WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/GEN/98 
30 April 2010 
 (10-2336) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
IEC ACTIVITIES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES   
 
November 2009 – March 2010
 
 
  The following information was provided by the IEC
 (International Electrotechnical 
Commission) at the TBT Committee meeting of 24-25 March 2010.   
 
_______________ 
  
1. This report to the WTO Technical Barriers to Trade Committee highlights the activities of the 
IEC, its Members and Affiliates, and Regional Cent res, related to increasing the participation of 
developing and newly industrialized countries in IEC International Standardization and Conformity 
Assessment activities.   
2. The IEC ( www.iec.ch
) is the world leading organization that prepares and publishes 
International Standards for all electrical, electr onic and related technologies – collectively known as 
"electrotechnology".  The IEC al so administers three global conformity assessment systems, IECEE  
(http://iecee.org ), IECEx ( www.iecex.com )and IECQ ( www.iecq.com ), for testing, certification and 
approval of equipment, systems, components and in selected areas services and personnel to its 
International Standards.   
3. On the technical front, the IEC continues to work across a broad range of electrotechnology 
through its 174 technical committees and subc ommittees.  Those technical committees only 
established in the last few years, covering Envi ronmental Standardization, Nanotechnologies, Flat 
Panel Displays and Fuel Cells have produced th e basic standards and their work programmes are 
accelerating rapidly.  The more recently establishe d technical committees covering Marine Energy 
and Ultra High Voltage for DC voltages above 8 00 kV are now moving ahead with their work 
programmes.  The Commission is also addressing a number of key subject areas through specific 
strategic groups including Electrical Energy Efficiency, the mapping and development of International Standards for the Smart Grid, Low Vo ltage Direct Current (LVDC) distribution systems, 
and for Ultra High Voltage Direct Current (UHV DC ) technologies.  Regarding Energy Efficiency 
and Renewable Energies, IEC and ISO have fo rmed a Joint Project Committee to address the 
standardization of terminology.   
I. IEC FAMILY IS GROWING FAST 
4. Three countries joined the IEC in February 2010: Chile as a Full Member, Georgia and 
Jordan as Associate Members.  The road leading to membership was different in each case.   
5. Chile has for many years been familiar with the IEC through a series of visits and high-level 
discussions with IEC Officers and Central Office st aff.  In 2009 Amaury Santos, the Manager of the 
IEC Regional Centre for Latin America (IEC-LARC www.iec.ch/about/rc/iec-larc
), based in São 
Paulo, Brazil, visited Chile twice to promote elec trical standardization and to participate in a G/TBT/GEN/98 
Page 2  
 
