UNIDO UPDATE TO THE TBT COMMITTEE
INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE UNITED NATIONS INDUSTRIAL
DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION (UNIDO)
This document contains
information provided by UNIDO at the TBT Committee meeting of 13‑15 March 2024
under Agenda Item 6 (Update by Observers).[1]
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UNIDO is the specialized agency of the
United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction,
inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission of UNIDO
is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development
(ISID) in Member States. UNIDO's mandate is anchored in Sustainable Development
Goal 9: "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable
industrialization and foster innovation".
UNIDO has been the largest
multilateral player in quality infrastructure development and a preferred
partner of many developing countries. For more than 40 years, UNIDO has been
supporting partner countries to increase their competitiveness through quality
and compliance with standards. UNIDO's approach to QI development is systemic
and holistic, from building awareness to helping initiate, develop and
strengthen a fit-for-purpose QI that runs efficiently and is cost-effective.
UNIDO promotes good practice, capacity building and training, and fosters
global cooperation in standardization, measurement and compliance along value
chains.
UNIDO holds at the moment a portfolio
of global, regional and national programmes of over USD 76 million
for Africa, Asia, Latin America, etc. UNIDO key donors for Quality
Infrastructure development are the EU, Germany, Japan, Norway, Sweden,
Switzerland, the EIF and STDF.
In view of enhancing the capacity of
developing countries to participate in global trade and facilitate the
implementation of the multilateral agreements including the WTO TBT Agreement,
UNIDO strengthens national and regional quality infrastructure (QI) systems by
defining quality-related policies and good governance strategies, strengthening
metrology, standardization and accreditation services, building conformity
assessment capacities, enhancing the competitiveness of the private sector and
promoting quality awareness.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
1 THE GLOBAL QUALITY AND STANDARDS PROGRAMME – SOUTH AFRICA (PHASE II)
The GQSP-South Africa Phase II
project commenced on 1 June 2023 and will run until May 2027. The objective is
to unlock the export potential of essential and vegetable oils produced in
South Africa. This entails strengthening the quality and standards compliance
capacity to facilitate market access for SMEs in these value chains for the
oils destined for the cosmetic, food and health markets. This will be achieved
by providing targeted interventions to:
·_
Strengthen
the technical competence and sustainability of the National Quality
Infrastructure (NQI) institutions and service providers to offer product
quality conformity assessment services that are fit-for-purpose at affordable
prices.
·_
Support
SMEs to comply with international market requirements (standards and technical
regulations) to access markets (local, regional and international).
·_
Promote
a culture for quality by supporting SMEs and institutions to embed the need for
quality at policy, institutional, enterprise and individual levels to build the
reputation of the oils produced in South Africa.
Currently, with the development
of a national standard SANS 2340:2023 for Sclerocarya birrea caffra (Marula)
seed oil, two working groups are formulated to develop the profiles of Lippia
essential oil and it will be further extended to Kalahari Melon seed oil. To
strengthen the conformity assessment bodies, one test laboratory has been
assessed for accreditation for two essential oil test methods and the other is
receiving technical support in order to preparing for accreditation readiness.
In the meantime, the project has
been supporting the industry to establish the typical bottling volumes once the
bulk oil has been obtained from steam distillation or cold pressing. This is in
order to assist SMEs with compliance with legal metrology labelling and
prepackaging requirements in order to gain market access.
The project continues to support
the Multi-Stakeholder Quality Forum (MSQF) comprising the national quality
infrastructure institutions and the conformity assessment associations The
Quality Forum South Africa (QFSA) website has been developed and is a collaboration
of all the relevant stakeholders at a central point who have the supporting
infrastructure and resources to ensure sustainability of quality goods and
services. www.qualityforumsa.org
New initiatives will be
developed to introduce new technologies including digitalization and support to
the Government in the development of a national quality policy for South
Africa.
2 THE WEST AFRICA COMPETITIVENESS AND QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT
(WACQIP)
During the implementation of
previous Quality programmes and in order to reduced technical Barriers to
Trade, UNIDO supported ECOWAS Commission to setup the ECOWAS regional quality
infrastructure (QI) which comprises the Community Council for Quality, the
Regional Accreditation System (RAS) and the four Community Committees (The
Community Committee for Standardization (TMC/ECOSHAM), The Community Committee
for Conformity Assessment (ECOCONF), The Community Committee for Metrology
(ECOMET), The Community Committee for Technical Regulation (ECOREG).
In the framework of the
implementation of WACQIP, ECOWAS Commission with the support of UNIDO further
strengthened this regional QI which led to the following achievements:
Development of harmonised standards and technical
regulations
89 standards related to four
regional value chains including textile and garment and Information and
communication technologies (ICT) were validated by the TMC/ECOSHAM, while 14
draft technical regulations were validated by ECOREG.
Support to conformity assessment bodies
·_
4
harmonized inspection procedures for priority products and one guideline for
their implementation were adopted by ECOCONF.
·_
6
harmonized administrative procedures were developed to support the
implementation of the inspection procedures.
