ITC official: Yemen will join WTO this year

By: Mahmoud Assamiee SANA'A, June 05
(Saba)- Senior Consultant of World Trade Organization's International Trade Center
(ITC) Aref
Hussein said Yemen will be a member in the organization by the end of this year.
"The government of Yemen is exerting all efforts to do the works it has been
requested to do to join the organization and before this year end Yemen will be a
member of
WTO," said Hussein in a workshop held last Monday.
The workshop was held by Coordination and Communication Office with World Trade
Organization. The purpose of the workshop was to share journalists Yemen efforts in
the process
of Yemen's joining the WTO.
This positive initiative aimed to educate people on importance of Yemen's joining
the organization.
Senior Consultant of WTO's International Trade Center (ITC) Aref Hussein, Head of
Communication and Coordination Office with the World Trade Organization (CCOWTO)
Dr. Hamoud
Al-Najjar and Deputy of Khalil Assubari were the educators.
The WTO's advisor said the purpose of his visit to Yemen is to make sure of the
existence of national consensus, work with the government to achieve many
important factors,
investigate Yemen's efforts it has made to join the organization and educate the
Civil Society Organizations about the merits of Yemen's joining the WTO.
He reviewed Yemen's benefits it will gain when it becomes member in the
organization. The rights of protection of its products against any harm,
improving national economy,
implementing many investments and achieving partnership with member countries,
opening world markets to Yemen's products and benefit from the organization's laws
and treaties
are main benefits Yemen will get.
But he said instability in Yemen remains a great challenge to the country "Yemen's
stability is very important so as it will be able to attract many funds." The
journalists
have been reviewed on demands the organization and member countries put on Yemen to
be granted full membership.
Meanwhile, Deputy Head of the CCOWTO Khalil Assubari reviewed the process Yemen has
done yet and the demands of the organization and member states from Yemen to be
granted
the membership.
He started with the first step Yemen took in 1998 by establishing a national
committee to negotiate with the WTO on Yemen's joining the organization. The
committee applied
to the organization to be included in the WTO as supervisor. Then a communication
and coordination office to coordinate with the organization was created.
This demand has been approved by the WTO's General Council in 1999.
In 2000, Yemen's formal application to be a member in the organization has been
approved by the council. In 2002, Yemen's system of foreign trade has been accepted
by the
organization followed by 167 questions about this system.
In 2004, Yemen answered all the questions made by the organization and then a team
for negotiation with organization held its first meeting and launched the
negotiation.
Then the team has continued holding its meetings every year to follow up the
negotiations with member countries and demands of the WTO.
Up to now, the team has held seven meetings over negotiations with WTO on granting
Yemen's full membership. These meetings resulted in signing treaties between Yemen
and
most of member countries in the WTO. These treaties allow Yemen to export its goods
to these countries' markets.
Head of Communication and Coordination Office with the World Trade Organization Dr.
Hamoud Al-Najjar said Yemen had reached very developed stage in its negations with
World
Trade Organization. He expected that Yemen will finish the requirements of joining
the organization this year.
"Yemen has been able to complete most of bilateral negotiations with member
countries over exporting Yemen's goods to their markets," said Al-Najar.
He said that the organization demands Yemen to do amendments to its legislations
before the joining and that Yemen has made most of them." What remains is only the
very
little." Over the purpose of sharing journalists with the procedures of the joining,
he said the National Committee for Communication with the WTO has been keen to
educate
journalists from public and private media outlets and civil society organizations on
the process.
Journalists have been invited because we aware their important role in educating
society on issues of Yemen's joining the WTO and the importance of this topic on
all levels
as national gain to all.
According to Faris al-Himyari, the CCOWTO's media specialist, this year has
witnessed remarkable development on the process of Yemen's joining to the
organization via implementing
many legislative, economic and administrative reforms.
"The process of Yemen joining to the World Trade Organization has been witnessing
great momentum since the beginning of 2010," said Minister of Trade and Industry
Dr. Yahya
al-Mutawakel.
Al-Mutawakel, who is also the Chairman of the National Committee for Negotiation
and preparation with WTO, said the government has put executive plan for the last
process
of the joining.
He said that the process of financial and administrative reforms Yemen made with
the organization aim at improving investment, trade and corporate governance.
WTO's Director General Pascal Lamy hailed achievements made by Yemen to join the
organization."I hope Yemen can achieve fruitful results during the forthcoming
years so
that there will be a chance to draft the report of the negotiation team and agree on
the final draft by the end of next July," said Lami.