WTO Accessions
There are six Pacific Island Countries who are members of the World Trade Organization - Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu. Three of those – Tonga, Vanuatu and Samoa – underwent the process of accession, a process that involved them paying a high price for their membership.
Tonga
Tonga became the 151st WTO member in 2007 after an accession process of more than 10 years. Whilst membership promised many benefits, there were strong concerns voiced by civil society with some labelling Tonga's membership package as the “worst ever”.
In 2012 PANG released the documentary “Fool me once: The regional lessons from the impacts of Tonga's WTO accession” which is a look through the eyes of ordinary Tongans about what membership to the WTO has meant for them and their country. The video gives voice to the experiences of Tongan business owners, exporters, politicians and civil society who find that all the promises that accompanied WTO membership have failed to materialise and they have been left with the costs.
Samoa
Samoa became the 155th WTO member in 2012. WTO membership for Samoa entailed the small island state making extensive commitments that restrict their policy space as a condition of their membership. The most glaring of these being the removal of Samoa's ban on the import of 'turkey tails', an extremely energy dense food that is exacerbating the Non-Communicable Disease epidemic in Samoa.
Supported by local groups, a world leading academic on trade in services and investment aired significant concerns about the impacts of Samoa's WTO membership and what it would mean for tourism, the ability of Samoa to regulate foreign investment and the environment.
Vanuatu
Vanuatu became the 157th WTO member in 2012, after a torturous accession process that lasted 17 years. Sadly for Vanuatu, being one of the first to start accession meant that many countries demanded high commitments from Vanuatu as a way to set precedent for other, bigger countries acceding later. This meant that Vanuatu's accession went beyond what many others would have to commit at a later date.
Vanuatu's membership was highly controversial and contested by many in Vanuatu with business owners, church groups, chiefs, non-government organisations expressing their opposition to WTO membership.
