./. WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION  
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DU COMMERCE  
ORGANIZACIÓN MUNDIAL DEL COMERCIORESTRICTED 
GPA/O/HKG/1 
20 December 2004 
 (04-5583) 
Committee on Government Procurement Original:   English/ 
                 anglais/                  inglés 
 
 
 
NEGOTIATIONS ON EXTENSION OF COVERAGE AND ELIMINATION OF  
DISCRIMINATORY MEASURES AND PRACTICES PURSUANT TO  
ARTICLE XXIV:7(b) AND (c) OF THE AGREEMENT  
ON GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT 
 
Communication from Hong Kong, China
1 
 
 
 The following communication, dated 13 December 2004, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of Hong Kong, China. 
 
 
Comité des marchés publics  
 
 
NÉGOCIATIONS SUR L'EXTENSION DE LA PORTÉE DE L'ACCORD ET 
L'ÉLIMINATION DES MESURES ET PRATIQUES DISCRIMINATOIRES  
AU TITRE DE L'ARTICLE XXIV: 7 b) ET c) DE L'ACCORD  
SUR LES MARCHÉS PUBLICS 
 
Communication de Hong Kong, Chine1 
 
 
 La communication ci-après, datée du 13 décembr e 2004, est distribuée à la demande de la 
délégation de Hong Kong, Chine. 
 
 
Comité de Contratación Pública 
 
 
NEGOCIACIONES SOBRE LA AMPLIACIÓN DEL ÁMBITO DE APLICACIÓN 
Y LA ELIMINACIÓN DE LAS MEDIDAS Y PRÁCTICAS DISCRIMINATORIAS 
DE CONFORMIDAD CON LOS APARTADOS b) Y c)DEL PÁRRAFO 7 DEL 
ARTÍCULO XXIV DEL ACUERDO SOBRE CONTRATACIÓN PÚBLICA  
 
Comunicación de Hong Kong, China1 
  
 La siguiente comunicación, de fecha 13 de diciembre de 2004, se distribuye a petición de la delegación de Hong Kong, China.  
                                                      
1 In English only./En anglais seulement./En inglés solamente. GPA/O/HKG/1 
Page 2  
 
REVIEW OF THE AGREEMENT ON GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT 
ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATORY MEASURES AND PRACTICES 
 
  
 At the meeting of 16 July 2004, the Committe e agreed on the modalities for the negotiations 
on extension of coverage and e limination of discriminatory measures and practices.  The decision 
(GPA/79) specifies that such negotiations will be la rgely pursued bilaterally but subject to monitoring 
by the Committee as a whole, in accordance with the timeframe specified therein. 
 
 Hong Kong, China would like to request Part ies maintaining Party-specific non-application 
and reciprocity provisions in their schedules of commitments to make an effort towards the 
elimination of such provisions during the bilatera l negotiations, as such provisions are derogations 
from the fundamental principle of non-discriminati on of the multilateral trading system as embodied 
in Article III of the Agreement.  Article XXIV:7(c) of the Agreement requires Parties to seek to avoid 
introducing or prolonging discriminatory measures a nd practices which distort open procurement and 
to seek to eliminate them in the review of the Ag reement.  The elimination of such provisions will 
give true effect to the principle of non-discriminati on.  Such steps should be taken in order to fulfill 
Parties’ obligations under Article  XXIV:7(c) of the Agreement and to meet the objective of the 
current review of the Agreement.  
 In past discussions, Parties maintaining Party-specific non-application and reciprocity 
provisions had explained that the main reason for th eir maintaining such provisions was the perceived 
imbalance in coverage.  Hong K ong, China strongly believes that addressing any perceived coverage 
imbalance by such means is the least desirable.  It reduces the creditability of the Agreement as a 
multilateral framework to achieve greater liberaliza tion and expansion of world trade.  The prolonging 
of such provisions also discourages the accession to  the Agreement by Members not party to it.  
Therefore, Hong Kong, China urges Parties to take the opportunity of the coming bilateral negotiations to eliminate the Party-specific non-appl ication and reciprocity provisions while adjusting 
to a new balance in coverage in order to give tr ue meaning to the objective of the current review. 
 
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