WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/GEN/95 
30 April 2010 
 (10-2342) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original: English 
  
 
INFORMATION ON ACTIVITIES OF THE ITC (INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE)  
FROM JULY 2009 – FEBRUARY 2010 
 
 
 The following information was provided  by the International Trade Centre
 at the 
TBT Committee meeting of 24-25 March 2010. 
 
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I. PUBLICATIONS AND TOOLS 
A. TECHNICAL REGULATIONS :  RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THEIR ELABORATION AND 
ENFORCEMENT  
1. ITC and PTB1 have jointly brought out a new guide  on technical regulations, titled " Technical 
Regulations:  Recommendations for their elaboration and enforcement ".  The information contained 
in the booklet is aimed at assisting regulators in  developing and transition countries to have an 
improved regulatory process.  In 40 pages, it offers a compact and practice-relevant instruction 
manual for the preparation and implementation of technical regulations and towards the use of 
available binding and voluntary regulating instrume nts more efficiently and more fairly, for the 
promotion of competitiveness, and also for the prot ection of consumers and the environment.  The 
guide can be downloaded at the homepage of the ITC at the following address:   
http://www.intracen.org/ec/newsletter/2009/Decemb er/ITC_PTB_Guide_on_Technical_Regulations.p
df 
B. ISO  14001  ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FITNESS CHECKER  
2. ITC and ISO are currently developing join tly an "ISO 14001 Environmental Management 
System Fitness Checker", along the lines of the jo int ISO-ITC ISO 22000 Fitness Checker, in order to 
support the dissemination of the ISO 14001 standard.   This will help, inter alia , organizations in 
developing countries and transition economies to  understand the requirements for environment 
management systems, to implement such systems and to assess their readiness for certification of their 
environmental management systems to ISO 14001.  The tool is due to be published this year. 
II. PROJECTS 
A. BANGLADESH LEATHER SERVICE CENTRE FOR EXPORT DEVELOPMENT2 
3. In 2009 work started in the area of quality im provement in seven selected enterprises in the 
leather sector.  The assistance aims at developi ng and showcasing in-compa ny built quality control 
                                                      
1 Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) is the national metrology institute in Germany. 
2 Project financed by the Government of Italy and executed by ITC. G/TBT/GEN/95 
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  systems for a group of selected enterprises, as a learning ground and a model for the whole sector.  
Industry-wide dissemination and training workshops are therefore conducted and in particular:    
(a) One workshop on "Initiating Quality Improvement in the Leather Sector" was 
conducted on 21 October 2009 in Dhaka;  
(b) One workshop on "5S for Housekeeping" was conducted on 5 December 2009 in 
Dhaka; 
(c) One workshop on "Quality Control System" was conducted on 30 January 2010 in 
Dhaka; 
(d) The direct assistance to seven selected enterprises to implement 5S – Quality 
improvement is ongoing.   
B. B
ANGLADESH QUALITY SUPPORT PROGRAMME (BQSP)3 
4. ITC has completed its activities in Banglad esh in December 2009 which were aimed, inter 
alia, at improving the private sector understanding  about quality and packaging requirements in 
export markets, and its capacity to apply the value chain approach to find ways to enhance product 
competitiveness in these markets.   
1. Light Engineering Sector (LES) 
5. To bring the LES to the level of quality mana gement (QM), it was necessary first for the 
industry to be aware of systematic use of good h ousekeeping and quality control (QC) practices.  In 
view of this, the following activities were carried out between May to October 2009: 
(a) Two workshops, one each at Dhaka and Bogra, for creating awareness about problem 
solving tools, good housekeeping practices (J apanese 5S) and quality control system; 
(b) Direct assistance to six manufacturing enterprises for implementing good 
housekeeping practices (Japanese 5S) and quality control system;  
(c) One experience sharing workshop at Dhaka for disseminating to more enterprises and 
stakeholders about results achieved by six enterprises. 
6. The following results were achieved: 
(a) Knowledge on Basic Quality Concepts was imparted to 40 delegates from small 
enterprises and other stakeholders and 15 potential Trainers-cum-Counsellors (TCC) 
from Bangladesh; 
(b) 15 participants representing six particip ating enterprises along with six TCCs who 
were selected for assisting the enterprises,  received two-day interactive training on 
quality concepts; 
(c) Selected six enterprises were provided advisory support to implement 5S and QCS by 
International Consultant and TCC attached to each enterprise; 
                                                      
