LEBANON'S ACCESSION TO WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION TO BE CONSIDERED BY ESCWA CONFERENCE
Press Release
REC/45
TAD/1876
LEBANON'S ACCESSION TO WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION TO BE CONSIDERED BY ESCWA CONFERENCE
19990507 BEIRUT, 6 May (UN Information Service) -- Under the patronage of Nasser Saidi, Minister of Economics, Trade and Industry, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), in cooperation with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), will convene a Conference on Lebanon's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 7 May at the United Nations House, Riad Solh Square.The Conference, to be opened by Minister Nasser Saidi and Hazem Beblawi, ESCWA Executive Secretary, at 9 a.m. on 7 May, aims at examining the procedures for negotiations that should lead to Lebanon's accession to the international trade structure. The General Council Meeting of the World Trade Organization had accepted Lebanon's application for the accession in April 1999. Accordingly, a working group on the negotiations for accession was established with the mandate of conducting the necessary actions and procedures that should lead to the full- fledged membership of Lebanon.
The one-day Conference will bring together experts from ESCWA, WTO and UNCTAD as well as Lebanese officials representing the Ministries of Economy, Trade, Industry, Labour, Justice, Agriculture along with the Chambers of Commerce and Industry in addition to the private sector community. Participants will brainstorm to tackle the complex issue of the procedures with respect to Lebanon's accession to the WTO.
While overviewing the current status in WTO accession, the meeting will examine the basic requirements for achieving a balanced accession. In this regard, the experts will analyze how the public sector coordinates its work and organizes its structures. On the other hand, the meeting will also assess the participation of the private sector.
The meeting will also seek the activation of WTO role in the process of ensuring Lebanon's accession to the world trade body. The regional organizations, such as ESCWA, will be urged to assist Lebanon in achieving full membership in the WTO.
Experts who assisted other Arab countries' efforts to join WTO, such as Jordan, will provide Lebanon with similar expertise and consultancy services so that the country would join Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, already WTO members. Oman and Saudi Arabia are expected to join shortly while Lebanon and Yemen have only quite recently submitted membership applications. * *** *