Intensive efforts to join the World Trade Organization
Intensive efforts to join the World Trade Organization
2026/08/13
Iraq has made significant progress in its bid to join the World Trade Organization, after completing a number of key files related to goods and services and responding to questions from member states, in preparation for holding the fourth meeting of the working group on Iraq’s accession to the organization.
The official spokesman for the Ministry of Trade, Mohammed Hanoun, said that a delegation from the ministry visited the headquarters of the World Trade Organization last July, and held a series of official meetings with officials of the organization, the secretariat, and the head of the working group on Iraq, in addition to representatives of a number of member states.
Hannon added that the visit saw the resolution of key files related to goods and services, as well as the completion of answers to the 175 questions from member states, in addition to other files related to the memorandum on the foreign trade system, agriculture, technical barriers to trade, health and phytosanitary procedures, and other technical files related to the requirements for accession.
He explained that the member states welcomed the achievement made by Iraq in submitting these files, noting that, in light of the meetings that continued for a full week at the organization’s headquarters, the files were adopted, officially circulated, and published on the World Trade Organization’s website, to allow member states to review them, make their comments, and negotiate them.
Hannon explained that work is currently underway to arrange an official visit by the Minister of Trade, who is also the head of the National Committee concerned with Iraq’s accession to the World Trade Organization, to the organization’s headquarters, with the aim of holding official meetings and discussions in preparation for holding the fourth meeting of the working group on Iraq’s accession in the coming period.
He pointed out that the upcoming meeting represents an important milestone in the course of negotiations, as it is hoped that it will contribute to resolving the remaining issues and negotiations and completing the required procedures leading to Iraq’s accession as a full member of the World Trade Organization.
In the same context, Hanoun pointed out that Baghdad is simultaneously witnessing the holding of a technical workshop with the participation of international experts, with the aim of fully preparing for the fourth meeting of the working group, as well as preparing the Iraqi negotiating team from a technical standpoint and enabling it to complete negotiations with the member states.
This development comes at a time when the Ministry of Trade and relevant government agencies are continuing to work on completing the technical and legislative requirements related to the accession process, which will enhance Iraq’s integration into the global trading system and open the way for expanding its trade relations.
With the member states.
alsabaah.iq
