G/TBT/GEN/204  
 
22 November  2016 
(16-6393) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
 THEMATIC SESSION ON TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE1 
9 NOVEMBER  2016 
REPORT BY THE MODERATOR  TO THE TBT COMMITTEE   
This Report  was delivered by the Moderator2 of this Thematic Session  of the WTO TBT Committee 
at the meeting of 10-11 November  2016. 
 
_______________  
 
 
At the Seventh Triennial Review, Members agreed to continue to hold thematic sessions in 
conjunction with regular meetings of the Committee.3 Members agreed to dedicate the 7 
November  2016 thematic session to the topic of technical assistance .4 The p resent ations  
summarized below, as well as audio recordings,  will be made  available through  the WTO website.5  
 
Panel 1  General Session  
1.1.  Mr. Michael Roberts6 explained the rationale behind the Aid-for-Trade initiative and 
outlined its focus on mainstreaming trade into policy planning frameworks, national and regional, 
and also in both the planning frameworks of developing countries and their financing partners. He 
highlighted the work of the WTO to monitor Aid for Trade flows and evaluate their effectiveness,  in 
cooperation with the OECD. Methodological difficulties in tracking the total level of support to TBT 
related activities were cited in the absence of a dedicated reporting code for standards.  The 
benefits of finding ways to improve tracking and monitoring of  TBT related activities and support 
were discussed. Different cooperation approaches, national, regional and thematic, were also 
discussed, together with what had been identified as best practice on aid effectiveness  by the 
development community. He emphas ized the influence that standards compliance had on trade 
costs and competitiveness, as reported by developing countries in their Aid for Trade monitoring 
and evaluation exercises . 
1.2.  Mr. Simon Hess7 introduced the  Enhanced Integrated Framework  (EIF) as a framework 
bringing together 24 bilateral donors, 8 international agencies supporting the development of 
trade, and 51 Least -developed Countries  (LDCs) . The comprehensive Diagnostic Trade Integration 
Study (DTIS) is o ne of the key tools employed by  the EIF, wh ich is undertaken in all LDCs and 
almost all of which include some degree of analysis related to standards. Four common themes 
emerge across these studies, namely: (i) WTO accession and good practice with respect to the TBT 
Agreement; (ii) strengthening of  national standards bodies and the associated consultation; (iii) 
transparency in the administration of standards; and (iv) pursuing greater harmonization. Each 
country's DTIS has specific priorities for reform identified in their Action Matrix, with suppo rt for 
implementation coming from bilateral and multilateral donors in addition to the EIF Trust Fund 
                                                
1 The draft programme and list of speakers is contained in JOB/TBT/ 206/Rev.1 . 
2 Mr Tim Ward  (Australia ). This report  is provided under  the Moderator's own responsibility .  
3 G/TBT/37, para. 8.3.  
4 G/TBT/37, para. 6.7(c) and 8.3 (b) (iii). 
5 https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tbt_e/tbt_e.htm  
6 Head, Aid for Trade Unit, WTO Secretariat . The full presentation is contained in RD/TBT/ 170/Rev.1 . 
7 Coordinator, EIF Secretari at. The full presentation is contained in RD/TBT/ 186. G/TBT/GEN/204  
 
