Working Party Chair visits Curaçao to support preparations for WTO accession negotiations

A WTO delegation led by Ambassador Matthew Wilson of Barbados, Chairperson of the Working Party on the Accession of Cura�ao, visited Willemstad, Cura�ao, from 27 to 29 May to support preparations for the next stage of the country's WTO accession process. The visit consisted of high-level meetings with government authorities and parliamentarians, a national stakeholder dialogue, technical-level discussions between the WTO Secretariat and Cura�ao's accession team and exchanges with private sector representatives.

Working Party Chair visits Cura�ao to support preparations for WTO accession negotiations

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During the three-day visit, Ambassador Wilson met with Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas, the Minister of Economic Development Roderick Middelhof, the Minister of Finance Charles Cooper, the WTO accession Chief Negotiator Caryl Monte, and the Governor of Cura�ao Mauritsz de Kort. The Cura�ao Investment and Export Promotion Agency (CINEX) and business representatives, such as the Manufacturers Association, also met with the WTO delegation.

The meetings confirmed the authorities' commitment to advance the accession process as quickly as possible. Discussions focused on the preparations for the first meeting of the Working Party, in particular the submission of the initial market access offer on goods and the need to update accession documentation. Cura�ao hopes that this first meeting can be held later this year.

At the National Stakeholder Dialogue at the start of the visit, representatives from the government, the private sector and civil society engaged with the WTO delegation on the opportunities and commitments associated with future WTO membership. The Dialogue formed part of Cura�ao's efforts to broaden understanding of the accession process and build strong national engagement among stakeholders.

Ambassador Wilson underlined that WTO accession could support Cura�ao's reform and export development agenda, particularly the implementation of the core priorities outlined in its National Export Strategy. These include economic diversification, services-led growth, attracting investment, digitalization, trade facilitation, strengthening institutions and skills development. "Rather than adding a separate policy track, accession can help give structure, momentum and international credibility to Cura�ao's existing reform agenda," he said.

Ambassador Wilson noted that Cura�ao could draw on the experience of other small island economies that have successfully completed WTO accession negotiations, such as Comoros (2024), Timor-Leste (2024) and Seychelles (2015). Highlighting the support available from WTO members, regional partners and the WTO Secretariat, he said: "Accession should also be seen as a learning and capacity-building exercise: an opportunity not only to prepare for WTO membership, but also to strengthen the institutional knowledge and technical expertise which will continue to benefit Cura�ao well beyond accession."

The Chair discussed with parliamentarians the importance of maintaining political momentum, strengthening institutional coordination and ensuring support from the government and civil society. Also discussed was the role of Parliament in advancing any legislative work required in the accession process.

The WTO Secretariat and Cura�ao's inter-agency accession team discussed Working Party procedures, bilateral market access negotiations - including tariff bindings and services commitments - the updating of trade regime documentation and institutional coordination. They also considered the preparation of a roadmap setting out immediate priorities and timelines.

The next steps emerging from the discussions were the need to accelerate the work of Cura�ao's WTO accession coordination mechanism, submit the initial market access offer on goods, update information on recent developments in Cura�ao's trade regime and advance the preparation of the initial services offer.

Cura�ao is a constituent country and separate customs territory within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Working Party on the Accession of Cura�ao was established by the WTO General Council in March 2020. WTO accessions are negotiated under Article XII of the WTO Agreement on terms agreed between the applicant and WTO members.

The WTO currently has 166 members, accounting for more than 98 per cent of world trade. Since the WTO was established in 1995, 38 economies have completed accession negotiations.

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