  workshop providing stakeholders in the electrical energy field with up-to-date information about 
electrical standardization in Chile.  As a Full Me mber of the IEC, Chile is now interested in 
participating as an observer in the work of IEC TC 64  (www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=102:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1249
) on electrical installations and protection 
against electric shock, IEC SC 61C ( www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=102:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1349 ) on 
household refrigerators, and IEC SC 61D ( www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=102:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1351 ) 
on household air-conditioning.   
6. Georgia joined the IEC Affiliate Country Pr ogramme in 2002, received more than 180 IEC 
International Standards in 2006 and established its National Electrotechnical Committee (NEC) in 
2009.  The NEC President participated in the 2009 IEC General Meeting as an Affiliate delegate, 
which gave him the chance to observe and familia rize himself with the IEC community.  Now, as an 
IEC Associate Member, Georgia is considering getting involved as an observer in the fields of solar 
and wind energy, as well as power engineering.   
7. Jordan  benefited fully from the IEC’s free Aff iliate Country Programme, adopting 77 IEC 
International Standards in 2005 for use at national level.  Five e xperts were granted access to the 
working documents of 10 IEC technical committees.  This resulted in the establishment of a National 
Electrotechnical Committee in 2007, involving stakeholde rs in various fields of electrotechnology.  In 
2009 Jordan was one of the first Affiliate countries to be upgraded to Affiliate Plus status.  The 
Jordanian National Committee of the IEC (JNC/IEC) is  now interested in participating, with voting 
rights, in committees working on, for example, pow er transformers, electrical accessories, lamps and 
appliances such as household refrigerators.  It is  already an observer in ISO/IEC Joint Project 
Committee 2 (JPC 2) on terminology for energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.   
II. IEC LAUNCHES DATABASE OF ADOPTIONS 
8. In March 2010, the IEC launched a database featuring more than 130 000 entries from 
Members and Affiliates detailing IEC International Standards that have been adopted in their 
respective countries.  The new facility is being ma de available in its entirety to all IEC Member 
National Committees.   
III. IEC AFFILIATE PLUS STATUS FOR DEVELOPING AND INDUSTRIALIZING 
COUNTRIES1 
9. The Affiliate Plus status is the ultimate st ep of the IEC Affiliate Country Programme 
(www.iec.ch/affiliates ) for industrializing countries that have  reached the limits of the Programme, 
but are not yet ready to become Members of the IEC.   It is an intermediary stage to allow such 
countries to understand and participate in the work  of the IEC, while adopting IEC International 
Standards.  Brunei Darussalam is the eighth country to  be upgraded Affiliate Plus.  In February 2010, 
15 IEC International Standards were adopted in a ceremony to launch a Brunei adoption programme 
as part of the initiatives to achieve electrical safet y of household appliances in the country.  Over 60 
additional IEC International Standards have been identified by the Brunei National Electrotechnical 
Committee (TECO Electrical) for adoption in phases.  IEC was represented by Dennis Chew from the 
IEC Asia-Pacific Regional Centre (IEC-APRC www.iec.ch/about/rc/iec-aprc ) in Singapore.  The 
other seven countries with Affiliate Plus status  are Ghana, Guyana, Jordan, Lao PDR, Lebanon, 
Uganda and Zambia.  All will be nefit from more IEC Internati onal Standards for adoption (400 
publications instead of 200) and will be considered in  priority for mentoring and training.  Some of 
these countries have already progressed to IEC membersh ip or are considering this next step as they 
wish to get more active in the preparation of IEC International Standards.   
                                                      
1 More in the March 2010 e-tech:  
www.iec.ch/online_news/etech/arch_2010/etech_0310/family_2.htm .  G/TBT/GEN/98 
 Page 3 
 
 
  IV. SEMINAR ON TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGH STANDARDIZATION 
IN MEXICO 
10. Latin America has been the venue of much IEC activity since the last WTO TBT Committee 
meeting.  On 1-2 December 2009, Jacques Régis, IE C President, and Amaury Santos, Manager of the 
Latin America Regional Centre travelled to Mexico  to meet with government authorities, industry 
leaders, the Mexican National Committee of the IEC 
(www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=102:16:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1021 ) and COMENOR (Consejo Mexicano de 
Normalización y Evaluación de la Conformidad www.comenor.org.mx ), the Mexican Board of 
Standardization and Conformity Assessment.   
11. Their visit opened with a seminar on tackling clim ate change through standardization, held by 
the DGN (Dirección General de Normas www.economia.gob.mx/?P=85 ), the Mexican standardization 
body, which is a department of the Mexican Ministry of Economy.  In his address, the IEC President told attendees what the Commission has been doing to support the mitigation of climate change 
through standardization.  For more than 100 ye ars, the IEC has been producing International 
Standards, which, he explained, are valuable t ools for trade and innovation, security, performance and 
interoperability, as well as protection of the environment.   
12. After the conference, Francisco Ramos, Preside nt of the Mexican National Committee of the 
IEC, explained to the IEC Officers how the Mexican  system of standardization and CA (Conformity 
Assessment) is managed, and how national standards are adopted a nd harmonized with International 
Standards.  Mexico, he said, is able to coun t on full support from its National Electrotechnical 
Committee, which helps all stakeholders collaborate w ithin the structure of IEC in order to create a 
global system of international standardization,  avoiding technical barriers to trade.   
V. IEC INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN THE GULF REGION
2 
13. Bahrain, one of the latest countries to join the IEC, hosted an international conference on 
standardization and CA (Conformity Assessment) in electrotechnology on 7-8 December 2009.  The 
Gulf IEC – IECEE International Conference for Standardization and Conformity Assessment in 
Electrotechnology (GICSE) was organized by the GSO (Gulf Standardization Organization of the 
Gulf Cooperation Council), together with the Bahrai ni Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the IEC 
and the IECEE (the IEC System of Conformity Assessment Schemes for Electrotechnical Equipment 
and Components).  The event gathered key players from manufacturing, testing laboratories and government bodies from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar,  Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.  
The Bahraini Minister of Industry and Commerce, His Excellency Hassan Abdu lla Fakhro, opened the 
conference and was followed by several speakers from government and industry.   
14. The conference stressed needs for safe and relia ble electrical equipment in the Gulf region.  
The main topics on the agenda were the safety of  household appliances, electrical appliances and 
buildings, as well as the role of CA in improvi ng the quality and performance of electrotechnical 
products and systems in these countries.   
15. Speakers underlined the importance of the even t and the essential need for electrotechnical 
standards.  Standards and CA have a significant e ffect on all segments of trade, from the designer and 
the manufacturer to the importer and the consumer in the Gulf region.  They have a major impact too 
on governments and regulators.  All speakers stressed the need to increase aw areness of standards and 
safety requirements among the general population.  Improving the safety of fixtures and appliances in 
                                                     
