LESOTHO has officially joined the global push to end harmful fishing subsidies by depositing its instrument of acceptance of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies with the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The milestone move was made by Lesotho’s WTO Ambassador, Tsiu Khathibe, who handed over the acceptance document to WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in Geneva on 20 May 2025.
Lesotho becomes the 99th WTO member to formally accept the agreement.
Welcoming Lesotho’s endorsement, Director-General Okonjo-Iweala said: “I deeply appreciate Lesotho’s commitment to the WTO and to supporting the implementation of this historic agreement.
“We are now very close to breaking new ground in safeguarding livelihoods and food security and securing the future of our shared oceans and marine fisheries – just 12 more acceptances to go!”
Ambassador Khathibe highlighted the broader global importance of the agreement—even for a landlocked country like Lesotho.
“Our acceptance of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies reaffirms Lesotho’s unwavering commitment to a rules-based multilateral trading system. Though we have no marine fisheries of our own, we understand the critical role this agreement plays in stopping subsidies that drive overfishing and deplete fish stocks,” Mr Khathibe said.
“These resources are vital to many coastal least-developed and developing countries that rely on fishing for their livelihoods, food security, and economic growth. With this step, Lesotho stands in solidarity with the global community in advancing Sustainable Development Goal 14.6 and protecting marine ecosystems for future generations. We applaud the leadership of the Director-General and call on all WTO members to complete their ratification processes so we can bring this historic agreement into force.”
The Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, adopted by consensus at the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference in Geneva in June 2022, establishes the first-ever global rules targeting subsidies that contribute to overfishing and the destruction of marine environments. Specifically, the agreement bans subsidies for:
- Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing
- Fishing of overfished stocks
- Fishing on the unregulated high seas
To support developing and least-developed countries (LDCs), the agreement also includes provisions for technical assistance and capacity-building to help with implementation.
For the agreement to officially take effect, it must be accepted by two-thirds of the WTO’s 164 members—that’s 111 in total. With Lesotho’s endorsement, the world is now just 12 ratifications away from this critical target.
Meanwhile, WTO members have agreed to continue negotiations on outstanding issues in the agreement, aiming to expand and strengthen the rules in future.
-WTO
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