WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/W/310 
20 May 2009 
 (09-2452) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  
  
 
SUMMARY REPORT OF THE TBT WORKSHOP ON  
THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS  
IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 
16-17 MARCH 2009 
 
Note by the Secretariat
1 
  
The use of international standards and conf ormity assessment systems facilitates the conduct 
of international trade.  The TBT Committee has explored ways and means of enhancing Members' 
awareness of, and participation in, the work of inte rnational standardizing bodies, thereby improving 
the implementation of the TBT Agreement.  To bu ild on this work the Committee held a Workshop 
on the Role of International Standa rds in Economic Development.   
The Workshop was divided into four sessions .  The first session focused on the economics of 
standardization, the second on case studies on the use of international standards, the third on efforts to 
build capacity for standardization in developing coun tries, and the fourth on the identification of key 
challenges.
2   
This Report provides a summary of key points and issues that arose from the presentations 
and discussions during the Workshop.  The full presen tations made by speakers are available on the 
WTO TBT website .3  Two background notes by the Secretariat, circulated at the Workshop, are 
contained in documents JOB(09)/15 and JOB(09)/17.   
 
                                                      
1 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members and to their rights and obligations under the WTO. 
2 The programme, as well as the biographies of speakers and moderators, is contained in Annex 1. 
3 WTO TBT Website http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news09_e/tbt_16mar09_e.htm .  G/TBT/W/310 
Page 2  
 
  Table of Contents 
OPENING REMARKS ................................................................................................................ ........3
 
I. THE ECONOMICS OF STANDARDIZATION ...................................................................3  
A. STUDIES ON THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF STANDARDS IN EUROPE ..............................................3  
B. STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY DIFFUSION IN CHINA ..............................................................6  
C. THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF STANDARDIZATION IN CANADA .....................................................7  
D. JAPAN : THE VALUE OF STANDARDIZATION AT THE BUSINESS LEVEL .......................................7  
E. QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT – THE EXPERIENCE OF CHINESE TAIPEI .......................................8  
F. ANALYTIC TOOLS FOR THE ECONOMIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF STANDARDIZATION 
– A MODEL DEVELOPED IN KOREA ............................................................................................8  
II. CASE STUDIES ON THE USE OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS............................8  
A. COFFEE AND ASPARAGUS :  THE IMPACT OF STANDARDIZATION IN PERU.................................8  
B. TEXTILES :  THE USE OF STANDARDS IN THE TE XTILES SECTOR AND CHALLENGES TO 
SME S IN PAKISTAN ..................................................................................................................10  
C. BIOFUELS :  THE USE OF STANDARDS IN THE BIOFUELS SECTOR ...............................................10  
D. LAMPS AND REFRIGERATORS :  THE USE OF STANDARDS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN 
CHILE ............................................................................................................................... ........10  
E. BUILDING CODES AND CONSTRUCTION :  THE USE OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS IN 
THE AREA OF PUBLIC SAFETY ...................................................................................................11  
F. THE IMPACT OF HARMONIZATION OF NAT IONAL STANDARDS WITH INTERNATIONAL 
STANDARDS IN EGYPT ..............................................................................................................12  
G. STANDARDS IN THE AREA OF ELECTROTECHNOLOGY :  THE KENYAN EXPERIENCE ...............13  
III. BUILDING CAPACITY ........................................................................................................13  
A. TWINNING ARRANGEMENTS IN TECHNICAL STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT : THE 
COLOMBIAN VIEW...................................................................................................................13  
B. TECHNICAL INFRASTRUCTURE  DEVELOPMENT IN THE ASIA PACIFIC ECONOMIC 
COOPERATION (APEC) ............................................................................................................14  
C. BENEFITS FOR COSTA RICA FROM PARTICIPATING IN THE IEC  AFFILIATE COUNTRY 
PROGRAMME ............................................................................................................................15  
D. CAPACITY BUILDING OF THE QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH TECHNICAL 
COOPERATION PROJECTS IN THE EURO-MEDITERRANEAN PARTNERSHIP - THE 
EXPERIENCE OF JORDAN ...........................................................................................................16  
E. UNIDO:   QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE CAPACITY BUILDING ...................................................16  
F. WTO  SECRETARIAT : AID FOR TRADE AND THE STANDARDS COMPLIANCE NEEDS OF 
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES .........................................................................................................18  
G. WORLD BANK:  GLOBAL BEST PRACTICE AND STRATEGIES IN STANDARDS – 
ANALYTIC TOOLS TO ASSESS THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF STANDARDS AND 
TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE ............................................................................................18  
IV. IDENTIFICATION OF KEY CHALLENGES....................................................................19  
ANNEX 1:  PROGRAMME AND BIOGRAPHIES........................................................................22  G/TBT/W/310 
 Page 3 
 
 
  OPENING REMARKS 
1. Mr. Harsha V. Singh, Deputy-Director General of the WTO, opened the Workshop.  In his 
opening remarks, Mr. Singh provided an overview of i ssues related to standards,  trade and the WTO.  
He stressed the economic benefits of standardiz ation and highlighted some of the costs; he 
underscored the importance of the disciplines in th e TBT Agreement as they apply to standardizing 
bodies and to Member governments, and he also drew attention to the increasing importance of 
addressing non-tariff barriers to trade in the WT O, including in the negotiating context.   
I. THE ECONOMICS OF STANDARDIZATION 
2. The moderator, Mr. John Tucker4 (Australia), noted that the purpose of Session I was to 
provide an overview and perspective of current wo rk on the topic of standards, trade and economic 
growth, including issues such as:  quantifying the welfare effects of standardization; the contribution 
of standards to innovation and technical progress; and, the importance of standards in development 
work.  It was important, he said, that standard s – just like regulation – complied with the same 
principles that constitute good regulatory practice.5  It was important, he said, to focus on features in 
standards development that contribute to successes, th at promote trade rather than create barriers.  
Mr. Tucker noted that Australia requires a "net benefit case" for each and every standard that is 
developed.  He noted that his organization was c ontributing to work underway in the ISO looking at a 
harmonized assessment methodology for assessing the economic effects of standards.6 
A. STUDIES ON THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF STANDARDS IN EUROPE  
3. Prof. Knut Blind (European Communities) noted that it is not easy to categorize economic 
studies that are about the impact of standards on economic development.  Although standards can be 
considered as an instrument for regulation and, co nsequently, analyzed under the classical Regulatory 
Impact Analysis7, this was generally not done.  He said that standards have to be seen as an output of 
a complex innovation process.  They are, in fact, a pool of knowledge available to the economy as a 
whole, as well as to specific compan ies.  Technical standards, in particular, are strongly based on 
state-of-the-art science and technology.  Prof. Blind said that it is possible to distinguish between 
micro and macro economic studies on the impact of standards.  For instance, he noted that there are a 
number of studies relating to the ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 series, especially in the United States; 
these studies tied productivity effects to the implementa tion of those standards.  On the macro level, 
however, there are fewer studies.  A number of these, discussed below, focus on Europe and relate to 
the stock of existing standards with economic growth.   
4. Prof. Blind said that a general assumption with respect to the macro studies is that technical 
standards qualify technological know-how like other public instruments, especially patents.  In his 
work with other authors (Jungmittag), Prof. Blind he ld that standards, like patents, contribute to 
economic growth.  The European studies on the economic  impact of standards started with the study 
of the German Institute for Standardization (D IN) on the Economic Benefits of Standardization.8 This 
study found that standards made a very significant c ontribution to economic growth, similar to that of 
                                                      
4 Document G/TBT/GEN/80/Rev.1 contains brief biographies on the speakers and moderators. 
5 Document G/TBT/W/287 contains a summary report of a WTO TBT Committee Workshop on Good 
Regulatory Practice, held on 18-19 March 2009. 
6 The ISO/IEC Information Centre website contains an "Inventory of Studies on the Economic and 
Social Benefits of Standardization".  Website: http://www.standardsinfo.net/info/livelink/fetc h/2000/148478/6301438/benefits/benefits.html
  
7 OECD (1997): Regulatory Impact Analysis: Best  Practices in OECD Countries, Paris: OECD 
Publications Service.  Website:  http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/21/59/35258828.pdf  
8 German Institute for Standardization e. V. (DIN),  "Economic Benefits of Standardization – Summary 
of results", Beuth Verlag, Berlin, Germany, 2000. G/TBT/W/310 
Page 4  
 
  patents.  Based on this study, others were made elsewhere – for instance, the Department of Trade of 
Industry (DTI) of the United Kingdom in 2005 repli cated the German approach and found significant 
but somewhat lower impacts of standards on total factor productivity and economic growth.
9  
Another, more recent study done in Denmark (in 2007)  also found a lower contribution of standards to 
growth.10  In 2009, a French study, also replicating the German approach, found almost identical 
results, i.e., around one per cent of the annual GDP is related to the existing stock of standards.11 
5. Work done in 200812 which compared four countries (United Kingdom, France, Italy and 
Germany) confirmed that both the stock of technical  standards and patents contributed significantly to 
economic growth in the 1990s.  A notable empirical fi nding of this study was that standards contribute 
to growth in those sectors which are less R&D inte nsive and that, for more R&D intensive industries, 
patents are more important.  
6. In terms of the role of standards in trade flows,  Prof. Blind drew participants' attention to the 
pioneering work of Peter Swann. In his work, Sw ann had found, in general, that in the United 
Kingdom, standards are trade enhancing – not only in ternational standards but also national standards 
contributed positively, especially for intra-indus try trade.  Hence, standards promote exports.13   In 
further work, Prof. Blind noted that it had been found that international standards are especially 
positive for international trade, whereas the cont ribution of national standards is ambivalent.14   
7. Prof. Blind concluded with five challenges.  Fi rst, he said that all the studies referred to 
(above) did not reflect the fact that standards, like pa tents, are a result of R&D and innovation efforts.  
Second, the trade enhancing effect of standards had to be acknowledged, especially the market 
integration effect of European standards for the co mpletion of the single market in Europe. Third, all 
of the studies mentioned relied on the stock of stan dards published by formal standardization bodies 
(like ISO, IEC and ITU).  However, increasingl y, and particularly in the information and 
communication technologies (ICT) sector, consortia st andards were being published; in other words, 
de facto  standards played a more relevant role than fo rmal standards, e.g. certain published standards 
that are the basis for the internet.15   Fourth, the studies are based on publications of the active number 
of standards, whereas their diffusion and implementa tion is not taken into consideration.  Finally, 
there is a need to come up with a more advanced  methodology to assess the impact of standards, as 
well as more comprehensive databases, in order to make progress in assessing the economic impact of standards.  Prof. Blind said that this is crucial b ecause standards are an important instrument not only 
for trade policy but also an instrument for innovation and competition policy.  
                                                     
