The purpose of the workshop is to share perspectives and build participants' skill-set on current issues concerning the interface of government procurement, trade, development and good governance. Participants will be able to familiarize themselves with recent developments concerning the GPA 2012 and the WTO Committee on Government Procurement, and the synergies and complementarities between the GPA 2012 and other international instruments and regional trade agreements.

Also under consideration will be among other things, sustainable procurement, the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises in public procurement markets, e-procurement, and the role of government procurement in achieving public health outcomes. Furthermore, the Workshop will provide an opportunity to reflect upon the potential benefits, challenges and modalities of accession to, and participation in, the GPA 2012, and the flexibilities available to developing countries seeking accession. The list of parties and observers to the Agreement can be found here.

The programme will consist of various modules, comprising a mix of mandatory and recommended pre-recorded presentations by the WTO Secretariat and other international experts, and live sessions. Further information is available in the draft programme.

The e-Workshop will be held in the three official languages of the WTO, English, French and Spanish. The sessions will be conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation of live webinars, subtitling of pre-recorded sessions and translation of key learning materials.

Who should apply?

The workshop is aimed at government officials from WTO members and observers (developing and least-developed economies only) with direct policy responsibility or a demonstrated background in trade or government procurement policy matters, and who are expected to continue working or being assigned responsibilities in these fields. Candidates should also have an excellent knowledge of one of the working languages of the workshop.

How to apply?

WTO members and observers eligible to benefit from WTO training activities are invited to nominate government officials by 26 March 2023.

Details on how to apply are available here.  

The GPA 2012 is a plurilateral WTO Agreement, meaning that not all WTO members are parties to it. While it is open to all WTO members, the GPA 2012 is binding only for those members that have joined it. The Agreement aims to open up government procurement markets to foreign competition in a reciprocal manner and to the extent agreed between GPA parties. It also aims to make government procurement more transparent and to promote good governance.

More information about the GPA 2012 can be found here.