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Awareness Conference Highlights the Need to Reform
the Copyright Regime in Iraq

31 January 2008 - The first-ever Iraqi Copyright Awareness conference, co-hosted by the Iraqi Ministry of Culture and the USAID-funded IZDIHAR project, was held at “Al Rasheed” Hotel in Baghdad on January 28. The event gathered some fifty participants including authors, creators, painters and innovators, government and parliament representatives. Among the audience were personalities such as Abdul Hadi Khadum, renowned author of several widely read children’s books and film scripts, and Jabar Al-Jabri, Deputy Minister of Culture.

The conference discussed the existing copyright regime and how it is being reformed to meet the needs of Iraqi authors, businesses, software programmers and other innovators. Specific improvements addressed included how the penalties will be increased, rapid judicial enforcement, and especially how Iraq’s accession into the World Trade Organization (WTO) will help Iraqis enforce their rights abroad as well.

Abdul Hadi Khadum emphasized the relevance of these issues when he explained to the audience how, on the one hand, he and fellow Iraqi authors had lost opportunities due to copyright infringement, and on the other hand benefited from correct copyright enforcement abroad by receiving royalty fees which help them sustain their work.

The “questions and answers” session dealt with real problems faced by participants, such as enforcement of royalty payments and illegal translation of copyrighted material abroad. The debate helped explain how Iraq’s emerging copyright regime would address these problems, for example through WTO accession and stronger regional cooperation.

"Today's event was a wonderful opportunity to communicate to Iraqi creators, innovators and the general public. We showed the importance of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) reform to stimulate Iraqi innovation, protect its cultural and artistic creations, advance the Iraqi economy and increase our country’s standing as an advanced nation in the global trading community. The participants clearly showed strong interest in learning about the hard work that has been done by Iraq on in IPR reform and with IZDIHAR’s vital assistance," said Ali Omar Fatah, Chief Legal Counsel, Ministry of Culture.

The participants also asked for more events to be organized on copyright issues and expressed interest in being informed on the progress of the Iraqi Intellectual Property Law and the accession into WTO.

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Iraq Submits Key Accession Package to the World Trade Organization

26 January 2007 - On January 24, the Government of Iraq submitted responses to the second round of World Trade Organization (WTO) questionnaires to the headquarters of the organization in Geneva, as well as key technical documentation including the country’s formal “action plan” laying out a strategy and timetable for reforming its trade regime. In addition, Iraq submitted technical documentation on a variety of trade issues, such as subsidies, intellectual property rights legislation and removal of trade barriers.

The submission of this technical documentation meets a key procedural requirement that must be completed by all aspiring WTO members. By fulfilling it, the government met the agreed parameters that were set at the first meeting of the WTO Working Party on Iraq’s accession thus paving the way for scheduling the second working party meeting.

The first meeting was held on May 24, 2007 and was widely considered a success that added to Iraq’s credibility among trading partners. Prior to it, the USAID-funded IZDIHAR project designed and implemented an extensive training program that prepared the Iraq’s WTO delegation to successfully carry out the meeting and respond to WTO members questions. Thereafter, in preparation for the second Working Party meeting, IZDIHAR provided a range of technical support to help Iraq complete the accession package that was submitted a few days ago.

Subject to WTO schedule, it is hoped that a second working party meeting might be arranged for, as early as April 2008. It will delve deeper into specific negotiating issues of concern. The second meeting will also launch individual, one-on-one meetings with prominent WTO members, such as the US, the EU, Japan and others.

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Iraqi WTO Accession Officials Get First-Hand Knowledge about Latest Intellectual Property Rights Developments

14 December 2007 - The USAID-funded IZDIHAR project recently organized and secured the participation of a high-level delegation of the Iraqi Government to a four-day workshop on the latest developments in laws and policies governing patents, trademarks, copyrights and the enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). The event was sponsored by the US Patent and Trademarks Office and was held in Amman, Jordan.

Eight Middle East countries attended the workshop, which resulted in significant benefits for Iraq’s efforts to join the World Trade Organization (WTO). The event came at an ideal time, as Iraq’s Ministry of Planning recently submitted the draft legislation on IPR to Iraq’s Ministry of Justice. The legislation was drafted with the support and assistance of IZDIHAR.

Intellectual Property Rights are often considered the top trade policy priority of the United States and European Union. Hence, Iraq’s adherence to high intellectual property rights standards is vital to its bid to join the WTO.

