WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/GEN/62 
21 November 2007 
 (07-5111) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
NORWEGIAN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 
  
Agenda Item 4: Technical Cooperation
 
 
 
 The following submission, dated 9 November 2007, is being circulated at the request of the Delegation of Norway
. 
 
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I. WESTERN BALKANS   
1. Norway made a contribution of US$2,150,218 to a technical assistance program on 
international regulations and standards for the Priv ate Enterprise Partnership for South East Europe 
(PEP-SE). The Administration Agreement was signed on 27 September 2007 between the 
International Finance Corporation and the Roya l Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 
II. SOUTH-EAST ASIA 
2. The Norwegian Agency for Developm ent Cooperation (Norad) supports the Mekong Delta 
Regional Project which covers the three countries of Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam.  Phase I  
(2003-06) focused on infrastructure mapping and n eeds assessment for laying the foundation of 
standards, metrology, testing and quality instit utional structures and national capacities (SMTQ) - 
NKr 8 million. 
3. Phase II  (2006-08)  will concentrate on development and strengthening of new and existing 
physical conformity infrastructure, further ex tensive training and securing of national training 
capabilities on the various standards involved in th e main identified export industries, ensuring 
regional and international credibility of the conformi ty infrastructure, and development of operational 
TBT and SPS enquiry points in each country.  Phase II builds on the progress in the first phase 
towards helping the countries of the region to participate in global trade and conform to WTO 
requirements – NKr 12 million. 
III. SOUTHERN ASIA 
4. The European Union and Norway fund the Bangladesh Quality Support Programme  
through institutional strengthening of inter alia  the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution 
(BSTI) and by establishing a National Certifi cation Body for ISO-9001, ISO-14001 and HACCP.  
The programme also involves consumer associations  in standards setting and market surveillance. 
(Norway’s share is 10 per cent; Nkr 7 million for the years 2006-09). 
5. Since 2003 Norway has supported a UNIDO project for SAARC LDCs: Bangladesh, Nepal, 
Bhutan and the Maldives  entitled "Market Access and Trade Fa cilitation Support for South Asian 
LDC's through strengthening of ins titutional and national capacities rela ted to standards, metrology, G/TBT/GEN/62 
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  testing and quality (SMTQ)".  The goal has been to develop the capacity within ISO 9000, ISO 14000 
and HACCP (NKr 7.6 million for the years 2004-07). 
6. An Agreement for Phase II of the project was signed in September 2007, with the total 
amount of NKr 18 million for the years 2007-10.  The objective of this project is to build upon the achievements of the earlier phase.  In so doing, it seeks to facilitate the industrial development and 
export capabilities and consequently to spur the ec onomic growth of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and 
Maldives by reducing technical barriers to trade th rough the strengthening of institutional structures 
and national capacities in standards, metrology, te sting, quality and conformity assessment. This 
project also aims to protect domestic society ag ainst sub-standard and h azardous product imports.  
The needs of the four SAARC LDCs under the pr oject will be addressed separately due to the 
diversity of these needs in the area of SMTQ  as well as their socio-economic circumstances
  
7. As a continuation of previous support for UNIDO's SMTQ projects, Norway supports, 
"Strengthening International certification capability in Sri Lanka " with particular reference to 
Social Accountability standard (SA8000) and Food safety (HACCP/ISO 22000) standard. An independent private sector driven certification bod y has been established with capacity to provide 
certification services for HACCP/ISO 22000, SA 8000, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, the  Government 
counterparts being the Ministry of Industrial Deve lopment and the Ministry of Science & Technology 
(NKr 5 million for the years 2006-08). 
8. Long term cooperation between NA and PNAC has been established within the framework 
agreement "Institutional cooperation" between  Norway and Pakistan.   This cooperation was 
approved in July 2005 for 3 years with a total budge t of  NKr 3 million.  The institutional cooperation 
between NA and PNAC aims at competence and the capacity building in certifying laboratories 
according to ISO standards, and at helping PNAC to receive internationally recognized accreditation 
standard. 
IV. EAST AFRICA 
9. Norad has signed a new agreement with UNIDO regarding support for a regional programme 
in East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) – " Trade Capacity Building in Agro-industry products 
in East Africa " with a total amount of NKr15 million for the years 2006 - 2009.  The goal of the 
programme is to build trade capacity in agro-i ndustry products for the establishment and proof of 
compliance with international market requirements.  The regional counterpart is the East African 
Community's Secretariat in Arusha. 
10. During the semi-annual meeting between UNIDO and Norad in October 2007, it was agreed 
that the Project should be revised to inter alia  include a program for Rwanda and Burundi .  An 
additional amount of NKr 10 million was in principle approved. 
11. Norad has in principle agreed to finance a Pilot Project for the promotion of Global GAP 
Standards in Uganda (Total amount NKr 2 million for the period 2007-09). 
V. SOUTHERN AFRICA 
12. Norway supported the establishment of the Southern African Development Community 
Accreditation Service (SADCAS)  with NKr 13 million for the period 2007-2011.  This follows 
Norwegian support of NKr 2.7 million donated duri ng the project's preparatory phase from 2003 to 
2006. 
13. Norad has in principle agreed to finance a Joint UNIDO-WTO Trade Capacity Building 
Programme for Zambia with a total amount of NKr 16.5 million for the years 2008 -11.  Based on  G/TBT/GEN/62 
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  Zambian priorities as reflected in the country’s Fifth National Development Plan 2006-2010, UNIDO 
has developed a draft Project Document for a UNIDO -WTO Trade Capacity Building Project with the 
following immediate objectives: 
(a) Review and provide input to the Governme nt of Zambia (Ministry of Commerce, 
Trade and Industry) to amend as nec essary the legislative framework surrounding 
MSTQ and encourage a quality culture in Zambia; 
(b) Strengthen national institutions  for conformity assessment; 
(c) Strengthen the Zambian Quality Chain with regard to testing and export certification 
of products in selected sectors; 
(d) Enhance the trade policy and negotiation cap abilities of the Government of Zambia 
and involving the private sector in trade negotiations. 
14. Norad has agreed to finance a UNIDO Study on private standards and the publication of 
"Guide to Private Standards " for the year 2008 with an amount of NKr 1.6 million.  The immediate 
objectives are: 
(a) Publish and widely disseminate the “Gui de to Private Standards” to selected 
manufacturing sectors and explain their im plications for developing country 
exporters; 
(b) UNIDO PTC branches identifies further venu es for cooperation with leading private 
sector firms in targeted international value chains and improve design of technical assistance projects for capacity building. A review of harmonization efforts undertaken and the possibilities of UNIDO acting as a broker assessed. 
15. Norad has in principle agreed to finance UNIDO’s Annual Trade Compliance Report for 
the year 2008 with an amount of NKr 1.8 million.  
16. UNIDO tracks on a continual basis exports by developing countries that are rejected by the 
recipient country due to lack of compliance to sta ndards and/or requirements, and the resulting loss of 
revenue for the countries/exporters in question. 
17. The publication will be an integrated part of UNIDO initiative for "Enabling Developing 
Countries to Participate in International Trade – St rengthening the Supply Capacity".  The publication 
will be useful both for policy makers an d trade associations/industrial organisations. 
 
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