Skip to Content
Skip to content
APPN | RACOP

Sixth General Assembly of the RACOP

Programme

Draft programme. Times are Sierra Leone time (GMT).

Provisional programme: speakers, moderators, partners, the final venue and contact details are still to be confirmed.

Day 1

Tuesday 8 December

Opening and digital transformation

08:00 – 09:00

Registration

Welcome of participants. Organiser: National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA).

09:00 – 10:30

Opening ceremony

National anthem, welcome address by the Director General of the NPPA, opening remarks by the co-sponsors and official opening by a representative of the Government of Sierra Leone.

Speakers and moderation: to be confirmed

10:30 – 11:00

Group photo and coffee break

11:00 – 12:30

Keynote: advancing regional economic integration through public procurement

Harmonisation, digitalisation, collaborative and strategic procurement, and capacity building.

Speakers and moderation: to be confirmed

12:30 – 13:30

Lunch break

13:30 – 15:00

Panel 1: collaborative procurement as a catalyst for regional economic integration and resilience

Cross-border demand aggregation, joint purchasing, economies of scale and supply chain resilience.

Speakers and moderation: to be confirmed

15:00 – 15:30

Coffee break

15:30 – 17:00

Panel 2: digital transformation of public procurement, building integrated regional markets

E-procurement platforms, interoperability, transparency and cross-border market access.

Speakers and moderation: to be confirmed

Evening

Welcome reception

Hosted by the NPPA / the Government of Sierra Leone.

Day 2

Wednesday 9 December

Professionalisation and harmonisation

09:00 – 10:30

Panel 3: professionalising public procurement, strengthening Africa's institutional capacity for regional integration

Professional accreditation, centres of excellence and institutional collaboration.

Speakers and moderation: to be confirmed

10:30 – 11:00

Coffee break

11:00 – 12:30

Panel 4: strategic public procurement for industrialisation, market structuring and economic transformation

Regional value chains, local production and industrial development through public purchasing.

Speakers and moderation: to be confirmed

12:30 – 13:30

Lunch break

13:30 – 15:00

Panel 5: harmonising public procurement frameworks to advance African regional integration

Harmonisation of laws, AfCFTA rules and mutual recourse to multilateral development bank procedures.

Speakers and moderation: to be confirmed

15:00 – 15:30

Coffee break

15:30 – 17:00

Parallel working groups

Three language groups: English-speaking (joint purchasing and digital regional markets), French-speaking (harmonisation of laws and professionalisation), Portuguese-speaking (strategic procurement, industrialisation and regional value chains). Each group elects a chair and a rapporteur and submits three operational recommendations.

Day 3

Thursday 10 December

Decisions of the Assembly

09:00 – 10:30

Working group reports in plenary

Three recommendations per group (nine in total), consolidated into the regional action plan.

10:30 – 11:00

Coffee break

11:00 – 12:30

RACOP technical and financial report and governance matters

Technical and financial report, Statutes, Rules of Procedure, member contributions.

12:30 – 13:30

Lunch break

13:30 – 15:30

Administrative session of the General Assembly

Address by the new RACOP President, election of the Executive Committee members and their alternates, and of the Chair of the Executive Committee.

15:30 – 16:00

Coffee break

16:00 – 17:00

Adoption of the communiqué / final declaration

17:30 – 18:30

Closing ceremony

Closing remarks and vote of thanks.

Speakers and moderation: to be confirmed

Evening

Gala dinner

Hosted by the NPPA / the Government of Sierra Leone.

Day 4

Friday 11 December

Culture and departures

09:00 – 13:00

Guided cultural and heritage tour

Cultural and heritage sites of Sierra Leone; itinerary to be finalised by the host country.

13:00 – 15:00

Lunch

Afternoon

Departure of delegates