Talks kick off for Timor-Leste's accession to government procurement pact
At a meeting of the Committee on Government Procurement on 14 October, parties to the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) 2012 welcomed Timor-Leste's submission of key documents required to kick off its negotiations on acceding…
This note has been prepared by the WTO Secretariat to assist public understanding about the work of the WTO's councils, committees and other bodies. It is not intended as a complete account of all issues raised at the meeting. These can be found in the formal meeting minutes.
Prior to the Committee meeting, Timor-Leste submitted its initial market access offer and a document compiling information about its government procurement system. Timor-Leste, which joined the WTO in 2024, is the first least developed country member to have launched the process to join the GPA 2012.
The Committee also discussed the accession process of Albania, China, Costa Rica and the Kyrgyz Republic. It received an update from Mongolia in connection with its GPA accession commitment.
The United States and the European Union raised concerns regarding procurement restrictions introduced by Canada at the federal level and their potential implication for Canada's implementation of the GPA 2012. Other parties that took the floor on this issue were Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Chinese Taipei and the United Kingdom.
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