WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONGPA/W/188
25 April 2002
(02-2378)
Committee on Government Procurement Original:  English
REQUEST FOR OBSERVER STATUS
The following communication, dated 15 April 2002, has been received from the Secretariat of
the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
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I have pleasure in reiterating that UNCTAD lends its full support to the work carried out
within the Committee on Government Procurement (1994 Agreement) and in particular to the WTO
Working Group on Transparency in Government Procurement, in which UNCTAD has had observer
status practically from its inception.
As regards the Committee on Government Procurement, we have considered up to now that,
in view of limited participation of the developing  countries, an application by UNCTAD for observer
status in that Committee was not necessary.  This s ituation is now rapidly changing in view of the
increasing number of new WTO Members (developing countries and economies in transition) that
have requested observer status in the Committee and have shown interest in becoming Parties of the
Agreement on Government Procurement.
UNCTAD's involvement in this area stems from the importance of government procurement
in the trade of developing countries, as shown by the technical work undertaken by UNCTAD in the
framework of the "positive agenda" during the preparation for the Third Ministerial Conference on the
Least Developed Countries.  UNCTAD's work in the area of government procurement aims at
improving the capacity of developing countries and countries in transition to make the appropriate
policy choices, and promoting understanding of the related and emerging issues.
In the light of the above considerations, I should be grateful if the Committee on Government
Procurement could consider granting observer status to UNCTAD.
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