   
  
WT/ACC/39  
 
1 March  2021 
(21-1733) Page: 1/15 
  Original: English  
 
HIGH -LEVEL REGIONAL DIALOGUE ON WTO ACCESSIONS  
FOR THE ARAB REGION  
ARAB PERSPECTIVES ON WTO ACCESSIONS AND THE MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM  
Virtual , 8-10 November  2020 
The following submission , dated 23 February  2021, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the Sultanate of Oman.  
 
_______________  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 WT/ACC/39  
 
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  1  INTRODUCTION  AND OVERVIEW  
1. The High-Level Regional Dialogue on WTO Accessions for the Arab Region  (hereinafter:  
High-Level Dialogue) took  place virtually from 8 to 10 November  2020. The event was organized by 
the WTO Secretariat in partnership with the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) and  the Islamic Development 
Bank (IsDB).  
2. Under the theme "Arab Perspectives on WTO Accessions and the Multilateral Trading System ", 
the discussions at the Dialogue focused on: (i) the Arab region  and the multilateral trading system ; 
(ii) Arab accessions and state of play ; (iii)  assess ment of  the economic impact of COVID -19 on 
the Arab region ; (iv)  technical assistance (TA) and capacity building that can be provided by 
international organizations and regional partners ; and (vi)  trade as a vehicle for peace in the region. 
The programme of the High -Level Dialogue is annexed to this document.  
3. Over 45 participants took part in the Dialogue. These included representatives from seven 
Arab governments ,1 as well as  international organizations and development partners .2  
4. Participants engaged in an open, informative and interactive dialogue, based on prese ntations 
made by the WTO Secretariat, AMF and IsDB staff as well as representatives of  acceding 
government s and other international organizations , which were followed by open discussions.  
2  HIGH -LEVEL OPENING SESSION: THE ARAB REGION  AND THE MULTILATERAL TRA DING 
SYSTEM   
5. This high -level session, moderated by  Ms. Maika Oshikawa , Director  of the Accessions Division 
of the  WTO, officially opened the High-Level Regional Dialogue . Speakers for the session included: 
Dr. Abdulrahman A. Al Hamidy , Director General and Chairman of the Board of the AMF ; Ambassador 
Alan Wolff, Deputy Director -General of the WTO ; and Eng. Mohammad Jamal Alsaati ,  
Director -General of the Regional Hub and Center of Excellence of Dubai of the IsDB . 
6. Opening the session,  Dr. Abdulrahman  Al Hamidy highlighted the importance of trade, 
particularly to develop the region and decrease the negative impact of the COVID -19 pandemic.  
Dr. Al Hamidy recalled past training workshops and other forms of TA organized with the IsDB and 
the WTO, calling for a continuation of this collaboration. Attendees were encouraged to actively  
participate and interact with fellow acceding governments and development partners to get the most 
out of the High -Level Dialogue.  
7.  In his opening remarks, DDG Wolff highlighted the  results of WTO accessions in the last 
25 years which  included four Arab countries  becoming Members:  Jordan  (2000), Oman (2000), 
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (2005)  and Yemen  (2014). The eight Arab countries  remaining in 
the process of accession  are: Algeria, Comoros, Iraq, the Lebanese Republic, Libya, Somalia, Sudan , 
and the Syrian Arab Republic . The Arab region remain s a priority for WTO accessions due in part 
to its potential for trade, but also the large number  of fragile  and conflict affected (FCA) countries 
in the region , which motivated the creation of the "Trade for Peace" initiative in late 2017. 
The accession process had been used by resource based countries to diversify their economies, and 
had served as an effective external anchor for domestic reforms: Article XII Members registered 
higher growth rates of GDP, imports and exports, and increased flows of inward FDI stocks.3 
The High-Level Dialogue  presented an excellent platform to discuss technical, substa ntive and 
procedural issues on WTO Accessions for the Arab countries engaged in the process, with its primary 
objective having been to allow acceding governments to share their experiences and voice their TA 
needs.  
8. The COVID -19 pandemic had particularly ne gative effects for the Arab region, but acceding 
governments in the region remained active despite this. Somalia submitted its Memorandum on 
the Foreign Trade Regime (MFTR) in April and Ambassador Mikael Anzén  of Sweden had recently 
 
1 Iraq, Jordan, Lebanese Republic, Oman, Palestine, Somalia, and Sudan . 
2 Arab Monetary Fund (AMF), Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF),  Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), 
International Trade Centre (ITC), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the 
World Bank.  
3 Based on the 2019 DG Annual Report on Accessions: WT/ACC/36.  WT/ACC/39  
 
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  been appointed Accessio n Working Party Chairman. Iraq had appointed a new Trade Minister, and 
the Working Party Chairman (Amb assador  Omar Hilale of Morocco) had held a series of consultations 
with Members, the Secretariat and the team in Baghdad to discuss how to relaunch the ac cession 
process. Comoros resumed its Working Party  (WP) in September and expressed its desire to conclude 
its accession by the 12th Ministerial Conference. Sudan increased its engagement with 
the Secretariat, especially with the arrival of Ambassador Ali I bn Talib Abdelrahman Mahmoud 
in Geneva.  
9. In his opening remarks, Eng. Mohammad Jamal Alsaati  presented work that had been done 
in collaboration with development partners to assist the Arab region. A questionnaire had been sent 
out, asking Arab countries for their specific needs in order to better assist them. The Arab -Africa 
Trade Bridges program had been established to promote Arab -African trade and opportunities, with 
a second phase of assistance for foreign trade having been planned for 2021. In response to  
COVID -19, the IsDB had implemented a 3-phase  program to aid Arab countries, focusing on health, 
education, food, SMEs and inf rastructure. Additionally, a collaborative assistance program had been 
developed with the Arab Monetary Fund to assist countries in facing COVID -19, with a contribution 
of US$10 billion. The commitment of the IsDB to collaborate with all partners to enhanc e capabilities 
to face COVID -19 and world trade requirements had been highlighted, and the High-Level Dialogue  
had presented an opportunity to develop this collaboration.  
3  SESSION 1: WTO ACCESSION FUNDAMENTALS AND STATE OF PLAY: OVERVIEW AND 
PROCEDURES  
10. The WTO accession process provides a unique opportunity for governments to engage in 
an across -the-board domestic reform process, including through the alignment of legal frameworks 
to WTO rules and principles. The process and state of play of Arab accessions  were presented by 
Ms. Mena Hassan, Legal and Economic Affairs Officer of the WTO Accessions Division.  
11. The accession process is a political, legal,  and economic endeavour that often requires reform 
of existing laws and practices to be in compliance with the WTO rules. The first stage is 
the establishment of the WP, which oversees the accession process. Th e second stage, the  WP 
process , is divided int o three phases:  
i. Collection of factual information: the applicant submits the Memorandum of Foreign 
Trade Regime ( MFTR ) which is then reviewed by the WP, with Members submitting 
questions asking the applicant for clarifications. The first WP meeting is held once 
written answers have been received from the applicant on the MFTR . The Secretariat 
is typically  requested to cir culate a Factual Summary of Points Raised — an informal 
document summarizing discussion s in the Working Party. This document gradually 
develops into a draft Working Party Report.  
ii. Negotiating the terms of accession: commitments pertaining to rules relating 
to goods, TRIPS, and services are negotiated multilaterally. Agricultural support and 
export subsidies are negotiated plurilaterally. Market access for goods and services 
is negotiated bilaterally with Members of the WP.  
iii. WP Report: the draft WP report is finalized, including commitments on rules to be 
accepted by the acceding country, a draft Protocol of Accession, and draft Goods 
and Services Schedules, which contain the results of the bilateral negotiations on 
goods and services and of the plurilateral consultations and negotiations on 
agricultural support . 
The third stage begins once the draft Accession Package is adopted by the WP  and the draft Protocol 
of Accession is laid out . Formal action is then taken by the Ministerial Conference or the 
General  Council to accept the draft Accession Package  and Protocol of Accession , which is in turn 
presented to the acceding government. Membership is granted 30 days after the  acceding 
government notifies the WTO of the ratification of  the Protocol of Accession.  
12. Regarding the state -of-play of WTO membership since its establishment, 36 accessions had  
been completed so far, including 9 LDCs, between 1996 and 2016. The last Members to join were 
Afghan istan and Liberia in 2016. Article XII Members account for over 20% of WTO membership and WT/ACC/39  
 