 
2 More in the January-February 2010 e-tech:  
www.iec.ch/online_news/etech/a rch_2010/etech_0110/world_2.htm . G/TBT/GEN/98 
Page 4  
 
  turn improves the safety and welfare of the people.  Standards and CA protect people from unsafe 
products and unsafe buildings.   
VI. IEC ASIA-PACIFIC STEERING GROUP (IEC APSG)
3 
16. The IEC APSG (Asia-Pacific Steering Group) is a group of IEC Members who meet 
informally to share their effo rts to promote the IEC in their respective countries.  The 14th meeting 
was held in Tel Aviv, Israel on 20 October 2009 during the IEC 73rd General Meeting.  It was 
attended by representatives from more than 10 countries,  some of whom were there for the first time.  
It was an opportunity for Members to find out about developments in the different parts of the Asia-
Pacific area.   
17. China is taking a number of initiatives to promote standardization and CA (Conformity 
Assessment), taking into consideration new material s, energy and renewable resources, environmental 
protection, information technology and service industries, among other factors.   
18. The Republic of Korea’s e-standardization strategy is a means to improve business 
involvement in standardization, with a number of key initiatives to be implemented.  A new 
development is the "ontology search system", which is a new search function to be introduced in 
2010.  Around 19 000 technical regulations, 23 000 Ko rean standards and 5 000 experts are currently 
managed on "bulletin boards" on different government  websites.  The new search function will allow 
searches to be conducted across all of these boards, and it is to include a glossary of terms used in some 50 000 standards.  It will also allow keyword search.  The country is focussing on renewable 
energy, in particular, photovoltaics, wind power and hydrogen fuel cells.  Korea is looking to step up 
its involvement in the IEC and ISO and support the introduction of certification for these products, 
thanks to systems such as IECEE (the IEC System of Conformity Assessment Schemes for Electrotechnical Equipment and Components).  The country is also active in emerging technologies, 
such as LED (light-emitting diode) lighting and Smart Grid, and is keen to promote national 
standardization in these fields.  In 2010, it plans to  implement 200 standards for smart grids alone.   
19. In Singapore, progress has been made on the development of electric vehicles and the test-
bedding project to start in the third quarter of 2010.   
VII. GROWING DEMAND FOR EX TESTING AND CERTIFICATION IN CHINA
4 
20. With the rapid growth of the Chinese economy, a great number of engineering projects are 
underway.  Many of those are undertaken in hazardous  areas, dealing directly or indirectly with 
explosive atmospheres.  Projects involving the devel opment of natural gas (or ethylene), oil refining 
and coal will continue to surface throughout China.  Statistical data indicates that the demand for Ex 
products and services keeps increasing rapidly in the country.  Because Chinese manufacturers export 
the vast majority of their production, they need to prove that their products are safe and reliable.   
21. The IECEx (the IEC System for Certification to  Standards Relating to Equipment for Use in 
Explosive Atmospheres) is seen as a valuable conf ormity assessment tool by the Chinese Ex industry 
in its quest to enter the global market and gain  a solid reputation of performance, safety and 
reliability, through compliance with International Ex  Standards, such as those published by IEC TC 
31 (www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=102:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1232 ) Equipment for explosive atmospheres.   
                                                      
