The previous conferences which have taken place in Panama (2008), Lima (2006), Atlanta (2005), and Vancouver (2004), have seen the participation of all IGPN members and representatives of multilateral organizations*.

The participation of important international experts and government leaders ensure that these annual meetings are the source of most up-to-date information on the situation and tendencies in the systems modernization of public acquisitions of the participating countries.

During the 5th Annual Conference there will be presentations that are open to the public and which will be made by international experts and head of Government Procurement offices in the Americas. Some of the topics that will be discussed include: Tendencies in the Systems Modernization of Government Procurement, Systems of Cataloguing, Institutionalization and Legal Reforms of the Systems of Public Contracting, Framework Agreement, Reverse Auction, Technological Innovations in Government Procurement, Strategies for the participation of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Government Procurement, and Contracting Consultancies and Services among others.

Objetives

• To provoke a dialogue between high level technical government officials in charge of the standardization, policy implementation and programs of systems modernization of public acquisitions in Latin America and the Caribbean, all aimed at defining joint cooperation initiatives.
• To contribute to the professional development and the strengthening of capacities/abilities of the IGPN members.
• To disseminate the most recent technical advances, and present the best experiences in the modernization of public acquisitions.
• To Promote regional actions and establish connections with international financial organizations.
• To approve the IGPN 2009 Work-plan