Timor-Leste Formally Kick-Starts Its WTO Accession Process

Members expressed their support for Timor-Leste’s bid to become a member of the WTO and commended the work done so far by the authorities in Dili to facilitate a swift accession process. At the first meeting of the Working Party on the Accession of Timor-Leste on 1 October, the Timorese delegation highlighted the historic significance of the meeting and said WTO accession will be fundamental to accelerate economic growth and improve living standards.

Next steps

The chair invited members to submit their written questions and comments by 30 October. He asked the WTO Secretariat to prepare a factual summary of points raised, which would serve as the basis for further examination of Timor-Leste's foreign trade regime by the working party. 

Background

Timor-Leste is a least-developed island country at the southern extreme of the Malay Archipelago, with a population of approximately 1,270,000. After gaining independence in 2002, the Government of Timor-Leste submitted its application for accession to the WTO in November 2016. The Working Party was established in December 2016. In June 2017, the country submitted its MFTR.