The Iraqi delegation consisted of eight high level political and technical staff of the relevant IPR departments of the government. The officials got direct, hands-on training from the representatives of the US Patents and Trademarks Office, which is considered the world standard bearer on these matters. The Iraqi delegation also had a substantive and highly informative exchange of experience with representatives of other Arab countries on challenges on the way to WTO accession and solutions to overcome them.

Another key outcome of the workshop was a series of highly productive side meetings that were held with officials of the US Trade Representative Office responsible for negotiating Iraq’s accession into the WTO. Agenda items included the timing of the second WTO Working Party meeting, as well as US and Iraqi expectations moving forward on the accession process.

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Investment and Trade Seminars Draw Full House and Top Officials

30 August 2007 - In mid-August, two trade and investment seminars – in Erbil and Sulaimaniyah – helped update the business community and government officials regarding Iraq’s WTO accession status while sparking lively discussions regarding the impact of the new investment laws on attracting foreign investment, particularly in the Kurdistan Region.

Speakers at the seminars, organized by the USAID IZDIHAR project, explained what needs to be considered and what steps need to be taken in order to set up an investment project in Iraq: the laws involved, company registration and customs and taxation issues.

The Erbil event was held in collaboration with the Kurdistan Economic Development Center. IZDIHAR’s contribution focused on the analysis of the investment law, which was complemented by presentations from the Registrar of Companies and the Director General of Customs and Taxation.

The Sulaimaniyah event focused on the status of Iraq’s bid for accession into the World Trade Organization (WTO), the  import and export laws, the need to remove red tape and the importance of intellectual property protection in developing an attractive investment climate. The seminar further addressed specific trade challenges currently facing Iraqis, such as substandard imports from China flooding the Iraqi market and deceptive practices.

Both events drew a full house. Distinguished participants included the Minister of Planning, the Director General for Taxation and Customs, representatives of the Erbil and Sulaimaniyah Chambers of Commerce, the Chair of the Iraqi Businessmen Union and business leaders and representatives of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams.

The seminars followed a forward-looking conference in Sulaymaniah entitled “Kurdistan Investment Future” sponsored by the Kurdistan Investment Board and the Sulaimanya Chamber of Commerce. Presentations by two IZDIHAR representatives focused on assessing the current investment environment in Iraq and comparing investment legislation to similar laws of Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.  Particular emphasis was placed on the importance of One-Stop-Shops, Investor Guides and decreasing red tape in attracting foreign direct investment.

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Iraqi Government Officials Receive Specialized Training on Intellectual Property Rights

14 August 2007 - The Members of the Copyright Committee of the Ministry of Culture of the Government of Iraq recently participated in a specialized training workshop on the main challenges of copyright-related intellectual property rights in Iraq and the draft copyright law.  Organized by the USAID-funded IZDIHAR project, the workshop was held in Erbil from July 14 to July 17.  In the wake of the new draft intellectual property Law under consideration by the Government of Iraq, it focused on skills training in applying and interpreting Iraq’s draft copyright law, as well as understanding the implications of WTO-improvements to Iraq’s existing intellectual property regime.

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Iraq Reaches Historic Milestone in Negotiating Acession into the WTO

29 May 2007 - Iraq’s bid to fully reconnect with the global trade system after decades of isolation reached a historic milestone on May 25th, when the first meeting of the Working Party on Iraq convened in Geneva at the headquarters of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The Trade Minister of Iraq, Mr. Abed Falah al-Sudani, hailed the meeting as a success and as a major step in his country’s efforts to restore its position within the international community.  ''Iraq's membership in the WTO sends a positive signal to the people of Iraq that they are welcomed back and that the world really cares about their welfare,'' said al-Sudani.

In the two days leading to the event, the Iraqi delegation held bilateral meetings with 12 WTO Members including the US, EU, Vietnam, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Taiwan and Canada.   Telephone contacts were also made with China.  The meetings were positive and supportive of Iraq’s accession.

The WTO Members that attended the meeting raised questions related to Iraq’s investment law, the intellectual property regime, privatization and Iraq’s progress and plans for bringing its domestic legislation into compliance with WTO treaties and rules.  The Iraqi delegation gave on-the-spot replies to all questions raised while noting that further elaboration may be provided in the written replies to be submitted later.

The participants noted that a possible timeline for the next Working Party Meeting could be early 2008.  By then, the Iraqi delegation will have to present responses to the written questions raised by WTO members, submit a legislative action plan and prepare accession documents on Agriculture, Trade in Services, Technical Barriers to Trade, Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and Intellectual Property.