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  98% of world trade covered by WTO rules. The average length of accession was 10 years and 
2 months, or 12 years and 2 months for LDCs. Four Arab accessions were concl uded to date: Jordan 
(6 years and 3 months), (4 years and 5 months), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (12 years and 5 months) 
and Yemen (13 years and 11 months).  
13. Of the 23 ongoing accessions, eight of them were in the Arab region, three of which were 
LDCs4. Of the  eight, Algeria, Comoros and the Lebanese Republic are in the draft stage 
of the Working Party Report ; Sudan is in the Factual Summary of Points Raised stage ; Iraq and 
Somalia have submitted their MFTR and Libya and the Syrian Arab Republic had not submitt ed 
documentation. Algeria, Comoros, the Lebanese Republic,  and Sudan are engaged in bilateral market 
access negotiations  on the basis of revised Goods and Services offers . The average length 
of the ongoing Arab accessions is 17 years and seven months, from  the date of the establishment 
of the WP.  
14. A policy framework for LDC Accessions was developed in 2002 and updated in 2012 to facilitate 
the process for LDCs. Subjects treated included market access, WTO rules, process, and  TA. 
Benchmarks on market access on Goods and Services are established, transparency in accession 
negotiations is emphasized, as well as facilitation by Chairs of the Sub -Committee on LDCs and 
Accession WP, and special and differential treatment and transitio n periods are foreseen . Emphasis 
is placed on TA and capacity building for LDCs.  
15. Based on the concluded accessions, b est practices for the Accession process have emerged, 
and include : 
i. Establishing a clear domestic structure to support the accession process  and build 
capacity of the negotiating team . 
ii. Early identification of benefits and interests, which should be reflected in negotiating 
strategy.  
iii. Impact assessment of WTO membership.  
iv. Assessment of trade -related legislation and practices to determine conformi ty with 
WTO rules.  
v. Establishment of a national steering committee which should include ministries, 
private sector and civil society representatives.  
vi. Identification of a "model accession".  
vii. Use of TA and capacity building.  
4  SESSION 2: ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE OF WTO ARAB COUNTRIES: ECONOMIC 
DIVERSIFICATION AND STRUCTURAL REFORM IN POST COVID -19 PANDEMIC ERA   
16. The Arab region was particularly affected by the COVID -19 pandemic, which exacerbated 
existing issues and brought about new ones. Two speakers from the AMF – Dr. Heba Abdel Monem, 
Chief,  Studies and Statistics Division and Dr. Mohamed Ismail, Economist, as well as two speakers 
from the IsDB – Dr. Imed Drine, Lead Economist , Country Strategy and Cooperation Department 
and Dr. Bassem Haikal, Country Economist, Co untry and Strategy Cooperation Department  
– presented the effects of the pandemic on the Arab region and the necessary response in the Post 
COVID -19 era.  
17. According to Dr. Monem, the depth of the crisis was notable: a recession was to be expected, 
particul arly since Arab countries depend ed to a big extent on oil prices and external demand, both 
of which suffered during the pandemic. The size of the informal sector in Arab countries meant that 
a large percentage of jobs were vulnerable as a result, with governments trying to protect these 
jobs through social security networks. The oil, aviation and tourism sectors were hit particularly 
hard, which affected a majority of Arab countries. Post COVID -19 growth is expected to be below 
 
