The East Asia and Pacific (EAP) forum is an opportunity for peer learning and experience sharing among public procurement agencies of participating counties in public procurement. The 2024 forum focuses on Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) and discusses how public procurement can be leveraged to achieve countries’ sustainability goals and accelerate sustainable development. The theme recognizes that EAP countries are critical to global efforts to combat climate change. EAP accounts for one third of GHG emissions and 60% of coal consumption globally and remains highly exposed to climate risks. The region includes 13 of the world’s 30 most climate-vulnerable countries and accounts for 70% of the world’s natural disaster losses, affecting more than 1.6 billion people since 2000. Several EAP countries have also prioritized the growth of small and medium enterprises and the participation of women in national economies, both of which can be catalyzed through SPP.
Recognizing that countries are at different stages of implementation, cross-country experience sharing would be beneficial for the countries. The selected forum topics cover the full spectrum of SPP and are an opportunity for countries to share their opportunities and challenges in adopting and implementing SPP and how these are being addressed. It will also discuss success stories from different countries at the different stages. This forum is an invaluable platform for exchanging ideas, exploring innovative approaches, putting knowledge to action, and fostering collaborations that will drive forward the agenda of sustainability in public procurement processes.