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Government Officials and Businesspeople Look Forward to Iraq's Accession to the WTO

20 March 2007 – Government officials and businesspeople in Kurdistan learned more about export promotion and the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement on technical barriers to trade through a recent training event organized by the USAID-funded IZDIHAR program and the local Chambers of Commerce in Erbil and Sulaymaniah.

Forty-five participants attended the meetings, bound by the common belief that Iraq’s accession to the WTO will open new markets for Iraqi exports while protecting Iraq’s domestic market against unfairly priced or sub-standard imports.

Topics included WTO structure and the accession process; the benefits of WTO membership; technical standards for goods and services; export procedural and compliance requirements; international practices; and potential export sectors and markets.

According to one participant, "The information I got on export laws and the part regarding the Harmonized System is very useful to me personally, as I am planning to establish a textile export business."  The Harmonized System is an international system of classification that describes imported / exported articles and provides the applicable duty rates.

"I learned a lot about establishing an export business, market research and market access," said another.  "I have a better understanding now of the technical barriers to trade, as well as of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism," commented a third.

The session on Technical Barriers to Trade followed up on draft legislation submitted to the Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control (COSQC). The legislation will be discussed in the Iraqi parliament in the coming months.

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Iraqi Delegation Prepares for the Opening of Formal World Trade Organization Accession Talks

8 March 2007 - Seventeen members of Iraq’s National Committee and WTO Unit, which coordinate the country’s WTO accession effort at the inter-ministerial level, prepared for the opening of the World Trade Organization (WTO) accession negotiations and the convening of the first WTO Working Party meeting in Geneva in a four-day workshop organized in February by the USAID IZDIHAR project.

Two WTO experts were brought in to assist in the training activity, which culminated in a full-scale simulation of the Working Party (WP) meeting. Workshop participants included the core negotiating team which will travel to Geneva to conduct the meeting.

The workshop began with a detailed walk-through of the Working Party process, covering such issues as the protocol to be followed, opening statements, advice on the composition of Iraq’s delegation, appointing Iraq’s spokesman for the WP meeting, procedures, timelines and tactics. The discussion moved on to the substance and issues likely to be raised in the first meeting.

These preparations led to the central event of the workshop – a full-scale, mock Working Party meeting, designed to approximate as closely as possible the procedures, content and duration of a real meeting. The simulation included a Chairman conducting the WP proceedings, and each IZDIHAR adviser taking on the role of key WTO members, including the US and the EU.

Questions and comments for the Iraqi delegation had been prepared in advance covering all aspects of Iraq’s trade and legal regime, such as intellectual property, customs, agriculture, technical barriers to trade, privatization, and constitutional make-up. The delegation was subjected to six hours of intensive questioning. The workshop ended with an interactive evaluation of the mock WP session. Strengths, weaknesses and tactics were discussed, drawing upon the experiences from the session.

While certain weaknesses were identified, there was broad agreement that the Iraqi delegation will be able to successfully conduct the first WP meeting. Dr. Tamam Al-Ghul, former Jordanian Minister for social development, who previously led Jordan’s WTO accession efforts for five years, stated that she was truly impressed at the performance of the Iraqi delegation. Mr. Paolo Vergano, a Senior WTO Lawyer from Brussels who has assisted in numerous WTO accessions, noted that in his view the Iraqi team performed better than other WTO accession delegations at a comparable stage.

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Iraq Prepares to Start Negotiations with World Trade Organization

18 December 2006 - Iraq achieved an important procedural milestone towards its World Trade Organization (WTO) accession bid on December 15, when the WTO General Council formally accepted the country’s nominee for the chairmanship of the Working Party charged with Iraq’s accession process. Ambassador Claudia Uribe of Colombia will serve in this position.

WTO Director General Pascal Lamy hailed the successful agreement on the Chair for Iraq’s Working Party as an "important step in the process of anchoring Iraq in the multilateral trading system" and noted that "the appointment of the Chair… means that the negotiations can now start in earnest."

This acceptance opens the door for formal face-to-face negotiations to begin in Geneva with Iraq’s WTO Partners at the first Working Party Meeting, which can now be scheduled. "We look forward to working with the Government of Iraq to prepare for the opening of direct talks with the WTO counterparts, which marks a significant phase in Iraq’s accession process", commented IZDIHAR's Chief of Party, Baljit Vohra.

