External Collaborator

International Labour Organization

ILO PROSPECTS in Iraq

1.1 Agriculture in Northern Iraq

years of conflict, water scarcity, and deteriorating infrastructure have

markets. Additionally, the sector faces severe decent work deficits, with many agricultural workers earning low wages under poor and often hazardous conditions, lacking the means to improve their livelihoods. With adequate support, agriculture has the potential to be a key driver of employment generation in Iraq. Job opportunities in the sector extend beyond on-farm

activities to include upstream (input supply and primary production), midstream (handling and processing), and downstream (distribution and marketing) segments.

Dohuk and Ninewa, where the ILO PROSPECTS project operates, account for

damage on the agricultural sector, leading to significant losses in productivity and income. This devastation has had lasting consequences on the livelihoods of farmers in these conflict-affected governorates, further exacerbating food security and economic stability challenges.

1.2 Status of the Cooperative Sector in Northern Iraq

In 2022, ILO PROSPECTS conducted an assessment to review the legal framework governing cooperatives, existing cooperative structures, and the role of public and private support organizations in the cooperative ecosystem. The assessment highlighted that there is no cooperative law in KRI as it was abolished in 2001, while cooperative laws in Federal Iraq require modernization to align with internationally accepted principles, such as those outlined in ILO Recommendation 193. Additionally, few cooperatives operate sustainably and independently of the state, with most struggling to provide meaningful economic benefits to their members. Most formal agricultural cooperatives in Dohuk and Ninewa are geographically structured rather than value chain-based, limiting their effectiveness. Exceptions include three groups focused on beekeeping, fisheries, and poultry, which function more as

-existing cooperatives disrupted by conflict, require support to re-establish as legal cooperatives. Weak private sector engagement further constrains cooperative integration into commercial value chains, underscoring the need for legal reforms, capacity-building, and stronger market linkages.

1.3 Training and Assessment of Potential Cooperatives

In 2023, to address these gaps, ILO implemented the Think.COOP and Start.COOP training programs, introducing cooperative concepts and business planning methodologies to farmers and cooperatives. Following this training, ILO conducted a targeted assessment of six cooperatives and

partnership, and capacity-building support through regional consultant. The findings revealed significant challenges, including weak adherence to cooperative principles, a lack of institutional support, and limited market integration. The assessment confirmed the need to build cooperative structures from the ground up while strengthening the broader cooperative ecosystem to ensure sustainability and impact.

Through this assessment process, a nascent Social and Solidarity Economy

leading cooperative and agricultural development efforts. This independent entity, established in 2023, focuse

improving agricultural production quality and income, and supporting cooperative formation in specific value chains. Awder is signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Agriculture in KRI to ensure close coordination and activation of joint committee to support Awder

cooperative movement and agricultural sector in Iraq specifically in KRI.

Following the governance capacity building workshop, which was held in Feb 2025, ILO through a regional cooperatives expert supported AWDER to develop a 5-year strategy including mission, vision of the SSE entity, and strategic objectives, as well as a 2-year operational plan for the development of the agriculture sector and cooperatives.

As a result, ILO will be signing an implementation agreement with Awder to fulfil its action plan for the coming two years. This newly established SSE entity requires technical coaching and strategic guidance to support its board and management. Engaging s

capacity to lead the cooperative movement and facilitate the formation of cooperatives within targeted value chains in the areas of project intervention across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) and Ninawa.

To ensure high-quality execution and sustainable results, ILO is seeking to engage a cooperative expert to provide tailored coaching and advisory supports for the SSE.

The objective of this assignment is to contract a regional cooperative expert to provide technical

and cooperative ecosystem development in the Northern Region of Iraq (including the Kurdistan

(SSE) tools as well as providing strategic guidance to the board, senior management and key staff of the SSE.

The cooperative expert will be responsible for the following tasks: A-

and procedures in alignment with the principles of the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) and support in designing a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system to ensure effective tracking and documentation of all activities within the SSE while training staff on them.

B- Coach AWDER staff namely agriculture field agronomists and certified national trainers in delivering training sessions in selected value chains (based on simple value chain analysis) and mobilizing at least 600 farmers including forcibly displaced persons (FDPs and women to establish 5 agricultural cooperatives and hands on guidance in the realization of business plans. This includes previously developed 2 cooperatives and the three newly planned coops.

C- Provide technical support in drafting a policy paper on the current status and development of the cooperative sector in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and facilitate policy dialogue with relevant stakeholders, while revising the developed 2-year operational work plan of Awder by end of first year, ensuring that it encompasses a sustainability plan.

Facilitate and provide technical

governance structure, internal policies, and procedures in alignment with the principles of the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) and support in designing a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system to ensure effective tracking and documentation of all activities within the SSE and train SSE team on them Provide technical inputs and procedures, and job descriptions ensuring alignment with SSE principles and best practices in cooperative development.