Twelve acceding governments attended the meeting, including Algeria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bhutan, Comoros, Curaçao, Ethiopia, Iran, Serbia, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, to take stock of the latest developments in their accession processes and the work of the group.

The first IGAG ministerial statement was adopted at the meeting and circulated to members attending MC13. The statement reiterates acceding governments' commitment to WTO accessions and notes the challenges faced by several acceding governments in their accession negotiations.

The IGAG urged WTO members and development partners to enhance technical assistance for accessions and post-accession and called for a review of the procedures for accession, with the aim of achieving a streamlined, facilitated and simplified process. The full statement can be found here.

Mr Jamshid Khodjaev, Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan and IGAG coordinator, chaired the meeting, highlighting the symbolic value of the group's first ministerial gathering taking place at the same Ministerial Conference which has just approved the WTO membership of Comoros and Timor-Leste.

“No country had joined the WTO since July 2016 when Afghanistan and Liberia acceded, which was the longest gap in WTO history — eight years. With Comoros and Timor-Leste joining the Organization, WTO accessions are one of the highlights of this Ministerial Conference. I believe this puts us in a strategic position, as we can aim to engage members more actively on this topic,” he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Khodjaev noted that the IGAG provided an opportunity to exchange information and advice regarding best practices on WTO accessions and to keep up to date with latest developments taking place in trade negotiations at the WTO. He added that the IGAG had been “a useful platform for acceding governments to bring ideas, concerns, and convey them to members with a stronger voice”. He said that Uzbekistan, as IGAG coordinator, stands ready to work closely with acceding governments to advance their interests.

WTO Deputy Director-General Zhang Xiangchen highlighted how the accessions of Comoros and Timor-Leste injected a positive spirit into MC13: “The accession of these two LDCs, which are also fragile and conflict-affected states, sends a strong signal about the importance and relevance of the values and principles embodied within the rules-based multilateral trading system.” He commended the two governments for the remarkable achievements. His full statement is here.

Miguel Marques Gonçalves Manetelu, Minister of Transport and Communication of Timor-Leste, emphasized the opportunities associated with WTO accession: “By embracing the opportunities of WTO membership and addressing its challenges head-on, we can build a more resilient, inclusive, and prosperous global economy for generations to come,” he said. His full statement is here.

Ethiopia, Iran, Belarus, Turkmenistan and Curaçao took the floor to provide an update on the status of their accession processes and their views on the challenges and opportunities presented by WTO accession. Acceding governments also commended Uzbekistan for its excellent coordinating role in the group and  congratulated Comoros and Timor-Leste for the conclusion of their accessions.

The IGAG was launched in March 2018 for enhanced coordination and discussion among acceding governments. The group comprises 24 acceding governments at various stages of the accession process, united by the common goal of achieving WTO accession.

The IGAG regularly convenes meetings in which group members share views and perspectives on WTO accessions, coordinate with each other to address the challenges they face in their accession processes and are updated on latest WTO negotiations.