Samoa Accedes to the Agreement Establishing the Advisory Centre on WTO Law

2026-03-26 - 02:14

Samoa has acceded to the Agreement Establishing the Advisory Centre on WTO Law (“Agreement Establishing the ACWL”). The Honourable Fata Ryan Schuster, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Labour; and Trade Negotiations signed the Protocol of Accession on behalf of the Government of Samoa, on the margins of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (“MC14”) in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Mr Niall Meagher, Executive Director, signed on behalf of the ACWL. Samoa’s accession to the ACWL grants Samoa leverage to engage in trade negotiations and deliberations on an informed basis with specialised legal advice as appropriate. It will also assist with aligning Samoa’s domestic priorities with its international commitments to ensure efficient and equitable trade practices. The Hon. Fata Ryan Schuster stated: “This is a milestone achievement in Samoa’s journey of participating in the global trading system and multilateral trade negotiations. It is a strategic step for Samoa that will strengthen our ability to engage with confidence and ensure our interests are effectively represented.” Samoa acknowledges the support of its partners, including Australia and New Zealand, and reaffirms its commitment to a fair, inclusive, and rules-based global trading system. Present at the signing ceremony were the Honourable Todd McClay, Minister of Trade and Investment of New Zealand, the Honourable Sakiasi R Dikota, Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade of Fiji; Deputy Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Ms Desna Solofa and senior Pacific officials.