4 Comoros, Somalia, and Sudan.  WT/ACC/39  
 
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  2.8%, indicating  a larger impact than the 2008 crisis. Building back better was necessary, with 
a focus placed on diversification to reduce vulnerability to price volatility and shocks. This could be 
done through supporting human resources and the private sector and focusing on productivity and 
competitiveness. The liberalization of trade, labour market reforms, and investment in human capital 
were all discussed as key to recovering from the effects of the pandemic. T he digital economy 
presented an opportunity to support healthy recovery and transition towards a diversified economy 
that could address the impacts of the pandemic.  
18. Dr. Ismail , focusing on trade, discussed necessary reforms to be compliant with WTO rules 
but also to reduce vulnerabilities and improve foreign trade in the long run. Encouraging economic 
diversification by adopting economic policies focused on manufacturing, shifting towards  
knowledge -based economies and focusing on innovation. Trade facilitation was also key, increasing 
competitiveness by allowing goods to be cleared in the shortest amount of time possible. A reduction 
of procedures needed to import and export and accepting electronic exchange of information was 
recommended . These policies could result in increased transparency, competit iveness, quality and 
attractiveness while addressing issues caused by COVID -19. 
19. Dr. Drine spoke on the importance  of cooperation in addressing the issues brought about by 
the pandemic , based on a report on economic diversification post COVID -19 for Arab Co untries. 
The report found that while governments deployed their best efforts to address the virus, these 
would have been more effective had there been more regional cooperation. In some cases, there 
was an absence of cooperation while in others, the effort s deployed were not very successful. Despite 
progress made in joint work, it had not been translated into a joint action plan based on unified 
measures or tools to help some countries that  had faced greater difficulties in addressing 
the pandemic, particul arly its social and economic repercussions. The crisis had no border, and real 
repercussions would not be seen before 2021 and 2022, if not later. Recommendations were based 
on emulating success stories in other parts of the world, such as building regiona l centres to provide 
countries with necessary medical PPE, which would help reduce costs to stop the spread of 
the pandemic. Labs and research centres needed to be developed to plan for the future, which would 
increase preparedness, reduce the costs of the  crisis and expedite economic recovery. Better health 
standards needed to be established and health sectors to be developed, which was a key area in 
which regional cooperation would have been the most effective.  
20. Dr. Haikal  explained the impact of the pandemic on the region and the measures developed 
by the IsDB in response to the crisis. A Country Needs Assessment Framework was designed on 
a country -specific basis to assess the current and future needs of IsDB member countr ies, based on 
their health impact, economic vulnerability and ability to respond to the crisis, using publicly 
available data. A Global Coordination Platform (GCP) was developed to facilitate the implementation 
of projects, with a focus on efficiency, tran sparency and better governance of COVID -19 response 
using a blockchain -based online marketplace. The Strategic Preparedness & Response Program 
(SPRP) was launched in April 2020 with a $2.3 billion funding package, taking a holistic approach 
to helping coun tries respond to the crisis in the short, medium and long term. Short term responses 
took immediate actions to help member countries' responses to health emergencies to sustain and 
save lives. The medium -term response focused on lines for finance for trade  and MSMEs to help 
the private sector survive the pandemic's peak effect on the economy. Finally, the long -term 
response aim s at building resilience and preparedness to support revival of industries and catalyse 
private investment.  
5  SESSION 3: ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION ON " EXPERIENCE SHARING AND LESSONS 
LEARNED FROM WTO ACCESSION"   
21. Joining the WTO is a complex process which require s: (i) the examination of the foreign trade 
regime of the acceding government by WTO Members and multilateral negotiations on  the acceding 
government's commitments on matters covered by WTO rules; and, (ii) the bilateral market access 
negotiations between the acceding government and interested WTO Members on goods and services. 
This session , moderated by Ms. Maika Oshikawa , Director of the WTO Accessions Division, allowed 
acceding governments and Article XII Members to share their experiences and challenges faced 
during the process. Acceding governments were asked i) what their biggest challenges were in 
the accession process and , ii) what was required to overcome these challenges. Article XII Members 
were asked i) what the main benefits of WTO membership for their countries were and, ii) what 
advice they would give to acceding governments.  WT/ACC/39  
 
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  22. Dr. Linda Kassem, Coordinator of Accessi on to the WTO in the Ministry of Economy and Trade 
of the Leban ese Republic , explained the internal challenges that Lebanon was facing which slowed 
the accession process. The accession process began  in 1999, and its latest WP meeting, the seventh, 
was held  in October 2009.  Close to 85% of the required documentation for accession was prepared. 
However, due to internal challenges, the process stagnated. A very challenging political and 
economic environment paired with multiple crises since 2011, culminating i n the COVID -19 
pandemic had led to high poverty rates, unemployment, debt and fiscal deficit as well as negative 
projected growth. The political crisis resulted in some necessary reforms to domestic legislation 
being put on hold. As for the accession proce ss, the main challenge is related to commitments and 
the conclusion of negotiations with Members, with an inability to reach an acceptable tariff rate 
in light of all the challenges that Lebanon is facing, after having set low commitments and low rates 
early into the negotiations. The possibility of revising the commitments and tariffs upward were 
presented by Lebanon as a potential solution to this issue.  
23. Ambassador Ali Ibn Abi Talib Abdelrahman Mahmoud, Permanent Representative of S udan 
to the UN, describ ed Sudan's accession process, which started in 1994 , and the roadblocks faced 
in restarting the process . The MFTR was submitted in 1999 and the first WP meeting was held 
in 2003, after which the process was put on hold until 2015 due to internal and external factors. 
From 2015 to 2017, Sudan had made progress, but due to specific issues requested by certain 
Members, the process was put on hold again, followed by the Sudanese revolution which took place 
in December 2018  and prevented the process from moving forward. However, the process was once 
again being restarted, with the appointment of a new Secretary General of the National Secretariat 
on WTO Affairs . Ambassador Talib st ressed the importance of having clear guidelines with fixed time 
frames now that the process was being restarted, to ensure that the process was no longer put on 
hold. 
24. Mr. Sharmarke Abdi Jama, Senior Trade Advisor at the Ministry of Trade of Somalia, prese nted 
the accession process to the WTO in conjunction with other regional integration and development 
goals of Somalia. After 30 years of conflict , Somalia set out a 2024 economic development plan 
which involved accession to the WTO, in parallel with negoti ations to join the African Continental 
Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). 
The WP was established in 2016, the MFTR was submitted in April 2020 and Ambassador Mikel Anzén 
of Sweden had been recently appo inted as Working Party Chairperson. The main issues faced by 
Somalia were a loss of human capital and a need for capacity building, paired with a lack of access 
to finance and ongoing debt relief negotiations, mainly due to the 30 years of conflict. Capaci ty 
building and TA to assist in the process was a priority, particularly in identifying priorities  in the  short, 
medium and long run . Another key issue was the 2021 election, where a change in the current 
regime could result in the accession to the WTO no longer being a priority. The first WP meeting was 
envisaged for the first quarter of 2021.  
25. Mr. Mohammed Hmaidan of the Ministry of National Economy of Palestine , detailed Palestine's 
efforts to join the WTO. In the 1990s, different Palestinian governments  introduced systems and 
legislation to be in line with WTO rules and reform the foreign trade regime by developing IP, 
antitrust, telecommunications and financial company laws. Two teams were established – a national 
task force and a technical advisory tea m – to issue the necessary decisions and needed capacity 
building to prepare for WTO accession as an observer. Palestine had attended every ministerial 
conference since MC6 in 2005  as an ad hoc observer to promote interest in joining the WTO. 
However, Pale stine's application to the WTO was blocked, and Palestine had since been advised 
to postpone the application. Palestine n eeds capacity building and TA for the private and public 
sectors, as well as in the field of negotiations, particularly since many civi l servants had since retired. 
Studies on the impact of accession on the national economy and its different sectors  are also needed.  
26. Ms. Nidhal Sebri, Director of the WTO Section in the Foreign Economic Relations Department 
at the Ministry of Trade of Iraq,  outlined the main challenges Iraq face s as a post -conflict country. 
Forty years of conflict had driven away state priorities from necessary economic reforms toward 
armaments, which resulted in uncompetitive capacities and a need to reconstruct social and 
economic institutions , the public sector, and infrastructure. Iraq is also highly dependent  on oil, 
which presented economic vulnerability  and a need for diversification. Iraq's legislative process 
resulted  in slow reforms and little predictability in the issuance of certain laws, which negatively 
affected  the submission of necessary documentation for the accession process, particularly 
the Legislative Action Plan. The retirement law, with a majority of national committee members 
retiring at the age of 60, had resulted in roughly 90% of representatives of the national committee WT/ACC/39  
 
