REPORT
(2017) OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1. This report covers the period since
the Committee's previous Annual Report[1], namely end-November 2016 through
mid-November 2017. It is issued pursuant to
Article XXI:3 of the Agreement as amended by the Protocol Amending the
Agreement on Government Procurement, done at Geneva on 30 March 2012
(the "revised Agreement" or "revised GPA") and Article XXIV:7(a)
of the 1994 Agreement on Government Procurement ("the 1994 Agreement"
or "the GPA 1994").[2]
This reflects the entry into force of the revised Agreement on 6 April
2014 and the fact that one Party continues to be bound only by the 1994
Agreement.[3]
1.2. The Committee has had an active and productive year. Since the date
of circulation of its last Annual Report (29 November 2016), it has held
three formal meetings in Geneva: on 23 February 2017; on 18 October
2017; and on 15 November 2017.[4]
The meetings were chaired by Mr John Newham (Ireland).[5]
The Committee has also held a series of informal meetings, also chaired by Mr Newham,
focusing on the implementation of the revised Agreement; accessions to the
Agreement; the Committee's agreed Work Programmes; and other matters, in the
weeks beginning 20 February 2017; 19 June 2017; and 16 October
2017, respectively.
1.3. Among other highlights, the Committee notes the progress achieved with
respect to work on accession to the Agreement by several WTO Members not
currently Parties to it.[6]
In addition, requests for observer status from Afghanistan and Brazil have been
received and approved by the Committee. Significant work was done with respect
to the Committee's agreed Work Programmes, notably those dealing with: (i) the
promotion of sustainability in Parties' procurement processes; (ii) the
collection and reporting of statistical data; and (iii) access to government
procurement activities by small and medium-sized enterprises.[7]
1.4. The following 47 WTO Members are now covered by the Agreement:
Armenia; Canada; the European Union, with its 28 member States (normally
counted as a single Party); Hong Kong, China; Iceland; Israel; Japan;
the Republic of Korea ("Korea"); Liechtenstein; the Republic of
Moldova; Montenegro; the Kingdom of the Netherlands with respect to Aruba; New
Zealand; Norway; Singapore; Switzerland (the GPA 1994 only); the Separate
Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu ("Chinese
Taipei"); Ukraine and the United States.
Thirty-one WTO Members have observer status in
the Committee on Government Procurement: Afghanistan, Albania, Argentina,
Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Georgia,
India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan,
the Kyrgyz Republic,
Malaysia, Mongolia, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, the Russian Federation, Saudi
Arabia, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, the former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, and Viet Nam. The observerships of Afghanistan and Brazil were approved, at their requests, during the
reporting
[1] GPA/141, dated 29 November 2016.
[2] The 1994 Agreement and the revised Agreement are hereafter referred
to together as the "Agreement on Government Procurement" or
"GPA" or "Agreement".
[3] See, for relevant details, Part 2 below.
[4] GPA/M/68, dated 11 May 2017; GPA/M/69, dated 7 November 2017; and
GPA/M/70, to be issued.
[5] At its formal meeting of 23 February 2017, the Committee re-elected
Mr Newham as Chairman for 2017 (GPA/M/68, dated 11 May 2017, paragraph 1.1.).
[6] See, for relevant details, Part 3 below.
[7] See, for relevant details, Part 4 below.