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CONSULTANCY FOR WTO NEGOTIATIONS

The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) is inviting tenders from interested English-speaking applicants to provide technical assistance to support the Pacific in the WTO negotiations. This consultancy is expected to be provided for approximately 6 months from May to November 2021. Applications from teams of consultants would also be considered.

The main deliverables for this technical assistance are to provide technical support to the Pacific WTO members in the negotiation of issues of priority interests to them in preparation for the Twelfth Ministerial Conference in November 2021. The Consultancy will prepare technical and legal analysis and briefs on proposals tabled by WTO Members, provide guidance and recommend appropriate positions for the Pacific. The Consultancy is expected to respond to requests for analysis or opinions at short notice as negotiations intensify. The Consultancy is not expected to involve travel due to the prevailing COVID 19 situation. The Consultancy will be coordinated by the PIFS Geneva Office.

The consultancy team will be required to work closely with the PIFS through its Geneva Office in supporting the Pacific WTO Members. The team will be required to perform the following tasks:

1. Provide intensive, on-demand support for the negotiation of a fisheries subsidies agreement, including activities such as:

a. Analysis of proposals and legal text put forward by other delegations, with a particular focus on its likely implications for Pacific Group members.
b. Support for bilateral engagement and consultation with the Negotiating Group Chair, including strategic advice on who to meet and which subjects to raise; and summary and dissemination of the content of bilateral discussions; including in-meeting support where necessary.
c. Support for meetings in various configurations, including Informal Open-Ended NGR and “small group” meetings, including drafting statements, talking points and summarising the content of discussion for reference and dissemination where appropriate.
d. Support for virtual meetings with government officials and regional agency stakeholders based in the Pacific, including technical briefings and explanation of possible Pacific positions, statements and proposals.
e. Drafting of technical proposals, legal text, or information papers to provide other members with more detailed information on technical issues, where appropriate.

2. Monitor and provide timely updates on developments of interest to the Pacific in areas of the WTO’s work, including trade and the environment, e-commerce, agriculture, investment facilitation for development, trade and COVID-19, MSMEs, services, TRIPS and reform of the WTO itself.

3. Any other relevant assistance that the PIF Geneva office might require

The consultancy team must have recognized qualifications and experience in relevant areas.

The Terms of reference (ToR) for this Consultancy can be downloaded at: www.tenders.net/forumsec.

INFORMATION

Only applicants who meet the following criteria are eligible to take part in tenders issued by the Secretariat:

- Are financially solvent and able to conduct business operations in a professional and successful manner;
- Are not involved in any court proceedings which may affect their ability to conduct business or deliver the services tendered; and
- Do not appear on the World Bank’s listing of ineligible firms.

HOW TO APPLY

Method of Submissions:

Tender applications with resume, proposed fee and resume with required qualifications and relevant work experience are to be submitted in PDF format following the instructions at www.tenders.net/forumsec.

All applicants will need to register at www.tenders.net/forumsec to make a submission.

Deadline for Submissions:

Submissions need to reach the Secretariat by 5pm on Thursday, 29 April 2021 (Fiji time).

Late or incomplete tenders will not be considered.

All queries or requests for information must be submitted via the Question and Answer Forum on www.tenders.net/forumsec before 5pm on Thursday, 22 April 2021 (Fiji time).

All queries will be responded to via the Question and Answer Forum on www.tenders.net/forumsec before 5pm on Monday 26 April 2021 (Fiji time).

Note:

The Secretariat will not be responsible for non-receipt/non-delivery of the submissions due to any reason whatsoever.

Any complaints regarding the Secretariat’s tender must be directed to the following email: Tender.Complaints@forumsec.org. This email address will forward your complaint to a person that is independent and removed from the tender process. Complaints must be well founded and should not be used as a mechanism for notifying displeasure with the outcome of a tender award.

In the event that further information is required by the Secretariat in relation to the tender for consultancy, the Secretariat reserves the right to seek the required information without the need for calling for resubmission of proposals.