 
9 UK Department of Trade and Industry (2005), "The Empirical Economics of Standards", DTI 
Economics Paper No. 12, DTI, UK. 
10 CEBR - Centre for Economic and Business Research (2007): Standards and economic growth in 
Denmark, Frederiksberg. 
11 AFNOR (2009): The economic impact of standardization - Technological change, standards and 
long-term growth in France, Paris. 
12 Blind, K.; Jungmittag, A. (2008): The Impact of Patents and Standards on Macroeconomic Growth: 
A Panel Approach Covering Four Countries and 12 Sectors. In: Journal of Productivity Analysis, 29, pp. 51-60. 
13 Swann, G.M.P.; Temple, P.; Shurmer, M. (199 6): Standards and Trade Performance: The UK 
Experience. In: Economic Journal, 106, pp. 1297-1313. 
14 Blind, K.; Jungmittag, A. (2005a): The Impacts of Innovations and Standards on German-French 
Trade Flows. In: Économie Appliquée, 58 (2), pp. 99-125 ; and Blind, K.; Jungmittag, A. (2005b): Trade and the 
Impact of Innovations and Standards: The Case of Germany and the UK. In: Applied Economics, 37 (12), pp. 
1385-1398. 
15 Blind, K.; Gauch, S. (2008): Trends in ICT Standards in European Standardization Bodies and 
Standards Consortia. In: Telecommunication Policy, 32 (7), pp. 503-513.  G/TBT/W/310 
 Page 5 
 
 
  8. Mr. Heinz Gaub (European Communities) comple mented Prof. Blind's presentation with a 
number of practical examples on benefits of standards use.16 Among the examples presented by 
Mr. Gaub, he noted that standards facilitate co mmunication. Whenever a new technological field 
became a subject of standardization work, typically it would start with terminology standards. Indeed, 
international and inter-cultural communication am ong scientists and engineers would be difficult 
without a common language for quantities and units.  The International System of Units (IS) as laid 
down in ISO 1000, DIN 1301 and the ISO 31 series of  standards (soon to be the ISO 80000 series) 
provided a basis for worldwide understanding.  As another example, Mr. Gaub explained how 
standards also made possible the comparisons of quality.  For instance, by specifying the means of 
obtaining and presenting comparable data describing th e basic properties of plastics, the two standards 
series DIN EN ISO 10350 and DIN EN ISO 11403 provide d the basis for an international database of 
plastics properties and characteristics which today cover 90 per cent of the world plastics market.  These standards had been useful for producers becau se they reduced the number of samples for tests 
and provided a good basis for the automation of plastics manufacturing. 
9. In addition to the points made by Prof. Blind, Mr. Gaub noted that by participating  in 
standardization, particularly at the international level, companies gained a competitive advantage.  
They learned about new technologies and were able to build networks and familiarize themselves with 
other parties interested in a specific standardi zation project.  Such participation also lowered 
transaction costs and, in the R&D context, redu ced research risk and development costs of new 
technologies and new products.  Mr. Gaub also drew par ticipants' attention to an  assessment tool that 
had been programmed at DIN to help the user assess  potential economic benefits  for the application of 
a particular standard, or group of standards.  Essentially, this was a computer-based interactive 
checklist that helped the user establish a monetary value on the specific business benefits for the use 
of a certain standard.
17 
10. In response to questions, Prof. Blind noted th at, particularly at the European level, 
standardization activities were progressively bein g recognized as an important instrument for 
innovation policy and knowledge transfer.  Increasi ngly, standardization was seen as an important 
conduit between research and market.  This, he said, was also valid for developing countries.18  For 
developing countries two issues were important to cons ider.  First, standards were a means to gain 
knowledge.  Second, there was a need to build up in frastructure which would be compatible with the 
infrastructures in major export markets; this infr astructure was crucial as it provided compatibility and 
acceptance to exported products.  Prof. Blind also pointed out the importance of developing countries 
establishing priorities, to focus on specific sectors th at enjoyed a comparative advantage.  In respect 
of participation, Prof. Blind noted that efforts we re underway to find ways to improve incentives for 
SMEs to participate in standardization; in particul ar, it was important to clarify to SMEs the benefits 
of standards and to make more concrete the positive impact of such participation. 
11. In response to a question about ways to ma ximize the economic benefits of standards, 
Prof. Blind stressed the importance of an open and tr ansparent process that allowed all stakeholders to 
be involved.  As well, standards needed to take in to account state-of-the-art science and technology.  
This meant that standards have to continuously adap t to new developments in the field of science and 
technology.  Outdated standards were not good for economic growth.  On the contrary, they hindered 
innovation. 
                                                      
16 More detail on these examples can be found in Mr. Gaub's PowerPoint slides on the WTO website. 
17 http://www.anp.din.de/cmd?level=tpl-ar tikel&cmstextid=90249&languageid=en . Currently in  
German only.  An English version is forthcoming.  
18 More information is contained in a paper on the role of standards and IP for developing countries on 
the UNIDO website:   http://www.unido.org/fileadmin/import/44913_BackgroundPaper_Blind.pdf . G/TBT/W/310 
Page 6  
 
  B. S
TANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY DIFFUSION IN CHINA  
12. Mr. Rengang Huang (China) noted that studies in  China demonstrated a positive relationship 
between standardization and economic growth. A r ecent empirical analysis undertaken by China's 
National Institute for Standardization (CNIS)  had shown that from 1978 to 2007 the flexibility 
coefficient of China’s stock of standards contribu ting to the GDP growth was 0.079 (meaning that a 
one per cent increase in the national standards stock was related to a 0.079 per cent increase in GDP).  
Hence, a key conclusion was that the stock of standards in China over the past 30 years had 
contributed positively to China's economic growth.19  
13. Mr. Huang cautioned, however, against the notion that the impact of standards on trade was 
only positive.  He said that the existence of certain  technical standards imposed by trading partners 
had generated barriers to trade that, each year, cost  China up to USD 8 billion.  Hence, he said, it is 
also important to consider the cost of standards.  Moreover, not all standards are "open" so it is not 
always possible to assume that standards always contribute to technology transfer, innovation and 
progress – and, therefore, economic growth.  Sometim es, the fact that some technology is patented 
could hinder progress in standardization.   Of cour se, he said, the appropriate use of standards in 
regulation is an important policy tool for Members.  In sum, given the complexity of the subject, it is 
too simplistic to say that standards are either "good"  or "bad".  Many factors need to be taken into 
account, including the notion of what constitutes a leg itimate policy objective to be pursued.  In this 
respect, Mr. Huang emphasized that there is no agreed  definition of the term "legitimate objective" in 
the TBT Agreement.   
14. In respect of participation by developing count ries in international standard-setting activities, 
Mr. Huang stressed the need for developing countries  to become more active and involved – with 
respect to both the development of standards and th eir implementation.  He urged developed countries 
with more experience to make a firm commitment  to help developing countries raise and improve 
capacity in this regard.   
15. In the discussion, the representative of Kenya noted that even when developing countries 
made the effort to participate in internationa l standards-setting activities, increasingly "private 
standards" were becoming the real constraint.  This constituted an additional burden as it was not 
possible to participate in private standardization activities.  Mr. Huang said that, in his view, most 
international standards were, in some sense, "pri vate": they were ofte n developed by private 
individual organizations without necessarily global c onsensus or approval procedures.  In terms of 
addressing private standard-setting, there was no "quick  fix".  A concerted effort at the international 
level by developing countries to address these issues was important.    
16. Prof. Blind pointed out that private standards ar e often developed by two or three very strong 
players on the market, based on intellectual property rights (patents), and that the solutions developed 
in this context were not necessarily good for compe tition, and were at times de veloped in parallel with 
the formal standard-setting processes.  Nevertheless, Prof. Blind noted that this remained an important 
instrument for single companies to gain competitive advantage and should not be restricted unless 
they hindered competition.  Hence, there had to be  a careful balance between the open and transparent 
processes which benefited everybody, while leavi ng open the incentives for single companies or small 
groups of companies to come up with their own solutions (unless these hindered competition).  He 
noted that at the moment there were discussions at the European level about how to align this separate 
standardization with the formal standardization so as to avoid friction.  This was particularly an issue 
in the ICT sector. 
                                                      
19 The analysis was conducted by Dr. Ding Wenxing, China National Institute for Standardization 
(CNIS). It is contained in the publication "Standardization and Economic Development: Theory, Empirical 
Studies and Cases",  by Professor YU Xinli, Standards Press of China, 2008.  G/TBT/W/310 
 Page 7 
 
 
  C. THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF STANDARDIZATION IN CANADA  
17. Mr. Stephen Head (Canada) presented an overvie w of a study undertaken in Canada in 2006 
on the impact of standardization on the Canadian economy.20  The empirical quantitative section, 
which used a model similar to that used in the UK and Germany, made comparable findings to those 
arrived at in these two countries:  there was a pos itive and significant impact on labour productivity 
and economic growth as a result of the existence of standards.  In essence, this work suggested that 
over the period 1981 to 2004, the growth in the number of standards (in Canada) had accounted for 17 per cent of labour productivity growth and about nine per cent of growth in economic output (real 
GDP).  This implied that, in any given year, growth in the quantity of standards had been an important 
contributor to growth in labour productivity and output. 
18. In the qualitative part of the study, key stake holders had provided compelling examples of the 
benefits of standardization.  For instance, stake holders had cited that standards: facilitate trade, 
encourage innovation and R&D; establish credibility a nd quality; and reduce health and safety risks.  
Also, participation in standard-setting was benefici al in and of itself, fo r instance, because such 
participation: enhances professional interaction, enables firms to influence standards, and creates a 
demand for superior products (through a professional exchange of ideas).   
19. Two case studies were undertaken to allow for a more in-depth look at benefits at an 
individual firm level.  The first was on the im plementation of ISO 14001 in SaskPower (an energy 
company in the Canadian Province of  Saskatchewan).  This case study showed benefits with respect 
to:  increased confidence that environmental risk s were being managed with better trained and 
environmentally sensitive staff; increased credib ility with regulators and customers; improved 
understanding and compliance with legal requirements;  and greater focus and attention to priority 
areas through objective setting and progress mon itoring.   The second case study was done on the 
implementation of ISO 9001 in Infasco, a Canadian ma nufacturer of steel products.  Similar benefits 
were found, as well as: higher quality products through  the use of performance metrics; and improved 
handling of customer complaints. 
D. J
APAN : THE VALUE OF STANDARDIZATION AT THE BUSINESS LEVEL  
20. Prof. Manabu Eto (Japan) noted that, in June 2003, a "Study group on the economic impact of 
standardization" had been established to quan tify the "meaning" and "value" resulting from the 
commitment of business management and policy to international standardization activities.  This 
Group had, over five years, worked on a number of case studies conducted at the corporate level 
focusing on the effect standardization had on business development.  A report was compiled on the 
outcome of the projects.  Among the conclusions made , Prof. Eto drew participants' attention to the 
following.  First, it appeared that ma instream standardization had moved from de facto  standards to 
the development of consensus based standards (suc h as an international standards).  Second, the 
influence of standards on economic welfare coul d be classified as "market expansion" and "cost 
reduction" for such consensus-based product standard s. Third, standardization made it possible for 
both countries which had technology and those whic h had productive capacity to benefit from their 
respective strengths.   
                                                      
