GPA/122  
 
3 December 2013  
(13-6608)  Page: 1/1  
Committee on Government Procurement   
 
MINISTERIAL-LEVEL MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT 
(3 DECEMBER 2013, AT BALI, INDONESIA) 
DECLARATION 
1.  We, the Parties to the WTO Agreement on  Government Procurement ("the Agreement"), 
meeting at Ministerial level at Bali, note with satisfaction that already seven instruments of acceptance have been deposited regarding the Protocol Amending the Agreement on Government 
Procurement ("the Protocol"), adopted at Geneva  on 30 March 2012. On the basis of these and 
other instruments of acceptance that are expected to be deposited in the near future, we declare our shared objective of bringing the revised Agreem ent into force, pursuant to paragraph 3 of the 
Protocol, as soon as possible, and in any event not later than 31 March 2014. We undertake to do 
our utmost to facilitate this outcome, bearing in mind the requirements of our respective domestic 
processes. 
2.  The entry into force of the revised Agreement recognizes the crucial importance of government 
procurement as a dimension of economic activity, and its significance for world trade, prosperity and development. It effectively modernizes the Agreement; expands access to government 
procurement markets by an estimated USD 80-100 billion annually; promotes good governance 
and deters corruption; and facilitates the effective management of public resources. 
3.  We acknowledge the efforts that some WTO Members are making to accede to the Agreement 
on mutually satisfactory terms, in particular  New Zealand, Montenegro and China, and shall 
continue to work with them to this end. 
4.  We invite and encourage all WTO Members that are not yet Parties to the Agreement to 
consider the possibility of accession, noting that developing and least developed Members can, subject to negotiations, benefit from the improv ed transitional measures incorporated in the 
revised Agreement. We particularly ask the delegations whose accession negotiations have 
remained inactive for an extended period of time  to renew their efforts to complete the accession 
process. Equally, we invite all interested WTO Members to become Observers to the Committee on 
Government Procurement ("the Committee"), in order to gain familiarity with the opportunities 
that accession to the Agreement can provide. 
5.  We recognize and support the efforts of the WTO Secretariat, with the support of GPA Parties 
where appropriate, to provide technical assistance, upon request, in particular for developing and 
least developed WTO Members considering joining the revised Agreement. 
6.  We, equally, recognize and support the ongoing work, to be completed by the Secretariat in 
consultation with the Committee, to create an integrated web portal on government procurement based on Parties' market access schedules, notifications and other information, as a market access 
information tool for governments and businesses. 
7.  We commit ourselves to the early finalization of  the ongoing work by Parties on decisions to be 
adopted by the Committee pursuant to Article XIX:8 of the revised Agreement with respect to 
modifications and rectifications to coverage, in a way that is satisfactory to all Parties. 
8.  We call for the prompt initiation of work, following the coming into force of the revised 
Agreement, on the Committee's Future Work Progra mmes set out in Appendix 2 of the Decision on 
the Outcomes of the Negotiations under Article XXIV:7 of the Agreement that was adopted on 30 March 2012 (GPA/113), noting that the Work Programmes are important to facilitate mutual 
understanding of Parties' approaches to the im plementation of the revised Agreement, and to 
improve its administration over time. 
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