News

Zambia formally accepts WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies

Summary

On 14 July, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala received Zambia’s instrument of acceptance of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies from Zambia’s WTO Ambassador Eunice M. Tembo Luambia. Just six more acceptances are needed for the Agreement to enter into force.

Updated on : 20-01-2026

On 14 July, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala received Zambia’s instrument of acceptance of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies from Zambia’s WTO Ambassador Eunice M. Tembo Luambia. Just six more acceptances are needed for the Agreement to enter into force.

DG Okonjo-Iweala said: “Turning the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies into real benefits for people and the planet is a global endeavour, and I am grateful to Zambia, as a landlocked country, for stepping up and doing its part. With Zambia's ratification, we are now closer than ever to adding the Agreement to the WTO rulebook and only six ratifications away from breaking new ground in protecting livelihoods, food security and restoring marine fish stocks.”

Ambassador Luambia said: “Zambia is very pleased to be part of the first 105 signatories and part of the 111 ratifications that will bring the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies into force. As a landlocked country, Zambia understands the importance of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies in sustaining marine fish stocks and promoting fair trade to support livelihoods, particularly for those in small scale fishing. Zambia believes that the entry into force of this Agreement will further strengthen the rules-based multilateral trading system, with the World Trade Organization at the centre.”

Formal acceptances from two-thirds of WTO members are required for the Agreement to enter into force — representing 111 members. The list of the 105 WTO members which have deposited their instruments of acceptance with the WTO is available here.

At the WTO's 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) held in Geneva in June 2022, ministers adopted by consensus the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, setting new, binding, multilateral rules to curb harmful fisheries subsidies. The Agreement prohibits subsidies for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, for fishing overfished stocks, and for fishing on the unregulated high seas.

Ministers also recognized the needs of developing economies and least-developed countries by establishing a fund to provide technical assistance and capacity-building to help governments that have formally accepted the Agreement to implement the new obligations.

The Fish Fund launched a Call for Proposals on 6 June, inviting developing economies and LDCs that have ratified the Agreement to submit requests for project grants aimed at helping them implement the Agreement. The WTO Fish Fund portal can be found here.

WTO members also agreed at MC12 to continue negotiating on remaining fisheries subsidies issues. The objective is to find consensus on additional provisions to further strengthen the disciplines on fisheries subsidies.

Information for members on how to accept the Protocol of Amendment is available here.