IZDIHAR has been assisting the Government of Iraq throughout the process of meeting the procedural requirements for convening the first meeting of the Working Party, such as completing the Memorandum on Foreign Trade Regime (MFTR) and the written "questions and answers".  In addition, IZDIHAR is assisting the Government of Iraq to undertake broad-based legal and trade policy reforms related to its accession into the World Trade Organization.

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IZDIHAR Co-Hosts the Second Annual Kurdistan Trade Show

30 November 2006 - IZDIHAR and the Iraqi-American Chamber of Commerce recently co-hosted a high-profile trade and investment promotion event that stirred significant interest in the Kurdistan Region and attracted thousands of visitors.  It was the Second Annual Kurdistan Trade Show, and the first time that Sulaymaniah hosted it.

The event was preceded by a one-day conference attended by some 400 people – businesspeople, government officials, and representatives of chambers of commerce.  At this conference, IZDIHAR’s experts discussed issues related to foreign direct investment. IZDIHAR hosted a special evening event for the organizers, the foreign exhibitors and the leaders of the Sulaymaniah business community to discuss Iraq’s access into the World Trade Organization and the implications of the evolving global trading system on the Iraqi economy.

200 companies set up booths in the trade show, which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, Mr. Nejervan Barazani.  IZDIHAR represented the activities of the project, as well as the services of the Iraq Investment Promotion Agency (IIPA), the Iraq Trade and Information Center (ITIC) and the Iraq Company for Bank Guarantees (ICBG).  All three organizations were established with the support of IZDIHAR and have benefited from the assistance of the project.

The representatives of the IIPA, ITIC and ICBG had an excellent chance to become acquainted with high officials of the government of Kurdistan Region and of Kurdistan’s Investment Board. They could also make a first-hand assessment of the business and investment conditions in the region. They got exposure to a broad array of traders doing business with, or in Iraq, as the participants in the Trade Show covered a broad spectrum of industries such as construction, motor vehicles, piping, electrical equipment, and telecommunications.

The high-level government officials that visited the booth – which included Prime Minister Barazani and several other members of the Cabinet – and the members of the business community were interested in learning more about the services that IZDIHAR, ICBG, IIPA and ITIC provide.

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Iraq Takes Major Step toward Opening Negotiations for Accession into the World Trade Organization

12 October 2006 - Recently, Iraq reached a new milestone in its ongoing bid for accession into the World Trade Organization (WTO) by submitting written responses to a host of questions raised by key members of the organization.

The questions focused on Iraq’s agricultural regime, customs and tariff policies, privatization, intellectual property protection and enforcement, technical barriers to trade, as well as efforts to ensure good governance and fight corruption. They addressed the current state of affairs as well as future intentions of the Iraqi government in terms of regulatory and capacity building reforms.

The submission of Iraq’s replies illustrates consistent progress and momentum towards WTO accession and reform of the trade policy regime, despite challenging circumstances.  Since filing its application letter to join the world trade body in September 2004, the pace of Iraq’s progress to date has matched and in some cases exceeded that of previously acceded countries. The USAID-funded ZDIHAR project has contributed to this progress by providing training and technical assistance to Iraqi government officials focused on WTO accession. IZDIHAR worked with the ministries concerned and assisted in compiling and organizing the information needed for the responses.

This step is another milestone on the way to convening the first formal meeting of the WTO Working Party on Iraq’s accession in Geneva, which launches the negotiation process.

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New Copyright Law Submitted to Iraqi Council of Ministers

27 April 2006 – A new Copyright Law was included in the draft of Iraq’s proposed Intellectual Property Law, which was submitted recently to the Council of Ministers for consideration.

The Copyright Law was developed by the Copyright Committee of Iraq’s Ministry of Culture with the assistance of experts from USAID’s IZDIHAR project.

The Copyright Law protects the rights of authors of literary and artistic works as well as the rights of performers, musicians, computer programmers and others over their own creations.  The draft law is consistent with the provisions of the World Trade Organization’s agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights and is an important step in Iraq’s accelerated process of accession to the WTO.

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National Committee for Iraqi Dates Proposed at IZDIHAR Seminar

30 January 2006 - The establishment of a National Committee for Iraqi Dates was proposed at a recent Baghdad seminar that brought farmers, producers, exporters and government officials together to try to find ways to revive the export of the fruit, which is considered one of the country’s national treasures.

