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Paragraph
9 of the Ministerial Declaration states that:
- “9.
We note with particular satisfaction that this conference has
completed the WTO accession procedures for China and Chinese Taipei.
We also welcome the accession as new members, since our last
session, of Albania, Croatia, Georgia, Jordan, Lithuania, Moldova
and Oman, and note the extensive market-access commitments already
made by these countries on accession. These accessions will greatly
strengthen the multilateral trading system, as will those of the 28
countries now negotiating their accession. We therefore attach great
importance to concluding accession proceedings as quickly as
possible. In particular, we are committed to accelerating the
accession of least-developed countries”.
Paragraph
42, in the Section on LDCs states that:
- “42.
… Accession of LDCs remains a priority for the Membership. We
agree to work to facilitate and accelerate negotiations with
acceding LDCs. We instruct the Secretariat to reflect the priority
we attach to LDCs’ accessions in the annual plans for technical
assistance. …”
The
commitment to accelerate the accession of LDCs is being addressed in the
Sub-committee on LDCs. The Sub-committee is mandated to report on the
issue to the General Council by early 2003 with recommendations. The
Director-General will submit a status report to the Fifth Ministerial
Conference on “Implementation of the Commitment by Ministers to
Facilitate and Accelerate the Accession of LDCs”.
The
Sub-committee has prepared the following background document: “Status
of Least-Developed Countries Accession to the World Trade Organization -
Note by the Secretariat” (WT/LDC/SWG/IF/11/Rev.2)
It
has also agreed to Guidelines on LDC Accessions (WT/COMTD/LDC/12)
which were adopted by the General Council at its meeting in
December 2002 (WT/L/508).
> Press release
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