“The process of acceding to the WTO helps to underpin domestic reforms essential for the promotion of economic growth and development. Through this Global Seminar, the WTO is pleased to provide the opportunity for acceding governments to take stock of their accession process and to forge ahead with joining the WTO,” said Mr Azevêdo.

The main objectives of the Global Seminar, taking place from 23 to 27 September 2013, are to strengthen the expertise of government officials negotiating entry into the WTO, to share experiences and best-practices, to review and consolidate the results of the 31 concluded accessions since the establishment of the WTO and to ensure that the results obtained by WTO members since their accession strengthen the rules-based multilateral trading system.

The seminar provides a platform for discussions between both capital and Geneva-based officials from the acceding governments and officials from WTO members. Speakers include expert negotiators and WTO specialists.A high point of the week’s programme is the final Working Party meeting on the accession of Yemen on 26 September.

Of the 31 members that have joined the WTO since 1995, six are least-developed countries. Four completed their accession in 2011 — the record year for WTO accessions — and 24 governments are currently undertaking accession negotiations.

The Global Seminar is organized jointly by the Accessions Division and the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation. 

The programme and the list of participants are available here.