“The date industry in Iraq went gradually and slowly downwards over the years. We need help and assistance, we need grants and machinery, so that we can compete on equal footing with other date exporters,” said one participant.

A representative from the Date Palm Department in Basra noted that he hoped the seminar would reveal “what the world market needs in terms of quality and packaging of the dates.  We want to know if the way we do it is suitable for the market.”

Organized by the USAID-funded IZDIHAR project, the three-day seminar was attended by more than 70 private businessmen from the Iraqi date industry as well as several officials of the Ministry of Agriculture.  They learned about the requirements of the global market for Iraq’s dates and discussed ways to increase its export.

He also recommended the creation of a business association for the date industry to increase the knowledge of members on various technical and commercial matters and the establishment of laboratories to certify the quality of dates for export.

While the working sessions of the seminar were intense and well-focused, an exhibition of current products allowed the participants to taste and enjoy a fine selection of many of the 600 varieties that make up the pride of the Iraqi date industry.

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USAID IZDIHAR Project Helps Iraqi Women Export Products

22 January 2006 - Minister of State for Woman Affairs Dr. Azhar Al-Sheikhli recently cut the ribbon to open a one-day exhibition in Baghdad for Iraqi women entrepreneurs to display their products. 

Sponsored by the USAID IZDIHAR project and the Iraqi Business Women’s Association, the exhibition highlighted a three-day training program to help women entrepreneurs from throughout Iraq export their products.

“I am very appreciative of what IZDIHAR has done for Iraqi women,” said Dr. Al-Sheikhli.  “I urge Iraqi women to engage in economic investments.  It is important that women have the opportunity to build Iraq.”

“Women are the heart of Iraq,” said Fardous Omran, chairperson of the Iraqi Business Women’s Association.  “The exhibition of women’s products demonstrates the creativity and value that Iraqi women can bring to the marketplace.”

More than thirty women entrepreneurs from 15 Iraqi provinces participated in the first two days of training, learning about the necessary steps to prepare and market products for the international market.

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Iraqis Learn How to Meet International Trade Standards and Increase Exports

10 January 2006 - Forty-two Iraqi professionals in business, government and higher education recently attended a public awareness session in Baghdad about World Trade Organization (WTO) rules for the safety and quality of products in international trade.

The session, which was conducted by trade experts from USAID’s IZDIHAR project, explained the business impacts of these rules and discussed possible strategies to meet existing international standards, increase Iraqi exports and protect Iraqis from the importation of poor quality products.

A Baghdad businessman noted, “Nowadays, many goods enter Iraq that don’t match international standards due to the absence of monitoring and many of these goods are of poor quality or unhealthy for consumption.  We need to learn more about international standards and the regulations of the WTO.  They protect consumers.”

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Iraqi Officials Receive Training at WTO

13 December 2005 - Twenty four government officials from the Iraqi WTO National Committee recently participated in a one-week training program at the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland to learn about international trade issues and the WTO accession process.

The training, which was organized and funded by USAID’s IZDIHAR project, marked the first time many people from the Iraqi delegation had been to the WTO.

The training included presentations by numerous WTO officials and should prove helpful as the various Iraqi government ministries become more involved in WTO issues.

The Government of Iraq recently submitted its Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime to begin the accession process and is preparing to answer questions from WTO member countries about the document.

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Iraq Takes First Step to Rejoin World Customs Organization

6 December 2005 - Two Iraqi Customs Department officials recently met with World Customs Organization executives and attended the twice yearly Harmonized System Committee meeting, marking Iraq’s first step toward rejoining the Brussels, Belgium-based organization.

Iraq’s attendance at the World Customs Organization (WCO) was facilitated and funded by USAID’s IZDIHAR project.

The Iraqi delegates were warmly welcomed and offered assistance in helping Iraq to rejoin the WCO, an independent, intergovernmental body which provides a forum for customs administrations and promotes a harmonized system for classifying commodities that is used worldwide for the collection of customs revenue.

WCO procedures are used by 168 countries and WCO members are responsible for processing more than 98% of all international trade.

Iraq formerly was a member of the WCO, but has not paid its dues for a number of years.  Discussions were initiated regarding the outstanding fees and permission was granted for the Iraqi delegates to attend WCO meetings as an observer.  Iraq will need to rejoin the WCO in order to join the World Trade Organization.

