MDB Heads of Procurement Joint Communication-IFAD, Rome, Sept. 26-28, 2022
From September 26 to 28, the Heads of Procurement (HoP) of the Multilateral Development Banks held their annual meeting, the first in-person meeting since the beginning of the pandemic, hosted by IFAD in its Rome headquarters. After taking stock of procurement’s instrumental role in facilitating and coordinating borrowing countries’ access to critically needed medical supplies and vaccines during the last two years, the HoP discussed and agreed in principle on a common approach to key issues where each participating institution is engaged, including sustainable and green procurement, application of social criteria, building supply chain resilience, addressing trade-related issues , e-procurement platforms, borrower capacity building and training for the professionalization of the procurement function. Celebrating the HOP group’s solid achievements in harmonizing policies and practices in the twenty years of its existence, the members reaffirmed their shared continued support for fit-for-purpose and value-for-money procurement solutions to promote international development cooperation in an increasingly challenging and complex global environment.