G/TBT/GEN/272  
 
8 November 2019  
(19-7592 ) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade    
 
 
 THEMATIC SESSION ON CONFORMITY ASSESSMEN T PROCEDURES:  
NATIONAL QUALITY INF RASTRUCTURE  
12 NOVEMBER 2019 , 15:00 -18:00 – 13 NOV EMBER, 10:00 -13:00  
Programme1 
At the Eighth Triennial Review, Members agreed to continue to hold thematic sessions in conjunction 
with its regular meetings during 2019 to 2021, with a view to further deepening the Committee's 
exchange of experiences on specific topics, and to hold a se ssion on conformity assessment 
procedures (CAP) in November 2019 with a  focus on: National Quality Infrastructure  (NQI) .2 
 
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This thematic session  will be  moderated by:  Mr. BI Zhonglin (China) and Ms Lorena  Rivera 
(Colombia)  
 
Guiding q uestions:3 
• What approaches exist for the development of  NQI, including metrology, standardization, 
conformity assessment  and accreditation?  
• How can Members  encourage the use of NQI by  their regulators , in order to avoid 
unnecessary barriers to trade ? 
 
Speakers are invited to make presentations not exceeding 15 minutes.  
 
Panel 1: Accreditation  
a. Indonesia : Indonesia's experience on the use of Accreditation as a basis for conformity 
assessment acceptance , Mrs. Konny Sagala, Director of Implementation System  for 
Standard and Conformity Assessment, BSN .  
b. European Union : Overview of the system for accreditation in the EU as part of National 
Quality Infrastructure , Mr. Andreas Steinhorst, Executive Secretary, European co -
operation for Accreditation.  
c. Egypt : Outline and brief on quality infrastructure development in Egypt , Eng. Hany El -
Desouki , Executive Director,  and Eng. Mohamed Abdelhalim , Head of International 
Relations Department , Egyptian Accreditation Council . 
Panel 2: Metrology  
a. International Bureau of Weights and Measures  (BIPM) : A common international 
approach to Quality Infrastructure – recent developments ", Mr. Andy Henson, Director of 
International Liaison and Communication Department, BIPM . 
                                                 
1 The d raft programme is contained in JOB/TBT/342/Rev.1 . 
2 G/TBT/41 , para. 8.2.a.iv, footnote 298; JOB/TBT/273/Rev.5 , para. 2.2.a.  
3 G/TBT/41 , para. 4.17.c.iv.  G/TBT/GEN/272  
 
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  Panel 3: Standard ization  
a. Japan : Standardization Process in  Japan's Quality Infrastructure , Ms Yukiko Kotani, 
Japanese Standards Association Group.  
b. United States : Standardization in the United States National Quality Infrastructure , Ms 
Leslie McDermott, Director, International Development, American National Standa rds 
Institute (ANSI).  
c. European Union : The role of standards in Quality Infrastructure , Mr. Gonçalo Ascensão, 
Manufacturing, Standardization & Digital Solutions, European Committee for 
Standardization (CEN) - European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization 
(CENELEC) . 
Panel 4: Conformit y Assessment Procedures  
a. New Zealand : The Approach to conformity assessment – the New Zealand experience , 
Mr. Adam Dubas, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.  
b. Australia : Matching conf ormity assessment procedures with NQI capacity – a case study 
in energy efficiency regulation , Ms Jennifer Evans, CEO, National Association of Testing 
Authorities, Australia.  
c. Brazil : New conformity assessment framework for telecommunications products in Br azil, 
Mr. André Mota de Abreu Iwasa, Process Coordinator, National Telecommunications 
Agency (ANATEL).  
Panel 5: NQI systems  
a. Trinidad and Tobago : Steps in the Strengthening of the Quality Infrastructure - A 
Developing Country Perspective , Ms Jo -Anne Beharry, Standards Officer III, Trinidad and 
Tobago Bureau of Standards.  
b. China : China's quality infrastructure , Mr. WANG Yunsong, Deputy Director General of 
Quality Development Bureau, State Administration for Market Regulation . 
c. Turkey : Quality Infras tructure in Turkey , Ms. Sanem Yıldız, Senior Trade Expert , Ministry 
of Trade .  
d. Argentina : Regulatory Strategy of the Argentine Republic. The new National Quality 
System – the role of the Technical Regulators Commission and the harmonization of 
conformity a ssessment procedures. Presentation on Argentina's experience in the use of 
international standards as a tool to access international markets , Mr. Matías Bernocco, 
Director of Technical Regulations and Quality Promotion.4 
e. United States : National Quality Inf rastructure of the United States , Mr. Warren Merkel, 
Chief of Standards Services, Standards Coordination Office, National Institute of Standards 
and Technology (NIST).  
f. Mozambique : INNOQ's technical assistance needs , Mr. Alfredo Sitoe, Director, Instituto 
Nacional de Normalização e Qualidade  (INNOQ).  
g. Brazil : The Brazilian National Quality Infrastructure: an overview and recent 
developments , Léa Contier , National Institute of Metrology Standardization and Industrial 
Quality (Inmetro) . 
 
                                                 
4 G/TBT/GEN/270 . G/TBT/GEN/272  
 
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  Panel 6: Reg ional approaches  to QI  
a. South Africa : Southern African Development Community (SADC) Quality Infrastructure 
in relation to cooperation to demonstrate equivalence of technical regulations in the SADC 
Region , Mr. Innocent Sbu Khumalo, Deputy Director, Technical Infrastructure of the 
Industrial Development Division of the Department of Trade and Industry of South Africa.  
b. Vanuatu : Regional Quality Infrastructure: The Pacific experience, Ms Mere Falemaka , 
Permane nt Representative and Ambassador, Permanent Delegation of the Pacific Islands 
Forum to the United Nations, WTO and Other International Organisations in Geneva.  
c. United States : Regional Perspective on NQI , Ms Ileana Martinez, Principal, Standards, 
Accreditation and Trade Advisors, representing Quality Infrastructure Council of the 
Americas (QICA).  
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