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The WTO’s e-GPA Project

UN/CEFACT Forum on eProcurement. The WTO’s e-GPA Project. Enhancing the Transparency and Accessibility of GPA Market Access Information. by Kodjo Osei-Lah WTO Secretariat 8 April 2014. The Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA): an overview.

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The WTO’s e-GPA Project

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  1. UN/CEFACT Forum on eProcurement The WTO’s e-GPA Project Enhancing the Transparency and Accessibility of GPA Market Access Information by Kodjo Osei-Lah WTO Secretariat 8 April 2014

  2. The Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA): an overview • A plurilateral agreement within the WTO system • Establishes the rules governing trade in GPA covered procurement markets. • Currently covers 43 WTO Members • Part of the WTO system (and enforceable under the DSU) • Objectives comprise • Access to other GPA Parties’ covered procurement markets • Improved value for money in each participating Member’s procurements • Good governance (transparency, fair competition and an absence of corruption in Parties’ procurement markets) • Membership increasing over time • an additional 10 WTO Members in process of accession to the Agreement • Successful conclusion of renegotiation of Agreement • comprises both text and market access commitments of the Agreement • revised Agreement entered into force on: 6 April 2014

  3. WTO e-GPA portal: schematic illustration Coverage Parties’ Web Portals Integrated WTO Market Access Gateway Thresholds Statistics Modifications Notifications Simulations Publication Media www Accessions Negotiations National Legislation

  4. e-GPA: Objectives • Create an integrated database of GPA coverage data to serve as a market access information resource • for use by governments, businesses and other interested parties • Create a seamless online digital tool for notifications, statistical reports and related data in support of an enhanced information provision service • Better publicize the commercial opportunities available under the Agreement • thus foster interest in and accessions to the Agreement • Synergise with an integrated database of trade measures across the WTO (via i-TIP)

  5. e-GPA: Expected Benefits • Improved service to Members • enhanced transparency and accessibility of market access (MA) information • enhanced visibility of the size and extent of MA opportunities • efficient access to information on commercial opportunities • provide a rich resource for policy analysis, e.g. • accession to the Agreement; future negotiations; technical assistance • Improved productivity • foster a more efficient administration of the Agreement • synergy/linkage with horizontal, integrated database of trade measures across the WTO (via i-TIP)

  6. Project Components • Multi-modular approach, phased implementation • Phase I – development and implementation of • core, web-based application; core modules encompassing: • coverage (MA), thresholds, classification systems • commence work on modifications, statistics, notifications • Current state of play: well-advanced in Phase I • Future phases • further enhancements on phase I • development of more advanced functions • a simulations engine, to handle: accessions, negotiations • a management and control module

  7. Key deliverables & milestones • Phase I – Core application/Basic Functions: June 2014 • e-GPA portal pre-loaded with baseline GPA MA data, and with browse, search and basic reporting functions • Beta release version to GPA Parties for initial trials: May 2014 • Public release version: end June 2014 • Phase II – Enhancements: Dec 2014 • e-GPA portal with enhanced functions including • modules covering modifications, statistics, and notifications • digital submissions, enhanced reporting, more external linkages • Phase III – Advanced functions: TBD • e-GPA portal with advanced functions • advanced modules including simulations (for accessions/negs) • Web services, further enhanced reporting, analytics

  8. Implementation and related issues • State of play with implementation • core application developed, with core functions (basic browse/filter; database pre-loaded with baseline data) • sneak preview • commencing development of enhancements (Phase II) • Implementation challenges • ensuring smooth data interchange through • system to system communications • compatibility of data formats, e.g., with regard to statistics • linking to Parties’ related websites

  9. e-GPA: Linkages with UN/CEFACT work …linkages with UN/CEFACT work on e-procurement standards…?

  10. Thank you Kodjo OSEI-LAH WTO Secretariat (kodjo.osei-lah@wto.org)

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