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Sultana Parvanta
Afghanistan’s Accession to the World Trade
Organization
(WTO)Currently there are
149 member countries in the WTO and in the nearest
future this number will increase. This means that
almost every nation aspiring to create a modern and
effective economy and to participate in the world
trade equally strives for WTO membership.
Afghanistan is not an exception.
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan renewed request for
WTO membership on 21 November 2004. Shortly
thereafter, a WTO Working Party was established at
the General Council meeting on 13 December 2004, and
Afghanistan was granted an observer status.
Currently, Afghanistan would like to apply for
permanent membership to the WTO. Towards this goal,
the Memorandum on Afghanistan’s Foreign Trade Regime
has been drafted. Afghanistan has a relatively open
trade regime, and yet some trade policy and legal
amendments are needed to bring it into compliance
with WTO standards. However, it does need a greater
degree of implementing the trade laws, and
increasing political, administrative capacity.
Accession to the World Trade Organization requires a
wide-range of commitments from both government and
private sector in the mastery and implementation of
a wide range of technical standards and procedures.
Formal WTO requirements include:
• Conformity of national legislation with
obligations under all WTO agreements;
• Negotiating schedules on market access concessions
for industrial and agricultural goods;
• Negotiating schedules on agricultural support;
• Negotiating schedules on specific commitments for
market access and national treatment for services;
• Implementing the notifications and transparency
requirements under WTO agreements.
Accession to the WTO will help consolidate
commercial and economic reform and the rule of law
in Afghanistan. The WTO membership offers a range of
benefits. Enjoying these benefits is, pragmatically,
the goal of joining the WTO. By acceding to the WTO
Afghanistan pursues the following goals:
• Improvement of existing conditions for access of
Afghanistan’s products to foreign markets and
provision of non-discriminatory treatment for Afghan
exporters;
• Access to the international dispute settlement
mechanism;
• Creation of a more favorable climate for foreign
investments as a result of legal system change in
accordance with the WTO standards;
• Expansion of opportunities for Afghan investors in
the WTO member-countries;
• Creation of conditions for growth of domestic
production, quality and competitiveness as a result
of increased flows of foreign goods, services and
investments to the Afghanistan’s market;
• Participation in negotiations of the international
trade agreements taking into account national
interests;
• Improvement of the image of Afghanistan as a
competent international trade participant.
The objective of the accession negotiations is to
achieve the most favorable conditions for
Afghanistan joining the WTO, i.e., the best balance
possible between the benefits of accession and the
concessions in forms of tariffs reduction and
domestic market opening. The balance of rights and
obligations of Afghanistan during its accession to
the WTO should contribute to its economic growth and
fair trade - not vice versa.
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A good link:
http://www.intracen.org/emds/docs/newsletter/july06/newsletter_july06.htm
Enterprise Management Development Section
Division of Trade Support Services
International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO
www.intracen.org/emds
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