 |
|
Lesotho |
31 May 1995 |
|
Liechtenstein |
1 September 1995 |
|
Lithuania |
31 May 2001 |
| Luxembourg | 1 January 1995 |
|
Macao, China |
1 January 1995 |
|
Madagascar |
17 November 1995 |
|
Malawi |
31 May 1995 |
|
Malaysia |
1 January 1995 |
|
Maldives |
31 May 1995 |
|
Mali |
31 May 1995 |
|
Malta |
1 January 1995 |
|
Mauritania |
31 May 1995 |
|
Mauritius |
1 January 1995 |
|
Mexico |
1 January 1995 |
|
Moldova |
26 July 2001 |
| Mongolia | 29 January 1997 |
|
Morocco |
1 January 1995 |
|
Mozambique |
26 August 1995 |
|
Myanmar |
1 January 1995 |
|
Namibia |
1 January 1995 |
|
Netherlands |
1 January 1995 |
|
New Zealand |
1 January 1995 |
|
Nicaragua |
3 September 1995 |
|
Niger |
13 December 1996 |
|
Nigeria |
1 January 1995 |
|
Norway |
1 January 1995 |
|
Oman |
9 November 2000 |
| Pakistan | 1 January 1995 |
|
Panama |
6 September 1997 |
|
Papua New Guinea |
9 June 1996 |
|
Paraguay |
1 January 1995 |
|
Peru |
1 January 1995 |
|
Philippines |
1 January 1995 |
|
Poland |
1 July 1995 |
|
Portugal |
1 January 1995 |
|
Qatar |
13 January 1996 |
|
Romania |
1 January 1995 |
|
Rwanda |
22 May 1996 |
|
Saint Kitts and Nevis |
21 February 1996 |
|
Saint Lucia |
1 January 1995 |
|
Saint Vincent & the Grenadines |
1 January 1995 |
|
Senegal |
1 January 1995 |
|
Sierra Leone |
23 July 1995 |
|
Singapore |
1 January 1995 |
|
Slovak Republic |
1 January 1995 |
|
Slovenia |
30 July 1995 |
|
Solomon Islands |
26 July 1996 |
|
South Africa |
1 January 1995 |
|
Spain |
1 January 1995 |
|
Sri Lanka |
1 January 1995 |
|
Suriname |
1 January 1995 |
|
Swaziland |
1 January 1995 |
|
Sweden |
1 January 1995 |
|
Switzerland |
1 July 1995 |
|
Tanzania |
1 January 1995 |
|
Thailand |
1 January 1995 |
|
Togo |
31 May 1995 |
|
Trinidad and Tobago |
1 March 1995 |
|
Tunisia |
29 March 1995 |
|
Turkey |
26 March 1995 |
|
Uganda |
1 January 1995 |
|
United Arab Emirates |
10 April 1996 |
|
United Kingdom |
1 January 1995 |
|
United States |
1 January 1995 |
|
Uruguay |
1 January 1995 |
|
Venezuela |
1 January 1995 |
|
Zambia |
1 January 1995 |
|
Zimbabwe |
3 March 1995 |