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  on WTO accession retiring, which led to a loss in institutional kn owledge and a need for capacity 
building. To resolve these issues, Ms. Sebri underlined a need for institutional and human capacity 
building,  an economic diversification strategy,  a development plan for the private sector  and a  
public -private sector partn ership scheme.  
27. On the Article XII Member s side, Mr. Zaher Al -Qatarneh, Assistant Secretary General of 
the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply of Jord an, presented the benefits of accession and gave 
advice to acceding governments based on Jordan's access ion process. Jordan embarked on 
a comprehensive political, legal, social, and economic reform to build a modern state based on 
economic vitality. Jordan established a negotiating team and a chief negotiator to start negotiating 
and communicating with all r elated ministries and institutions internally. Post -accession, Gross 
Domestic Product (GDP) increased by 600% ( US$8.5 billion in 2000 to US$42 billion in 2018), 
GDP per capita increased from US$1'650 in 2000 to US$4'684 in 2018, and Foreign Direct 
Investme nt (FDI) flows  increased despite regional and international tensions. Mr. Al -Qatarneh 
stressed the need for an experienced team capable of negotiating nationally  with concerned entities, 
led by an  appointed head negotiator that has the mandate and authorit y to negotiate both internally 
and externally. This national coordination was key because regulation, legislation and administration 
would inevitably present a roadblock to the accession process. He further underlined the importance 
of institutional knowle dge and the continuity of the negotiating team to build strong relationships 
with the WP and concerned Members. A lengthy accession process would have impeded the building 
of strong relationships with the WP and complicated the process. His final advice re lated to informal, 
off-the-record discussions  with Members , as he recalled an effective strategy: the negotiating team 
would sit in the WTO Café to easily approach and discuss with Members before the WP meetings.  
28. Mr. Khalid Al-Habsi  from the Ministry of Co mmerce, Industry,  and Investment of Oman, 
echoed Mr. Al -Qatarneh by explaining the benefits of WTO accession for Oman using key metrics 
and providing advice to acceding governments. Acceding to the WTO allowed Oman to become a  part 
of the multilateral trad ing system, enabling Omani goods and services to have wider access without 
unnecessary obstacles. Imports increased from US$3.9 billion in 2000 to US$25.4 billion in 2019  
and exports increased from US$10.9 billion to US$46.6 billion in the same time frame. Average GDP 
growth had been 12.6% over the last five years, with an inflation rate under 2%. WTO membership 
had also provided important rights to Oman to safeguard its interests through the dispute settlement 
platform,  which had not yet been used by Oman, Article XX of the GATT, and IP rights protection. 
Mr. Al -Habsi recommended preparing well, as luck always favours the prepared, maintaining 
a dedicated negotiating team and seeking capacity building tools from all avai lable partners, such 
as the WTO, UNCTAD, ITC, AMF and IsDB.  
29. Dr. Kassem enquired on the role of the WTO after the accession process was concluded. 
Ms. Oshikawa responded that post -accession strategies are prepared during the final six months of 
the process to allow countries to best adapt to their new-found membership, recalling that significant 
work had been done for Afghanistan for example, allowing the submission of all required notifications 
on its first day of membership.  
6  SESSION 4 : COMMEMORATING OMAN'S  20TH ANNIVERSARY OF WTO MEMBERSHIP  
30. On 9 November 2000, Oman became the 139th Member of the WTO. To mark the occasion  of 
20 years of membership , H.E. Qais bin Mohammed Al -Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and 
Investment Promotion of Oman, and H.E. Maqbool Ali Sultan, former Minister of Commerce and 
Industry and Chief Negotiator of Oman's accession to the WTO, sent video messages, detailing 
the benefits  of WTO accession for Oman and the importance of the multilateral trading system.  
31. In his remarks, H.E. Qais bin Mohammed Al -Yousef emphasised Oman 's longstanding 
commitment to principles, such as freedom of trade and respect, channelled through the WTO. 
He listed the reports of the WTO Secretariat and the two Trade Policy Review meetings held by Oman 
(2008 and 2014) as evidence of this commitment. He described Oman 's experience of accession as 
distin ct and expressed its resolve to provide technical support to acceding Arab countries. 
He premised this support on the belief of Oman  that accession contributes to strengthening economic 
integration and development in the Arab Region. He added  that as the Sultanate celebrates 
the 20th anniversary of its accession,  one of the main pillars of the vision of Oman 's future economy, 
"Oman 2040 ", will be economic development. He highlighted the impact of COVID -19 on global trade 
and emphasized the importance of the WTO, the Is DB and the A MF in this  context.  WT/ACC/39  
 
