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LESOTHO HOSTS THE 16th SADC EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON STANDARDISATION, QUALITY ASSURANCE, ACCREDITATION AND METROLOGY (SQAMEG) 22
– 28 APRIL, 2001 |
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| Maseru, |
Since
the inception of standardisation, Quality Assurance, Accreditation and Metrology
(SQAM) programme, the Expert Group (EG) has been meeting yearly to concretise
and discuss means of facilitating intra-regional trade flow, and to monitor and
assist member states that are lagging behind on SQAM matters.
This year from 22 to 28 April, 2001 Lesotho, through the Ministry of
Industry, Trade and Marketing (Standards and Quality Assurance Section), is to
host the 16th annual meeting of SADC Cooperation on Standards (SADCSTAN),
Accreditation (SADCA), Measurement Traceability (SADCMET) and Legal Metrology (SADCMEL)
on April 23, 24, 25 and 26, respectively. These
meetings will culminate into the Expert Group (SQAMEG) meeting on 27 April 2001.
Parallel consultative sessions of Technical Committees and Working Groups
of different SQAM structures, and participating regional and international
partners and donor agencies will also be convened. The
SADC Industry and Trade Ministers realised the importance of regional
cooperation in the areas of Standardisation, Quality Assurance, Accreditation
and Metrology for facilitating trade flow, and therefore considered SQAM as one
of the key supporting programmes for development of industry and trade
activities within the region. As a
result, the ministers concluded the implementation of SQAM programme in 1985.
They also established an Expert Group to oversee the implementation of
SQAM programme. The first EG
meeting was held in Zimbabwe, in 1986, to formulate the common approach to
standardisation within the region. The
SADC-SQAM programme is considered crucial in facilitating the achievement of the
SADC objectives and the smooth implementation of the SADC Trade Protocol,
especially the provisions on Non-Tariff Barriers (NTB) to trade (article 6) and
on standards and technical regulations on trade (article 17).
The programme also assists member states to fulfil their commitment to
the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade
(TBT) as a means of improving participation of the region in the global arena,
through; ·
Removal
of Non-Tariff/Technical Barriers to Trade (NTB/TBT) amongst member states and
between SADC and other regional and international trading blocks.
These NTB/TBTs includes, among others, divergent regulations, standards,
certification and accreditation schemes, etc; ·
Promotion
of Quality and Quality Infrastructure in the member states, thus resulting in
improved quality of products and services; ·
Promoting
technology exchange between member states; and ·
Avoiding
duplication of efforts and strengthening member states’ common interest and
approach to SQAM matters. Following
the implementation of SQAM programme, the SADC Industry and Trade Ministers
later signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation on SQAM issues
to formalise the already existing and functional SQAM programme.
The MoU on SQAM provides for the establishment of a formal framework in
which the cooperation amongst the national institutions in SQAM shall take place
in the region. The framework is
referred to as SADC-SQAM programme. The
established SQAM programme encompasses standardisation, accreditation,
certification, conformity assessment, testing, inspection, metrology (referred
to as the science of measurement), and any other related matters. To
facilitate the implementation of SQAM programme, the MoU on SQAM provides for
the creation of five major structures, whose roles and responsibilities are as
follows; a)
SADC Cooperation in Measurement Traceability (SADCMET) Among
others, SADMET is responsible for coordinating metrology activities and services
in the region, in order to provide regional calibration and testing service (of
weighing and measuring equipment) with readily available traceability to the
International System of units (SI units) of measurement, through legally defined
and regionally and internationally recognised national measurement standards. b)
SADC Cooperation in Legal Metrology (SADCMEL) SADCMEL
is aimed at facilitating harmonisation of national legal metrology (sometimes
referred to as Trade Metrology) regulations of the member states and between
SADC and other regional and international trading blocks.
Legal/Trade Metrology takes care of calibration and testing of measuring
and weighing equipment used for trade purposes (e.g. fuel dispensers, gauges and
water meters). In short, SADCMEL
facilitates adoption of uniform measurement practices in trade (e.g. package
size, weighing procedures, etc) to promote intra-regional trade. c)
SADC Cooperation in Standardisation (SADCSTAN) SADCSTAN
has been established mainly to promote coordination of standardisation
activities and services in the region, with the purpose of achieving harmonised/uniform
standards and technical regulations. d)
SADC Cooperation in Accreditation (SADCA) The
purpose of SADCA is to facilitate the creation of a pool of internationally
accepted laboratories and certification bodies (for certification of personnel,
products and systems, including quality and environmental management systems) in
the region, and provide member states with accreditation as a tool for the
removal of TBTs in both the voluntary (standards) and regulatory (legally
binding) areas. e)
SADC SQAM Expert Group (SQAMEG) The
SADC Committees of Ministers of Industry and Trade established and mandated the
SQAMEG to oversee the implementation of SQAM programme, coordinate regional
activities for SQAM, provide a forum where conformity assessment can be dealt
with, and to oversee the activities of the above-mentioned structures.
The SQAMEG was also set up to advise the Trade Sector Ministers on SQAM
matters. For
more information contact: Standards
and Quality Assurance Section Ministry
of Industry, Trade and Marketing P.
O. Box 747 Maseru,
Lesotho Phase
II Government Complex/Africa House High
Court Road Tel:
(+266) 320695/317454 Fax:
(+266) 310644 E-mail:
tradepu@lesoff.co.ls Web: www.sadc-sqam.org |
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