20 Haimowitz, Joseph and Warren, Joanne, Economic Value of Standardization, The Conference Board 
of Canada, Standards Council of Canada (SCC), 2007. G/TBT/W/310 
Page 8  
 
  E. Q
UANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT – THE EXPERIENCE OF CHINESE TAIPEI  
21. Mr. Eho-Cheng Lo (Chinese Taipei) stressed  that quantitative assessment is important 
because it objectively demonstrates the tangible value of standardization.  He pointed out the usefulness of focusing on the effects and changes (standards outcome) resulting from the use of these 
standards, rather than the number of standards produced (standards output).   Although much work 
had been done at national levels, assessing the ec onomic benefits of standards, the use of a 
harmonized  quantitative assessment method in standardiza tion economics had only been explored to a 
limited extent.  He argued that a globally accep ted, harmonized quantitative assessment methodology 
at both a micro- and a macro-level, if workable, could make the economics of standardization more 
persuasive and easier to present.  It would make  comparisons possible both geographically and over 
time.  Such a harmonized assessment methodology c ould pave the way for formulating economically 
efficient standardization policies.  In light of this, Mr. Lo strongly en couraged the collaboration 
between relevant bodies, such as standards deve lopment organizations, academia and regulatory 
bodies, in order to develop and agree on a harm onized methodology, which could be quantitative 
models, equations, directives, guidelines and/or pr inciples, for assessing and quantifying the benefits 
of standardization. 
F. A
NALYTIC TOOLS FOR THE ECONOMIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF STANDARDIZATION – A 
MODEL DEVELOPED IN KOREA  
22. Dr. Hyang Sun (Korea) noted, as with the prev ious speaker, that there is no generally 
accepted, single methodology for the impact assessmen t of standards programs. This, he said, is 
because the economic outcomes that analysts seek to quantify vary significantly with the diversity and 
complexity of affected industries. Nevertheless the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards 
(KATS), had developed a methodol ogy and an associated web progr amme which is designed to 
analyze the economic effect of standards programs.21   
II. CASE STUDIES ON THE USE OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS 
23. The moderator, Mr. Michel Jeanson (Europ ean Commission) introduced the session which 
focused on cases/experiences illustrating how the use of standards has contributed to economic 
development.  He said that both national and intern ational standards are developed in an open process 
based upon the consensus of all interested parties.  Significantly, their development is a form of 
cooperation at the international level.  Case studies during this session were intended to reflect topics 
of interest to developing countries - the impor tance of the implementation and application of 
voluntary, national and internationa l standards.   Mr. Jeanson emphasized issues for reflection during 
the session:  possible commonalities; whether standa rds provide solutions; and, where they have 
proved successful, why?   
A. COFFEE AND ASPARAGUS :  THE IMPACT OF STANDARDIZATION IN PERU 
24. Mr. Augusto Mello (Peru) presented the Peruvian experience of standards and their impact in 
the agri-business sector, specifically asparagus and coffee.  Once standardization was applied the 
impact on quality and innovation resulted in a substa ntial increase in exports over a ten year period 
and an ongoing increase in production.  Uncertainty over product quality and safety was reduced.    
Producers and exporters, with the support of the G overnment and the Peruvian Standardization and 
Accreditation Body (INDECOPI22), forged a strategic alliance whic h provided greater investment and 
complementary use of technology and innovation.   The importance of technical assistance and 
                                                      
21 The details of this programme are set out in Dr. Sun's PowerPoint presentation, available at: 
http://www.wto.org/english/news _e/news09_e/tbt_16mar09_e.htm  (Session 1).  
22 INDECOPI website http://www.indecopi.gob.pe/   G/TBT/W/310 
 Page 9 
 
 
  capacity building is demonstrated in the cooperati on between INDECOPI and Pr omPeru (the Peruvian 
Export Promotion Agency) who, on the basis of inte rnational technical cooperation, have contributed 
to the development of standards and conformity in Peru.  This development, through technical 
committees and based on international standards, h as affected the entire production chain - training, 
risk analysis, critical control points – resulting in  quality produce for the international market and a 
substantial increase in exports.  This model is  now being used for other products in Peru. 
Figure 1: Asparagus Exports (USD Mills FOB 1998-2007) 
Beginning of Standards development
050,000,000100,000,000150,000,000200,000,000250,000,000300,000,000350,000,000400,000,000450,000,000
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007US$
Source: SUNAT / ADEX 
Prepared by: Inform@ccionVALUE (US$Mills) 1998 2006 2007 Part % 98 Part % 07 Var % (98-07) Var % (06-07)
FRESH 35.70 187.00 235.10 28% 56% 559% 26%
CANNED 77.80 104.30 154.30 61% 37% 98% 48%
FROZEN 14.10 26.60 30.20 11% 7% 114% 14%
TOTAL 127.60 317.90 419.60 100% 100% TOTAL 32%
 
Figure 2: Peru Coffee Exports (Thousands of tons 1994 - 2007) 
Source: PROMPERU
Peru: Coffee exports
(Thousands tons 1994-2007)
62.2104.6 100.1 98.0142.1167.6
150.4191.1
159.9
143.2 144.4
114.4375.2
238.0
050100150200250300350400
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 YearsThousands Tons
 
 G/TBT/W/310 
Page 10  
 
   
B. T
EXTILES :  THE USE OF STANDARDS IN THE TEX TILES SECTOR AND CHALLENGES TO SME S IN 
PAKISTAN  
25. Mrs. Aisha Humera Moriani and Mr. Muha mmad Muzzammil Hussain presented Pakistan's 
use of standards in the textiles sector and challe nges to SMEs.  Pakistan is a major cotton producer 
whose textile industry generates 60 per cent of e xports, constitutes 40 per cent of the manufacturing 
industry and impacts on other sectors such as tran sport, shipping, insurance and banking.  Forty 
per cent of Pakistan's workforce is engaged in ac tivities related to the textile sector – agricultural 
producers, spinners, weavers, specialists in all asp ects of processing.  The need for industry-specific 
standards for SMEs, the backbone of the economy, has proved imperative - necessitating Pakistan's 
regulatory framework being merged under Pakistan's Standard Quality Control Authority (PSQCA).  
Given Pakistan's experience in dealing with a pro liferation of 'private standards', it was recommended 
that variations in private standards needed firs t to reduced, and then harmonized to international 
standards.   
26. The establishment of the Small Medium Enterprise Development Authority, to promote a 
facilitating environment, enabled SMEs to interact  with stakeholders; identifying issues and assisting 
in the development of relevant policies (e.g. tr aining) and standards.  International standards 
compliance has provided encouragement to SMEs, supporting them with the motivation to gain 
premium prices.  The encouragement and incentiv es offered by the Government, including national 
reward systems, assisted in promoting co mpliance with international standards.   
C. BIOFUELS :  THE USE OF STANDARDS IN THE BIOFUELS SECTOR  
27. Mr. Jorge Cruz (Brazil) presented on the coope ration between the Brazilian National Institute 
of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality (INMETRO) and the United States National 
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on me asurement standards.  To support the global trade 
of biofuels, INMETRO and NIST are working cooper atively to promote biof uels-related standards 
through the development of certified reference ma terials.  INMETRO is taking the lead producing 
CRMs for ethanol, whilst NIST is producing CRM for bi odiesel.  This work would not only facilitate 
the increased use of biofuels in each of their ma rkets, but would also support both exporters and 
importers of biofuels by helping to avoid adverse trade impacts in a global market.  Brazil and the 
United States, through the Tripartite Task Force (B razil, European Union and United States), have 
initially identified: (i) areas of existing measuremen t and (ii) the need for additional refinements of 
testing methods.  They will review  consistency of test methods to ensure comparability and validation 
of results;  they also intend to make r ecommendations to harmonize terminology.   
28. The scope of collaboration between NIST and INMETRO will be to advance work on the 
technical issues identified above with the aim to s upport biofuels trade, to improve efficiency of 
biofuels production and to promote innovative ener gy resources.  Cooperation is also promoted 
through the International Biofuels Forum (IBF) and the BIOREMA Project for biofuels reference 
materials.  This Project was established by the European Commission under its 7th Framework 
Programme for research. 
D. LAMPS AND REFRIGERATORS :  THE USE OF STANDARDS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN CHILE 
29. Mr. Jorge Muñoz Canave (Chile) presented on the use of standards for energy efficiency.  In 
2004 Chile faced energy difficulties due to the lack of  rain for hydroelectric power and limitations in 
the supply of natural gas.  In 2005 an Energy Efficiency Program was established, based on three 
pillars:  to ensure energy safety and supply; to dive rsify energy input; and, to provide energy savings 
and efficiency.  This program, funded by the government agency that promotes innovation and production (CORFO), gave rise to an energy effici ency labelling scheme.  The government identified  G/TBT/W/310 
 Page 11 
 
