Global Revolution X
On 22 June 2021, and despite the restrictions imposed as a result of the Covid pandemic, the University of Nottingham’s Public Procurement Research Group was able to host a very successful virtual event to replace the usual in-person conference usually held at East Midlands Conference Centre.
As with the traditional physical event, we were able to bring together a line-up of renowned speakers from major international organisations, academia and practice, giving an in-depth update on what is happening globally in the world of procurement regulation.
The virtual format meant that the customary workshop sessions were not held but the well over 1,000 participants on the day were able to attend an extended plenary session together with a number of subject specific panels spread over two morning and afternoon sessions.
We began with an extended plenary session in the morning which focused on proposed procurement reform in the UK under the Green Paper, featuring key speakers from the Cabinet Office, including Sam Rowbury, Director Commercial Policy, Edward Green, Deputy Director, International and Reform Team, Cabinet Office and Tracy Pritchard, International and Reform Team who were able to provide us with the latest news on the proposals.
This session was followed by a presentation by Professor Sue Arrowsmith on the Green Paper on public procurement in the light of the UK's experience in the Covid-19 pandemic with comments by Michael Bowsher QC of Monckton Chambers and Rebecca Rees, partner at Trowers & Hamlins.
The afternoon began with a round-up of international developments and we were honoured to have presentations by Enzo de Laurentiis, Chief Procurement Officer at the World Bank; Paulo Magina from the OECD, Reto Malacrida from the WTO’s GPA Secretariat and Caroline Nicholas from UNCITRAL.
There followed a panel discussion led by Professor Annamaria LaChimia looking at lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, relying on the benefit of hindsight. The panellists included Gian Luigi Albano, Consip (Italy), Benedetta Audia from UNOPS, Mihály Fazekas, Central European University; Cesar Pereira, partner at Justen, Pereira, Oliveira and Talamini (Brazil); Camila Salazar from the Open Contracting Partnership; Sope Williams-Elegbe, Professor at Stellenbsoch University and Christopher Yukins, Professor at George Washington University.
Trowers & Hamlins kindly provided the webinar platform.
View proceedings of the virtual event