Iran's accession. World Trade Organization by Whalley
discusses how WTO was launched in 1994 as an outgrowth
of earlier arrangements set up by the governments of 23
countries under the GATT in 1947. Then it explains the
WTO components and elements [1]. Neumayer in 2004
argued that the WTO's past environmental record is
much better than critics would have it. He described the
effect of globalization on the environment, particularly in
developing countries [2],
Mansatta and Pareek in 2008 discussed a growing
number of investments by developing countries and their
deteriorating effects on the environment [3]. In 2012
Connolly and Hanson investigated Russia's accession
to the WTO. They concluded that more substantial
indirect benefits will largely depend on the scale and
seriousness of domestic reform policies launched in
support of WTO compliance (i.e., effects of accession
on Russia's political economy) [4]. Markovic in 2009
proposed suggestions for successful accession to the WTO.
He believed that the accession process can be divided into
several steps or stages; the successful fulfillment of the
conditions of one stage is the condition for movement to
the next [5].
In 2001 Oxley discussed critics opinions on the
WTO and its weaknesses for the purposes of protecting
the environment [6]. Bayramov in 2010 investigated the
impacts of Azerbaijan's accession to the WTO. He found
that there are more advantages than disadvantages of
Azerbaijan's accession [7].
On 19 July 1996 Iran officially submitted an application
to join the WTO. The request remained unconsidered
from July 1996 to May 2001 due to US veto power in the
WTO Council. Iran's membership was resumed in 2005.
Currently, Iran is a WTO observer member and its full
membership process has been initiated. During the time
left, it is necessary to provide codified strategies, which
are totally in compliance with environmental laws and
regulations. In this regard, this paper was conducted to
prepare an environmental management plan (EMP) for
Iran's accession to the WTO.