 
  that the largest consumption of domestic electricity  was refrigeration at 32 per cent and lumination at 
27 per cent.  Together with SEC, the Chilean ener gy agency, a project on energy efficiency to 
improve the quality, safety and efficiency of domestic  appliances was established in conjunction with 
CORFO.   
30. The selection of standards to be adopted/ha rmonized was to be agreed by SEC and the 
National Institute for Standards (INN23), using international standards as a baseline.  The Energy 
Efficiency Program was implemented from 2005 to 2008 and was subject to the preliminary understanding that appliances would be labelled on the basis of Chilean standards, with the agreement 
of all interested parties (manufacturers, impor ters, consumer groups, laboratories) and that 
requirements and testing methods w ould be based on international sta ndards.  As a result, 52 Chilean 
standards for energy efficiency were adopted.  Standards labelling, where the efficiency rating 
Class A (highest) to G (lowest) is used, has resulte d in the majority of lamps now complying with 
Class A and B; and 50 per cent of refrigeration units complying with Class A.  The success of energy efficiency labelling for refrigerators and lamps is  now spreading to other products, for example:  
microwave ovens and motors. 
E. B
UILDING CODES AND CONSTRUCTION :  THE USE OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS IN THE 
AREA OF PUBLIC SAFETY  
31. Mr. Manuel Lascarro (Colombia) presented on the use of standards in the public safety area: 
building codes and construction materials.  In  the 1990s, it was estimated that a USD 40 billion 
investment in risk reduction strategies for natural disasters worldwide could have saved not only lives, 
but USD 280 billion in economic losses.  One eff ective risk reduction strategy is the correct 
understanding of up-to-date codes and standards.  In Colombia's experien ce, helping to address 
understanding, through partnership in  standards development, leads to improvement in public safety.  
Colombia has suffered major natura l disasters resulting in injury, death and economic loss.  Experts 
concluded that problematic construction was cont ributory due to the lack of quality control and 
extended self-construction practices.  The constructi on industry is a complex activity which has to 
take into account many variables to ensure public saf ety:  materials; testing laboratories; structural 
design; production equipment; construction techni ques; and, contractor qualifications.  Any 
miscalculation with any of the variables could result in human and/or economic risk.   
32. Many developing countries lack the resources to develop their own codes or standards.  In 
2001, ASTM International24 initiated their Memoranda of Unders tanding (MoU) Program to promote 
communication between ASTM and national standard s bodies in developing countries worldwide.  
The programme aids the development of national st andards to assist the country's health, safety, 
environmental and economical cond itions.  Standards developed at ASTM are the work of over 
30,000 members – technical experts representing producers, users, consumers, government and 
academia from over 120 countries.  Participation in ASTM  International is open to all and the first to 
sign a MoU was Colombia.  More than 90 Colomb ian representatives now participate directly in 
ASTM technical committees and their work has c ontinued to influence the content of ASTM 
standards.  As an example, in 2006, thanks to modern tools like web-conferences, a testing standard 
for self consolidating concrete, a relative new ma terial, was delivered by ASTM incorporating the 
point of view of Colombian engineers.  The join ing of forces between ASTM, its members, and the 
Colombian national standards body (ICONTEC) has e nhanced awareness of standards application in 
construction and assisted in the identification of di verse needs and gaps in different parts of the 
construction quality chain.  Toda y, approximately 850 Colombian standards made by ICONTEC are 
based on, or have a relation with, ASTM standards.  This is an example of how developing countries 
                                                      
23 INN website:  http://www.inn.cl  
24 Originally known as the Ameri can Society for Testing and Materi als (ASTM), a large developer of 
voluntary standards, covering materials, products, systems and services.  (Website:  http://astm.org/ ) G/TBT/W/310 
Page 12  
 
  with construction needs can obtain support to develo p and adopt international standards which reflect 
their specific needs and provide increased awaren ess of the quality chain and public safety. 
Figure 3: Impact of Construction Standards on Public Safety 
Increased 
public 
safetyIncreased 
developing 
country 
participation 
in 
international 
standards 
developmentImproved 
standards that 
reflect 
developing 
country needsAdoption and 
use of 
relevant 
international 
standards in 
developing 
countries
Better 
understanding 
of standards
 
 
F. THE IMPACT OF HARMONIZATION OF NAT IONAL STANDARDS WITH INTERNATIONAL 
STANDARDS IN EGYPT  
33. Eng. Samia El-Azazy (Egypt) presented on the impact of the harmonization of Egyptian 
standards with international standards. The presen tation included an intr oduction on the Egyptian 
Organization for Standardization and Quality (EOS ) and its role in promoting Egyptian trade and 
industry. The objectives of EOS are to: harmonize st andards, technical regulations and conformity 
assessment procedures in the national and internatio nal arena; support the growth and development of 
Egypt's industry and trade; promote exports; tran sfer of technology and know-how; increase Egyptian 
product competitiveness; environmental protection and consumer awareness.  EOS' main activities are 
elaboration of Egyptian Standards; certificati on of products (schemes of Quality Mark and 
Conformity Mark); testing and inspections; calibra tion of measuring and testing equipment; technical 
consultancy and training services in the areas of St andards and Quality; information services related 
to standards; and, maintaining the EOS/TBT Enquiry  Point.  EOS views the setting of standards as 
crucial, with the positive effect of increasing pri ce competition, improving quality, as well as ensuring 
compatibility and interoperability between products.   
34. Harmonization of standards for Egypt is an el ement of the Egyptian National Quality Plan, 
adopted in 2004 with a view to strengthening a nd upgrading the national quality infrastructure to 
attain international recognition.  Harmonization has meant review ing national standards against 
international standards in order to assess technical equivalence, and modernization of standards in 
order to ensure that differences would not constitute t echnical barriers to trade.  In Egypt, out of more 
than 8,500 standards adopted so far, less than  seven per cent are mandatory, the majority are 
voluntary.  The impact on Egypt's economy, followi ng international standards adoption, has resulted 
in manufacturers producing more products in accordan ce with international standards; having greater 
access to international markets; and foreign invest ments have increased as international companies are 
no longer obliged to produce according to local stan dards.  Harmonization has resulted in a faster,  G/TBT/W/310 
 Page 13 
 
 
  consistent standardization process; a wider range  of manufacturing and service areas; enhanced 
commitment and participation by stakeholders; incr eased awareness of consumers and standard users; 
fewer consumer complaints and the introduction of acceptable solutions for trade and industry 
problems; confidence in standardization and confor mity assessment procedures; and the facilitation of 
trade with the resulting increase in both imports and exports.  Harmonizati on of national standards 
with international standards, although not an easy process, is the easiest way to access international 
markets.   
G. STANDARDS IN THE AREA OF ELECTROTECHNOLOGY :  THE KENYAN EXPERIENCE  
35. Mrs. Evah Oduor (Kenya) presented on electro technology standards in Kenya.  Kenya's 
electronics industry is small and the majority of  electrical and electronic products are imported, 
necessitating the use of electrotechnology standards for conformity assessment purposes.   Previous 
imports of below-standard products necessitated the need to improve quality and protect customers.  
Kenya joined the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Affiliates Programme25 in 2004 
and through this programme was able to adopt 50 free standards.26  Despite the absence of voting 
rights, Kenya exercised their en titlement to comment on standards under development.  Membership 
to the IEC followed in 2005.  In order to fulfil  membership qualification a national electrotechnical 
committee was set up, the Kenya National Commi ttee of the IEC (KNCIEC).  The Committee 
membership stakeholders include manufacturers,  regulators, utility companies, communication 
companies and consumer organizations.   
36. The effective use of electrotechnical standards has also facilitated an expansion of exports.  
Kenyan companies who apply IEC standards have su cceeded in gaining market share in east, central 
and southern Africa.  Previously  some of those companies had little or no domestic presence.  The 
quality of product has enabled them to penetr ate those markets.  In 2005 Kenya launched a 
Preshipment Verification of Conformity to Standa rds (PVOC) programme for products considered to 
have an impact on health, safety and the environm ent.  Under this programme products must be 
verified in the country of origin prior to shipment, easing imports.  Using PVOC, and the IEC 
Certification Scheme, product rejection has fallen from 52 to 21 per cent over a four year period.  
Benchmarking new and international standards h as provided fair trade for everybody - improvement 
in technology, product and consumer confidence.  Using electrotechnical standards, and finding that 
they are able to manage the conformity assessme nt program, has improved market access for exports 
from small industries in Kenya.  
III. BUILDING CAPACITY 
37. The moderator, Ms Ileana Martinez (United States) introduced the session on building 
capacity, the purpose of which was to discuss ongoing  efforts to address developing country capacity 
constraints with respect to international standards.   The efficacy of existing efforts to promote and 
enhance participation in devel oping countries in internationa l standard-setting activities was 
addressed.  Discussion touched upon work done at regi onal and international level to build capacity 
with specific regard to conformity assessment infra structure; the relevancy of work on Aid for Trade 
in the WTO and the activities of SPS Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF).   
A. TWINNING ARRANGEMENTS IN TECHNICAL STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT : THE COLOMBIAN 
VIEW 
38. Mr. Fabio Tobón (Colombia) presented on twinni ng arrangements in international standards 
development.  Developing internationally accepted st andards has predominantly been undertaken by 
                                                      
25 IEC Affiliates Programme website:  http://www.iec.ch/affiliates/  
26 200 free standards are now availa ble under the Affiliates Program. G/TBT/W/310 
Page 14  
 
  developed or industrialized countries through in ternational standardization bodies worldwide. 
Developing countries, through National Standards B odies (NSB), seldom participate actively in the 
development of international standards due to the lack of resources, both economic and technical.  
Although about 75 per cent of ISO members are from developing countries, these countries only make up three per cent of the working groups and technical  committees in ISO.  The need to create capacity 
for active participation was identified and, in 2002, the Technical Management Board of ISO 
introduced the concept of 'twinning':  cooperation betw een a developed and a developing countries.   
39. Twinning was designed to enable a developed c ountry and a developing country to cooperate 
and work together, for instance to  lead a working group or a technical committee – the developing 
country would benefit from the experience of the developed country.  In addition, the developed 
country could represent the developing country in various committees if the developing country could 
not attend, even holding voting rights on their be half.  However, despite good intentions, 'twinning' 
proved problematic and in 2007 the concept was e xpanded to that of 'partnering', which likewise 
encountered obstacles.  Mr. Tobón was of the view that the value and reach of different twinning arrangements and their usefulness to the developmen t of international standards needed analysis.  
Other means could be considered as well, including the use of electronic tools and videoconferencing.  
Colombia, a member of the Pan American Standa rds Organization (COPANT), worked with fellow 
members in central and southern America to identif y the best way to run technical committees, how to 
work on standard-setting, and how to assist othe r countries in their participation in standards 
organizations.   
40. Mr. Tobón said that the number of internati onal standards organizations, the duplication of 
standards, and the proliferation of voluntary techni cal standards, are serious problems for developing 
countries.  Although developing countries may l ack the technical know-how and economic resources, 
they recognize the need to expand their own capac ity and participate in international standards-
setting.  Developing countries realize the importanc e of implementing standards and therefore it is 
imperative that governments play an active role  within the standards development framework. 
41. In the discussion, it was pointed out that a ma jor challenge with standardization was the 
implementation  of the standard – not only its developmen t and adoption.  Appropriate implementation 
made all the difference in terms of realization of th e benefits.  It was important for Members to look 
into strategies and mechanisms in this regard. 
B. T
ECHNICAL INFRASTRUCTURE  DEVELOPMENT IN THE ASIA PACIFIC ECONOMIC 
COOPERATION (APEC) 
42. Mr. Gary Kushnier (United States) presente d on technical infrastructure development in 
APEC.  APEC's Committee on Trade and Investme nt works to reduce impediments to business 
activities through sub-fora which includes the Sub-Committee on Standa rds and Conformance 
(SCSC). Within APEC there are five Specialist Regional Bodies27 (SRBs) with expertise in the areas 
of standardization, accreditation and metrology.  The SRB final objective is a standards and 
conformance infrastructure that simultaneously addresses APEC goals, including sustained economic 
growth through a commitment to open trade, invest ment and economic reform in the Asia Pacific 
region, and also meets the needs of APEC member economies.  A "Specialist Regional Bodies Strategic Plan for Technical Infrastructure Devel opment in Support of Trade Facilitation for and in 
APEC Economies"
28 summarizes activities undertaken by the S RBs in recent years and outlines some 
projects and activities planned for the next five year s.  The SRBs emphasize that the objectives of the 
                                                      
