./.RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/WGTGP/M/6
13 November 1998
(98-4489)
Working Group on Transparency
in Government Procurement
REPORT ON THE MEETING OF 8-9 OCTOBER 1998
Note by the Secretariat
1. The Working Group on Transparency in Government Procurement held its sixth meeting on
8-9 October 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 discussion of this item, the Working Group had before it the informal note by the
Chair, entitled "List of Issues Raised and Points 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, 19-20 February and 22 June 1998 (Job No. 4281) and
an informal factual note by the Secretariat, prepared in response to a request at the Group's June
meeting, reflecting the written and oral proposals made under these sections (Job No. 4695).  On thelatter document, some delegations expressed a concern that the use of square brackets in the document
made it have an appearance similar to that of a negotiating document.  It was also said that it would
have been preferable if the sources of the proposals presented had been indicated in detail.  Some
other delegations were of the view that the note by the Secretariat was a mere distillation of the
proposals made and consistent with the mandate given to it.  After discussion, the Working Group
agreed that it would take up the issues before it on the basis of the "List of Issues Raised and Points
Made" and that, in the discussion of Sections III-VIII of that note, delegations so wishing would befree to refer to the "List of Proposals on Items III-VII of the Checklist".
3. The Group took up, in turn, each of the sections in the note "List of the Issues Raised and
Points Made".  Points made will be reflected in a revision of this document and also in a revised
version of the "List of Proposals on Items III-VII of the Checklist".
4. With regard to Section XII on Technical Cooperation and Special and Differential Treatment
of Developing Countries, the Group had before it the communications received from UNCITRAL,
OECD, the Asian Development Bank, the Africa n Development Bank, IMF, APEC Government
Procurement Experts Group, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, ITC and
UNDP, circulated in documents WT/WGTGP/W/20 and Addenda 1 to 7, which had been circulated in
response to a request by the Group to the Secretariat to provide information on the availability oftechnical cooperation programmes in the area of government procurement.
5. The representative of Turkey introduced a written contribution on his country's national
procedures and practices (document WT/WGTGP/W/21).WT/WGTGP/M/6
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6. Following an exchange of views regarding the work at the next meeting under this agenda
item, the Group agreed that:  (i) it would revert to the issues contained in the "List of Issues Raised
and Points Made", using this note as the basis for its discussions;  and (ii) as an auxiliary informalpaper for the use of Members wanting to draw on it, delegations would also have available to them a
revision of the informal note reflecting the proposals made on items III-VII in a succinct form, whichwould identify the source of the different proposals and summarize the comments at the present
meeting on these proposals.
B. OBSERVER STATUS OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
7. The Working Group agreed to revert to the requests from other intergovernmental
organizations (OECD, SELA and OIC) in the light of  the consultations that were currently being held
by the Chairman of the General Council on this matter.
C. REPORT TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL8. The Working Group adopted its report for 1998 to the General Council which was
subsequently circulated in document WT/WGTGP/2.
D. MEETINGS IN 1999
9. The Working Group agreed to hold three meetin gs in 1999 and that the first two of these
would be held on 24-25 February and 28-29 June 1999.  Informal meetings would also be held as
necessary.
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