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  itself. In this  context , the donors to the EIF Trust Fund are currently supporting at least 10 
projects with standards -related  elements, including  one sta ndards specific project in Lao PDR.   
Panel 2  Members' approaches  
1.3.  Ms Leslie McDermott8 stated that Standards Alliance was a 1:1 public -private partnership 
between the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the US Agency for International 
Developm ent (USAID) to support developing Members in implementing TBT Agreement 
commitments. Over 2013 -2018, the programme was being implemented with partners in a variety 
of geographic regions and levels of economic development. The programme activities aimed at 
fulfilling four objectives in any standardization sector or topic: (i) to increase the understanding of 
TBT principles; (ii) to facilitate the implementation of the TBT Code of Good Practice; (iii) to 
improve transparency in the development and updating of  technical regulations; or (iv) to 
strengthen and make more transparent private sector engagement in standards development and 
use.  She highlighted four types of activities that could be covered: (i) training on best practices 
for standards development an d implementation of the TBT Agreement; (ii) technical exchange 
(e.g. between TBT Enquiry Points); (iii) assistance in the development of online transparency 
tools; and (iv) staff exchanges and mentoring. To date, the programme had achieved: (i) 9% 
increase  in participation in ISO technical committees and subcommittees; (ii) 24% participation 
increase in TBT Committee meetings; (iii) an increase in TBT notifications by six countries; and 
(iv) attendance of 1,118 participants in Standards Alliance events. Finally, she stated that from 
2017-2021, the Standards Alliance will dedicate programming to 5 new countries in Africa: Côte 
d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mozambique, Senegal and Zambia.  
1.4.  Ms Suhaimi A. Kasman9 explained that the National Standardization Agency of Indonesi a 
(BSN) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Association of 
Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) on standardization of plumbing in 2003, which was 
extended until 2017. The MoU addresses consumer needs for safe and effectiv e plumbing systems 
in Indonesia's growing building and construction market; nearly half of Indonesian citizens lack 
access to safe water and more than 70% rely on potentially contaminated sources. The MoU has 
five goals: (i) to enhance communication betwee n the two organizations in plumbing system 
standardization; (ii) to avoid duplication of work; (iii) to promote knowledge of standards 
development activities, especially of the plumbing system; (iv) to tap into IAPMO resources to 
strengthen standards and c onformity assessment infrastructure in particular for the plumbing 
system; (v) to promote the adoption of the IAPMO Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) and Uniform 
Mechanical Code (UMC) as the reference for Indonesian National Standards (SNI) where 
appropriate. Si x activities are carried out under the MoU: (i) adoption of the IAPMO UPC and sale 
of IAPMO publications under a license agreement; (ii) joint sponsorship of training programs; (iii) a 
Joint Annual World Plumbing Day held in Jakarta; (iv) BSN application f or membership in relevant 
IAMPO technical committees; (v) providing cross web -links between the BSN and IAPMO websites; 
(vi) IAPMO´s annual report to BSN on IAMPRO participation in BSN standardization activities. 
Stakeholder engagement in Indonesia is vita l for implementation of the MoU, and she highlighted 
that IAPMO UPC 2012 is a reference for SNI No. 8153 published in 2015, and that PT.IAPMO is in 
the process of being accredited by KAN as Testing Lab and Plumbing Certification Body. Ms 
Kasman identified three challenges: (i) the development a master plan of plumbing system 
standardization; (ii) the development of quality infrastructure to support implementation of SNI for 
plumbing systems; and, (iii) the development an SNI for government procurement of pl umbing 
systems.   
1.5.  Ms Magnolia Uy10 presented the results of a survey of 1,149 Philippines' businesses 
undertaken by the International Trade Centre (ITC) during 2014 -2015, in collaboration with the 
Export Marketing Bureau. The survey covered both importers an d exporters, and identified that 
conformity assessment and technical requirements are the two types of non -tariff barriers that are 
most burdensome for exporters in the Philippines. Based on the results of this survey, the 
Philippines is working in four ar eas: (i) in respect of fumigation, mapping the location, sectors and 
markets served, and costs; (ii) increasing access to information about labelling requirements, 
                                                
8 Director, International Development, American National Standards Institute . The full presentation is 
contained in RD/TBT/ 172. 
9 Head of Subdivision of Notification, National Standardization Agency of Indonesia . The full presentation 
is contained in RD/TBT/ 177. 
10 Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the WTO . The full presentation is contained in RD/TBT/ 178. G/TBT/GEN/204  
 
