Deposit of the Instrument of Acceptance of the “Protocol Amending the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization”

On July 3 in Geneva, Japan deposited with the Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) the instrument of acceptance of the “Protocol Amending the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization” (hereinafter referred to as the “Protocol”). The Protocol has not yet entered into force and will take effect for the Members that have accepted it upon acceptance by two thirds of the Members.

The Protocol is to amend the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization to insert the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (hereinafter referred to as the “Fisheries Subsidies Agreement”) into Annex 1A of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization. The Fisheries Subsidies Agreement was the second newly established agreement, following the Trade Facilitation Agreement, adopted by all Members since the foundation of the WTO in 1995. The Fisheries Subsidies Agreement includes provisions not to grant or maintain any subsidy to a vessel or operator engaged in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

By entering into force, the Protocol is expected to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations which aims to eliminate fisheries subsidies that contribute to IUU fishing, and promoting management of global fisheries resources, further development of multilateral trade system, and sustainable growth of the global economy.

(Reference) The Protocol Amending the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization

1. This Protocol was adopted on June 17, 2022 at the WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva. The Diet approval for its acceptance was given on June 9, 2023.
2. The number of Members which have accepted the Protocol as of July 3, 2023 is 38 (Switzerland; Singapore; Seychelles; United States of America; Canada; Iceland; United Arab Emirates; EU; Nigeria; Belize; China; Japan).
3. The Protocol has not entered into force as of July 3, 2023. The Protocol shall take effect for the Members that have accepted it upon acceptance by two thirds of the Members and thereafter for each other Member upon acceptance by it.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.