3 More may be read on this subject in the Indu stry Spotlight feature of  the December 2009 e-tech 
www.iec.ch/online_news/etech/arch_2009/etech_1209/industry_1.htm .  Additional reporting on the IEC APSG 
is available at:   www.iec.ch/online_news/etech/arch_2009/etech_1209/world_7.htm . 
4 More in the Decemb er 2009 e-tech:  www.iec.ch/online_news/etech/arch_2009/etech_1209/ca_2.htm .  G/TBT/GEN/98 
 Page 5 
 
 
  22. A symposium on "Future Developments and Applications of Explosion Protection 
Techniques" held in Shanghai, on 16 October 2009,  promoted IECEx in China.  Supported by 
numerous Chinese testing and certification bodies,  among them NEPSI (National Supervision and 
Inspection Center for Explosion Protection and Safe ty of Instrumentation), the symposium attracted 
more than 130 experts from 115 Ex manufacturers, d esign institutes, engineering companies, testing 
and certification organizations, regulatory bodies and end users.  It was organized by a division of 
CEEIA (China Electrical Equipment Industrial Associ ation) responsible for explosion protection for 
electrical equipment.   
VIII.  IEC AT SMART GRID FORUM5 
23. Building the next-generation power grid invo lves the integration of information and 
communication technologies into the electric power in frastructure.  The IEC was one of the partner 
organizations at the Grid ComForum.  The intern ational forum was aimed at power utilities, system 
integrators, communication service providers, regul ators and policymakers who were either in the 
business of creating strong connection partnerships or wanting to learn more about Smart Grid and the 
impact it has on the infrastructure of electric power.   
24. The event, fully supported by the IEC National Committee of the United States of America, 
(www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=102:16:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1046 ) took place on 2-3 February 2010 in 
Santa Clara, California, USA, and included the announcement of the GridVision Awards programme 
that recognizes products and services that represe nt significant advances towards the goals of a 
smarter, more efficient and more reliable electric power grid.   
IX. IEC AFFILIATE COORDINATOR FOR AFRICA WORKS WITH UPDEA6 
25. The Union of Producers, Transporters and Distributors of Electric Power in Africa (UPDEA) 
held its 42nd General Assembly 17-19 November 2009 in A ddis Ababa, Ethiopia.  The UPDEA event 
was an opportunity for Evah Oduor, IEC Affiliate C oordinator for Africa, to meet face-to-face with 
representatives of African countries.  She presented the IEC Affiliate Country Programme (www.iec.ch/affiliates
) and explained how it helps them to par ticipate effectively in the work of the 
IEC.   
26. UPDEA aims at promoting development and in tegration of African power systems through 
the interconnection of networks, exchange of experience and know-how and pooling of energy 
resources in a win-win approach for all members.  Since 2002, UPDEA has set itself the goal of being 
the main catalyst for making electricity accessible to all parts of Africa.  Since then, it has become more development-oriented, working in close collaboration with NEPAD (New Partnership for 
Africa's Development) and the African Union.   
27. Given that energy resources are not equally sp read throughout the continent, UPDEA has 
committed itself to promote or initiate sub regional  power pools where necessary, in close relationship 
with African Regional Economic Communities (RECs).   
28. Now that each African sub region has its power pool, UPDEA is currently involved in 
harmonizing their master plans and exchanging data a nd experience.  The final objective is to achieve 
in due course an African interconnected power sy stem to allow distribution and transmission across 
the whole of the African continent.  While in Addis Ababa, IEC Affiliate Coordinator for Africa 
                                                     
