Lebanon

Lebanon’s Working Party (WP) was established by the WTO General Council in April 1999, and its Memorandum on Foreign Trade Regime circulated to Members for review and comment in June 2001.

The first Working Party meeting was held in October 2002. Lebanon’s most recent WP meeting – its sixth – was held in February 2009, to review additional documentation, including the initial draft of the Report of the Working Party circulated in September 2008. The seventh WP meeting is anticipated before the end of summer 2009.

The United States has actively participated in Lebanon’s Working Party meetings. Lebanese and U.S. representatives have engaged in bilateral consultations on the margins of WTO and other meetings in Geneva and Washington. Bilateral consultations on market access for goods and services will resume on the margins of the next WP meeting, based on revised offers.

Through USAID and United States - Middle East Partnership Initiative, the United States has provided technical assistance in the form of resident advisors and short term specific assistance to help Lebanon's government with the accession process, including help with WTO training of officials, legal drafting, production of documents for WP meetings and negotiations, and guidance on implementation of WTO provisions (e.g., in the areas of standards and technical regulations, intellectual property protection, customs, and services).