The overall objective of the project is to strengthen the trade policy of the Government of Azerbaijan and to provide support in its ongoing WTO accession negotiations.
More specifically, the purposes of this contract are:
• P1: To support the Government of Azerbaijan in the improvement of the trade related legislation and its compliance with WTO rules and the best international practices;
• P2: To assist the Government of Azerbaijan in operating the Trade Remedies Unit, namely to assist a specific department of the State Service for Antimonopoly Policy and Consumer Rights Protection (SSAPCRP) which assumed the responsibilities on trade remedies;
• P3: To provide assistance to the negotiating team of the Republic of Azerbaijan in their WTO accession negotiations on both multilateral and bilateral levels, including all stages of preparatory work and coordination with line ministries;
• P4: To strengthen the institutional capacity of the Trade Policy and WTO Department of the Ministry of Economy, in particular in preparation for the WTO accession negotiations; and
• P5: To raise the public awareness of WTO and trade related issues.

The project is structured around 5 components:
Component 1: Support to the Government of Azerbaijan in the improvement of the trade related legislation and its compliance with WTO rules and the best international practices
• 1.1: Adapt Azerbaijan trade related legislation to WTO requirements, as well as improve the legislation regulating domestic trade/commerce
• 1.2: Prepare trade needs assessment, including the support for the establishment and work of the Trade Needs Assessment Working Group.

Component 2: Assistance to the Government of Azerbaijan (ME) in the fields of trade remedies
• 2.1: Provide advice on the set up and operationalisation (including organisational structure and the administrative process) of the Trade Remedies Unit
• 2.2: Assist the SSAPCRP/ME in preparing implementing legislation
• 2.3: Develop the model documents necessary for the Unit’s operation, including but not limited to preparation of manuals, applications, questionnaires, calculation methods
• 2.4: Support the elaboration of an online web-portal or web-page on trade defence and support IT tools
• 2.5: Design and deliver trainings for civil servants who will be working in the unit on implementation of trade remedies
• 2.6: Organise trainings/public events for economic operators/business people on trade remedies and the use thereof
• 2.7: Provide ad hoc assistance to the Trade Remedies Unit

Component 3: Provision of assistance to the negotiating team of the Republic of Azerbaijan in their WTO accession negotiations on both multilateral and bilateral levels, including all stages of preparatory work and coordination with line ministries
• 3.1: Assist and provide support work – including translation – to the WTO negotiating team in answering the questions of the Working Party members
• 3.2: Provide support for development of a strategy for the negotiation on market access for goods and services as may be necessary
• 3.3: Revise laws/regulations for WTO compliance and draft amendments deemed necessary to achieve WTO compliance
• 3.4: Provide the line ministries and other agencies with necessary support related to the requirements of the WTO Agreements and best international practices
• 3.5: Provide on-site assistance during the accession negotiations (WP and other meetings) in the WTO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland

Component 4: Strengthening of the institutional capacity of the Trade Policy and WTO Department of the Ministry of Economy and other relevant line ministries
• 4.1: Provide operational and capacity building support to the department of WTO and Trade Policy, of the Ministry of Economy and to other line ministries for active participation in WTO negotiations and trade related activities
Component 5: Public awareness raising of WTO and trade related issues
• 5.1: Prepare and implement the communication and awareness raising strategy
• 5.2: Organise WTO related public events
• 5.3: Translate relevant documents (legal acts and accession documents) from English into Azerbaijani and vice versa as well as provide interpretation services during WTO related negotiations and make WTO documentation available to general audience.