RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/L/129
12February 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-0513)
ACCESSION OFTHE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
On6February 1996 theGeneral Council adopted aDecision (WT/L/128) totheeffect that
theGovernment oftheUnited Arab Emirates mayaccede totheWTO Agreement ontheterms set
outintheProtocol fortheAccession oftheUnited Arab Emirates, thetextofwhich wasapproved
attheGeneral Council meeting on6February 1996. ThetextoftheProtocol isannexed hereto.
TheProtocol isopenforacceptance bytheUnited Arab Emirates intheoffice oftheDirector
oftheLegal Affairs Division (telephone 7395252).WT/L/129
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ANNEX
PROTOCOL FOR THE ACCESSION OFTHE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
TOTHE MARRAKESH AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING THE
WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION
TheWorld Trade Organization (hereinafter referred toasthe"WTO"), pursuant totheapproval
oftheGeneral Council oftheWTO accorded under Article XIIoftheMarrakesh Agreement Establishing
theWorld Trade Organization (hereinafter referred toas"WTO Agreement"), andtheUnited Arab
Emirates,
Recalling thatcertain contracting parties which became contracting parties totheGeneral
Agreement onTariffs andTrade 1947 (hereinafter referred toas"GATT 1947") during thecourse
of1994wereunable tocomplete thenegotiations ontheirschedules totheGeneral Agreement onTariffs
andTrade 1994 (hereinafter referred toas"GATT 1994)" andtheGeneral Agreement onTrade in
Services (hereinafter referred toasthe"GATS"),
Recalling further thattheGeneral Council decided on31January 1995 thatthese contracting
parties totheGATT 1947should beabletoaccede totheWTO Agreement inaccordance withspecial
procedures under which theGeneral Council 'sapproval oftheschedules totheGATT 1994 andthe
GATS shallbedeemed tobetheapproval oftheirterms ofaccession,
Noting thatthenegotiations ontheschedules oftheUnited ArabEmirates havebeencompleted,
Agree asfollows:
PartI-General
1. UponentryintoforceofthisProtocol,theUnitedArabEmiratesaccedestotheWTOAgreement
pursuant toArticle XIIofthatAgreement andthereby becomes aMember oftheWTO.
2. TheWTO Agreement towhich theUnited ArabEmirates accedes shallbetheWTO Agreement
asrectified, amended orotherwise modified bysuchlegalinstruments asmayhaveentered intoforce
before thedateofentry intoforce ofthisProtocol. ThisProtocol shallbeanintegral partoftheWTO
Agreement.
3. (a) ThoseobligationsintheMultilateralTradeAgreementsannexedtotheWTOAgreement
thataretobeimplemented overaperiod oftimestarting withtheentry intoforce ofthatAgreement
shallbeimplemented bytheUnited Arab Emirates asifithadaccepted thatAgreement onthedate
ofitsentry intoforce.
(b) ThosenotificationsthataretobemadeundertheMultilateralTradeAgreementsannexed
totheWTO Agreement within aspecified period oftimestarting withthedateofentry intoforce of
theWTO Agreement shallbemade bytheUnited Arab Emirates within thatperiod oftimestarting
withthedateonwhich itaccepts thisProtocol orby31December 1996, whichever isearlier.WT/L/129
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4. TheUnited ArabEmirates maymaintain ameasure inconsistent withparagraph 1ofArticle II
oftheGATS provided thatsuchameasure isrecorded intheListofArticle IIExemptions annexed
tothisProtocol andmeets theconditions oftheAnnex totheGATS onArticle IIExemptions.
PartII-Schedules
5. TheSchedules annexed tothisProtocol shall become theSchedule ofConcessions and
Commitments annexed totheGATT 1994 andtheSchedule ofSpecific Commitments annexed tothe
GATS relating totheUnited Arab Emirates. Thestaging ofconcessions andcommitments listed in
theSchedules shallbeimplemented asspecified intherelevant parts oftherespective Schedules.
6. Forthepurpose ofthereference inparagraph 6(a)ofArticle IIoftheGATT 1994 tothedate
ofthatAgreement, theapplicable dateinrespect oftheSchedules ofConcessions andCommitments
annexed tothisProtocol shallbethedateofentry intoforce ofthisProtocol.
PartIII-Final Provisions
7. ThisProtocol shallbeopen foracceptance, bysignature orotherwise, bytheUnited Arab
Emirates until90daysafteritsapproval bytheGeneral Council.
8. ThisProtocol shallenter intoforce onthethirtieth dayfollowing thedayofitsacceptance.
9. ThisProtocol shallbedeposited withtheDirector-General oftheWTO. TheDirector-General
oftheWTO shallpromptly furnish acertified copyofthisProtocol andanotification ofacceptance
thereof pursuant toparagraph 7toeachmember oftheWTO andtotheUnited Arab Emirates.
10. ThisProtocol shallberegistered inaccordance withtheprovisions ofArticle 102oftheCharter
oftheUnited Nations.
Done atGeneva thissixth dayofFebruary onethousand ninehundred andninety-six, ina
single copyintheEnglish, French andSpanish languages, eachtextbeing authentic, except thatthe
Schedules annexed tothisProtocol areauthentic onlyintheEnglish language.