GP19-2

The Workshop is organized by the WTO Secretariat pursuant to the Secretariat's 2018-2019 Technical Assistance Plan (WT/COMTD/W/227/Rev.1), in co-operation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), for the benefit of participants from Arab and Middle East countries.

The theme of this Workshop is: "Government procurement as a tool of trade, governance and development: recent developments, relevance of the revised WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA), and policy considerations for Arab and Middle East 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. 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 and economic performance; (ii) to reflect on the importance of efficient government procurement processes to inclusive, sustainable development, including in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and explore the significance and relevance of the GPA in this respect; and (iii) to elaborate on the benefits and challenges associated with accession to and implementation of the Agreement and the procedures and modalities to be followed, in addition to related policy issues.