27 Asia-Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Coopera tion (APLAC); Pacific Accreditation Cooperation 
(PAC); Asia-Pacific Metrology Forum (APLMF); Asia-P acific Metrology Programm e (APMP); and the Pacific 
Area Standards Congress (PASC). 
28 Website:  http://aimp.apec.org/Documents/2009/SCSC/SCSC1/09_scsc1_035.pdf   G/TBT/W/310 
 Page 15 
 
 
  plan will be more effectively realized through the active support of the APEC SCSC. In particular, the 
APEC SCSC encourages regulators in the APEC eco nomies to see the value of a strong standards and 
conformance infrastructure in their economies and fo r national infrastructure to be linked within the 
region via the SRBs. Further, the APEC SCSC should encourage regulators to use the infrastructure as 
a means to achieve good regulatory practice and minimi ze barriers to trade.  Industry should also be 
encouraged to use the standards and conformance infrastructure.  Engagement by the APEC SCSC 
with the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC)  has been encouraged and the SRBs have begun a 
dialogue with the ABAC to better understand industry needs in the region.   
43. Mr. Kushnier highlighted two critical points with regard the importance of adopted national 
standards being aligned with intern ational standards to provide tran sparent, national requirements.  
The first, that SRBs rely and leverage the critical WTO TBT criteria for the development of 
international standards, emphasizing the process rath er than the particular sources of international 
standards which can be used and adopted to meet trade and compliance goals in the region.  Second, 
neither APEC nor the Pacific Areas Standards C ongress (PASC) develop regional standards, as their 
primary objective is to strengthen Asia Pacific direct  participation in international standardization to 
meet regional and global objectives.  APEC and PA SC have succeeded in not developing regional 
standards, choosing to push towards the internati onal standards development process wherever it may 
be found. 
44. In the discussion it was noted that efforts to de velop regional infrastructure were also taking 
place elsewhere.  Barbados informed that, for instance, in the Caribbean region the CARICOM 
Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ)29 is currently working on a strategic plan 
for the development of regional quality infrastructur e across its member states  to build capacity and 
increase participation in internati onal standards development.  More specifically, currently there is a 
Caribbean laboratory accreditation scheme.  Kenya noted  that similar efforts are underway in Africa 
to build technical infrastructure at a regional leve l.  The East African Community Secretariat (EAC)30 
envisages harmonized standardization removing trade barriers within the Community. 
C. BENEFITS FOR COSTA RICA FROM PARTICIPATING IN THE IEC  AFFILIATE COUNTRY 
PROGRAMME  
45. Mr. Rodriguez (Costa Rica) presented on particip ation in the IEC Affiliate Country Program.  
Costa Rica joined the IEC Affiliate Country Progra mme in 2001 after recognizing that their industry 
was doubly influenced by the installations from both European and American products, sometimes 
with different technology.  The establishment of a National Electrotechnical Committee was a 
challenging task.  Producers and distributors of electrical material were, at first, sceptical of their 
country's participation in the deve lopment of standards; but they s oon realized that non-participation 
could be just as problematic.  In 2004, having benefited from the exper tise of an IEC expert and trust 
having been established, the tide turned and Cost a Rica witnessed increased success in bringing 
together all stakeholders.  Today a sound, ac tive National Electrotechnical Committee exists, 
providing a neutral forum that has credibility with  interested partners, including producers and 
consumers, as well as Costa Rica's trading partners .  The Committee also has the authority to resolve 
disputes. 
46. The success of participation in the IEC Affilia te Country Programme provided confidence for 
integration into other fora, such as the Council for Harmonization of Electrotechnical Standards of the 
Nations of the Americas (CANENA) and the Pan-American Standards Commission (COPANT).  
Costa Rica's suggestion at COPANT 2008, that Am erican IEC membership (Canada, USA, Brazil, 
Argentina and Mexico) encourage greater participation by affiliate members, was welcomed.  Mr. 
                                                      
29 Website:  http://www.crosq.org/  
30 Website:  http://www.eac.int/  G/TBT/W/310 
Page 16  
 
  Rodriguez identified this as an example of twi nning/partnering – where mentoring countries with 
seniority within the International Electrotechnical  Comission could provide support to newcomers.  
Awareness of calculability of resources is essentia l, he said - the IEC Affiliate Country Programme 
provides a unique opportunity to acquire the m eans to develop national standards based on 
international criteria.   
D. C
APACITY BUILDING OF THE QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH TECHNICAL 
COOPERATION PROJECTS IN THE EURO-MEDITERRANEAN PARTNERSHIP - THE EXPERIENCE 
OF JORDAN  
47. Ms Rula Madanat (Jordan) presented on capac ity building of quality infrastructure through 
technical co-operation projects in the Euro-Mediterran ean Partnership.  She said that capacity building 
represented a key element in the establishment of the European Twinning Project "Strengthening of 
the Jordan Institution for Standards and Metrology for its Compliance with the EU-Jordan Association 
Agreement", financed by the European Commi ssion and emphasizing accreditation, conformity 
assessment, market surveillance, st andardization and metrology.  The national standardization system 
had been upgraded in accordance wi th international and European ru les, and procedures to enable 
Jordan to participate in the standards developmen t on international and European levels had been 
established.  The project had provided momentum and, consequently, the Jordan Institution for 
Standards and Metrology (JISM) joined the Eur opean Committee for Standardisation (CEN) as an 
affiliate member in 2008.  Moreover, JISM was th e first Arab standards body to partner with the 
Perinorm Database31, affording Jordanian economic sectors with valid, up-to-date, and easy access to 
information on standards and technical regulations.  Furthermore, an electronic project management 
system for the development of Jordanian standa rds was being created, allowing for monitoring 
procedures to commence. 
48. Ms Madanat said that the Project had contribut ed to the development of Jordan's national 
quality infrastructure to support business and indus trial development and underlined a commitment 
and obligation toward the EU-Jordan Association Agreement, fostering a climate that supports 
bilateral trade.  Within two years, and with a total budget of €1.9 Million, the existing standards 
components were harmonized with international requir ements and the application of European rules.  
Although the results achieved thus far could not be underestimated, Ms Madanat stressed that there 
was still some way to go and that Jordan depended on trading partners' suppor t in order to develop 
and progress. 
E. UNIDO:   QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE CAPACITY BUILDING  
49. Mr. Gerardo Patacconi (UNIDO) noted that UNIDO is a main provider of technical assistance 
and advisory services to developing countries to a ddress capacity constraints in respect of the use of 
international standards and technical regulations .  In particular, he said that UNIDO supports: 
strengthening legal, institutional and human capacities and infrastructure, including at the regional 
level.32  Moreover, UNIDO works with enterprises and institutions to implement  standards and 
conformity assessment procedures to increase trade opportunities and overcome barriers to trade.  
UNIDO's work is based on strong partnership w ith key technical institutions, including ISO33, IEC (as 
                                                      
31 Website http://www.per inorm.com/pol/accueil.php  
32 This includes issues such as measurement standards; legal metrology; standards development and 
harmonization; material testing laboratories; certificati on and inspection; accreditation (of testing and inspection 
bodies and certification bodies); quality management; consumers and environmental protection. 
33 See, for instance the publication: "Fast Forward - National Standard Bodies in Developing 
Countries", a manual on helping building or upgrading standard bodies based on based on ISO and UNIDO experience in this regard, available at: 
http://www.unido.org/fileadmin/ext_media/ Publications/documents/fast_forward.pdf
  G/TBT/W/310 
 Page 17 
 
 
  well as other standardizing bodies) the WTO, and accreditation bodies such as the IAF and ILAC and 
metrology institutions such as the BIMP and OIML.    
50. UNIDO's strategic Trade Capacity-Building (TCB)  approach, developed to overcome supply-
side and conformity constraints is aimed at  achieving an increase in developing country 
manufacturing value added and exports by:  (i) re moving supply-side constr aints and developing 
competitive manufacturing capability (compete); ( ii) developing and ensuring conformity with 
technical and market requirements (conform); and (ii)  enhancing integration w ith and connectivity to 
markets (connect) (see Figure 4, below). 
Figure 4:  UNIDO' s "3Cs Approach" 
M 
A 
R 
K 
E 
T 
SP 
R 
O
D 
U 
C 
T 
SProducts to Market
… .by upgrading supply capacities and standards infrastructuresConnect 
to the 
MarketDevelop
Competitive 
Manufacturing
CapabilityProve 
Conformity with 
Market 
Requirements
Compete Conform ConnectConnect 
to the 
MarketDevelop
Competitive 
Manufacturing
CapabilityProve 
Conformity with 
Market 
Requirements
Compete Conform Connect
 
