Government Procurement Committee adopts decision to enhance transparency of its work

The decision, which has been worked on for several years, "marks a step change in how the Committee operates when it comes to transparency and how it engages with and reaches out to stakeholders," Committee Chair Martin Zbinden observed.

Building on previous Committee decisions on derestricting historical Committee documents, the Committee has agreed to broaden the scope of materials that will in future be made available to members not participating in the Committee as GPA parties or observers as well as to the general public. 

Under the new decision, a wider range of documents will be either immediately unrestricted or automatically derestricted after a defined period. This includes annotated meeting agendas and written summaries of informal sessions. The Committee's informal sessions provide valuable insights into its deliberative processes, including those taking place in dedicated work programmes, such as on sustainable procurement.

This decision on enhancing transparency augments the WTO's broader efforts to improve institutional effectiveness through practical reform. The decision underscores the Committee's continued commitment to improving its functioning through a "reform by doing" approach.