·_
25 forms
linked to the harmonized inspection procedures will serve as working documents
during inspection activities.
·_
An
Inter-State regional control mechanism for mutual recognition of inspection
certificates based on international standards was validated by ECOCONF.
·_
6
laboratories accredited by West Africa Accreditation System (SOAC-WAAS)
·_
59
test methods harmonised for 5 priority products by ECOCONF.
·_
Proficiency
testing conducted for 21 laboratories.
·_
6
National certification bodies (NCBs) accredited by the West Africa
Accreditation System (SOAC-WAAS)
·_
5
new NCBs were established in Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Liberia and
Togo
·_
5
sectoral applications of ECOQMARK including barrier mask were developed
These
achievements of WACQIP will contribute to the following impact:
·_
The
Increasing of the competitiveness of products linked to the 3 regional value
chains and facilitation of their access to regional and international markets;
·_
The
developed standards will serve as a basis for Policy-makers to develop
technical regulations at national and regional level to reduce technical
barriers to trade, protect consumers and also contribute to the implementation
of the Continental African Free Trade Area (CAFTA) and the free movement of
goods in the region;
·_
The
adopted technical regulations will contribute to the competitiveness of
products, the protection of the health and safety of consumers and the
protection of the environment in the ECOWAS region;
·_
The
international recognition of test results, inspection certificates, competence
of conformity assessment bodies carrying out tests and inspection on the
products relating to the regional value chains
·_
The
implementation of the ECOWAS regional mutual recognition mechanism and its
implementation procedures at regional level will contribute to the free
movement of goods, trade facilitation and furthermore to the implementation of
the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
3 SUPPORTING QUALITY AND REGULATORY INFRASTRUCTURE, VALUE
CHAIN-SPECIFIC QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES AND QUALITY CULTURE PROMOTION IN
THE AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC GROUP OF STATES (ACP)
UNIDO with
funding from the European Union and the Organization of African, Caribbean and
Pacific States (OACPS) is implementing the project
entitled "Supporting quality and regulatory infrastructure, value
chain-specific quality infrastructure services and quality culture promotion in
the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States". This project, which
mainly aims to tackle technical barriers to trade faced by ACP countries, is
implemented with a technical partner in each region, with the African Organization
for Standardization (ARSO) representing Africa, the CARICOM Regional
Organization for Standards & Quality (CROSQ) representing the Caribbean
Community and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) representing the
Pacific.
In Africa,
the Project is currently supporting the alignment of National Quality Policies
with the Africa Quality Policy (AQP). In collaboration with ARSO, the project
is providing technical support by developing standards for two value chains
including Automotive as well as for eco-labelling and sustainable and resilient
systems.
In the
Caribbean, the Project is supporting the development of National Laboratory
Policies and their alignment with the CARICOM Non-Medical Laboratory Policy,
the revision of metrology legislation and the development of National Standards
Strategies. Critical work has also commenced on the topic on Quality Promotions
in the Caribbean, especially as it relates to understanding the impact of
National Quality Award (NQA) Schemes.
In the
Pacific, UNIDO launched the development of the Pacific Islands Quality Policy
in November 2023 and is currently in the process of supporting the review
of national metrology legislation. In order to support the work of the Pacific
Quality Infrastructure (PQI) Initiative[2] in
strengthening the regional analytical testing infrastructure, UNIDO is also
supporting the formation of the Pacific Islands Testing Committee, the
assessment of key regional laboratories and the provision of technical
assistance to prepare them for international recognition.
4 QUALITY STANDARDS AND COMPLIANCE PROGRAMME FOR THE UNITED REPUBLIC
OF TANZANIA (QUALITAN)
The project is funded by the European Union (EU) and aims to widen
market access for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) by improving
access to quality standards, reducing compliance costs, and enhancing consumer
protection. This is achieved through the supply of effective, efficient, and
internationally recognized conformity assessment services within the Tanzania
Bureau of Standards (TBS) and reduce cost of compliance for MSMEs. QUALITAN is part of the larger
EU-funded BEGIN (Business Environment, Growth, and Innovation) programme, which
is promoting inclusive economic growth, employment, and innovation particularly
among women and youth, and consumer protection.
The project aims to
capacitate TBS's conformity assessment services to meet market and regulatory
needs, to support MSMEs' compliance to quality standards, digital
transformation, and improved project governance and outreach capacity. As a
result, TBS will be able to contribute more effectively to the process of
standards development, and related conformity assessment services, which will
reduce the costs of compliance and doing business for MSMEs providing proof of
compliance to market requirements. Tanzanian MSMEs will then have a wider
access to markets, which, in the long-term, will contribute to sustainable
economic development, job creation, social progress, and the protection of the
environment in line with national, regional, and global priorities.