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  training on labelling for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and exploring possibl e 
harmonization of labelling requirements in ASEAN; (iii) concerning testing and certification, 
providing training for MSMEs, identifying gaps in the types of certification offered by Philippines' 
certification bodies; and (iv) furthering efforts to build up the National Quality Infrastructure in line 
with the Philippines Development Plan 2011 -2016. She noted the numerous benefits of the work of 
Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) for improving implementation of the SPS 
Agreement. In order to co mplement national initiatives , she suggested further discussion of an 
STDF counterpart for TBT, which amongst other benefits , could provide support and funding for 
development and implementation of projects that promote compliance with TBT standards and 
requirements.  
1.6.  Ms. Melissa San Miguel11 said the Grocery Manufacturers Association is an active advocate 
for its 300 member companies and is committed to meeting consumers' needs through product 
innovation, responsible business practices and partnerships with  policy makers and stakeholders. 
She highlighted two projects endorsed by APEC leaders: (i) the Food Safety Cooperation Forum 
(FSCF) which supports development of robust food safety regulatory systems; and (ii) the 
Partnership Training Institute Network (P TIN) which was a tripartite collaboration between 
government, industry and academia for food safety capacity building. Both projects are public -
private partnerships that aimed at: (i) facilitating food safety information sharing; (ii) promoting 
regulatory convergence through regulatory cooperation and capacity building; (iii) prevention and 
management of food supply chain problems and emergencies; (iv) enabling small producers to 
connect with global food supply chains; (v) protecting consumers and building confidence. 
Together, these initiatives strengthen food safety systems, improve public health, and enable 
trade in safe food and food security, to promote economic growth and poverty alleviation. PTIN 
makes four key contributions: (i) introduction of more science -based methods to ensure food 
safety in APEC economies; (ii) promote harmonization of food safety regulations to facilitate trade; 
(iii) development of replicable training materials to improve food safety; and (iv) improve 
cooperation in food safety  incident management.  
1.7.  Mr. Kirk Shirley12 introduced five different TBT capacity building programmes offered by the 
US Department of Agriculture (USDA): (i) US study tours (e.g. on food labelling); (ii) US based 
training courses (which are delivered in part nership with US universities); (iii) in country trainings; 
(iv) technical consultations (to recipient countries related to the development of laws and 
regulations); and (v) workshops, trainings and conferences. These programmes cover twelve 
topics: (i) est ablishment of national standardizing bodies; (ii) national inquiry points and 
notification authorities; (iii) TBT notification processes and transparency; (iv) preparation of 
technical regulations and standards; (v) conformity assessment procedures; (vi) h armonization of 
standards and regulations and equivalence agreements; (vii) product and facility registration; (viii) 
quality standards; (ix) food and beverage labelling; (x) food additives and ingredients; (xi) 
certification and export documentation; and (xii) participation in Codex Alimentarius Commission 
and other international bodies. Delivery of this capacity building draws on technical resources and 
experts from other Services in the USDA, from other US government institutions, as well as the 
private sector and other public sector organizations. He provided specific examples of activities: (i) 
the Food Additive Programme; (ii) Codex Outreach including participation and coordination; (iii) 
US food safety study tours; and (iv) the Regional Organics Progr am in Latin America.  
1.8.  Mr. Junior Lodge13 explained that the ACP -EU TBT Programme's objective is to improve the 
competitiveness of ACP local, regional and export markets through: (i) enhancing the capacity of 
ACP regional and continental quality infrastructur e institutions; (ii) supporting the capacity of ACP 
economic operators to comply with technical regulations, standards and conformity assessment 
procedures; and (iii) disseminating results and experiences. The Programme is governed by 
Steering and Validati ng Committees supported by a 6 -man Project Management Unit. The 
Programme has a 10.34 million euros budget with activities focussed on the following main 
components, namely: (i) strengthening quality infrastructure institutions; (ii) supporting private 
sector compliance capacity; and (iii) disseminating results and experiences. Since operations 
began in March 2013, the programme has supported 85 projects in six ACP regions with four levels 
                                                
11 Senior Director, Global Strategies, Grocery Manufacturers of America . The full presentation is 
contained in RD/TBT/ 173. 
12 TBT Capacity Building Coordinator, Office of Capacity Building and Development, Foreign Agricultural 
Service, US Department of Agriculture . The full presentation is contained in RD/TBT/ 171. 
13 Team Leader, ACP TBT Programme . The full presentation is contained in RD/TBT/ 174. G/TBT/GEN/204  
 
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  of implementation: continental, regional, national and all -ACP. The Programme principally benefits 
quality infrastructure institutions, and private sector bodies, through core activities services such 
as: training; regulatory impact and need assessment; twining and mentoring; studies and 
reviews.  Five projects were present ed in detail, namely, (i) the support to the ACP Group, Geneva; 
(ii) training courses on legal metrology and accreditation in cooperation with AFRAC14, AFRIMETS15 
and CROSQ16; (iii) development of harmonized African standards for traditional medicine through 
ARSO17; (iv) the development of a quality and safety standard for kava production and trade in the 
Pacific; and (v) the strengthening of the Ghanaian export competiveness and private sector 
development through Export Quality Management Systems. Mr. Lodge hi ghlighted six main lessons 
learned from the programme: (i) the beneficiary had a critical role (e.g. in submitting requests for 
assistance, project design, and throughout the project lifecycle); (ii) continuous consultations with 
relevant stakeholders to i mprove project results; (iii) support to quality infrastructure institutions 
delivered better results than to the private sector (due to the average project time -frame of 10 -11 
months); (iv) interventions had to be complemented with other projects; (v) the  importance of 
propagating best practices and showcasing TBT TRTA needs; and (vi) TBT TRTA needs are best 
addressed through dedicated TBT -specific TRTA vehicles as beneficiaries are confident of garnering 
both support and understanding.   
1.9.  To conclude, Mr. T im Ward  said presentations and discussion highlighted the need for both 
providers and recipients of technical assistance to be clear on the specific needs to be addressed 
through the programme, and what benefits both hope to realize. A key ingredient for d elivering 
expected benefits is engaging all relevant people – both governmental and non -governmental 
stakeholders – in the planning process. To maximize the full potential of resources committed to 
technical assistance programmes , there is a real need to b e able to measure  the impact of such 
programmes. The session gave good examples of ways that the need and impact can be 
measured.  There are many good ideas out there for addressing TBT capacity issues; the challenge 
is to turn th ose ideas into effective a ction.   
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14 African Accreditation Cooperation.  
15 Intra-African Metrology System . 
16 CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality.  
17 African Organization for Standardization.