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  32. In his remarks, H.E. Maqbool Ali Sultan provided a brief overview of the establishment and  
purpose of the WTO as a replacement of the GATT and as a global forum to organise trade relations 
amongst different nations. He described WTO accession as a process that is in the interest of national 
economies as it contributes to structural reforms and improves market access. He expressed 
congratulatory sentiments for the 20th anniversary of Oman 's accession to the WT O; however, 
he emphasised that the economic conditions at the national and international level have changed 
considerably in that time. Desp ite contemporary challenges, he reaffirmed that the Sultanate 
of Oman still believes that the multilateral trading system, channelled through the WTO, is the best 
way to organise global trade and serves all countries regardless of their economic  level.  
33. Following these remarks, a n ensuing panel was moderated by Ms. Hilda Ali Al -Hinai, 
Deputy  Permanent Representative of Oman to the WTO. Speakers included: Ambassador Munir 
Akram  of Pakistan, former Chairman of the Working Party on the Accession  of Oman to the WTO; 
Ambassador Peter Allgeier, former Deputy US Trade Representative and Permanent Representative 
to the WTO (2005 -2009); and Mr Arif Hussain, former Director of the WTO Ac cessions Division 
(1995–2008).  
34. Ambassador Munir Akram recalled the accession process of Oman 20 years prior and explained 
the importance of the WTO, despite the recent criticisms it has faced. Ambassador Akram praised 
Oman for the skill and flexibility of the negotiating team that ensured a smooth and flawless process 
that was concluded in record time. Since becoming a Member, the economy is quite  diversified, 
Oman has enjoyed a constant trade surplus, and FDI and GDP increased at a steady pace. However, 
the free trade philosophy has been in disrepair, with trade expansion being lower than global GDP 
growth and the Doha agenda being virtually set aside. The WTO had been a victim of its own success, 
with trade barriers and protectionism having risen in respon se to the rapid expansion of trade 
brought about by the WTO and the GATT. Nevertheless, the underlying principles of the WTO system, 
comparative advantage and trade on an MFN  basis remained economically valid. The current crisis 
presented an opportunity to  build back better, to build an international system which was more 
equitable yet more open. It was time to look toward to the future, and to think of what the future 
of the international trading system could look like, building upon the WTO's principles t hat made it 
successful. The promotion of the SDGs and the expansion of global production and trade 
to developing countries is crucial, because that's where the potential for growth is. There is a latent 
potential for investment, production and trade in dev eloping countries, and this is what the future 
of the MTS should focus on. Oman is well placed, 20 years after its entry, to play a leading role in 
constructing a new trading environment . 
35. Ambassador Peter Allgeier  laid out the benefits of the WTO and the MTS, explaining that, 
without membership, countries did not have a voice in the rulemaking for the international trading 
system: "if you're not at the table, you're on the menu." The international trading system wa s at 
an inflection point, with Members developing rules for the MTS on topics such as e -commerce and 
digital trade, services, environmental issues, fish eries subsidies, climate change  and competition 
policies, among others. WTO membership provided a voice in these decisions, on top of allowing 
the security and predictability of access to the rest of the world. The dispute settlement platform is 
key for small economies that d on't have the economic or political leverage to protect their economic 
interests all  the time. WTO accession also provide s the incentive  to pass politically difficult but 
necessary economic and legislative reforms, allowing countries to become more competitive and 
attractive for FDI. While the past several years had been difficult for the  WTO and the MTS, new 
leadership at the WTO and in the US was the opportunity to adapt for the future.  
36. Mr. Arif Hussain, the first Director of the Accession s Division, recounted his experience and 
recalled the  steps taken by Oman to ensure a smooth accessi on process . Early in the  history 
of the WTO, there  were no rules for accession: there was no such thing as working parties or 
chairpersons, and a rule based predictable process needed to be created. This resulted in 
the WTO/ACC/1 document , which became the guideline for the accession process. Oman's proce ss 
started shortly after, in 1996, and was completed in record time. This was because of a few key 
steps taken by the negotiating team and the Omani government: there was strong political 
commitment from the government, and the chief negotiator was fully b acked by the government, 
allowing  H.E Maqbool Ali Sultan to negotiate key issues alone and efficiently. . Accession is a delicate 
balance between special interests within acceding governments and the preservation of the elements 
of the rules-based  process, which Oman handled expertly thanks to the full political commitment 
from the government.  WT/ACC/39  
 
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  37. Ambassador Alfredo Suescum, Permanent Representative of th e Republic of Panama to 
the WTO, intervened as the coordinator of the group of Article XII Members to congrat ulate Oman 
on its 20th anniversary of membership, explaining that Oman is a role model in its approach to 
the accession process and  in how it handled its liberalization commitments and additional 
requirements.  
38. A question was directed to Ambassador Munir regarding the most important challenges faced 
by the MTS in light of the COVID -19 crisis. Ambassador Akram believed that countries would  try to 
onshore  production in response to the crisis due to political reasons rather than economic, but that 
in the long run, the logic of comparative advantage and open and free trade would prevail . 
7  SESSION 5: IDENTIFICATION OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SU PPORT FOR ARAB 
ACCEDING GOVERNMENTS   
39. This session , moderated by Mr. Samer Seif el Yazal , Head of the Arab and CEECAC Regional 
Desk, ITTC, WTO, brought together six development partners to identify the TA needs of Arab 
countries, and explain what they can p rovide. The six development partners included the AMF, 
the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), the IsDB, the International Trade Centre (ITC), UNCTAD 
and ITTC.  
40. Dr. Jal eleddine Ben Rejeb, Director of the Economic Department of the AMF, detailed 
the approa ch taken by the Fund to assist Arab acceding governments. In coordination with the IsDB, 
a questionnaire was directed to the ministers of trade of each Arab country to identify their needs. 
Training courses were proposed, with five priority topics: i) enha ncing negotiating skills, 
ii) overcoming technical barriers to trade, iii) preparing files for trade in services, iv) legislative 
reform, especially IP rights law, and v) general framework of trade agreements with respect to WTO 
accession. High level works hops were also discussed, with a focus on: i) legislative frameworks 
to support accession, ii) implementation of coordinated customs systems, iii) settling trade conflicts 
within the WTO dispute settlement framework, iv) trade policy review and its mechanism, and 
v) coordination of trade agreements. The topics described were neither exclusive nor exhaustive, 
and acceding governments were invited to describe topics specific to their own issues if need be. 
The possibility of consultations and country -specific studies was also explained. The Director then 
underlined the importance of collaboration between development partners to better assist 
the acceding governments, pointing to the High-Level Dialogue  as an example of this.  
41. Dr. Ratnakar Adhikari, Execu tive Director of the EIF, added three  points to build on  
Dr. Ben Rejeb's intervention: the EIF mandate, support provided to three specific LDCs, and 
the future direction of the EIF. The EIF mandate was to ensure LDCs integration into the global 
trading sy stem, with WTO accession as a key point in the roadmap for a country's full integration. 
A full suite of support was proposed to LDCs in the accession process and post -accession. Analytical 
work, including diagnostic trade integration studies was proposed prior to the accession process. 
Institutional support followed during the accession process, to help countries lay the foundation for 
creating necessary institutional framework for the development of trade. Productive capacity building 
follows accession to  develop key sectors and industries in the acceded government , often  done in 
collaboration with other development partners . As examples of this post accession work, institutional 
support was provided to Afghanistan in 2017 to advance Afghan trade, supporte d by the EU, aligned 
with a parallel ITC project. For Comoros, support for agribusiness development and 2 capacity 
building projects were deployed worth $7.2 million. In Sudan, EIF's support had been limited to 
a diagnostic trade integration study and supp ort of $1.1 million to help build the necessary capacity 
for the accession process. In Somalia, EIF engagement had been ongoing since 2015 with  
pre-Diagnostic Trade Integration work, as well as collaboration with key partners to ensure 
institutional suppo rt for the accession process. A 2021 evaluation of EIF was planned to decide on 
the future of Aid for Trade support for LDCs.  
42. Dr. Imed Drine, Lead Economist for the Country Strategy and Cooperation Department of 
the IsDB, and Ms. Nazar Diab, Senior Market Integration Specialist for the Country Strategy and 
Cooperation Department of the IsDB, presented the work of the IsDB and the different objectives, 
strategic pillars and guiding principles that it uses to aid the develop ment of  its member countries. 
The IsDB, a South-South development and cooperation organization , has 57 member countries and 
11 regional hubs on top of its headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Its strategic objectives are 
inclusiveness  of member countries, South -South cooperation and connectivity, and the growth 
of Islamic financial services.  Different services focus on, inter alia: i) private sector development, WT/ACC/39  
 
