“The WTO Dispute Settlement System as a Legal Impediment to Iran’s Accession on the WTO”

Key words: Iran, WTO accession, dispute settlement with Iran, multilateral agreement

Iran applied for the WTO accession in 1996, however it is not yet a member. There are several factors which have contributed to the prolongation of the accession process for Iran. Among which, an important legal impediment that originates from a conflict between Iran’s Constitution and the WTO dispute settlement system is addressed in this thesis. The suggested solutions in this dissertation could be helpful in addressing Iran’s participation in other multilateral/bilateral dispute settlement procedures. A detailed examination of Iran’s legal system and its domestic multilateral agreements adoption process rules are presented which would hopefully assist countries/organizations that are negotiating with Iran on international and regional issues.