Description
This Workshop will address policy-related issues on government procurement both generally and as they relate to trade. Its purpose is to inform participants of WTO activities in this area as well as to provide a forum for both trade and procurement experts to exchange information on national, bilateral, regional and multilateral trade-related activities and initiatives in the area of government procurement. Particular attention will be given to the revised Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA), which entered into force in April 2014. The theme of the Workshop is: "Government procurement and international trade disciplines: relevant WTO activities, regional developments, and policy considerations for Latin American countries". Participants will consider the multiple dimensions of government procurement policy in a modern economy, and the issues and challenges associated with effective policy coordination in this area. In this regard, due attention will be given to the interaction between three key areas of policy: value for money, trade and governance. The tensions and complementarities arising from these and other dimensions of government procurement policy, such as social and environmental concerns, will also be touched upon. The Workshop will further address issues, challenges, and related flexibilities pertaining to the participation of developing countries in trade agreements with a government procurement dimension. Consideration will be given to the potential role that the GPA can play as a unified international legal framework that facilitates the achievement of balanced and optimal outcomes with respect to trade, governance and value for money. Relevant activities and initiatives in the region and beyond will also be covered.