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Iraq Forms Steering Committee to Review Tariff and Trade Policies

13 November 2005 - The Government of Iraq recently convened in Baghdad the first meeting of the Tariff Steering Committee to determine tariff and trade policies for the country.

USAID’s IZDIHAR project is providing technical expertise to the committee concerning the structure of the tariff policies to ensure compliance with World Trade Organization standards.

The committee is comprised mainly of representatives from the Finance, Trade and Customs ministries but includes other ministries as well when their input is required regarding specialized topics.

The steering committee’s work, which is expected to take between six months and a year to complete, is important for the development of Iraq as a trading partner in the Middle East and globally.

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Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture Officials Are Briefed on WTO

30 October 2005 - Twenty officials of Iraq’s Ministry of Agriculture recently attended a briefing in Baghdad by trade experts from USAID’s IZDIHAR project in order to build capacity for agriculture-related decisions they will have to make as Iraq seeks membership in the World Trade Organization.

The Ministry of Agriculture will play a key role in supporting the Government of Iraq as it negotiates commitments on agricultural trade, plant and animal health, and technical barriers to trade.

The Geneva, Switzerland-based World Trade Organization is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations.

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Iraqis Learn about Intellectual Property Rights

19 October 2005 - USAID’s IZDIHAR project recently conducted intellectual property rights training in central Baghdad for 25 Iraqi businesspeople, lawyers, and members of Iraqi business associations as well as for four government officials from Iraq’s Ministry of Culture.  The training was designed to increase awareness about intellectual property rules that are part of the World Trade Organization (WTO) multilateral trading system.

Intellectual property rights include copyrights, trademarks, geographical indications for products, industrial designs, patents, integrated circuits layout designs, and trade secrets.  They usually give the creator an exclusive right over the use of his creation for a certain period of years.

Iraq currently has protection for only three types of these rights – copyrights, trademarks and patents.  In order to join the WTO, Iraq will need to protect all intellectual property rights.

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USAID IZDIHAR Project Trains Iraqi Customs Officials

2 October 2005 - USAID’s IZDIHAR project recently completed training in Baghdad of 40 Iraqi customs officials from around the country to increase their awareness of new methods of revenue collection and their familiarity with World Trade Organization (WTO) requirements.

The training was an initial step to assist the Customs Department’s seamless transition to using WTO-accepted tariff and customs valuation procedures at border points throughout the nation.

The Geneva, Switzerland-based World Trade Organization is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations.

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USAID Helps Create One-Stop-Shop for Iraq Business Development

26 September 2005 - USAID recently announced that it has reached agreement with the Government of Iraq to assist in the development of a new Iraqi Trade Information Center (ITIC), which will serve as a one-stop-shop for private firms seeking information about trade and investment opportunities in Iraq.

Investment promotion consultants from USAID’s IZDIHAR project, which provides support for private sector development in Iraq, are working with the Ministry of Trade to create the ITIC.

The new organization, which will be located at the Baghdad International Fair Grounds in Al-Mansour, includes a conference center, meeting rooms, business center services with Internet connections, training facilities, a business information library and an up-to-date, informative Web site. Scheduled to open by the end of this year, the Iraqi Trade Information Center will help stimulate trade, create jobs and offer a full range of facilitation services to business and industry.

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Iraq Officially Seeks WTO Membership

12 September 2005 - The Government of Iraq submitted its Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime (MFTR) of the nation on August 29, 2005 to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland to mark the start of the accession, or joining, process.

Technical assistance in drafting the memorandum was provided by the USAID IZDIHAR project.

The MFTR document describes all aspects of a country’s trade policy that have a bearing on WTO Agreements. The memorandum covers general economic indicators, policies affecting trade in goods, such as import and export regulations, agricultural and industrial policies, intellectual property rights, trade in services, customs valuation, and licensing requirements.

Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Trade Organization is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. It consists of 148 member nations, including the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany and France.

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Iraqi Business Associations Attend WTO Briefing

6 September 2005 - More than 175 businesspeople from 10 Iraqi business associations recently attended a briefing in Baghdad to hear about Iraq’s progress in seeking membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and what changes will have to occur in business and government in order to rejoin the world trading community.

The briefing was conducted by an international group of experts from USAID’s IZDIHAR project, which seeks to help expand the private sector and create more jobs in Iraq.

Businesspeople learned about the history of the WTO, its objectives, and the steps required of countries that seek to join the organization.

Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Trade Organization consists of 148 member nations and is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations.