3 The Bangladesh Quality Support Programme (BQSP) was funded by the EC with contributions from 
UNIDO and ITC and in kind contribution from the Government of Bangladesh.  ITC implemented Component 2 
“Supporting Export Divers ification" of the BQSP.  The project ended in December 2009.  G/TBT/GEN/95 
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  (d) The results achieved by the enterprises were  disseminated in an experience sharing 
workshop attended by 51 delegates from LES both from Dhaka and Bogra. 
7. An enterprise stated that "By implementing 5S we have increased our productivity by 30%.  
By introducing better controls during casting and ma chining we have been able to reduce our product 
returns from market from 5% to 1% and our sales volume has increased by 20%." - Reza Engineer’s, 
Bogra.  
C. CENTRAL ASIA (KYRGYZSTAN AND TAJIKISTAN ) 
8. The projects in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, fund ed by SECO, have started their third phase in 
September 2009.  The overall objective of this project is to contribute to the sustainable expansion and 
diversification of SMEs’ exports  in Tajikistan through increasing the competitiveness of the textile 
and clothing industry and improving the quality management infrastructure of the country. 
9. The specific objective in the areas of SPS and TBT, is to improve the capacity of SQAM4, 
TBT and SPS bodies and the regulatory infrastructure.  In particular:    
(a) Two Tajik laboratories dealing with pr oducts in the agro-processing sector and 
complying with the requirements of ISO/ IEC 17025 will be assessed for accreditation 
by a full member of ILAC5; 
(b) The Kyrgyz Accreditation Centre (KAC) will be assisted to become a full member of 
ILAC; 
(c) Assistance will be provided for the establishment of the National Notification 
Authority (NNA) and the National Enqui ry Points (NEPs) for SPS and TBT in 
Tajikistan; 
(d) The NNA and the NEP for SPS in Kyrgyzstan will be assisted to become operational; 
(e) The SPS infrastructure will be streamlined to  cater to the country’s needs in the area 
of food safety, animal health and plant health with regard to imports, domestic 
production and exports. 
D. BENIN "STRENGTHENING THE CAPACITY FOR TRADE SUPPORT INSTITUTIONS AND 
ENTERPRISES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXPORTS " 
10. An ITC workshop was organized in August 2009 to inform stakeholders in the cashew nut 
sector about issues related to operations manageme nt, quality and packaging.  This was followed by 
advisory visits to a selected number of enterprises.  An analysis of the opportunities for the organic 
certification of cashew nuts was conducted.   
E. MALAWI "IMPROVING THE SQAM  INFRASTRUCTURE IN MALAWI "6 
11. ITC in collaboration with the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) has completed the 
Technical Support Project for improving the Standard ization, Quality Assurance, Accreditation and 
Metrology (SQAM) infrastructure in Malawi.   
                                                      
4 SQAM:   Standards, Quality Assu rance, Metrology and Accreditation. 
5 ILAC:   International Labora tory Accreditation Cooperation. 
6 Funding source:   Integrated Framework. G/TBT/GEN/95 
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  12. In August 2009 ITC continued its technical assi stance to strengthen MBS as the national ISO 
9001 certification body in accordance with intern ational standards, pursuing its accreditation by 
SANAS in 2009.  A relevant foundation for a realistically achievable accreditation of MBS as ISO 9001 certification body has been established.  The South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) is the preferred body to accredit MBS in the coming months.   
F. C
HAD "STRENGTHENING NATIONAL CAPACITY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTEGRATED 
FRAMEWORK " 
13. A mission was conducted in November 2009 to pr ovide advice on the setting-up of a national 
standards body in Chad.  During the mission, the following activities were conducted: 
(a) A seminar on "Improving and Maintaini ng Market Access, through Standards and 
Conformity Assessment" on 24 November 2009 and  
(b) A roundtable to discuss the setting-up of a na tional standards body with stakeholders 
on 25 November 2009. 
G. OTHER ITC  PROJECTS OF INTEREST : 
1. Regional Consultation on Quality Manageme nt:  Linking TPOs and NSBs for Export 
Success", 1-3 December 2009, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 
14. ITC and ISO have jointly organized a consu ltation aimed at providi ng a framework for 
National Standards Bodies (NSBs) and Trade Prom otion Organizations (TPOs) to find the best 
approach to develop and strengthe n their cooperation to support the international competitiveness of 
SMEs, given the limited resources, and constrai nts in developing countries.  More than 35 
representatives from 16 countries7 in Asia and among  decision-making level practitioners and 
professionals in the field of standards and trade prom otion actively participated in the consultation.  
The consultation helped clarify roles and mandates of NSBs and TPOs and related inter-linkages and 
identify possible areas of cooperation to help en terprises meet standards and overcome technical 
barriers to trade and, particularly, to influence th e development of international standards for export 
products of interest.   
15. Besides the important actions identified by the participants as follow up at national level, the 
consultation is expected to produce in the second quarter of 2010:    
(a) A publication emphasizing linkages betw een NSBs and TPOs based on an 
consultation which will, inter alia , incorporate the key issues, solutions and "best 
practices" elaborated in the consultation documentation and discussions.   
(b) Updated export strategy formulation me thodology with a reinforced module on 
Quality Management. 
16. For more information on the consultation, please visit 
http://www.intracen.org/eqm/events/welcome.htm  
                                                      
