The WTO GPA:

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• The WTO GPA
• Global Context, Potential Benefits,
• Opportunities Challenges
• Nicholas C. NiggliHead of Economic, Finance,
  Science Innovation Section Embassy of
  Switzerland in the United KingdomChairman,
  Association of Economic Representatives in London
  (AERL)Chairman, WTO Government Procurement
  Agreement (2007-2012)
• EBRD, London EC2A 2JN, 09 December 2014
• The views expressed in this presentation are
  exclusively those of the author and may not be
  attributed to the WTO, the Swiss Confederation
  or the AERL

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• Outline
• The State as economic actor Far-reaching
  economic, fiscal and governance-related
  implications.
• The WTO GPA Benefits and opportunities arising
  from this Swiss army knife arrangement.
• The WTO GPA How to overcome the challenges and
  be amongst tomorrows winners?
• Concluding thoughts

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• 1
• The State as economic actor
• Far-reaching economic, fiscal and
• governance-related implications.

4

• The State A mighty economic player
• Lots of goods, services and intellectual property
  to buy / infrastructure to construct to function
  provide the best possible public services
• Historically, few constraints, little competition
  non-transparent markets
• High quality low price the indispensable
  mantra in a time of fiscal tightening and growing
  transparency

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• Globalization The Four Is cant be ignored!
• Integration
• Interdependency
• IT innovations
• Inequality

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• How to improve government efficiency and
• fiscal latitude while also stimulating growth
• and promoting good governance?
• Sound management of Government Procurement
• helps States to
• Better utilize their (often scarce) resources
• Increase their political, economic and fiscal
  options
• Tighten their belts to reduce their debt/GDP ratio

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• 2
• The WTO GPA
• Benefits and opportunities arising
• from this Swiss army knife arrangement.

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• The GPA? A historical perspective
• An instrument originally developed by the OECD
• Introduced into the GATT as Tokyo Round Code on
  GP in 1979 and revised in 1987
• Signature of the first GPA in 1994
• Revision of the GPA agreed to in 2012 and entered
  into force in 2014 (12 years negotiations)

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• The 2012 GPA Multiple dimensions and benefits
  (I)
• Rules
• - Transparency, predictability,
  non-discrimination, legal certainty
• - Policy space / development considerations
  tailor-made approach
• - Enhanced transitional measures for developing
  countries
• - Help provide harmonised procurement regime
  across region
• - Locks in reforms while supporting regional
  integration efforts
• Trade Market Access
• - States spend about 15-20 of GDP on
  Procurement
• - 15 (soon 17) Parties, 43 (soon 45) WTO
  Members, 28 Observers.
• - Reciprocal access to 1.7 trillion GPA
  covered procurement market guarantees
  opening towards key economic partners

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• The 2012 GPA Multiple dimensions and benefits
  (II)
• Governance instrument
• - International good governance stamp of
  approval
• - Foster inward investment through many channels
• - Facilitates global value chain integration
• Further benefits and opportunities
• - The lessons from WTO Accession DSB
  protection
• - Sense of history Capital Investment is
  moving fast
• - First movers amongst ECs, DCs and LDCs will
  likely get extra political credit

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• 3
• The WTO GPA
• How to overcome the challenges
• and be amongst tomorrows winners?

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• Acceding to the GPA - Potential challenges
• Costs of accession
• Implementation
• Adjustment
• Barriers might be less high than one thinks!
  Autonomous reforms as well as FTAs or RTAs
  might already pave the way to the GPA

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• 4
• Concluding thoughts
• Good governance, the GPA,
• public infrastructure provision,
• trade and development

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• Thank you very much for your attention!
• Nicholas C. NiggliHead of Economic, Finance,
  Science Innovation Section Embassy of
  Switzerland in the United KingdomChairman,
  Association of Economic Representatives in London
  (AERL)Chairman, WTO Government Procurement
  Agreement (2007-2012)
• The views expressed in this presentation are
  exclusively those of the author and may not be
  attributed to the WTO, the Swiss Confederation
  or the AERL