 
51. Mr. Patacconi said that UNIDO actions recognize that the stage of development of the quality 
infrastructure in developing countries tend to refl ect their general level of  economic and industrial 
development. This, in turn, has a bearing on the e fficacy of their technical regulation regimes as well 
as on their need to protect consumers, ensure effici ency of production and trade activities, and foster 
market access.  UNIDO assistance focuses on global/ regional/national value chains, with emphasis on 
agribusinesses.  In terms of industrial trade polic y, Mr. Patacconi noted that there had been a 
significant increase in demand from developing countries in respect of standards-related assistance;  
in particular for SMEs – a key industrial sector in need of upgrading.  What is positive, he said, is that 
in parallel to the increase in demand there is also a clear increase in willingness from donors to 
provide support.   This is more evident now than in  the past; in fact, issues related to standards and 
conformity and barriers to trade are growing in importance in industrial and trade policies.    
52. With respect to "private standards" Mr. Pa tacconi said that UNIDO has held a number of 
assessments and workshops on the impact of priv ate sector standards on developing countries; in 
addition, a major study will be fina lized in 2009.  He further empha sized that UNIDO's focus is on 
helping suppliers and companies to comply  with market requirements, regardless of whether they are 
set by the private sector or by governmental authorities.   G/TBT/W/310 
Page 18  
 
  F. WTO
 SECRETARIAT : AID FOR TRADE AND THE STANDARDS COMPLIANCE NEEDS OF 
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES  
53. Mr. Michael Roberts (WTO Secretariat) recalle d that, in 2007, a Global Review and three 
Regional Reviews of Aid for Trade had been he ld in Asia, Africa and Latin America and the 
Caribbean.34  One conclusion which had emerged from these events was the need for continued 
assistance to help developing countries comply w ith standards commonly applied in international 
trade.  Compliance needs, Mr. Roberts said, were considered both in the context of the need to 
demonstrate conformity with importing market requirements and in the context of the trade 
facilitation agenda.  As input for the Aid for Tr ade events, the Standards and Trade Development 
Facility (STDF)35 carried out research in three regions (East Africa, Central America and the Greater 
Mekong Delta Sub-region) to examine both the need for and supply of standards-related technical 
assistance in the SPS area.  The results highlighted a number of challenges, including:  multiple needs 
assessment; un-coordinated assistance strategies; a nd, more generally, a continuing need for 
assistance, in particular to address long-term stru ctural weaknesses, such as – in the SPS area – the 
continued presence of endemic animal diseases of concern in international trade.  
54. Mr. Roberts stressed the importance of mainst reaming trade and inte rnational development 
objectives – in other words: integrating trade into  national development policies.  Aid for Trade 
needed to help developing countries, particularly l east developed countries, to build their supply side 
capacity and trade-related infrastructure so as to benefit from opportunities under WTO agreements 
and more broadly to expand their trade.  The focu s, hence, is on overcoming a series of supply-side 
constraints. The WTO's role, Mr. Roberts said, is not  a funding one but rather about raising the profile 
of supply-side constraints.   Mr. Roberts also emphasized the importance of good practice in capacity 
building and referred to the OECD Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, signed in 2005.36  These 
"Paris Principles" rely on five main themes, na mely those of: ownership by developing countries, 
alignment of programs with national programs in  the country, harmonization with other ongoing 
efforts by donors, managing the results and mutual accountability.    
G. WORLD BANK:  GLOBAL BEST PRACTICE AND STRATEGIES IN STANDARDS – ANALYTIC 
TOOLS TO ASSESS THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF STANDARDS AND TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO 
TRADE  
55. Mr. John. S Wilson (World Bank) noted that th e global economic crisis is linked to a rapid 
decline in world trade.  Global trade, one of the most powerful engines of economic growth, had been 
projected to fall in 2009 by approximately 9 per cent.  This would be the largest decline in about 80 
years, representing a threat to welfare worldwide.37  Mr. Wilson emphasized that the crisis directly 
affects the poor today, as well as those who may fall into poverty prior to recovery.  Action to address the crisis, including steps to assist the poor, involv es a number of key issues.  This includes how best 
to sustain momentum to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, as well as taking measures 
against trade protection in the form of both tariff a nd non-tariff measures.  In fact, in times of crisis it 
was particularly important to take action to forest all the use of unnecessary non-tariff barriers to trade, 
including standards-related technical barriers to trade. 
56. What is the link to standards and technical barri ers apparent in today’s crisis and long-term 
development goals?  Standards, Mr. Wilson said, ar e an engine of trade facilitation and growth – 
relying on market-driven standards can help econom ies move out of the crisis more rapidly.   
                                                     
 
34 The Second Global Review of Aid for Trade will be held in Geneva on 6-7 July 2009. 
35 http://www.standardsfacility.org/ . 
36 http://www.oecd.org/document/18/0,2340,en_2649_3236398_35401554_1_1_1_1,00.html  
37 Taylor, Benjamin & John S. Wilson, “The Cris is and Beyond: Why Trade Facilitation Matters,” The 
World Bank Development Economics Research Group, Trade Issue Brief; April 2009.  G/TBT/W/310 
 Page 19 
 
 
  Mr. Wilson emphasized that empirical analysis and best practice case studies show that private sector-
led standards systems, a limited role of govern ment in technical regulations and conformity 
assessment systems, and continual steps to redu ce and remove technical barriers, could make a 
significant difference to development.  Harmonization was an essential component of best practices in 
standards work:  harmonization to international st andards needed to be part of both short- and 
long-term capacity building programs.  Recent work by the World Bank, for example, demonstrated 
that European Union textiles, apparel and electr onics product standards that are harmonized with ISO 
standards exert a less negative impact on export vo lumes than standards that are not.  This work 
suggests, among other points, that Africa has an impor tant interest in dialogues on standards, as just 
20 percent of EU standards for clothes are curre ntly harmonized with international standards.38  
Mr. Wilson also emphasized quality as an important co mponent of best practices in standards work.  
Standards development driven by private market fo rces was often led by the objective of improving 
quality – this was essential for developing count ries looking to sustain economic growth and to 
remove themselves from dependency on primary products.   
57. In the long-term, Mr. Wilson stressed the importa nce of Aid for Trade – and suggested that 
support under this initiative for sta ndards and reducing technical barriers to trade should be noted.  He 
said that institutions like the World Bank, regiona l development banks, bila teral donors and others 
were prepared to support demand-driven requests for investing in standards, an important component 
of the Aid for Trade agenda.  In addition, as part  of the overall response to the current crisis, the 
World Bank was prepared to triple its investment to  about USD100 billion over the next three years in 
projects, lending and technical assistance.  This includes potential projects with a focus on standards 
and based on clients' demands.  Mr. Wilson furthe r noted that new analysis was underway in the 
World Bank’s Research Department examining the impact of various channels of Aid for Trade on trade facilitation goals.  Preliminary results from this  work suggested that Ai d for Trade targeted at 
trade policy and regulation had a higher rate of retu rn on investment in comparison to other types of 
Aid for Trade.   
IV. IDENTIFICATION OF KEY CHALLENGES 
58. The Chairperson of the TBT Committee, Ms Xueyan  Guo (China), noted that at the outset of 
the Workshop, participants had been presented with  a synopsis of current work on the topic of 
standards, trade and economic growth.  In partic ular, based on studies undertaken in Germany, the 
United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and China, par ticipants heard expert views from both academia 
and governments on the benefits and costs of standa rdization activities – and efforts to quantify these. 
The essence of the findings of various studi es presented show that standards, as a pool for 
technological know-how, can contribute positivel y to economic growth.  Standards promote 
innovation and technical progress and are an important instrument to facilitate competition in markets 
and transfer of technology.  These benefits, however, remain difficult to quantify and need to be better 
understood, both in qualitative and quantitative terms.  More research is therefore needed, also with 
respect to aligning methodologies and assessment tools.  Participants were urged to circulate widely 
any case studies on the impacts of standa rds, regardless of methodologies used.  
59. Ms Guo said that participants had reflected on the relevance of standards to the crisis 
affecting the global economy.  It had been pointed out that in times of crisis it is ever more important 
to ensure that standards are not used for protecti onist purposes.  Instead, standards should be seen as 
an opportunity.   For instance, well crafted sta ndards, as the basis for regulatory measures, may 
increase confidence in markets and serve to boost tr ade.  As well, standards are an important link 
between research, innovation and markets; in effect, an efficient tool for th e transfer of technology. 
                                                     
 
38 Czubala, Witold, Ben Shepherd, and John S. Wilson. 2007. “Help or Hindrance? The Impact of 
Harmonized Standards on African Exports.” Polic y Research Working Paper 4400, World Bank, 
Washington, DC. G/TBT/W/310 
Page 20  
 
  For companies in particular, participation in st andardization processes could potentially compensate 
for a downturn in R&D spending.  This is particul arly important today in the areas of sustainability 
and environmental technology.   
60. To stay relevant, standards need to be maintain ed:  they have to be up-to-date with current 
technology and science – they should not lag behind technology.  Science does not stay still.  Timing 
is therefore important. Standards that arrive too late can lock in old technology and be counter-
productive in terms of innovation.   
61. During the Workshop, a number of practical case studies that illustrate how the use of 
standards has contributed to economic and social de velopment, in particular in developing countries, 
were presented and discussed. For instance, in th e agricultural sector, participants heard how 
international standards have been used to increas e exports of asparagus and coffee from Peru.  Egypt 
illustrated how the adoption and use of  international standards in gene ral had facilitated trade, leading 
to increases in both imports and exports.  Particip ants heard how Pakistan's textile sector had 
increased exports subsequent to the use of internat ional quality standards.  There were also other 
benefits to the use of standards. The case of the US-Brazil cooperation to develop testing and 
measurement methods on biofuels, and the applica tion of Chilean standards on energy efficiency 
showed how standards can contribute to address globa l environmental challenges.  Standards can also 
successfully address public safety issues, as illustra ted by Colombia in the presentation on building 
codes and construction.  Kenya’s experience showed  how the adoption of international standards in 
the electrotechnology field had contributed to improvement in the quality and safety of imported  
products.  Ms Guo noted that a common element in  several of the cases presented was the importance 
attributed to collaborative work between the public and private sectors; government support for 
standardization activities is considered important, par ticularly in developing countries.  It is also 
important, she said, to have the absorptive capacity to implement standards (not only participate in 
their development), and, sometimes, to tailor them to local or regional circumstances.   
62. Participants considered efforts to address deve loping country capacity constraints in respect 
of the use of international standards. Clearly, par ticipation in international standards-setting activities 
is considered essential and remains a constraint.  In this respect, several initiatives by international 
standardizing bodies, regional bodies,  bilateral donors and other intern ational bodies, such as UNIDO, 
to increase participation were mentioned.  Keny a suggested that developing countries should, to a 
greater extent, be hosting working groups and tec hnical committees developing standards.  However, 
it was also pointed out that participation in and of  itself serves no purpose:  it has to be effective. 
Building expertise in developing countries and filling information gaps has to be done in ways that 
reflect the needs of each individual country. 
63. Several participants expressed concern about the proliferation of private standards that could 
result in unnecessary barriers to trade that created conf usion in the market place.  It was pointed out 
that initiatives existed and were underway in other organizations, such as UNIDO, to help countries 
comply with such schemes, and that the issue was also being addressed in the WTO SPS Committee. 
64. The importance of identifying best practices for technical cooperation in the standards-setting 
field was stressed.  Aid effectiveness meant that Aid for Trade in the standard-setting world has to be 
driven by needs, be sector-specific and include the e ffective participation of a ll stakeholders.  As an 
example of Aid for Trade applied to standards, the relevant work of the Standards and Trade 
Development Facility (STDF) in the SPS area was presented.  
65. 
Ms Guo said that many key challenges remain with  respect to standardizing activities.  In her 
capacity as Chair, she stressed the following:  G/TBT/W/310 
 Page 21 
 
