International Trade: Ivory Coast agrees to the WTO fisheries subsidies agreement

Ambassador Kouadio Adjoumani, the permanent representative of Côte d’Ivoire to the United Nations office of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other international organizations in Geneva, handed over on Monday October 23 to Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the WTO, Ivory Coast’s instrument of acceptance of the agreement on fisheries subsidies on the sidelines of a meeting of senior officials at the headquarters of the institution. 

The information was reported in an information note sent on Monday December 4, 2023 to Abidjan.net.

According to Ambassador Kouadio Adjoumani, the acceptance of this agreement by Côte d’Ivoire reflects the vision and commitment of the Ivorian authorities in terms of sustainability. 

“It is consistent with the numerous actions undertaken by the Ivorian government to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans,” the note said. 

In addition, the document indicates that on this occasion, Mr. Adjoumani reaffirmed Côte d’Ivoire’s commitment to actively participate in the international collective effort aimed at advancing the multilateral agenda on sustainable fishing by emphasizing that the country awaits with interest the entry into force of this agreement. 

“Each formal acceptance of the fisheries subsidies agreement marks a crucial step towards its entry into force,” said Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the WTO, stressing that this agreement is of capital importance for the health of the oceans. 

Adopted on June 12, 2022 during the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) of the WTO, the said agreement prohibits members from granting subsidies to illegal, undeclared and unregulated fishing, fishing in overexploited stocks and fishing in unregulated marine territories.

 This agreement, which marks an important step in protecting the oceans, also constitutes a big step in achieving the United Nations’ sustainable development goals. 

Côte d’Ivoire, as a coastal country and in accordance with its vision of sustainability, has already ratified and adhered to several regional and international instruments including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.