During the workshop, Ed Nemeroff of SPEED presented the Director General of INNOQ, DG Alfredo Sitoe with a plaque of the Egyptian royal cubit, the earliest attested standards measure, in commemoration of World Metrology Day. Furthermore, during the ASTM International presentation, Teresa Cendrowska was presented with a certificate honoring the 10-year anniversary of the ASTM-INNOQ MoU.
The goal of this workshop was to provide an opportunity for Mozambican and the U.S. experts to exchange information and increase the understanding of various aspects of metrology as well as general good regulatory practices. Good regulatory practices are the internationally recognized practices and procedures that can be used to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of domestic regulations. These include intra-governmental procedures, impact assessments, transparency, participation, and accountability.
Upon conclusion of the workshop, attendees expressed interest in follow-up workshops on intra-governmental communication to support transparency and WTO notification processes in Mozambique. Future trainings are likely to coincide with the release of SPEED 's "Standards, Metrology and Conformity Assessment: Tools to Facilitate Trade and Market Assess Handbook" during World Quality Week.
About the Standards Alliance and Trade Africa
The Standards Alliance was announced by USAID in November 2012 as a new funding facility designed to provide capacity-building assistance to developing countries, specifically related to implementation of the WTO TBT Agreement. The main objectives of the program include: increased understanding of WTO TBT principles; implementation of the Code of Good Practice for the Preparation, Adoption and Application of Standards; improved transparency in the development and/or modification of technical regulations; and more robust and transparent engagement with the private sector in standards development and use.
Trade Africa was an initiative between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa that was initiated in 2013 with countries of the East African Community to increase continental and regional trade within Africa, and to expand trade and economic ties among the Unites States, Africa, and other global markets. In 2014, the Trade Africa Initiative expanded to involve new partners, including Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mozambique, Senegal, and Zambia. In support of Trade Africa, the Standards Alliance partnered with Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Senegal to improve compliance with the WTO rules on trade facilitation and technical barriers to trade.
For more information on the Standards Alliance and for information on how to get involved in Standards Alliance activities with West Africa, visit the Standards Alliance web page.