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  ii) capacity building services, iii) FDI programs, iv ) promotion of Islami c finance, and v) science, 
technology and innovation (STI) and scholarships. Dr. Drine highlighted the new regional 
cooperation and integration strategy developed in 2019, with the objective of helping member 
countries integrate in global and regional mark ets. The four main pillars of this integration strategy 
were cross -border connectivity, investment climate, trade and Islamic finance, and regional public 
goods. Dr. Diab presented the IsDB's capacity building Technical Assistance programmes (TAP), 
which f ocused on facilitating the accessions process for acceding governments. Since 1997, over 
160 workshops and seminar s were organized and attended by more than 1000 officials. Eleven  
consultative meetings were organized on the margins of the WTO Ministerial C onferences, and a 12th 
was being planned for MC12. The Investment Promotion Technical Assistance  Program (ITAP) 
focused specifically on attracting domestic and foreign direct investment in acceding governments 
through capacity development, country -specific  TA, investment events and fora, and experience 
sharing.  
43. Dr. Mohamm ad Saeed, Senior Trade Facilitation Advisor at the ITC, explained the work that 
is done by the ITC and its focus on the private sector. ITC provided dedicated support to small and 
medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in their efforts to participate in global value chains and expand 
internationally . The partnership b etween the public and private sectors was highlighted, because it 
was ultimately the responsibility of the government to involve the private sector and assist them in 
trade transactions  in the best possible manner. WTO accession was a key part of this proc ess, in 
part because it led to necessary trade policy reforms, which were an interaction between 
international trade policy reforms and public sector reforms, factoring in private sector interests. 
WTO accession provides stability and predictability, incre asing FDI and productivity. It protects 
the private sector because duties cannot be arbitrarily imposed,  and it safeguards national interests 
by providing a forum to defend them. Dr. Saeed presented a n EU funded  project that ITC was 
starting with Iraq, wit h the goal of enhancing the capacities of specific agen cies and sectors, 
increasing the understanding of the WTO accession process and the legal framework of 
the organization, and strengthening national institutional capacity such that Iraq could be in 
a position to safeguard its national interests.  
44. Ms. Miho Shirotori, Head of Trade Negotiations and Commercial Diplomacy Branch, UNCTAD, 
presented the scope and nature of TA that UNCTAD provide s to the Arab region. UNCTAD is the focal 
point within the UN system for the integrated treatment of trade and development and provide s TA 
to help countries better integrate into the global and regional economy. In 2019, 227 projects valued 
at US$44 million were implemented in 57 countries. TA targeted specific or se veral SDGs such as 
poverty elimination or trade and prosperity, and were multi -faceted, data -driven and tailored 
to countries' needs. TA focused on four key areas: i) transforming economi es, ii) tracking 
vulnerabilities, iii) fostering inclusiveness and iv ) empowering people. TA targeted to governments  
included policy advice, assistance to policy formulation and institutional capacity building. TA 
targeted to multi -stakeholders included training programmes and public -private sectors policy 
coordination. UNC TAD's approach to TA for WTO accessions was neutral and impartial, taking WTO 
accession as a component of broader policy framework for sustainable development, and help s 
countries assess overall benefits of regulatory reforms for WTO accession. Past TA pro jects included 
Algeria (1996 -1998, 2002 -2013), Sudan (2002 -2013), Sudan and Comoros (2013 -2014), and Iraq 
(2012 -2017) . Additional projects are planned for Iraq and Palestine from 2021 -2023, focusing on 
capacity building on trade policymaking, policy implem entation and trade negotiations in conflict or 
post-conflict environments to contribute to improving these countries' negotiating capacity in WTO 
accession and Arab regional integration arrangements.  
45. Mr. Samer Seif  El Yazal  presented the work of the WTO tr ade-related technical assistance 
(TRTA), whose mandate is to enhance the human and institutional capacities of beneficiaries to take 
full advantage of the rules-based  MTS. The four targeted key results were as follows: i) government 
officials implementing WTO agreements and fully realizing Members ' rights and obligations, 
ii) acceding governments participating in accessions negotiations, iii) academic institutions and other 
stakeholders analysing WTO issues and reaching out to policy -makers, and iv) non -governmental 
stakeholders being aware and knowledgeable of WTO work and issues. The second key result was 
further elaborated : it sought  to support ongoing efforts by helping acceding governments define 
their long -term trade reform agendas and strategies. Training activities provided to acceding 
governments were designed to  enhance understanding of WTO rights and obligations , support  
WTO-relevant domestic polic ies and legal frameworks and  facilitate  the accession process. 
Consultations were offered to assist a cceding governments  during negotiations and the preparation 
of response s to questions addressed by Members  during the different phases of the process. TA was WT/ACC/39  
 
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  offered not only during the accession process, but after as well. Finally, regional workshops were 
also organized, but due to the COVID -19 pandemic, e -learning materials and courses were 
prioritized, such as the workshop on e -commerce in collaboration with  the IMF  (23 November -
3 December), a virtual regional workshop f or all Arab countries (14 -16 December) and a virtual 
workshop on regional trade policies (7 December – 25 January 2021).  
46. A question was directed to ITC regarding national export strategy – Would the development 
of a such a  strategy happen as part of the accession process or parallel to it? Dr. Saeed cautioned 
against focusing on the national export strategy too early in the  accession process but  explained 
that it was crucial to have a plan in m ind. An open dialogue needed to be established between 
government agencies and the private sector to develop this strategy, identifying key sectors that 
would benefit from accession to better prepare for membership.  
8  SESSION  6: TRADE FOR PEACE  
47. This interac tive session, moderated by Ms. Vicky Chemutai , Trade Economist at the World 
Bank, discussed how trade can be an important vehicle for peace, and vice versa, with a particular 
focus on the case of Iraq. Conflict led to instability, the destruction of infras tructure, and 
the cessation of productive activities, which prevent trade. Trade in turn can lead to improved 
economic conditions which increase the opportunity cost of fighting and strengthen relations with 
neighbours, leading to a reduction in conflict.  
48. Dr Michael Ferrantino, Lead Economist for Trade Policy in the Macroeconomics, Trade and 
Investment Global Practice at the World Bank, made a comprehensive presentation on conflict in 
Iraq and its effect on the unique economic situation in the cou ntry. By 2030, the majority of people 
living in extreme poverty would be in fragile and conflict affected (FCA) countries. Focusing on 
helping FCA countries would be therefore an effective way to combat extreme poverty and ensure 
development. In the case o f Iraq, it was highly dependent on crude oil with very little export 
diversification; imports were highly regulated with a high average tariff; and the country suffered  
from having two customs regimes, which ma de trade very difficult. Iraq also has the onl y trade 
ministry in the world responsible for food rationing, on top of other key tasks that the ministry must 
handle. However, there were causes for optimism: Iraq is well positioned geographically to be 
a central hub for trade in the region and has great  potential to produce  certain goods that could be 
developed to diversify its exports. Trade policy recommendations include d, inter alia: i) increasing 
transparency of import licensing, ii) remaining engaged in WTO accessions, iii) unifying the customs 
territory and harmonization of trade procedures, iii) modernizing customs' institutional and 
operational framework, and iv) reducing internal fragility, conflict and violence to support 
diversification of exports.  
49. Professor Luigi Narbone, Director of the Middl e East Directions  Programme  at the European 
University Institute, presented an analytical look at peacebuilding in the region. Long cycle of 
conflicts, high costs in human, infrastructural and economic losses, the displacement of people, and 
agents interes ted in prolonging conflicts are all factors that made the cessation of conflict difficult. 
To exit this conflict trap, long term, multi -layered and context specific strategies and policies needed 
to be developed with a focus on: i) macroeconomic stabilisat ion to restart growth and kick -start 
reconstruction, ii) promoting job creation, particularly in employment intensive sectors, 
iii) investment in education and vocational training, and iv) local, micro and SME development 
dimensions to strengthen social re silience and fight exclusion and inequalities. WTO accession 
presented an opportunity to promote peace through: i) wide ranging sectoral transformative policies, 
ii) fostering institution modernisation and good governance, iii) gaining market access and in creased 
integration in global value chains, iv) increasing trade and connectivity to unleash untapped 
economic potential, v) increased connectedness with the international community to deliver TA and 
support for the economic transition of FCA countries.  
50. Ambassador Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations in New 
York and Chairman of the Working Party on the Accession of Iraq, spoke on the contributions of 
trade in peacebuilding, with a particular focus on WTO accessions and the case of Iraq. The pandemic 
presented an opportunity to foster multilateralism, to build back better in the Arab region, strengthen 
economies, build peace and security and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 agenda and 
the SDGs. The triple nexus of Trade -Peace -Development was highlighted, with WTO accession 
playing a central role in allowing countries in the Arab region to engage in the MTS to enable 
economic prosperity and human resilience. The ambitious economic reforms that ha d to be WT/ACC/39  
 
