WTO/IADB-INTAL ADVANCED REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT FOR LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA JULY 2014

Transcription

1 WTO/IADB-INTAL ADVANCED REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT FOR LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA JULY 2014 PROGRAMME (DRAFT) This Workshop is organized by the in co-operation with the Inter- American Development Bank (IADB/INTAL) for the benefit of the countries of Latin America. The theme of the Workshop is: Government procurement and international trade disciplines: relevant WTO activities, regional developments, and policy considerations for Latin American countries. The purpose of the Workshop is to provide a forum for both trade and procurement experts to exchange information on national, bilateral, regional and multilateral trade-related activities and initiatives in the area of government procurement, and to facilitate policy development in relation to international cooperation in this area. The main objectives of the programme are: (i) to familiarize participants with WTO activities related to government procurement, notably as they relate to trade, governance, economic performance and development; (ii) to elaborate the content of, and the benefits and challenges of accession to, the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA); and (iii) to explore the interaction between GPA disciplines and bilateral/regional trade agreements in the Latin America region. The programme will follow an interactive approach emphasizing embedded breakout sessions on topical issues, networking, and the exchange of information and sharing of experiences, in addition to lectures and presentations. Specific new topics to be covered include: (i) government procurement as a dimension of public health delivery and programming; and (ii) government procurement regimes and corruption control. The Workshop will be presented in English with simultaneous interpretation into Spanish. It is anticipated that participants from the following countries will attend the Workshop: Argentina (Host); Bolivia; Brazil; Chile; Colombia; Costa Rica; Cuba; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; El Salvador; Guatemala; Honduras; México; Nicaragua; Panamá; Paraguay; Perú; Uruguay and Venezuela. In each case, the official(s) nominated should be from the Ministry of Commerce or International Trade, the national procurement service, Ministry of Finance or other Ministry with policy responsibility in this area. Participants should come to the workshop prepared to share information and perspectives on pertinent developments in their respective countries and/or at the regional level. 1

2 PROGRAMME (DRAFT) Day 1, Tuesday, 29 July 2014, a.m. 08:30 REGISTRATION SESSION 1: Opening 09:00 09: Opening Remarks TBA, Argentina TBA, IADB/INTAL 09:20 09:45 Participant introductions SESSION 2: Significance of government procurement for trade, development and economic performance 09:45 10: Developmental and trade significance of government procurement: competition, governance, value for money and the international dimension 10:15 10: General discussion 10:30 11:00 Coffee break SESSION 3: The GPA: global context, entry into force of the revised Agreement and potential market access benefits for acceding members 11:00 11: The GPA in a changing global context: core disciplines, entry into force of the revised Agreement and policy considerations for Latin American economies 11:30 12: The GPA: potential market access benefits for acceding members Mr Jianning Chen 12:00 12: General discussion 12:30 14:00 Lunch break 2

3 Day 1, Tuesday, 29 July 2014, p.m. SESSION 4a: National and regional experiences and practices 14:00 14: Government procurement in regional trade agreements: results from empirical analysis, latest developments and implications for the GPA Mr Philippe Pelletier 14:30 15: Recent developments regarding regional and bilateral trade agreements involving Latin American countries TBA, IADB/INTAL 15:00 15: General discussion 15:30 16:00 Coffee break SESSION 4b: National and regional experiences and practices, contd Government procurement in Argentina: legal framework, recent developments, experiences and lessons Breakout session: National experiences, practices and policy perspectives (to be conducted in small groups) 4.6 General discussion TBA, Argentina Participants, with direction from: Mr. Philippe Pelletier and Mr. Jianning Chen, Day 2, Wednesday, 30 July 2014, a.m. SESSION 5: The revised GPA: relevant developments in the text and coverage of the Agreement 09:00 09: Walk through of the revised text of the GPA: key revisions, new elements and flexibilities for Parties and acceding members 09:30 10: Scope and coverage of the GPA: key developments under the revised GPA and demonstration of the e-gpa online market access information tool Mr Philippe Pelletier 10:00 10: General discussion 10:30 11:00 Coffee break 3

4 SESSION 6a: Institutional issues: domestic review procedures and WTO dispute settlement 11:00 11: Designing a domestic review system that is both GPA-compliant and effective for domestic policy purposes 11:30 12: WTO dispute settlement and the GPA: reflections on the value of international rules in this area 12:00 12: General discussion 12:30 14:00 Lunch break Day 2, Wednesday, 30 July 2014, p.m. SESSION 6b: Institutional issues: transparency mechanisms 14:00 14: Boosting the performance of national procurement systems through transparency mechanisms: GPA requirements and international best practices 14:30 15: Status of national legislation/institutions vis-àvis GPA requirements breakout session 15:30 16:00 In session coffee service Participants with introduction by Mr. Robert Anderson 16:00 16: Breakout session reporting and general discussion SESSION 7: A sectoral dimension: government procurement and public health 16:30-17: Access to health and medical technologies: issues relating to competition policy and government procurement Mr Philippe Pelletier 7.2 General discussion 4

5 Day 3, Thursday, 31 July 2014, a.m. SESSION 8: Accession to the GPA: modalities, transitional measures, benefits and challenges 09:00 09: Prospects for GPA membership expansion: recent developments and relevant procedures, including the availability of special and differential treatment for developing countries 09:30 10: The Agreed Work Programmes of the GPA Committee: significance to ongoing adaptation of the GPA to 21 st century issues and relevance for developing countries Mr Jianning Chen 10:00 10: General discussion 10:30 11:00 Coffee break SESSION 9: Government procurement in a changing global economic environment: convergence in international disciplines and policy considerations for Latin American countries 11:00-11: Convergence in international disciplines and the regional integration agenda: policy considerations for Latin American countries TBA, IADB/INTAL 11:30-12: Government procurement and corruption control: lessons from international experience 12:00-12: General discussion 12: Lunch break Day 3, Thursday, 31 July 2014, p.m. SESSION 10: The necessity of competition rules as an adjunct to public procurement reforms Measures to prevent collusive tendering: an important adjunct to a liberalized government procurement regime 10.2 General discussion 5

6 SESSION 11: Breakout session: Review and reflection Small-group work to review and reflect on what has been learned and consider possible policy and related implications breakout session Participants, with introduction by 11.2 Practical exercise: reporting and general discussion Participants SESSION 12: Concluding session 15: Summary by Workshop Rapporteur 12.2 Plenary evaluative comments Participants Concluding remarks TBA IADB/INTAL Close TBA Argentina Closing Coffee 6