 
  (a) Quantifying the benefits of standards : The studies and experiences shared at the 
outset of the Workshop show the signifi cant positive role standards can play in 
promoting innovation and technical progress.  The use of standards makes production 
more efficient.  Yet measuring and expressing (numerically) the benefits of standards remains a key challenge.  Members were encouraged to use the TBT Committee to 
share case studies on the economic bene fits of the use of standards.  
(b) Involving all stakeholders : Creating awareness among all relevant stakeholders, 
including SMEs, of the importance of being involved in standard-setting activities is 
crucial.  Broad stakeholder involvement ensures an open and transparent process, in line with the disciplines on standardizing bodies contained in the TBT Agreement. On 
various occasions during the Workshop, speak ers and participants pointed out that 
government support and involvement in standa rdization is important, particularly in 
developing countries – where standardization may not always be given priority and the strategic importance of standards is not always appreciated.  It is important to find incentives to increase support and promotion of standardizing activities in developing 
countries.  
(c) Participation in international standard-setting activities:   Actual participation in 
standards-setting activities by developi ng countries remains a challenge, both 
financially and technically. Only a sma ll proportion of developing countries are 
responsible for the management of worki ng groups and technical committees, where 
the nuts and bolts of international sta ndardization work takes place.  Although 
participants had heard of various initiatives,  finding effective ways of increasing such 
participation remains a challenge.  It was poi nted out that an essential component of 
making participation effective at the country level is a two-way exercise.  On the one 
hand – at the national level – it is important to raise levels of expertise in selected 
areas of importance to the participating de veloping country.  And, on the other hand – 
at the international level – it is import ant to engage that local knowledge and 
expertise in the international standard-setting community.  
(d) Building up standards-related infrastructure:  Standards development is part of a 
bigger whole – that of a quality infrast ructure including: metrology, standards 
development and conformity assessment activities, including accreditation.  It is not obvious that all components of this infrastructure are needed everywhere; for 
instance, it was pointed out that in the Caribbean, efforts are underway to build 
quality infrastructure at the regional level.  It  is important that countries prioritize and 
are selective about where efforts to build  capacity should be concentrated.   
(e) Importance of transparency:   In this time of economic crisis, Members of the TBT 
Committee needed to guard agai nst cases where standards coul d be used as a basis for 
unnecessary non-tariff measures.  Continued effective use of TBT transparency 
provisions is crucial in this respect.  WT O Members also need to reinforce and boost 
the beneficial, confidence-building aspects of  standards.  The use of international 
standards should serve the purpose of facilita ting international trade, as envisaged in 
the WTO TBT Agreement.   
 
_______________ 
 
 G/TBT/W/310 
Page 22  
 
  ANNEX 1:  PROGRAMME AND BIOGRAPHIES 
TBT COMMITTEE WORKSHOP ON THE  ROLE 
OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS 
IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 
 
16-17 March 2009 
 
Programme
1 
 
 
16 March 2009 
 
 
Registration (08h30 – 10h00) 
 
10h00    Opening Remarks  
  WTO Deputy Director-General, Mr. Harsha V. Singh 
 
Session 1:  The economics of standardization (Panel) 
  
The aim of this panel is to provide an overview and perspective of current work on 
the topic of standards, trade and economic growth.  Expert interventions have been 
sought from Member governments, standardiz ing bodies and relevant international 
bodies.  Panellists will be asked to addr ess the following questions in particular: 
 
• The difficulty of quantifying welfare effects of standardization is known; 
given this, what can be said today abou t the importance of standardization to 
economic development and trade? 
• How do standards contribute to innovation and technical progress? 
• What is the current state of research  on quantifying the economic impacts of 
standards?  Is there a harmonized assessment methodology? 
• Is there sufficient appreciation of th e importance of standards development 
work, particularly in developing countries? 
   Moderator: Mr. John Tucker , Australia 
 
  Panellists:    
• Prof. Dr. Knut Blind and Mr. Heinz Gaub , European Communities: 
Studies on the economic impact of standards in Europe 
• Mr. Rengang Huang , China: Standards and Technology Diffusion 
• Mr. Stephen Head , Canada:  The value of standards to the Canadian 
economy 
• Prof. Dr.  Manabu Eto , Japan: The value of standardization for innovation 
• Mr. Eho-Cheng Lo , Chinese Taipei: Quantitative assessment 
• Dr. Hyang Sun , Republic of Korea: Analytic Tools Development on the 
Economic Impact Assessment of Standa rds/Standardization Projects in the 
Republic of Korea  
                                                      
1 The Programme is also containe d in document G/TBT/GEN/80/Rev.1.  G/TBT/W/310 
 Page 23 
 
 
  Session 2:  Case studies on the use of international standards  (Presentations) 
 
The focus of this session is on cases / experiences illustrating how the use of 
standards has contributed to economic development.  The selection of cases is intended to reflect topics of interest to developing countries.  The following brief 
presentations will be made (10 minutes each): 
 
  Moderator: Mr. Michel Jeanson,  European Communities 
 
  Presentations (10 minutes each): 
 
• Coffee and Asparagus  (two cases): impact of standardization  
(Mr. Augusto Mello , Peru) 
• Textiles :  the use of standards in the te xtiles sector and challenges to SMEs 
(Mr. Muhammad Muzzammil Hussain  and Mrs.  Aisha Humera Moriani , 
Pakistan) 
• Biofuels :  the use of standards in the biofuels sector ( Mr. Jorge Cruz , 
Brazil;  and the United States) 
• Building Codes and Construction :  The use of international standards in the 
area of public safety ( Mr. Manuel Lascarro , Colombia) 
• Lamps and Refrigerators :  The use of standards for energy efficiency  
(Mr. Jorge Muñoz Canave , Chile)  
• Impact of Harmonization of national st andards with international standards:  
(Ms Samia El Azazy , Egypt) 
• Standards in the area of electrotechnology : The Kenyan experience  
(Mrs.  Evah Oduor , Kenya) 
  
17 March 2009 
  
Session 3:  Building capacity (Panel) 
(10h00)  
 The purpose of this panel is to discuss ongoing efforts to address developing country 
capacity constraints in respect of the use of international standards.   Panellists will be 
asked to address the following issues in particular: 
• The efficacy of existing efforts to promote and enhance participation of 
developing countries in international st andard-setting activities, for instance 
through schemes such as "twinning" (in the ISO) or other forms of participation (such as the IEC's "Affiliate Programme"). 
• Work done at the international or regional level to build capacity, 
particularly with respect to conformity assessment infrastructure (e.g. metrology, laboratories, certification capacity and accreditation). 
 
• Relevant work on aid-for-trade in the WTO and the activities of the SPS 
Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF). 
   Moderator: Ms Ileana Márquez Martinez, United States  G/TBT/W/310 
Page 24  
 
    Panellists:   
• Mr. Fabio Tobón , Colombia: "Twinning" 
• Mr. Gary Kushnier, U.S.:  Technical infrastructure development in APEC 
• Mr. Carlos Rodriguez , Costa Rica:  Benefits for Costa Rica from 
participating in the IEC Affiliate Country Programme 
• Ms Rula Madanat , Jordan: Capacity Building of the Quality Infrastructure 
through Technical Cooperation Projects in the Euro-Mediterranean 
Partnership -The experience of Jordan 
•  Mr. Gerardo Patacconi , UNIDO:  Quality infrastructure capacity building 
•  Mr. Michael Roberts , WTO Secretariat:  Aid for Trade and the Standards 
Compliance Needs of Developing Countries 
•  Mr. John S. Wilson , World Bank:  Global best practice and strategies in 
standards 
 
 
Session 4:  Identification of key challenges 
 
The final session will draw from the previ ous discussions to identify key challenges 
for developing countries, and discuss ways of addressing them.   
  
_______________ 
 
 
BIOGRAPHIES 
 
 
Session 1:  The economics of standardization (Panel) 
 
John Tucker (Australia)
 
Mr. Tucker joined Standards Australia as Chief Ex ecutive Officer in 2004, following a diverse career 
path traversing public and private sectors, and pol itical advising.  Established in 1922, Standards 
Australia is a company recognised by the Austra lian Government as the peak non-government 
standards development and approval body in Austra lia.  Mr. Tucker's background is in health 
surveillance, occupational hygiene and industrial re lations.  An experienced company director and 
Member of the Australian Institute of Company Direct ors, he formerly held statutory appointments in 
the fields of health and safety and workers’ compensa tion.  He has held CEO positions in the fields of 
injury and risk management and industry associ ation management.  Mr. Tucker's qualifications 
include a Bachelor of Applied Sc ience in Environmental Health.  
Knut Blind (Germany)  
Prof. Blind has been a Senior Researcher at th e Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation 
Research at Karlsruhe since 1996.  In 2006 he w as appointed Professor of Innovation Economics at 
the Faculty of Economics and Management, Berlin University of Technology, and Head of the 
Competence Center "Regulation and Innovation" of the Fraunhofer Institute.  He has held the 
endowed Chair of Standardisation at the Rotterd am School of Management, Erasmus University, 
since 2008.  Prof. Blind, a graduate of Brock Un iversity (Canada) and Freiberg University, has 
published numerous articles on standardi sation and intellectual property rights.  G/TBT/W/310 
 Page 25 
 
