Issues covered by the WTO’s committees and agreements

GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT: SYMPOSIUM — GENEVA 22 FEBRUARY 2017

Symposium on sustainable procurement

Work programme on sustainable procurement of the committee on government procurement(1)
Centre William Rappard (WTO Headquarters), Room W
Geneva, 22 February 2017

Programme

Day 1, Wednesday, 22 February 2017, Morning

08.30 Registration and security procedures

09.00 Official Opening of the Symposium

Time Subject Speaker

09.00 – 09.10

Keynote remarks
Speech

Mr Xiaozhun Yi,
Deputy Director-General, WTO

SESSION 1: What is sustainable procurement and what are its main objectives?

Chair: Ms Nadine Nickner, Deputy Director, Government Procurement, Trade and Environment Division, Global Affairs Canada

Time Subject Speaker
09.10 – 09.30 1.1     Approaches to sustainable procurement: objectives, illustrative practices and emerging trends – a European perspective Mr Marc Hidson,
Director of ICLEI Europe - Local Governments for Sustainability
Presentation
09.30 – 09.50 1.2    Sustainable public procurement (SPP): objectives, illustrative practices and emerging trends, drawing on the SPP work of UNEP and on the 2016 Global SPP Review Mr Farid Yaker, Programme Officer,
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Presentation
09.50 – 10.10 1.3     SPP in the work of the World Bank: objectives and emerging perspectives (taped video presentation) Mr Christopher Browne, Chief Procurement Officer, World Bank
Video
10.10 – 10.40 1.4    General discussion

10.40 — 11.00 Break

SESSION 2: What are the key practices of sustainable procurement and how can sustainability be incorporated into the different stages of procurement?

Chair: Mr John Newham, Chairman, WTO Committee on Government Procurement

Time Subject Speaker
11.00 - 11.20 2.1     Key sustainable procurement practices at the domestic level - a practitioner's view Mr Paul Eggimann,
Head of the Specialist Group on Sustainable Construction in the Coordination Group for Construction and Property Services (KBOB), Switzerland
Presentation
11.20 - 11.40 2.2    Key sustainable procurement practices at the domestic level – case studies from the United States (taped video presentation) Mr Jason Pearson, Executive Director,
US Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council
Video
11.40 - 12.00 2.3     Procurement strategy: the importance of people in a people, planet, profit approach to sustainable government procurement Ms Sandra Hamilton,
Social Procurement Advisor & Canada's First Social MBA
Presentation
12.00 - 12.20 2.4    OECD work relating to sustainable procurement practices Mr János Bertok
Head of Division, Public Sector Integrity, Public Governance and Territorial Development Directorate,
OECD Secretariat
Presentation
12.20 - 13.00 2.5 General discussion

13.00 — 14.30 Lunch break

Day 1, Wednesday, 22 February 2017, Afternoon

SESSION 3: How are sustainability measures in procurement processes practiced in a manner consistent with both the principle of "best-value for money" and international trade obligations?

Chair:Mr Robert Anderson, WTO Secretariat

Time Subject Speaker
14.30 - 14.50 3.1     SPP, best value for money and international trade obligations: the GPA as a model agreement Judge Marc Steiner,
Swiss Federal Administrative Court
Presentation
14.50 – 15.10 3.2    SPP practices – consistency with the principle of "best value for money": national perspectives/experiences Ms Lidia Capparelli,
Consip (the central purchasing body of Italy)
Presentation
15.10 – 15.30 3.3     SPP practices – consistency with the Parties' international trade obligations: a perspective from Canada Mr David LePage,
Principal, Accelerating Social Impact (ASI CCC),
Canada
Presentation
15.30 - 16.00 3.4 General discussion
16.00 Closing of the Symposium
16.30 – 17.30 Small-group meeting (GPA Parties only; for information, please consult the delegation of Canada)
17.30 – 19.30 Reception in the Gallery reception area located in the WTO's new building, on level T (jointly hosted by the delegations of Canada, the European Union and the United States in co-operation with the WTO Secretariat)

 


Notes:

  1. This Symposium has been organised by the WTO Secretariat at the request of the Committee on Government Procurement, for the benefit of GPA Parties and Observers, in furtherance of the Committee's agreed Work Programme on Sustainable Procurement (see GPA/113, Annex E of Appendix 2, p. 444). All views expressed during the proceedings are the personal responsibility of the individual speakers, and are strictly without prejudice to the views, interests or positions of WTO Members and Observers. Back to text