WORLD TRADE G/TBT/2/Add.43
20January 1998
ORGANIZATION(98-0185)
Original: Spanish Committee onTechnical Barriers toTrade
IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION OFTHE AGREEMENT
ONTECHNICAL BARRIERS TOTRADE
Addendum
Communication from Bolivia
Thefollowing Statement under Article 15,paragraph 2oftheAgreement hasbeenreceived
from thedelegation ofBolivia.
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1. TheGovernment ofBolivia accepted theAgreement onTechnical Barriers toTrade byadopting
andratifying theFinal ActoftheUruguay Round establishing theWTO andembodying theresults
oftheGATT trade negotiations, which entered intoforce on13September 1995.
2. On17February 1997Supreme Decree No.24498 oftheBolivian Standardization, Metrology,
Accreditation andCertification System (NMAC System), which forms Bolivia 'sbasic quality
infrastructure, wasenacted withaviewtocreating alegalframework fortheimplementation ofthe
Agreement.
3. Theobjectives oftheNMAC System aretofoster thecompetitiveness andquality ofBolivian
goods andservices onthenational andinternational markets, toguarantee human, animal andplant
safety andhealth, environmental protection andtheprotection ofconsumer interests, andtoorganize
andestablish operational guidelines forstandardization, metrology, accreditation, testing, certification
andallother activities relating tothequality ofproducts, processes andservices.
4. Thesupreme bodyoftheNMAC System istheNational Quality Council, composed ofanequal
number ofpublic andprivate sector-specific authorities. Itsmainfunction istodefine national policy
withrespect toactivities related totheNMAC System.
5. TheNMACSystemalsohasanExecutiveCommissionresponsibleforimplementingthemandates
oftheNational Quality Council, aswellasaNational Coordinating Body. Theexecutive bodies of
theNMAC System are:theBolivian Institute ofStandardization andQuality (IBNORCA), aprivate,
non-profit-makingbodyresponsibleforstandardization;theBolivianInstituteofMetrology(IBMETRO),
adecentralized body responsible foradministering thenational metrology service; andtherecently
created Bolivian Accreditation Organization (OBA), adecentralized, mixed entity responsible for
accreditation within thecountry.
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6. IBNORCAoperatesthroughtechnicalcommitteesinwhichalloftheinterestedsectorsparticipate
(private andpublic sectors, universities, etc.). Itisamember ofISOandofthePan-American Standards
Commission (COPANT).
7. Bolivian Technical Standards (NB)areprepared asfollows: thetechnical committee concerned
meets toreview andadopt thedocument, which isthensubmitted topublic enquiry of60daysthrough
publication inthepress. Thedocument thenreturns tothetechnical committee andissubmitted to
theGoverning Council forStandardization which, ifitgrants itsapproval, passes thedocument on
totheBoard ofDirectors ofIBNORCA, theInstitute 'shighest authority, forapproval.
8. TheVice-Ministry ofIndustry andTrade, which isincharge ofthesector, coordinates and
registers theissuance oftechnical regulations through theIndustrial Development Unit(UDI). The
regulations mustbebased directly orbyreference onBolivian technical standards, orintheabsence
thereof, onregional orinternational standards oroncodes ofgoodpractice. Alloftheentities issuing
technical regulations mustnotify theUDIsufficiently inadvance fortheinterested parties tobeinformed
andtheWTO notified.
9. Thetechnical regulations enterintoforce 60daysaftertheUDIhasbeennotified. Thisperiod
maybedisregarded incaseofanemergency involving urgent problems ofnational security, human,
animal andplantsafety, orenvironmental protection, provided thetechnical regulation isdulynotified
upon adoption.
10. Thecontact point forholding consultations under theAgreement andtheenquiry point for
technical regulations andconformity assessment procedures inBolivia istheDepartment ofStandards
andQuality oftheVice-Ministry ofIndustry andDomestic Trade atthefollowing address:
Viceministerio deIndustria yComercio Interno
Av.Camach 1488
Casilla No.4430 LaPaz-Bolivia
Tel: 591-2- 372046
Fax: 591-2-372047
11. Theenquiry pointfortechnical standards istheBolivian Institute ofStandardization andQuality,
IBNORCA, atthefollowing address:
Instituto Boliviano deNormalización yCalidad IBNORCA
Av.Camacho 1488
Casilla No.5034 LaPaz-Bolivia
Tel: 591-2- 317262
Fax: 591-2- 317262
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