Timor-Leste and WTO Accession: Harnessing Momentum to Support Development Outcomes

doi:https://doi.org/10.1596/41116

Publication:
Timor-Leste and WTO Accession: Harnessing Momentum to Support Development Outcomes

dc.contributor.author	Sauvé, Pierre
dc.contributor.author	Lacey, Simon
dc.contributor.author	Lakatos, Csilla
dc.date.accessioned	2024-02-27T14:54:59Z
dc.date.available	2024-02-27T14:54:59Z
dc.date.issued	2024-02-27
dc.description.abstract	World Trade Organization (WTO) accession is a challenging process typically commanding a heavy price in terms of resources and time expended while also calling for the expense of non-trivial political capital by an acceding country’s policymakers. Nevertheless, gaining membership of the world trade body represents a once in a generation opportunity for acceding countries to embark upon and sustain a set of deep structural reforms seldom possible in the absence of binding policy commitments. Timor-Leste is a young nation facing a set of unique challenges as it nears the completion of its WTO accession process. While WTO and subsequently Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) accession can help Timor-Leste address and overcome many of the above challenges, neither of these outcomes can - nor should be expected to - produce miracles by themselves. This report considers the case for Timor-Leste to bring its quest for WTO accession to a successful conclusion. It advances a set of arguments designed to help the country’s policymakers in their dialogue with domestic stakeholders and constituents of the benefits that the Timorese economy and its citizens stand to derive from placing the country’s trade ties to the world market on a stable and predictable global footing. This report is divided into three parts. Part 1 offers a brief overview of Timor-Leste’s recent trade performance and the overall macro-economic context within which the country’s quest for WTO accession takes place. Part 2 provides an overview of the WTO accession process and its legal and institutional implications for Timor-Leste. Part 3 of the report focuses on WTO accession and how it can be leveraged to achieve long-run economic growth. The report concludes with a call for Timor-Leste to maintain the strong existing momentum of its accession journey while also managing expectations of the short-term impacts of WTO accession.	en
dc.identifier	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099021424195018981/P1807501ee78170e61b25614d3278e85911
dc.identifier.doi	10.1596/41116
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/10986/41116
dc.language	English
dc.language.iso	en_US
dc.publisher	Washington, DC: World Bank
dc.rights	CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holder	World Bank
dc.rights.uri	https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/igo/
dc.subject	WTO ACCESSION
dc.subject	ASEAN
dc.subject	LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
dc.subject	INSTITUTIONAL IMPLICATIONS
dc.title	Timor-Leste and WTO Accession	en
dc.title.subtitle	Harnessing Momentum to Support Development Outcomes	en
dc.type	Report
dspace.entity.type	Publication
okr.crossref.title	Timor-Leste and WTO Accession: Harnessing Momentum to Support Development Outcomes
okr.date.disclosure	2024-02-27
okr.date.lastmodified	2024-02-15T00:00:00Z	en
okr.doctype	Economic & Sector Work
okr.docurl	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099021424195018981/P1807501ee78170e61b25614d3278e85911
okr.guid	099021424195018981
okr.identifier.docmid	P180750-ee781712-291d-4ee6-b256-4d3278e85911
okr.identifier.doi	https://doi.org/10.1596/41116
okr.identifier.externaldocumentum	34258867
okr.identifier.internaldocumentum	34258867
okr.identifier.report	187734
okr.import.id	3269
okr.imported	true	en
okr.language.supported	en
okr.pdfurl	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099021424195018981/pdf/P1807501ee78170e61b25614d3278e85911.pdf	en
okr.region.administrative	East Asia and Pacific
okr.region.country	Timor-Leste
okr.topic	Law and Development::International Organizations
okr.topic	Governance::International Governmental Organizations
okr.unit	EFI-EAP-FCI-Finance-2 (EEAF2)