Deputy PM Leads Somalia’s Pitch for WTO Ascension in Geneva

GOOBJOOG NEWS|GENEVA: Deputy Prime Minister Salah Jama is leading negotiations in Geneva on Somalia ascension into the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

A statement from the DPM’s office noted that the Somali delegation is holding talks with WTO leadership in Geneva to pitch for Somalia’s membership to the global trade body.

“WTO accession will enable Somalia to access international trade markets, strengthen foreign investment, and facilitate international trade,” the DPM said in a post on X.

Article XII of the WTO Agreement states that accession to the WTO will be “on terms to be agreed” between the acceding government and the WTO. Accession to the WTO is essentially a process of negotiation — quite different from the process of accession to other international entities, like the IMF, which is largely an automatic process.

The accession process commences with the submission of a formal written request for accession by the applicant government. This request is considered by the General Council which establishes a Working Party to examine the accession request and, ultimately, to submit the findings of the Working Party to the General Council for approval. The Working Party is open to all Members of the WTO.