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USAID Trains Iraqi Ministries on Trade Issues

23 August 2005 - Trade experts from USAID’s IZDIHAR project recently led a three-day training seminar in Baghdad on the specialized topic of Trade in Services for 27 Iraqi government officials.

The seminar, which detailed how Iraq will need to make commitments to the General Agreement on Trade in Service (GATS) in order to join the World Trade Organization, was hosted by the Ministry of Trade and attended by officials from other Iraqi ministries, including Labor, Finance, Higher Education, Health, Municipalities, Justice, and the Central Bank.

Officials concerned about allowing foreign professionals to practice in Iraq were reassured to learn that they could protect sectors of the economy through procedures for licensing, practicing, taxation and deciding eligibility for benefits. Iraq will need to explicitly address these details in order to negotiate with the World Trade Organization and bi-lateral partners.

Participants were already working on related labor, unemployment, and economic development issues in their respective ministries.

The Trade in Services specialist seminar was conducted as part of a series of workshops and seminars aimed at helping the Government of Iraq take the many steps necessary to modernize its trade policy and seek accession to the World Trade Organization.

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USAID Conducts Customs Workshop for Iraqi Business Community

21 August 2005 - USAID’s IZDIHAR project recently conducted a customs, tariff and trade workshop in Baghdad that was attended by more than 65 Members of Iraqi business associations, consumer organizations and women’s business groups who learned about the modern role of the Customs Department in facilitating trade and law enforcement.

The event was conducted as part of a series of workshops organized to increase awareness in the business community about the changes that will need to occur as part of Iraq’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

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Iraqi Business and Government Officials Learn about WTO

30 June 2005 – Board members of Iraqi business associations and mid-level government officials attended a series of workshops recently in Baghdad to learn about the challenges of World Trade Organization (WTO) membership for Iraq and its impacts on their organizations. They learned what the WTO process will mean for them and how Iraqi ministries can support the country’s efforts to join the global trade community.

The workshops were organized and led by staff from the USAID Private Sector Growth & Employment Generation Project.

Highlights of the training included a briefing about the WTO, the membership process, the changes that need to occur in Iraq’s businesses and government ministries in order to become a WTO member, and the potential impacts of gaining access to new world markets for specialized Iraqi goods and services, such as Iraqi dates.

The businessmen also shared their perceptions about the impacts of WTO membership, identified obstacles from the private sector point of view, and offered their ideas about the most effective ways to gain support from the business community for Iraq’s efforts to join the WTO.

Government officials learned what the WTO process will mean for them as well as how their ministries can support the country’s efforts to join the global trade community.

Iraq currently is applying to join the WTO, along with Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Iraq’s Inter-ministerial Committee on the WTO is now reviewing a document that, if approved, will be submitted to the WTO to begin the accession process.

Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Trade Organization is the only global organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. It consists of 148 member nations, including Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.

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Iraq Takes Steps toward Joining the WTO

1 June 2005 – Iraq’s new Minister of Trade continued the country’s progress toward membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) by submitting a draft Memorandum on Iraq’s Foreign Trade Regime to the Inter-Ministerial Commission on the WTO at a recent meeting in Baghdad.

Once the memorandum is approved by the commission, it will be submitted to the WTO, marking the beginning of negotiations for membership.

Technical assistance in drafting the memorandum was provided by staff from the USAID Iraq Private Sector Growth and Employment Generation Project.

Membership in the WTO will be a major step for Iraq in rejoining the world trade community. The country will gain fair access to the markets of other member countries, resulting in increased exports for its domestic products and more jobs at home.

Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the WTO is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. It was established with 128 member states and customs territories in 1995.

Since then, 20 new members have joined the WTO, including Jordan, Oman and China. More than 30 countries currently are in the process of joining, called accession, including the Lebanese Republic, Libya, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

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Improving Food Safety is Key to Iraq Joining the WTO

23 May 2005 - Staff from USAID’s Iraq Private Sector Growth and Employment Generation Project recently assessed a food processing facility in southern Iraq to gauge current standards in place regarding food safety and public health.

Located in a governorate that has 50% unemployment, the plant can employ several hundred technicians when it is fully operational under new private ownership.

The assessment was part of Iraq’s effort to bring its food safety standards to internationally accepted levels as the country seeks to join the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The USAID Private Sector Growth and Employment Generation project is working with the Director General of Agriculture in the governorate to establish training programs for local workers that cover standards of performance that meet WTO recommendation.

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