The Chair of the Working Party on the Accession of Somalia, Ambassador Nina Tornberg of Sweden, met President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of the Federal Republic of Somalia on 14 June in Lucerne, Switzerland, to discuss the country’s WTO accession process.
At a roundtable discussion, President Mohamud pledged Somalia’s commitment to moving the accession process forward and stressed the importance of trade in promoting peace and stability in the country. The roundtable on the economic dimensions of peacebuilding was organized by the Federal Government of Somalia and Interpeace, an international organization whose mission is to prevent violence and build lasting peace.
In opening remarks, President Mohamud highlighted ongoing peacebuilding efforts in the country under his vision of “Somalia in peace with itself and peace with the world”. Noting the contextual nature of peacebuilding and Somalia’s unique situation, the President stressed that peace cannot be sustained without governance and the rule of law. He also emphasized the importance of WTO accession and the role of trade in addressing Somalia’s fragility and economic development.
The accession process of Somalia started in December 2016 with the establishment of a Working Party. Somalia submitted the Memorandum of its Foreign Trade Regime in May 2020. Ambassador Tornberg was appointed as Chairperson of the Working Party in December 2023.
Ambassador Tornberg congratulated the President on recent milestones achieved by Somalia, which include the debt relief of US$4.5 billion under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, the accession to the East African Community (EAC) as well as the lifting of the arms embargo and the election to the United Nations Security Council.
“These represent the confidence of the international community in the Government’s efforts to bring peace and stability in Somalia,” she noted, adding that the start of the WTO accession process can further enhance confidence, especially from business. She thanked the President for the appointment of Mr Sadiq Abdikarim Haji Ibrahim as Chief Negotiator and the settlement of arrears in the WTO, which has paved the way for activating the accession process.
The discussion also touched upon the Trade for Peace partnership between the WTO and Interpeace in Somalia. President Mohamud underscored his Government’s commitment to advancing peace and stability through the Trade for Peace concept.
Ambassador Tornberg noted that Comoros and Timor-Leste, which finalized their accession processes at the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference in February 2024, provided good examples of how post-conflict least developed countries (LDCs) with significant capacity constraints were able to navigate WTO accession, and how the accession process can help promote peace and stability.
Interpeace President Itonde Kakoma welcomed the ongoing collaboration with the WTO Secretariat under the Trade for Peace Program in Somalia.