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7/27/2019 Iraq and the WTO Challenges, Opportunities, Strategies
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IIER / FNF Expert Group Meeting
Iraq and the WTO Challenges, Opportunities, Strategies
24 August 2013, Erbil, Iraq
Recommendations
1 - We recommend expediting the procedures of Iraq's accession to the World Trade Organization
(WTO), considering that Iraq is currently in a rehabilitation and construction phase of its productive
sectors which ought to take place in accordance with global standards and opposing the rentierism of
the Iraqi economy which will otherwise continue.
2- For Iraq to join the WTO, we recommend amending Article No. 28 of Banking Act No. 64 of 2004 to
enable banks to invest. This trend can be supported through establishing an investment support fund to
help small and medium enterprises increasing their competitiveness in order to become eligible to
compete globally in the framework of the WTO.
3- The process requires the government's commitment towards the WTO and its member states and to
adopting reforms and pursuing economic policies in line with the charter of the WTO.
4- In order to speed up Iraq's accession to the WTO, Iraq needs to reform the business environment and
make it suitable and attractive to the activities of both the private and public sector in a globalised
economy.
5- We recommend to adopt policies and procedures in line with the WTO member states in order to
reform the legal and procedural environment in Iraq, such as activating the customs tariff law, the
product protection law, the protection of intellectual property and other laws.
6- In order to facilitate and accelerate the process of Iraq's accession to the WTO return to the
international community effectively, and to create new opportunities for Iraqi companies producing
goods and services, we recommend the treatment of Iraqi products on an equal footing with products
from other countries. This requires an update of the legal and institutional frameworks of the state.
7- To study the cost-benefit analysis for Iraqs accession to the WTO, we recommend that a group of
experts and academics build a standard model for analyzing the effects of Iraq's accession to the TWO,
and for this project to proceed further, we recommend to benefit from the experience of the Republic of
Lebanon in this area.
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8- All studies and proposals confirm the necessity of activating the package of laws which support Iraq's
accession to the WTO, which requires resolving conflicts that exist between the Federal Governmentand Kurdistan Regional Government. Therefore, we recommend the application of customs tariff law as
legally effective and applicable to all border crossings of Iraq, whether these borders belong to the
federal government or the Kurdistan Region.
9- For Iraq to become fully eligible to join the WTO, and to retain its regional and international position,
we recommend speeding up the implementation of national strategies for agricultural and industrial
sectors and take maximum advantage customs tariff law benefits.
10- Participants recommend to train Iraqi experts to lead the process of joining TWO, this is two phases
project: first through the Supreme National Committee overseeing Iraq's accession process and the
Ministry of Trade, drawing on scientific expertise. Second through the adoption of modern
technological methods and the adoption of electronic signature formula in government
correspondence, which strengthens the role of e-government on the one hand, and reduce the costs on
the other hand.
11- It is necessary to carry out an awareness campaign and extensive participation of all parties,
especially the Supreme National Committee overseeing Iraq Joining WTO, and the Ministry of
Commerce as the sectorial responsible for the process, the conferees therefore recommends the need
to activate the role of the media, universities and provincial councils, they need to take it upon
themselves to do extensive campaigns to raise public awareness of the benefits of Iraq's joining the
WTO, and the costs would be borne by Iraq in the event of delay in joining the WTO.
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