Deputy Prime Minister Francisco Kalbuadi Lay of Timor-Leste handed to WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala the instrument of acceptance of its Protocol of Accession at a meeting of the General Council on July 22, 2024.
At the request of Timor-Leste, the formal deposit of the Protocol of Accession was dated July 31 so that the 30-day countdown to become a member would end on August 30.
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala stated: “I am excited to welcome Timor-Leste as a new WTO member, soon after Comoros,” which became the 165th member on August 21, 2024.
“I congratulate the government and people of Timor-Leste on this achievement on this historical day as the country is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the 1999 referendum paving the way for its independence,” she added. “WTO membership can help realize the potential of Timor-Leste as it seeks to diversify its economy. It also complements the country's efforts to join ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations).”
The Director-General further noted: “Addition of two new members to the WTO family serves as a vote of confidence in the WTO and its core values of openness, transparency, good governance and the rule of law. The Secretariat will accompany both LDCs on their membership journeys to help realize the benefits from their accession negotiations.”
WTO members officially approved Timor-Leste's accession during a special ceremony at the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi on February 26.
Timor-Leste applied for WTO membership on April 7, 2015, and a Working Party was established on December 7, 2016. Members concluded negotiations on January 11, 2024. Following approval by WTO members at MC13, Timor-Leste's National Parliament approved the Protocol of Accession on June 3, 2024.
Timor-Leste also approved the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement on July 10, handing over its instrument of acceptance simultaneously with that of its Accession Protocol. This brings the total number of acceptances for the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement to 83.
Twenty-two governments are still negotiating their WTO accession. Information about becoming a WTO member and lists related to these processes are available online.
Adopted by consensus at MC12 in Geneva from June 12-17, 2022, the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement sets new binding rules to curb harmful subsidies contributing to fish stock depletion. For this agreement to enter into force, two-thirds of WTO members must formally accept it by depositing an instrument with the WTO.
The agreement recognizes developing countries' needs and establishes a fund for technical assistance and capacity-building. It prohibits subsidies for illegal fishing activities and fishing overfished stocks or unregulated high seas fishing.
Members agreed at MC12 to continue negotiations on outstanding issues with a view toward adopting additional provisions that would enhance these disciplines further.