A recent editorial by Leslie McDermott, director of international development at the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), published in SES-The Society of Standards Professionals' journal, Standards Engineering, highlights ANSI-USAID Standards Alliance efforts and progress supporting developing countries in effectively implementing their commitments under the World Trade Organization (WTO)'s Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) agreement.
See the July/August Standards Engineering feature article, "The Standards Alliance," by Leslie McDermott.
What is the Standards Alliance?
The July/August issue of Standards Engineering highlights the origins of the Standards Alliance, announced by the U.S. Agency for International Development (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.
In May 2013, USAID and ANSI entered a public-private partnership, which coordinates subject-matter experts from the private-sector-led U.S. standardization system to deliver training and other technical assistance to interested Standards Alliance countries.
Ms. McDermott provides updates on Standards Alliance's accomplishments and impact in key areas, including the auto, water, and sanitation sectors. The article also sheds light on how the program helps address emerging priorities in West Africa with a focus on infrastructure, water, and energy.
As ANSI is actively engaging USAID and other agencies to promote the value of the program and the benefits to U.S. industry in funding such initiatives, Ms. McDermott encourages relevant stakeholders to submit testimonials, expressions of support, or suggestions for new activities at [email protected].