On 27 May 2014, Yemen deposited the “Instrument of Acceptance” with Director-General Roberto Azevêdo confirming its membership terms, and activated the 30-day countdown to its WTO membership which became effective on 26 June 2014.

“I am delighted to welcome the Republic of Yemen as the 160th Member of the WTO”, DG Azevêdo declared. “This is great news for Yemen’s economy and therefore for the people of Yemen. It is also a boost for the WTO as we work to deliver the benefits of the agreement struck in Bali last year and redouble our efforts to complete the Doha round of negotiations. With Yemen’s accession, 97.1% of the global economy now falls under the rules-based multilateral trading system.”

Trade ministers of WTO members officially approved Yemen’s accession on 4 December 2013 during the Ninth Ministerial Conference in Bali, Indonesia. The Protocol of Accession was signed by H.E. Dr Saadaldeen Talib, Yemeni Minister of Trade and Industry, and WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo. In his welcoming remarks, Mr Azevêdo congratulated Yemen for “having taken those hard decisions which are necessary to secure growth, development, trade integration and the extension of the rule of law.” In this process, he added, Yemen has shown “energy, focus and determination to negotiate the terms of its membership over a 13-year period and completed its ratification process in a 174 day-record. Yemen’s accession takes the WTO closer to its goal of universality”.

 

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The Accession Commitments Database (ACDB) now includes the specific obligations Yemen undertook throughout its accession process. The database covers all accession commitments and related information provided in the Working Party Reports and Accession Protocols of the members that have acceded to the WTO.