On 12 April 1979, in Geneva, under the GATT Tokyo Round, the Government Procurement Code is signed — the first plurilateral discipline opening government procurement markets to international competition.

The text binds parties to non-discrimination and transparency in the procurement of goods and services by covered public authorities. The depositary was then the GATT Director-General; the languages are English, French and Spanish.

Entry into force followed on 1 January 1981. A 1987 amendment widened coverage; in 1994 at Marrakesh the agreement was renegotiated as the Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) under the WTO, in force from 1 January 1996.

A revision of 30 March 2012 modernised the text; the revised version has applied from 2014/2021 to all parties. Each party annexes lists of central, sub-central and other entities, plus covered goods, services and construction.

The core principles remain those of 1979: national treatment for suppliers of the parties and open procedures. The WTO Committee on Government Procurement oversees implementation; a bid-challenge mechanism was later strengthened.

Current parties include the EU and its member states, the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom (after Brexit) and others; many states hold observer status and negotiate accession.

The Agreement on Government Procurement of 12 April 1979 remains the root of the plurilateral discipline linking public spending to international trade.

Image: Geneva / trade; Wikimedia Commons. Cropped to 16:9.

Source consulted: Agreement on Government Procurement. Treaty text: Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO).