COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY ORDER No 4
MANAGEMENT OF PROPERTY AND ASSETS OF THE IRAQI BAATH
PARTY
Pursuant to my authority as Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority
(CPA), relevant UN. Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 1483
(2003) and the laws and usages of war,
Acting in accordance with the Administrator's Order Number 1 of May, 16 2003
on the De-Baathification of Iraqi Society (CPA/ORD 16 May 2003/01),
Furthering CPA Order Number 2 on the Dissolution of Entities, (CPA/ORD/ 23
May 2003/02),
Recognising that the assets and property of the Iraqi Baath Party constitute State
assets, the Iraqi government having been a one party State under the rule of the
Baathists from the years 1968 to 2003,
Acting on behalf, and for the benefit, of the Iraqi people,
I hereby promulgate the following:
Section 1
Definition
"property and assets" includes all movable and immovable property,
records and data, cash, funds, realizable assets and liquid capital, in
whatever form maintained and wherever located, used, possessed, or
controlled by the Baath Party, its officials and members, and all residences
occupied by Baath officials or members assigned to them by the Party, a
member of the Baath Party or other State instrumentality and that were not
purchased for full value by those officials or members.
Section 2
Register of Property and Assets
1) All persons shall, on request by the CPA, provide all information within
their possession, control or knowledge concerning property and assets of
the Iraqi Baath Party, for the compilation of a Register of all such property
and assets.
CPA/ORD/ 25 May 2003/04

2) The Register will be maintained by the CPA.
Section 3
Securing of Property and Assets
1) All property and assets of the Iraqi Baath Party wherever existing and in
whatever form, including property and assets that have been transferred or
acquired by successor parties or institutions, are subject to seizure by the
CPA on behalf, and for the benefit of the people of Iraq.
2) All financial obligations of the Iraqi Baath Party are suspended. The
Administrator of the CPA will establish procedures whereby persons
claiming to be the beneficiaries of such obligations may apply for payment.
3) Persons in possession or control of property and assets of the Iraqi Baath
Party shall preserve those assets, promptly inform local Coalition
authorities, and immediately turn them over, as directed by those
authorities. Continued possession, transfer, sale, use, conversion, or
concealment of such assets following the date of this Order is prohibited
and may be punished.
4) The CPA will hold in trust and for the use and benefit of the people of Iraq
all the said property and assets of the Baath Party that have been seized in
accordance with this Order.
5) Any expenditure or use of the seized property and assets by the CPA will
be recorded and open to audit by outside auditors.
Section 4
Right of Appeal
1) A Confiscation Appeal Tribunal will be established to make determinations
on disputes arising in relation to seizure action taken pursuant to this Order.
2) Any person adversely affected by actions taken pursuant to this order may
appeal to the Confiscation Appeal Tribunal. The only grounds on which
such an appeal may be based will be that the property or assets were
purchased by the person for full value or that the property is not Baath
Party property or assets.
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CPA/ORD/ 25 May 2003/04

Section 5
Relationship to the Iraqi De-Baathification Council
The CPA may accept information provided to it by the Iraqi De-Baathification
Council concerning the existence, location and possession of the property and
assets of the Iraqi Baath Party including information obtained from the tracing of
property and assets to successor parties or institutions within Iraq.
Section 6
Penalty
The penalty for failing to provide information, or failing to hand over property and
assets, to the Coalition Provisional Authority as required by this Order, will be
imprisonment for up to 1 year or a fine of up to USD1,000, to be determined by an
appropriate authority.
Section 7
Entry into Force
This Order shall enter into force on the date of signature.
5/25103
Waldrend
L. Paul Bremer, Administrator
Coalition Provisional Authority
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CPA/ORD/ 25 May 2003/04