June, 2023

The Organization of American States (OAS), as technical secretariat of the INGP, together with the Public Procurement Directorate – Province of Mendoza, and the National University of Cuyo (UNCuyo) of Argentina, signed a Cooperation Agreement with the aim of promoting actions towards sustainable development and economic reactivation through technical support for the use of the Model Directive for the Promotion of Sustainable Public Procurement and the Sustainable Supplier Self-Assessment Tool (HAPS), developed within the framework of the Inter-American Network of Government Procurement (RICG), and co-financed by the OAS, through the Department for Effective Public Management (DGPE) as its Technical Secretariat, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada.

Both the Model Directive and HAPS aim to serve as a guide to OAS member states in the development of regulatory frameworks, promote the capacities of companies, and strengthen the decision-making of entities from different government sectors and levels to contribute to the generation of greater public value and better access to citizen’s rights through the effective contracting and delivery of goods, services, and works that positively impact Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs), women, people with disabilities, and other minority groups, as well as to reduce the carbon footprint and protect the environment.

This Cooperation Agreement was signed by OAS Secretary General, Mr. Luis Almagro, the Minister of Finance and Treasury of the Province of Mendoza, Mr. Víctor Fayad, and the Chancellor of the National University of Cuyo, Ms. Esther Lucía Sánchez.