Integrating Responsible Business Conduct in Public Procurement

Israel

1. Policy

The Israeli Mandatory Tender Regulation № 57-1993 is the procurement legal framework that includes the following RBC objectives – additional frameworks apply, depending on the RBC objective:

Environment

Government decision № 1 057 on Green government and its correction, government decision № 5 090, instruct all concerned ministries to consider environmental issues in their procurement procedures.

Long-term unemployed people

People with disabilities

The Equal Rights for People with Disabilities Law № 5758-199 defines disability. Contracting authorities may not discriminate between bidders based on disability.

Gender considerations

Other policy frameworks

The Israeli Public Bodies' Transactions Law № 5736-1976 contains different restrictions related to the following RBC objectives:

Labour rights

People with disabilities

Integrity

2. Implementation

Tender phase

• Contracting authorities may not discriminate between bidders based on gender, sexual orientation, marital status, among others.

• It is forbidden to carry out any type of transaction between a public body and any supplier that has been convicted for violating either the Foreign Workers Law № 5751-1991, or the Minimum Wage Law № 5747-1987, or for not complying with the Equal Rights for People with Disabilities Law № 5758-1998 and the Strengthening the Enforcement of Employment Rights Law № 5772-2012.

• Contracting authorities must ensure that all suppliers have a written affidavit stating the compliance with the labour law provisions, such as employee rights.

• According to the section Encouragement of Women in Business, contracting authorities can give preference to the supplier who certifies that it is a woman-owned business in a bidding process where the circumstances are otherwise equal between two suppliers.

3. Good Practices

• Within the Administrative Code, the Accountant General published a number of guidelines to clarify what “green procurement” entails, and how to incorporate environmental considerations in public procurement.