CLDP organized a visit by a delegation of 10 members of Iraq’s parliament to discuss key considerations in drafting a basic telecommunications law, in Washington, DC,from June 28 through July 5, 2012.CLDP developed this consultation in coordination with Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the Department of State, and the Federal Communications Commission.CLDP  arranged meetings with officials of these agencies, with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and with staff of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.The United States Telecommunications Training Institute hosted an industry roundtable with U.S. company representatives on July 2.Throughout the five days of the program, the visiting legislators (from the Council or Representatives’ Labor and Services Committee) engaged in issue-by-issue discussions with government and non-government experts on specific provisions of the draft telecommunications law, which is on the verge of passage.

The goal of this consultation was to provide guidance to the Iraqi lawmakers on international best practices for basic telecommunications legislation, in order to maximize investment, stability, and growth in Iraq’s information and communications technologysector, and the creation of jobs in this sector and the broader Iraqi economy.The meetings were an opportunity to introduce these parliamentarians to U.S. government and non-government stakeholders and to provide examples of U.S approaches and experiences.