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  undertaken to acced e to the WTO had the capacity to unleash faster growth, create jobs and 
strengthen institutions. Iraq was in a crucial phase of reconstruction but was hit hard by 
the pandemic and the shock in oil prices, on top of the  existing  underlying economic, political and 
social issues. Nevertheless, Iraq persisted in advancing the accessions process due to its importance 
as a vehicle for diversification, the modernization of the economy, the strengthening of its 
infrastructure, and the boo sting of its investment attractiveness. Ambassador Hilale stressed 
the importance of ensuring capacity building and TA for Iraq and all acceding countries in the Arab 
region, because the acceding countries c ould not achieve the process alone: they need to be 
technically empowered  to negotiate accession on terms that safeguarded their interests. 
Ambassador Hilale called upon WTO Member states, partners at the World Bank and all relevant 
stakeholders to assist Arab acceding governments. Finally, the potential  partnership between 
the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission and the WTO was discussed, to: i) bring together 
relevant actors and marshal resources and propose integrated strategies for post -conflict 
peacebuilding and recovery, ii) focus attention on t he reconstruction and institution -building efforts 
necessary for recovery, and iii) provide recommendations and information to improve 
the coordination of all relevant actors, develop best practices and help ensure predictable financing 
for recovery activities.  
51. A question was addressed to Dr. Ferrantino – what kind of product or services could have 
relative immunity from lack of political stability? Dr. Ferrantino replied the answer depends on 
the country. Oil and other natural resources woul d always attract investment despite conflict. 
Consumer goods that reach middle -income consumers would usually require investing locally from 
multinational corporations – countries with large populations would always attract those investments 
even if invest ors needed to deal with some inconveniences . In the case of Lebanon, digital services 
could prove to be a solution , as an  example of advanced business services that can be delivered 
through the internet that would attract investment, but a strong infrastru cture for the internet was 
required.  
52. A question was addressed to Professor Narbone  - how should countries deal with decreasing 
geopolitical relevance  and strategic importance , notably with the US becoming almost self-sufficient  
in oil? Professor Narbone r eplied that, while a lowered dependence on the region for oil could create 
a major dilemma, it would push countries to focus on economic diversification, particularly with 
the region's geographical location, linking Europe, Africa and Asia, which could cre ate enormous 
opportunities for trade.  
53. A question was addressed to Ambassador Hilale – how can trade be promoted if infrastructure 
is destroyed, particularly in the case of Iraq? The ambassador responded that Iraq ha d a vision 
to modernize the economy, brin g in FDI, reform its judiciary system and develop after being plunged 
in conflict, but it c ould not do this alone. TA, capacity building and investment in infrastructure is 
needed from international organizations and development partners to help Iraq realize its potential.  
9  CLOSING REMARKS AND CONCLUSIONS  
54. The High-Level Dialogue  was jointly closed by the three co -organizers, with words of 
encouragement for the continuation of this close collaboration and the organization of future 
dialogues for the Ara b region.  
55. Dr. Jaleleddine Ben Rejeb thanked all participants , speakers,  institutions on behalf of the AMF  
and congratulated Oman on its 20th anniversary of WTO membership. He expressed support for 
the continuation and reinforcement  of the partnership betw een the AMF, IsDB, and WTO, and opened 
the door to cooperate with other organizations to best help Arab acceding governments. He affirmed 
the commitment of the organizers of the dialogue to support Arab countries by finding solutions 
to the problems that t hey are facing and offering TA and capacity building.  
56. Ms. Maika Oshikawa thanked participants and partners on behalf of the WTO, noting positive 
interaction and engagement  throughout the event  that led to rich discussions. The accession process 
had been c omplicated for several  Arab countries who in addition ha d suffered from the impact of 
COVID -19. Despite this, she was encouraged that Arab acceding governments remained active and 
that they strongly maintain ed the desire to accede to the WTO. Going forward, acceding 
governments were encouraged to indicate any topic for  virtual  events or training sessions that could 
be organize d by the Secretariat . As an example, the Accessions Division had been organizing virtu al WT/ACC/39  
 
