REPORT (2024) OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT

1  Introduction

1.  This Annual Report is issued pursuant to Article IV:8 of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization and Article XXI:3 of the Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) as amended by the Protocol Amending the Agreement on Government Procurement, done at Geneva on 30 March 2012 (the "Agreement" or the "GPA 2012").^[1],[2]

2.  This Report covers the period since the Committee's previous Annual Report (2023)^[3], i.e. from the beginning of December 2023 to the end of November 2024. Since the date of circulation of its previous Annual Report, the Committee held four formal meetings on 20 March 2024; 12 June 2024; 9 October 2024; and 27 November 2024 (the end-of-year meeting).^[4] Along with the formal meetings, the Committee also convened a series of informal meetings focussed on matters related to the administration, implementation, and operation of the Agreement; accessions to the Agreement; and the Committee's agreed Work Programmes. Both the formal and informal meetings were chaired by Mr Martin Zbinden (Switzerland).^[5]

3.  Significant progress was achieved during the reporting period across several key areas of the Committee's regular work. Among the highlights, GPA accessions negotiations continued apace, notably with Albania and Costa Rica making substantial strides towards becoming GPA Parties. In addition, Timor-Leste joined the Committee as an observer, less than a month after joining the WTO as a new Member.[6] Substantial efforts were made to advance the work on the Committee's agreed Work Programmes on (i) Sustainable Procurement, (ii) the Collection and Reporting of Statistical Data, and (iii) Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).^[7] In this context, and marking a major development, the Committee adopted a Report on Best Practices for Promoting and Facilitating the Participation of SMEs in Government Procurement (_GPA/CD/6). This constituted the first published result since the launch of the Work Programme on SMEs. In addition, the Committee noted the development of two catalogues covering green government procurement‑related provisions that certain Parties have (i) implemented in domestic laws and policies, and (ii) included in international instruments, with instructions to the Secretariat to publish the information that they contain on the WTO GPA website. Another systemically significant development was the approval by the Committee of a new and improved format for Appendices II‑IV to the GPA 2012. The new Appendices II to IV came into effect on 1 November 2024. The Committee also continued its initiative to organize information-sharing workshops by holding its second such event in March 2024. That workshop focused on digital advances that support trade and competition in government procurement. Finally, several Parties submitted timely notifications to the Committee. The Committee dedicated time to discussing some of these, thus underscoring the significance that it attaches to transparency.

4.  Another highlight unrelated to regular work was the Committee's celebration of the tenth anniversary of the entry into force of the GPA 2012. The delegations of Australia, the European Union, Switzerland and the United States, with the support of the Secretariat, organized an event that featured two panel discussions. The first panel reflected on the history of the GPA 1994 renegotiation and the creation of the GPA 2012, while the second explored its future trajectory.[8] The event was open to the public and live-streamed.[9]

5.  The following Sections of this Report deal with the work undertaken by the Committee during the reporting period, specifically on (i) matters related to the administration, implementation, and operation of the Agreement; (ii) accessions to the Agreement; (iii) the Committee's agreed Work Programmes; and (iv) notifications made pursuant to the Agreement.

6.  For a comprehensive overview of documents concerning the work of the Committee, please refer to the recently circulated systematic compilation by the Secretariat (_GPA/S/4/Rev.1).