South Sudan

South Sudan's Timeline

I. Overview
Application received	05/12/2017	WT/ACC/SSD/1
Accession Working Party established	13/12/2017	—
Terms of reference & accession Working Party membership	18/12/2017	WT/ACC/SSD/2  (+  revisions)
Chairperson of the Accession Working Party
3nd	04/2026 — present	Ambassador Alaa HEGAZY (Egypt)
2nd	03/2021 — 09/2024	Ambassador Ahmed Ihab GAMALELDIN (Egypt)
1st	03/2019 — 12/2020	Ambassador Mohammad Qurban HAQJO (Afghanistan)
Formal Meetings of the Working Party	Date of the meeting	Convening notice	Statement(s) by the Head of the Delegation	Statement(s) by Working Party members	Delegation list	Other documents for the meeting	News item
1st	21/03/2019			—	—	Documents	News item
Informal Meetings of the Working Party	Date of the meeting	Convening fax	Statement(s) by the Head of the Delegation
—	—	—	—
Plurilateral Meetings	Date of the meeting	Convening fax	Statement(s) by the Head of the Delegation
—	—	—	—
II. Multilateral Negotiations
Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime (MFTR)	21/12/2018	WT/ACC/SSD/3 (+  corrigendum)
Initial cycle(s) of Questions and Replies, following the circulation of the MFTR
	19/02/2019	WT/ACC/SSD/4
Factual Summary of Points Raised
Additional Questions & Replies
Elements of a Draft Report of the Working Party
Draft Report of the Working Party
Agriculture (WT/ACC/22/Add.1), including Questions and Replies
SPS Checklist (WT/ACC/22/Add.2)
TBT Checklist (WT/ACC/22/Add.2)
TRIPS Questionnaire (WT/ACC/22/Add.2)
Import Licensing Procedures Questionnaire (WT/ACC/22 + revisions)
Customs Valuation Checklist (WT/ACC/22 + revisions)
State-Trading Questionnaire (WT/ACC/22 + revisions)
Draft Subsidies Notification (WT/ACC/22/Add.2)
Comprehensive Legislative Action Plan (LAP)	19/02/2019	WT/ACC/SSD/5
Rule-specific Action Plans
Legislation and implementing regulations	Click for details Hide details	Legislation notice		Notified legislation
	19/02/2019	WT/ACC/SSD/6		Passports and Immigration Act, 2011  Agency Act, 2008  Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorist Financing Act, 2012  Attorney General's Chambers Act, 2004  Southern Sudan Audit Chamber Act, 2011  Banking Act, 2012  Central Bank of New Sudan Act, 2003  Civil Aviation Authority Act, 2012  Code of Criminal Procedure Act, 2008  Code of Evidence Act, 2006  Companies Act, 2012  Consumer Protection Act, 2011  Contract Act, 2008  Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Protection Act, 1996  Drug and Food Control Authority Act, 2012  Evidence Act, 2003  Financial Institutions Act, 2003  Financial Management Act, 2004  Foreign Exchange Business Act, 2012  Forestry Commission Act, 2003  Regulation of Imports and Exports Act, 2012  Interpretation of Laws and General Provisions Act, 2003  Investment Promotion Act, 2009  Judiciary Act, 2003  Labour Act, 2017  Land Act, 2009  Limited Partnerships Act, 2008  Mining Act, 2012  Ministry of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Development Organization Act, 2008  National Bureau of Standards Act, 2012  Non-Governmental Organizations Act, 2016  Partnerships Act, 2008  Penal Code Act, 2008  Personal Income Tax Act, 2007  New Sudan Public Corporation Act, 2003  Public Financial Management and Accountability Act, 2011  Public Premises Eviction Act, 2006  Registration of Business Names Act, 2008  Sale of Goods Act, 2011  Telecommunication Corporation Act, 2004  Timber Utilization and Management Act, 2003  Traffic Act, 2003  Appropriation Act, 2012  Wildlife Conservation and National Parks Act, 2003  Inspection, Conformity and Promotion of Export, Import, Services, Products and Installations Regulations, 2016  Limited Partnerships Regulations, 2009  Partnership Regulations, 2009  Registration of Business Names Regulations, 2009  Weights and Measures Regulations, 2016  Taxation Act (Amendment) Bill, 2011  Road Traffic and Safety Bill, 2012  Trademarks Bill, 2013  Insurance Bill, 2010  Southern Sudan Medicine Control Authority Bill, 2010  Southern Sudan Roads Authority Bill, 2010  Microfinance Deposit Taking Bill, 2010  Southern Sudan Pensions Fund Bill, 2010
Consultation documents	Click for details Hide details	Consultation notice		Notified consultation document
III. Bilateral Market Access Negotiations
Goods Offer(s)
Services Offer(s)
Register of Bilateral Market Access Agreements	—
Draft Goods Schedule
Draft Services Schedule
Goods and Services Technical Verification Meetings
IV. Summary of Final Meeting of the Working Party
V. Accession Package (“Terms of Accession”, de-restricted)
Ministerial Conference/General Council Decision on the Accession
Protocol of Accession
Report of the Working Party
Goods Schedule (Schedule of Concessions and Commitments Annexed to the GATT 1994)
Services Schedule (Schedule of Specific Commitments Annexed to the GATS)
VI. Accessions Commitments Database (ACDB)
Specific Accession Commitments
VII. Instrument of Acceptance
Notification of Acceptance and Entry Into Force of the Protocol of Accession
IX. Since 1995, this is the…
VIII. Date of Membership
[…] economy that joined the WTO pursuant to Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement.

Note:
The de-restriction of documents is a key component of the transparency obligations of the Multilateral Trading System.  Paragraphs 1 and 2(e) of the Ministerial Council Decision WT/L/452 of 14 May 2002 provide that “documents relating to working parties on accession shall be restricted and shall be automatically de-restricted upon the adoption of the report of the working party” by the Ministerial Conference/General Council.  The time of completion of the de-restriction process depends on the amount and complexities of the documents involved.  Prior to 2002, the de-restriction of accession-related documents was governed by a different set of rules (i.e. General Council Decision WT/L/160/Rev.1 of 26 July 1996), which only affect documents circulated prior to 2002.