Professor Sue Arrowsmith and Honorary Professor Robert Anderson join with the World Trade Organization to present advanced procurement workshops in Kuwait City and Geneva for government negotiators and officials

Sue Arrowsmith, Achilles Professor of Public Procurement Law and Policy in the School of Law, and Robert Anderson, one of the school's Honorary Professors, recently joined with officials from the World Trade Organization (WTO) to help present the WTO's Advanced Workshops on Public Procurement in Kuwait City (April 2019) and Geneva (May 2019). The Workshop in Kuwait City was designed for Governments from the Middle East and Arabic- speaking countries, while the similar Geneva Workshop was attended by more than 30 countries from all parts of the world. Those attending included both trade and procurement specialists who are interested in the WTO's Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) and the role of public procurement in promoting both trade and good governance.

Sue Arrowsmith's talks at both workshops covered a variety of topics, including enforcement systems for suppliers, support for small and medium-sized enterprises and the design of sustainable procurement regimes, drawing on her extensive knowledge of both EU experiences and of international procurement rules more generally.

Robert Anderson, who recently retired from his work at the WTO, provided delegates at the Geneva workshop with the benefit of his extensive practical experience in the field, including a comprehensive and insightful analysis of the costs and benefits of GPA accession.