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  training sessions every week for negotiating teams from different acceding governments, and 
the World Bank was exploring  a joint training with the Secretariat for Somalia.  Finally, she proposed 
to continue holding the High-Level Dialogue  on an annual ba sis, if agreeable to partner institutions , 
in a hybrid format to allow as many participants as needed. Each regional dialogue could focus on 
different topics, as had been done with the Regional Dialogue on Africa. Topics could include: 
the synergies betwee n WTO accessions and regional integration, WTO accessions and new trade 
issues, or specific aspects of WTO accessions, such as bilateral market access negotiations on tariffs 
or services.  
57. Mr. Syed Husain Quadri, Manager, Country Strategy and Market Integr ation, IsDB, extended 
his thanks to the participants, partners,  and organizers on behalf of the IsDB and reminded everyone 
of one of the key aspects of its mission: making markets work for development. He reaffirmed 
the commitment of the IsDB to the joint programmes discussed during the High-Level Dialogue and 
expressed support to continue this collaboration with the WTO.  
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  ANNEX  
PROGRAMME OF THE HIGH -LEVEL REGIONAL DIALOGUE  
DAY 1: Sunday, 8 NOVEMBER 2020  
High -level Opening Session  
11:00 -11:30 CET / 14:00 -14:30 GST  
Moderator:  Ms. Maika Oshikawa, Director, Accessions Division, WTO  
Speakers:  
-  Welcoming Remarks by H.E. Dr Abdulrahman A. Al Hamidy, AMF Director General Chairman of the Board   
-  Remarks by Ambassador Alan Wolff, Deputy Director -General, WTO   
-   Remarks by Eng. Mohammad Jamal Alsaati, Director General, Regional Hub and Center of Excellence of 
 Dubai, IsDB  
Session 1:   
WTO Accession Fundamentals and State of Play: Overview and Pr ocedures  
11:30 -12:15 CET / 14:30 -15:15 GST  
Speaker:  
- Ms. Mena Hassan, Legal/Economic Affairs Officer, Accessions Division, WTO  
Objectives:  to increase participants ' knowledge of the WTO accession process and accession -related rules; and 
to update the participants on the state -of-play. 
Short break  
12:15 -12:30 CET / 15:15 -15:30 GST  
Session 2:  
 Economic Performance of WTO Arab countries: Economic Diversification and Structural Reform in 
Post COVID -19 Pandemic Era  
12:30 -14:00 CET  / 15:30 -17:00 GST  
Speakers:  
-  Dr Heba Abdel Monem, Chief, Studies & Statistics Division, AMF  
-  Dr Mohamed Ismail.  Economist, AMF  
-   Dr Imed Drine, Lead Economist (MENA and Europe), Country Strategy and Cooperation  Department, 
IsDB 
-  Dr Bassem Haikal , Country Economist, Country Strategy and Cooperation Department, IsDB  
Objectives:  to share with participants recent developments in Arab economies and impact of the COVID -19 
pandemic.  
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  DAY 2: Monday, 9 NOVEMBER 2020  
Session 3:   
Round Table Discussion on "Experience sharing and Lessons Learned from WTO Accession"  
11:00 -12:15 CET / 14:00 -15:15 GST  
Moderator:  Ms. Maika Oshikawa, Director, Accessions Division, WTO  
Speakers:  
-     Ms Nidhal Sebri, Director, Ministry of Trade, Iraq  
-     Dr. Linda Qassem, Lebanon 's Accession to WTO Coordinator, Ministry of Economy and Trade  
-      Mr. Sharmarke Abdi Jama, Trade Advisor, Ministry of Trade, Somalia  
-     Ambassador Ali Ibn Abi Talib Abdelrahman Mahmoud, Permanent Representative of Sudan to the UN 
-  Mr. Mohammed Hmaidan, Ministry of National Economy, Palestine  
Article XII Members:  
-   Mr. Zaher Al -Qatarneh, Assistant Secretary - General Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply, Kingdom of 
 Jordan  
-  Mr. Khalid Al -Habsi, Ministry of Commerce, In dustry and Investment, Sultanate of Oman  
Objectives:  Experience sharing session between Acceding Governments and Article XII Members.  
Short break  
12:15 -13:00 CET / 15:15 -16:00 GST  
Session 4:   
Commemorating Oman 's 20th anniversary of WTO Membership  
13:00 -14:30 CET / 16:00 -17:30 GST  
Moderator:  Ms. Hilda Ali Al -Hinai, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Sultanate of Oman to the WTO, 
Permanent Mission of Oman to the UN and other international organizations    
Speakers:  
-   H.E. Qais bin Mohammed Al -Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, Su ltanate 
 of Oman (video message) (TBC)  
-   H.E. Maqbool Ali Sultan, Former Minister of Commerce and Industry and Chief Negotiator of Oman's 
 accession to the WTO (video message)  
-   Ambassador Munir Akram, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United  Nations in New York and 
 Former Chairman of the Working Party of Oman's Accession to the WTO  
-  Ambassador Peter Allgeier, Former US Deputy Trade Representative  
-  Mr. Arif Hussain, Former Director of the Accessions Division, WTO  
Objectives:  to commemorate Oman's 20th Anniversary of WTO Membership and share experiences with other 
Article XII Members and Acceding Governments  
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  DAY 3: Tuesday, 10 NOVEMBER 2020  
Session 5:  
Identification of Technical Assistance and Support for Arab Acceding Governments  
11:00 -12:30 CET  / 14:00 -15:30 GST  
Moderator:   Mr. Samer Seif el Yazal, Head of the Arab and CEECAC Regional  Desk, ITTC, WTO  
Speakers:  
- Ms. Miho Shirotori, Head, Trade Negotiations and Commercial Diplomacy Branch, United Nations 
 Conference  on Trade and Development  
-   Dr. Mohammad Saeed, Senior Trade Facilitation Adviser, Trade Facilitation and Policy for Business, 
 International Trade Centre (ITC)  
-  Mr. Ratnakar Adhikari, Executive Director, Enhanced Integrated Framework  
-  Dr Jaalelddine Ben Regeb, Director, Economic Department, AMF  
-   Dr Imed Drine, Lead Economist (Mena And Europe), Country Strategy and Cooperation Department, IsDB  
-  Nazar Diab, Senior Market Integration Specialist, Country Strategy and Cooperation Department , IsDB  
Objectives:  to help identify technical assistance and support needs for Arab Acceding Governments with the 
relevant stakeholders and development partners  
Short break  
12:30 -12:45 CET / 15:30 -15:45 GST  
Session 6:   
Trade for Peace  
12:45 -14:00 CET / 15:45 -17:00 GST  
Moderator:   Ms. Vicky Chemutai, Trade Economist, World Bank  
Speakers:  
-  Dr. Michael Ferrantino, Lead Trade Economist, World Bank  
-  Ambassador Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations in New York and 
 Chairman of the Working Party of Iraq  
-   Prof. Luigi Narbone, Director, Middle East Direction Programme, European University Institute, RSCAS/EUI  
Objectives:  several Arab acceding governments are fragile, and conflict affected. This session will exhibit how 
trade can be an imp ortant vehicle for peace.  
Closing Session  
14:00 -14:15 CET / 17:00 -17:15 GST  
Speakers:  
-  Dr. Jaalelddine Ben Regeb, Director, Economic Department, AMF  
-  Ms. Maika Oshikawa, Director, Accessions Division, WTO  
-  Mr Syed Husain Quadri , Acting Director, Country Strategy and Cooperation, IsDB  
 
 
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