 
5 More in the March 2010 e-tech :  www.iec.ch/online_news/etech/arch_2010/etech_0310/world_4.htm . 
6 More about African Power Pools in the January-February 2010 e-tech:  
www.iec.ch/online_news/etech/arch_2010/etech_0110/family_2.htm . G/TBT/GEN/98 
Page 6  
 
  attended a meeting of the African Power Pools.  She spoke about the work of the IEC and the 
importance of electrotechnical standards in the work of the Power Pools.   
29. All UPDEA members, with the exception of Liberia, Morocco and Djibouti, are either 
Members of the IEC or IEC Affiliate Country Programme participants.   
X. LIGHTING QUALITY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY: A CHALLENGE FOR 
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES 
30. In an effort to save energy – and money – legislation in many countries has banned old-style 
incandescent light bulbs and made mandatory the use of more economical CFL (compact fluorescent 
light) bulbs.  These bulbs, though they undeniably cut down on energy bills, are not without their complications.  They contain mercury, which does no t facilitate their end-of-life disposal, and they 
sometimes take several minutes to warm up.  They ar e a step in the right direction, but they are not 
perfect.   
31. In the search for energy-efficient yet satisfactor y lighting solutions, organizations such as the 
CIE ( www.cie.co.at/
), the International Commission on Illumination, and the IEC have important 
roles to play.   
32. The CIE publishes standards, technical repor ts and recommendations on light and lighting 
prepared by experts in its various technical comm ittees.  It works closely with the IEC.  Both 
organizations have released a number of joint publications, for example IEC 60050-845 International 
Electrotechnical Vocabulary – Part 845: Lighting.   
33. IEC Technical Committee 34 and its subcomm ittees develop International Standards for 
lamps and related equipment ( www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=102:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1235 ).  The aim of 
the standardization work they carry out is to de fine the characteristics ensuring safety, functional 
reliability and interchangeability of components of ligh ting installations, such as electric lamps, lamp 
caps and holders, lamp controlgear and luminaires.  Under the terms of the IEC Affiliate Country 
Programme, 17 developing countries are following the work of IEC TC 34, with the possibility of 
submitting technical comments on drafts of future Inte rnational Standards in this specific field.  28 
IEC International Standards prepared by IEC TC 34 and its subcommittees have been adopted by IEC 
Affiliate Countries in Africa (12), Asia and Asia Pacific (6), Latin America (5) and Eastern Europe 
(1) and are now used on national level as basis for regulations.   
34. To underline the important cooperation with the CI E, the IEC supported and participated in an 
international conference on Lighting Quality and Energy Efficiency (CIE 2010 http://vienna2010.cie.co.at
) from 15-17 March 2010 in Vienna, Austria.  The event brought together 
senior figures from industry, research institutes and acad emia for a programme of tutorials, workshops 
and plenary sessions.   
XI. INDUSTRIALIZING COUNTRY WORKSHOP ON PERFORMANCE AND SAFETY 
OF HOUSEHOLD ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES 
35. The IEC is organizing its next Industrializing Country Workshop during its 74th General 
Meeting to be held in Seattle, USA, from 11-15 Oc tober 2010.  This year’s event will focus on the 
performance and safety of household electrical appliances, and the International Standards from two 
of IEC’s most prolific technical committees, IEC TC 59 (www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=102:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1275
) Performance of household and similar 
electrical appliances, and IEC TC 61 ( www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=102:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1236 ):  
Safety of household and similar electrical a ppliances.  The Workshop will also examine the 
international Conformity Assessment solutions available under the IECEE (the IEC System of  G/TBT/GEN/98 
 Page 7 
 
 
  Conformity Assessment Schemes for Electrot echnical Equipment and Components).  Ensuring 
performance and safe use of electrical domestic app liances is often a challenge for the developing 
world.  IEC experts will present the work of two respective technical committees and advise how the 
IECEE can provide a platform for enhancing safety.  Two case studies will also show how industrializing countries can meet this challenge.  Attendance is free.   
XII. YOUNG PROFESSIONALS PROGRAMME LAUNCHED 
36. The IEC is reaching out to the younger genera tion of engineers and managers from developed 
and developing countries with the launch of the IEC Young Professionals Programme 
(www.iec.ch/members_experts/ypp
) to spread interest in the IEC' s work.  IEC Members have been 
invited to select their participants for the first workshop at the 2010 IEC General Meeting in Seattle, 
USA, encouraging them to take this opportunity to promote their own work at the national level.  At 
the workshop participants will fi nd out more about the IEC and have the chance to get their voice 
heard at an international level while meeting th e IEC community in the unique setting of an IEC 
General Meeting.   
 
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