On May 18, 2020, Brazil reversed its long-standing policy of non-participation in plurilateral agreements and submitted its application to join the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA).
This decision, the first by a Latin American country where the GPA is concerned, reflected a complex internal decision-making process incorporating changing perspectives from the private sector, the government’s anti corruption efforts, and its objective of creating a competitive and transparent public market in Brazil.
Brazil now believes plurilateral agreements may offer positive paths forward for the negotiating pillar of the WTO, and this session will present both the lessons learned from Brazil’s journey and lay out a vision for how plurilaterals could set the foundations for a renewed WTO for the future.
- What were Brazil’s reservations about Plurilaterals, and why do they no longer hold?
- How did Brazil go about soliciting robust input from the private sector for its exploration of GPA membership, and what can others learn from this process?
- What practical steps can WTO Members take toward harnessing plurilaterals as a path forward for WTO renewal?
In the second portion of the session, the floor will open for a moderated audience discussion guided by the question:
What are some areas where plurilaterals may offer a chance for the WTO Membership to usefully progress issues?
Continue the conversation in the dedicated chat on the Beyond Trade Network.
This session will be simultaneously translated into French, Spanish and English (when needed) via the Interactio application, by entering the code GTW2020 (please use headphones). Open the application in your Web browser or download it for iOS Mobile App or for Android App.