./.RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/WGTGP/M/5
31 July 1998
(98-3044)
Working Group on Transparency in Government Procurement
REPORT ON THE MEETING OF 22 JUNE 1998
Note by the Secretariat
1. The Working Group on Transparency in Government Procurement held its fifth meeting on
22 June 1998 under the Chairmanship of Ambassador Werner Corrales Leal (Venezuela).
A. TRANSPARENCY-RELATED PROVISIONS IN EXISTING INTERNATIONAL
INSTRUMENTS ON GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT AND NATIONAL
PROCEDURES AND PRACTICES
2. For its consideration of this agenda item, the Working Group had before it an informal note
by the Chair, entitled "List of Issues Raised and Po ints Made", listing the issues that had been raised,
together with the points made on these issues, under each of the items that were discussed by the
Group at its meetings of 3-4 November 1997 and 19-20 February 1998 (Job No. 1860).
3. The representatives of Morocco and Slovenia  summarized the main points of new
submissions containing factual information on their national procedures and practices
(WT/WGTGP/W/19 and Job. No 3387).
4. The following representatives introduced written contributions:  the European Community
and Norway addressing the issue of ensuring that transparency in procurement policies and practices
is achieved (WT/WGTGP/W/17 and Job No. 3245);  the representative of Switzerland on minimal
requirements for relevant information to be published in tender notices (Job No. 3436);  the
representative of Venezuela on particular characteristics of government procurement, privatization
and concession-granting systems (Job No. 3295);  and the representative of the European Community
on technical assistance (WT/WGTGP/ W/18).
5. The Working Group pursued its detailed discussion, taking up in turn the subject of each
section of the informal note "List of Issues Raised and Points Made".
6. During the discussion, the representative of Mexico suggested that delegations might provide
contributions showing their experience in respect of the treatment of concessions and the maintenance
of record of procurement proceedings.
7. With regard to the item on technical cooperation, the Working Group agreed to request the
Secretariat to prepare a background paper containing information on the technical cooperation
programmes of international and regional intergovernmental organizations in the area of government
procurement, so as to enable the Group to have as complete a picture as possible of the availability oftechnical assistance in this field.
8. Following informal consultations,  the Group agreed that the work at the next meeting under
this agenda item would be carried forward in the fo llowing way:  (i) the informal note on the list of
issues raised and points made would be revised to reflect the discussion at the present meeting and theWT/WGTGP/M/5
Page 2
written submissions made by various delegations on these issues1;  (ii) delegations would submit
written contributions on specific issues as a basis for more focused discussion of the items under
consideration in the Group by early September;  (iii) the Secretariat would prepare an informal factual
note reflecting the written and oral proposals made under items III to VI of the "List of Issues Raised
and Points Made"2, indicating where both common ground and differences existed.3
B. REQUESTS FOR OBSERVER STATUS FROM INTERGOVERNMENTAL
ORGANIZATIONS
9. In response to a request by UNCTAD, the Work ing Group agreed to grant observer status to
UNCTAD, on the basis of reciprocity with respect to access to proceedings, documents and other
aspects of observership.  It  agreed to revert to the requests from other intergovernmental organizations
(OECD, SELA and OIC) in the light of the consul tations that were currently being held by the
Chairman of the General Council on this matter.
C. NEXT MEETING
10. The Working Group agreed to hold its third meeting in 1998 on 8 and 9 October.
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1 To be circulated shortly.
2 Items III to VII following the insertion of item V on "time periods" in the latest version of the "List of
Issues Raised and Points Made"
3 This decision, initially accepted on an ad referendum basis, was subsequently adopted since no
objections were communicated to the Secretariat by dele gations within the deadline of one week agreed by the
Working Group for any such objections.