During the project implementation, 164
TBS laboratory
staff were trained to widen the scope of accreditation and enhance synergies
between conformity assessment bodies. Five Study tours were conducted for 25
technical laboratory staff to the National Metrological Institute of South
Africa (NIMSA). The acquired capacity translated into improving the services of
TBS testing laboratories and linked to the sophisticated laboratory equipment procured under QUALITAN. Simultaneously, 139
TBS laboratory staff were trained on a series of courses related to ISO17025
(assessor course); on proficiency testing (ISO17043; ISO13528) to enhance the
accreditation scope and for accrediting of PT services at TBS. These capacity
building activities are key milestones for the international recognition of the
Tanzanian quality infrastructure.
24 TBS staff from
the compliance and enforcement sections were trained in inspection procedures,
using a risk-based approach, based on ISO17020, enabling TBS to proceed with
accreditation of its inspection services. QUALITAN is actively engaged in
transforming the NSB into a modern, and efficient regulatory body, through the
development and implementation of business plans (2) for testing and
calibration laboratories, and 101 Technical Committees on Standards
Development. Digital transformation of TBS was achieved through incorporation of the Laboratory Information
Management System (LIMS), web store software, and analytical tools to
strengthen TBS' ICT and monitoring departments.
TBS ICT personnel visited the Ghana
Standards Authority to gain knowledge and insights on the results of the
digital maturity assessment, and the implementation of their digitalization
strategy. The visit resulted in development of a methodology that assessed the
digital maturity of TBS, and QUALITAN supported the development of the ICT
Capacity Building Strategy and a data- driven digitalization strategy aligned
to the national ICT strategy. Moreover, the TBS Director General, ICT Manager
and Officer participated at UNIDO's Expert Group Meeting on Digital
Transformation of National Standards Bodies (NSBs), where NSBs shared
experiences to enhance the validation of a common digital transformation
methodology.
QUALITAN is
strengthening collaboration of the Small Industries Development Organization
(SIDO) and TBS by embarking on a pivotal strategy to improve access to quality
and safety standards and conformity assessment services for MSMEs. Through this
collaboration, marketing by both TBS and SIDO in the private sector will better
inform MSMEs on the importance of quality, safety, standards, and market
requirements to improve their competitiveness and tap into more lucrative
markets.
The project conducted training on digital
marketing and online campaigns for five staff at the TBS Public Relations and
Marketing Section, as well for thirteen journalists from the main national
media outlets from across the country to augment the efforts of raising
awareness on quality and standards, specifically targeting MSMEs. QUALITAN had
an exhibit at the Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF) to raise
awareness on quality and standards issues among the stakeholders, and the
public with a focus on youth and women led MSMEs represented at the exhibitions
and 173 MSMEs were engaged on procedures for quality and standards compliance.
5 SUPPORT TO QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE IN ARMENIA
The project is funded by the European
Union and implemented by UNIDO since January 2022. It aims to support Armenia
in upgrading its metrology system, based on the needs of the public and private
stakeholders for industrial development and trade competitiveness.
Specifically, the project is supporting the National Body for Standardization
and Metrology of Armenia (NBSM) in developing four calibration laboratories and
the required calibration and measurement capabilities, and preparing them for
international recognition, so as to sever the needs of the public and private
sector in sustainable and inclusive industrial development and trade.
The project focuses on four results:
·_
Armenia's
capacity to effectively participate in the international and regional metrology
communities is strengthened,
·_
The
institutional capacity (legal, regulatory, governance and leadership) of NBSM
is further developed in line with international recommendations and best
practice,
·_
NBSM
calibration laboratories are prepared for international recognition, and
·_
Stakeholders
have a greater understanding of the importance of metrology and are trained in
critical aspects of metrology.
Since its launching in 2022, the project has made several
milestones in a systematic manner:
·_
Followed by
two workshops with the two international metrology organizations namely
International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) and International Bureau
of Weights and Measures (BIPM), a cost and benefit analysis was conducted to
inform the decision making by the Government of Armenia on membership to the
international metrology organizations.
·_
A detailed
analysis was completed to assess the needs of nearly 100 public and private
sector stakeholders for metrology services, followed by a development plan.
Accordingly, required equipment was procured and are being delivered to NBSM
for capacity building in line with relevant international standards such as
ISO/IEC 17025 for testing and calibration laboratories.
·_
An in-depth
analysis of the metrology legislative framework and related laws and sub-laws,
based on which support to the Government in the amendment of the Law on
Metrology are being provided following relevant international guidelines,
recommendations and good practice.
·_
A review of
the metrology governance system in Armenia was completed and recommendations
for improvement were submitted to the Government of Armenia for consideration
·_
In the
meantime, UNIDO has been assisting the Government of Armenia represented by the
Ministry of Economy in assessing all components of the national quality
infrastructure system (NQIS), namely standardization, metrology, accreditation,
conformity assessment and market surveillance, and developing a systematic
strategy that will guide the NQIS development in Armenia in the next 10 years.
For more
details about the project, please visit the following webpage: https://open.unido.org/projects/AM/projects/210152.
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[1] In original language only.
[2] The PQI Initiative is the Programme of PIFS that was launched in
2017 with the objective of strengthening a demand-oriented QI and access to
services that enhance trade competitiveness in the Pacific region.