Qatar formally accepts Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies

Director-General Okonjo-Iweala said: “I am delighted that Qatar has formally accepted the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. By taking this step, Qatar has shown its support for sustainable fisheries and combatting illegal fishing in the Gulf region. Qatar also has affirmed the WTO’s vital role in delivering global public goods — in this case contributing to marine sustainability by curbing subsidies to harmful fishing practices. The swift entry into force of the Agreement would bolster both the health of our oceans and the livelihoods of the millions of people who depend on them. I hope the remaining WTO members will follow suit quickly for the benefit of our people and our oceans.”

Ambassador Al-Muftah said: “The depositing today of our instrument of acceptance of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies is a symbol of Qatar’s steadfast engagement towards regulated fishing, the protection of the maritime ecosystem, and environmental sustainability. We hope that this step forward in our collective efforts to protect the planet and the environment for us and next generations will ignite a succession of similar endeavours aimed at consolidating our multilateral objective.”

Qatar’s instrument of acceptance brings to 76 the total number of WTO members that have formally accepted the Agreement. Three members from the Middle East have formally accepted the Agreement.   Thirty-four more formal acceptances are needed for the Agreement to come into effect. The Agreement will enter into force upon acceptance by two-thirds of the membership.

Adopted by consensus at the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12), held in Geneva on 12-17 June 2022, the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies sets new, binding, multilateral rules to curb harmful subsidies, which are a key factor in the widespread depletion of the world’s fish stocks. In addition, the Agreement recognizes the needs of developing and least-developed countries and establishes a fund to provide technical assistance and capacity building to help them implement the obligations.

The Agreement prohibits support for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, bans support for fishing overfished stocks and ends subsidies for fishing on the unregulated high seas.

Members also agreed at MC12 to continue negotiations on outstanding issues, with a view to adopting additional provisions that would further enhance the disciplines of the Agreement.

The full text of the Agreement can be accessed here. The list of members that have deposited their instruments of acceptance is available here. Information for members on how to accept the Protocol of Amendment is available here.

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