7 Bangladesh, Bhutan, Fiji , India, Indonesia, Iran, China Macau  SAR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, 
Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines,  Sri Lanka, Thailand, Viet Nam.  G/TBT/GEN/95 
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  2. Non-Tariff Measures project: 
17. ITC is engaged in a multi-agency initiative on Non-Tariff Measures, which was initiated by 
the UNCTAD Secretary General in September 2007 w ith the objective to in crease transparency and 
understanding about NTMs through the systematic  collection, classification and dissemination of 
NTM-related data.  In this context, ITC assists countries to better understand the obstacles to trade 
experienced by their business sect ors when complying with non-tari ff measures.  Further to a pilot 
project executed in collaboration with UNCTAD in seven developing countries in 2008-2009, ITC will implement a representative survey on NTMs  - with a focus on SPS and TBT - in around 30 
developing and least developed c ountries during 2010-2012.  The surveys identify at product, sector 
and partner country-level the predominant obstacl es that the business sect or faces when complying 
with NTMs, including those that are related to pote ntial bottlenecks at the national level with regards 
to the capabilities and technical facilities to meet re gulations and demonstrate compliance.  Exporting 
and importing companies are screened through phone interviews and surveyed through in-depth face-
to-face interviews.  The survey contributes to a better understanding of the specific needs of the 
business sector, enabling targeted capacity building and better formulation of national strategies and 
policies.   
18. For more information on the NTM project:  Mondher Mimouni, ITC, Officer in Charge, 
Market Analysis and Research, Tel:  +41 22 730 0371, Fax:  +41 22 730 0577, Email:  
mimouni@intracen.org, 
3. Trade for Sustainable Development (T4SD) 
19. Trade for Sustainable Development (T4SD) is a partnership-based effort led by the ITC to 
enhance transparency on voluntary standards and to increase opportunities for sustainable production 
and trade.  The main project output will be a web-based tool that centralizes, organizes and disseminates information on voluntary sustainab ility standards and related research results to 
strengthen the capacity of producers, exporters and buy ers to participate in sustainable production and 
trade.  T4SD will:    
(a) Systematically integrate comprehensive, recent and comparable information on 
voluntary sustainability standards; 
(b) Provide research and case studies that complements this information, such as impact 
assessment, market data, how-to guides and best practice(s) examples; 
(c) Allow information tailoring through customi zed front ends addressing users’ specific 
needs, ensuring direct access to relevant information and intuitive web navigation. 
20. The T4SD database currently contains 12 sta ndards including, Fairtrade (FLO), Rainforest 
Alliance (Sustainable Agriculture Network), UTZ Certified, GlobalGAP, 4C Association, The Marine 
Stewardship Council (MSC), The Forestry Stewar dship Council (FSC), The Programme for the 
Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), The Better Sugarcane Initiative (BSI), The Roundtable 
on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB), Social Accountabil ity International (SAI), and the International 
Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) .   Discussions regard ing additional standards 
are ongoing.      
21. For more information about T4SD, please c ontact Joseph Wozniak, Programme Manager 
(wozniak@intracen.org
). G/TBT/GEN/95 
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  4. Trade, Climate Change and Environment Programme 
22. ITC has started work a module on Carbon Sta ndards and Markets with the objective to 
strengthen the capacity of SMEs and TSIs, to unde rstand and respond to new requirements on carbon.   
23. As a first step in the project, ITC is organizing a workshop in Nairobi in May 2010 in 
partnership with the Kenya Bureau of Standard s, the Kenya Fresh Produce Exporters Association 
(FPEAK), the Swedish Institute of Standards and UNI DO.  The objective of the workshop is twofold:  
to consult stakeholders on the development of the new ISO standard on carbon footprinting and to 
consult exporters on how to provide assistance in measuring carbon emissions across the fresh produce sector and more broadly assist companie s in meeting carbon retail standards.   
24. For more information:   
Shyam K.  Gujadhur 
ITC Senior Adviser on Standards and Quality Management Tel:  +41 22 730 03 96 Fax:  +41 22 730 05 76 E-mail:  gujadhur@intracen.org
 
 
Ludovica Ghizzoni ITC Adviser on Enterprise Value Chain –Export Quality Management  Tel:  +41 22 730 06 38 Fax:  +41 22 730 05 76 E-mail:  ghizzoni@intracen.org
 
 
Web address:  www.intracen.org/eqm  
E-mail address:  quality@intracen.org  
 
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