WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/GEN/42 
8 December 2006 
 (06-5876) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
REPORT PROVIDED BY NORWAY AT THE TBT COMMITTEE MEETING OF 
NOVEMBER 9-10 2006 
 
Agenda item 4: Technical Cooperation
 
 
 
 The  following report, dated 9 November 2006, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of Norway.  
 
_______________ 
 
 I. SOUTH-EAST ASIA 
1. The Norwegian Agency for Devel opment Cooperation (Norad) supports Mekong Delta 
Regional Project  which covers the three countries of Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam. 
2. Phase I focuses on infrastructure mapping and n eeds assessment for laying the foundation of 
standards, metrology, testing and quality ins titutional structures and national capacities (SMTQ). 
3. Phase II:  A framework agreement was signed on funding phase II in March 2006.  The 
second phase will address the need to create local co mpetency by training in standards development, 
accreditation and certification to ensure sustainab ility.  Phase II will build on the progress in the first 
phase towards helping the countries of the region to participate in global trade and conform to WTO 
requirements. 
II. SOUTHERN ASIA 
4. The European Union and Norway fund the Bangladesh Quality Support Programme  
through institutional strengthening of the Banglad esh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) and by 
establishing a National Certification Body for ISO-9001, ISO-14001 and HACCP.  The programme 
also involves consumer associations in standards setting and market surveillance. 
5. Norway supports a UNIDO project in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives  (within 
the framework of  SAARC) entitled  "Market Access and Tr ade Facilitation Support for South Asian 
LDC's through strengthening of ins titutional and national capacities rela ted to standards, metrology, 
testing and quality (SMTQ)".  The goal is to develop the capacity within ISO 9000, ISO 14000 and 
HACCO .  
6. UNIDO's  Integrated Industrial Project in Sri Lanka is supported , aiming at capacity 
building related to standards, metrology and qua lity (SMTQ), a Market Access Project and HACCP 
and SA 8000 Certification Project.  G/TBT/GEN/42 
Page 2  
 
  7. The programme includes: 
• a national strategy for standardisation; 
• quality assurance and me trology development; 
• ISO 14000 Environment Management system improvement; 
• Metrology operations of  Sri Lanka  Standardisation Institute (SLSI); 
• improving institutional capacity and management information of SLSI; 
• establishing chemical testing laboratories cove ring sub-sectors of textile, leather, rubber, 
paints, paper & plastics and accred iting microbiology laboratory.  
8. The laboratories of Industrial Technology Institu te (ITI) in Colombo have been upgraded to 
international standards and have implemented a quality certification system in accordance with 
ISO/IEC 17025.  The total Norwegian allocation for this project amounts to USD 2.78 million. 
9. Furthermore, the UNIDO project “Strengtheni ng International Certification of Social 
Accountability Standard and Food Safety in Sri Lanka  is financed by Norad with a total budget of 
NOK 4,8 million. 
10. 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 tota l budget of  NOK 3 million.  The institutional 
cooperation between NA and PNAC aims at co mpetence and capacity building in certifying 
laboratories according to ISO standards, and at he lping PNAC to receive internationally recognized 
accreditation standard. 
III. EASTERN AFRICA 
11. Norad is in the process of signing 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" .  The goal of the programme is to build trade capacity  in 
agro-industry products for the establishment and pr oof of compliance with international market 
requirements.  The regional counterpart is East  African Community's Secretariat in Arusha. 
12. Norad co-financed a  Trade Capacity Building - Africa Expert Group Meeting  in Addis 
Ababa in October 2006, highlighting the different requirements in the TBT and SPS agreements.  The 
Meeting was carried out in cooperation with the African Union. 
IV. SOUTHERN AFRICA 
13. Norway supported the establishment of the Southern African Development Community 
Accreditation Service (SADCAS) with NOK 13 mi llion for the period 2007-2011.  This follows 
Norwegian support of 2.7 million. NOK donated dur ing the project's preparatory phase from 2003 to 
2006. 
14. The purpose of the project is to make SA DCAS operational for the accreditation of 
laboratories (test and calibration), certification bodies (quality and envi ronmental management 
systems, personnel and products) and inspection bodies.  A headquarters will be established in 
Gaborone, Botswana .  In addition, national accreditati on focal points will be set up in 14 member 
countries .  G/TBT/GEN/42 
 Page 3 
 
 
  15. Most countries in Southern Africa do not ha ve internationally recognised accreditation 
services.  The establishment of SADCAS is a regi onal response to this challenge.  When SADCAS 
is operational and internati onally recognised, it is expected that a major barrier to market access for 
goods and products from Southern Africa will have been reduced significantly.  
16. Norad has in cooperation with Sida (Swede n’s development agency) published a book on 
“Development of trade in Africa - Promoting exports  through quality and pro ducts safety”.  This is 
accessible from the following link: 
http://www.norad.no/items/3059/38/9951288863/Deve lopment%20of%20trade %20in%20Africa.pdf 
(www.norad/publications)  
17. Useful information could also be accessed in the Guide for Exporters from Developing 
Countries to Scandinavia, on the following lin k:  http://www.norad.no/default.asp?V_ITEM_ID=3621 
__________