March 17-21, 2014, CLDP worked in cooperation with the World Trade Organization (Accessions Division ; Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation) to hold an intensive workshop for the Iraq WTO Accession Task Force. The focus of the workshop, held at the WTO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, was on WTO basic principles and accession processes.

In a demonstration of high-level political will, Iraq’s Ministry of Trade led an inter-ministerial delegation of sixteen officials for the program.  At the conclusion of the workshop, Iraq announced that it will place a commercial attaché in Geneva to coordinate the work of the Task Force with the WTO Secretariat and to better exercise its observer status.  In the next few weeks, CLDP will work with Iraq’s WTO Task Force to develop a new Road Map for WTO Accession and to outline next steps in reform efforts, meeting technical documentation requirements, intra-governmental coordination, outreach, and negotiations. On a related note and in response to recurring requests made by Iraq during the recent Iraq/US TIFA meetings, CLDP will help Iraq create a Trade Policy Office within the Ministry of Trade.