 
  Heinz Gaub (Germany)  
Mr. Gaub joined the Management Board of DIN, the German Institute for Standardization with 
responsibility for standardization process management , in 2007.  He has some 17 years of industrial 
experience, most recently with Willy Vogel AG,  the world's leading supplier of centralized 
lubrication technology for machinery, systems, commercial and railway vehicles, where he was a 
member of the Management Board for over six years.   Mr. Gaub studied mechanical engineering at 
the Technical University of Berlin, specializing in production technology, and also studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Ca mbridge (USA), where he obtained a Master of 
Science.   
Rengang Huang (China)
 
Mr. Rengang Huang is Minister Counsellor, Perm anent Mission of China to the World Trade 
Organization, Geneva.  He has years of experience in international trade negotiations, including the 
ongoing WTO Doha Round.  His current responsibilities cover mainly the areas of trade in goods, including agriculture, market access, sanitary and phy tosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, 
import licensing measures, and trade-related investment measures.  He has experience in attending 
standards and trade-related seminars and has exte nsive contacts with a variety of stakeholders,  
including some NGOs on open standards to promot e economic and trade development.  Before 2002, 
he worked for the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Ec onomic Cooperation of China, and took part in the 
development of some foreign investment and trade policies of China.  He holds an M.A. degree from 
the University of International Business and Ec onomics, Beijing, China and an MBA from Cardiff 
Business School, University of Wales, UK. 
Stephen Head (Canada)
 
Mr. Head is a Senior Policy Analyst in the Inte rgovernmental Affairs and Trade Branch of the 
Standards Council of Canada.  His current r esponsibilities for the Standards Council include 
monitoring the files of  the WTO Technical Barri ers to Trade Committee, the APEC Sub-Committee 
on Standards and Conformance, as well as a number of other trade policy issues in the field of 
standardization.  He provides policy advice and an alysis on the internationa l, national and regional 
implications of a broad range of regulatory, trad e and standardization policies, initiatives, programs 
and practices.   His research interests are inte rnational trade policy a nd regulatory cooperation. 
Manabu Eto (Japan)  
Dr. Eto is a Professor at the Institute of Innovatio n Research, Hitotsubashi University and Consulting 
Fellow at the Research Institute of Economy, Trad e and Industry.  He joined the Ministry of 
Economy, Trade and Industry after gaining his M.E.  Dr. Eto has worked for the Science and 
Technology Agency, the National Institute of Adva nced Industrial Science and Technology and the 
OEC and for over 20 years has predominantly been engaged in the field of technology transfer, 
management of technology, and standardization at  these organizations.  Dr. Eto is author and 
co-author of several books and articles, including: "S trategic Use of Consensu s-based Standards" and 
"Business Strategy in the Standardization of Semi conductor Equipment and Optical Connectors".  He 
organized the study group on the economic and social effects of standardization, which analyzed the 
value of standardization through examining case st udies (e.g., DVD-associated equipment, electronic 
components, raw materials).  Dr. Eto gained his B. E. in Engineering Science at Osaka University, a 
M.E. in Engineering Science at Osaka University, and a Ph. D in Engineering Science at Tohoku University. G/TBT/W/310 
Page 26  
 
  Eho-Cheng Lo (Chinese Taipei)
 
Mr. Lo is Deputy CEO of a technology policy research think-tank in Chinese Taipei.  Over a period of 
ten years in the field of standardization, he  has served in various capacities, including on the 
Technology & Standards Function Team as Commissione r.  At the technical level, Mr. Lo initiated 
and established Chinese Taipei’s first online collabo ration platform for standards development, and 
the registry and repository for XML-based standards. In the policy domain, he is the main drafter and 
the Editor-in-Chief of Chinese Taipei’s strategy fo r standards development, as well as the Blueprint 
for Standardization Education.  Mr. Lo has several  degrees, including an MS in Management Science 
& Engineering at Stanford University (USA), and an MPhil in Technology Policy at the University of Cambridge (UK) as a Chevening Scholar awarded by the British Council.  Mr. Lo is author and co-
author of several books, including: "Asia PKI In teroperability Guidelines, The Fundamentals of 
Standardization" and "The Winning Standardization Strategy for Enterprises". His areas of interest 
and research include technology foresight applied to standardization, standards in a sustainable 
infrastructure, and the synergy between R&D,  standardization and commercialization.  
Hyang Sun (Republic of Korea)
 
Dr. Sun is the Deputy Director of the Standards Policy Division of the Korean Agency for 
Technology and Standards (KATS), wh ich represents the Republic of Korea in the ISO and IEC.  His 
career began as a Governmental Officer in 1993 a nd he has been working in the international 
standardization and policy field since 1999.  He has served as the KATS Liaison Officer to ISO and other international bodies for several years and was Secretary of the ISO Technical Committee 224 
Working Group for two years.  Dr. Sun received his Philosophy Degrees (Engineering Major) from 
Inha University and completed his post-Doctoral studies at the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, USA.  
Session 2:  Case studies on the use of standards 
Michel Jeanson (European Communities)
 
Mr. Jeanson, who joined the European Commission in 2004, is in charge of horizontal policy issues in 
the Standardisation Unit of DG Enterprise and Industr y.  His duties involve the representation of the 
Commission’s services on the Administrative Boards of CEN2, as well as in the General Assemblies 
of CEN and CENELEC.3  Mr. Jeanson was involved in the preparation of the Commission 
Communication published in March 2008 entitled "Towar ds a greater contribution of standardisation 
to innovation in Europe".  He is currently h eavily involved in the reform process of European 
standardisation, and manages the study on "Access to Standardisation".  He is also responsible for 
international standardisation cooperation, especially  with Russia and the United States, as well as 
international organisations.  His 20 years’ experi ence in standardisation was acquired in various 
positions, beginning with the French Standards In stitute (AFNOR) as Technical Officer, becoming 
secretary of national, European and international te chnical committees dealing with food standards.  
He joined the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) in 1991, where he was responsible for 
food and environmental protection standardisation and further occ upied various functions.  In 2002 
Mr. Jeanson joined Eurometaux, the industrial trad e federation of the European non-ferrous metals 
industries, as Health and Safety Manager, taking up  the challenge of the creation of the European 
Environmental Citizens Organisation for Standardisation (ECOS).  Mr. Jeanson was chosen by Environmental NGOs as the first Secretary General of ECOS, representing environmental protection organisations within the standardisa tion organisations for two years.  
                                                     
 
2 European Committee for Standardisation. 
3 European Committee for Electro -technical standardisation.  G/TBT/W/310 
 Page 27 
 
 
  Augusto Mello (Peru)  
Mr. Mello is the Director of the Peruvian Sta ndardization and Accreditation Body (INDECOPI), a 
position he has held for the past 12 years, and Head  of the National Accreditation Service.  From 2000 
to 2004 he served as Vice President of the Inter-A merican Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC) and in 
2008 was Chairman of the APEC Sub-Committee of Standards and Conformance.  Mr. Mello 
graduated from the Pontifical Catholic University of  Peru and gained his Master of Arts in Economics 
from Ilades-Georgetown University, Santiago. 
Aisha Humera Moriani (Pakistan)  
Mrs. Moriani is the WTO Economic Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Pakistan, Geneva, who 
is responsible for Agriculture, Trade and Devel opment, Safeguards, SPS a nd TBT related matters.  
Before joining this Mission she was the Director of  the Economic, Trade and Investment wing of the 
Agriculture Ministry.  Mrs. Moriani has a MS c. in Development Management from the London 
School of Economics and is an experienced civil ser vant with a diverse experience. She started her 
carrier with Economic Affairs Division in the Mini stry of Finance where she worked with various 
organizations on issues related to effective utilizatio n of foreign assistance.  She has also served as a 
Director in the Trade Promotion Authority, as well as  in the Ministry of Commerce, and participated 
in several bilateral and regional trade negotiations. 
Muhammad Muzzammil Hussain (Pakistan)  
Mr. Muzzammil Hussain is a progr essive businessman who has been associated with the textile 
industry for the past 20 years.  He has, among other things, served as Chairman of the Towel Manufacturers Association (TMA) of Pakistan and Advisor to the Minister of Transport, Government of Sindh (Provincial Government).  He currently hol ds the post of Chairman in several organizations, 
including the Managing Committee of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI).  As 
well, he is the Senior Director of the SMA Rizvi Textile Institute, Karachi and the Executive Director 
of Shahi Textiles, Karachi.  He has a keen inter est in corporate social responsibility, skill development 
and quality control systems. 
Jorge Cruz (Brazil)
 
Mr. Cruz is the General Coordinator of Internationa l Affairs at the National Institute of Metrology, 
Standardization and Industrial Quality (INMETRO).  His responsibility is for International Relations 
(bilateral and multilateral) and he  is predominantly involved in Scientific and Technological 
Cooperation Agreements, Memoranda of Unders tanding, Intention Protocols, Regional and 
International Negotiations and Technological Innova tion. Mr. Cruz is an INMETRO representative in 
fora and organizations such as th e WTO and Mercosur.  He has degr ees in Mechanical Manufacturing 
Engineering and Mechanical Engineering from Santa Ursula University, and a Masters in Technology 
from the Federal Technological Education Center, Rio de Janeiro.  
Manuel A. Lascarro (Colombia)  
Mr. Lascarro is the Director of Special Projects at the Colombian Ready Mixed Concrete Producers 
Association (ASOCRETO).  He manages activities re lated to competitiveness, environmental issues, 
and legal  affairs and is also responsible for the ASOCRETO concrete hous ing promotion program.  
Mr. Lascarro has broad experience in international standardisation issues, from active involvement in 
technical standards committees to membership on the board of directors of ASTM International, a 
leading standards development organization.  In addition, he serves as Executive Secretary of the 
Iberoamerican Federation for Ready Mixed Concrete  (FIHP), an organization of concrete trade 
associations in Latin America whose membership  includes partner organizations from Spain and G/TBT/W/310 
Page 28  
 
  Portugal.  In this role, Mr. Lascarro encourages international cooperation among national and regional 
trade associations in Europe and the Americas to ra ise awareness of the ready mixed concrete industry 
and improve its effectiveness.  He also serves on the editorial boards of two construction industry 
magazines in Colombia , Noticreto  and Mineria Colombia .  Mr. Lascarro gained his Industrial 
Engineering Degree from Pontificia Universidad Javer iana, Bogota.  He also holds a Master's Degree 
in Private Development and Project Finance from the Fundación Antonio Camuñas, Universidad San 
Pablo CEU, Madrid. 
Jorge Nestor Muñoz Canave (Chile)
 
Mr. Muñoz is Project Manager for the Innova pr oject "Support for the Electrical Product and Fuel 
Certification System" of the Chilean Production Development Corporation (Corporación de Fomento 
de la Producción – CORFO).  CORFO's aim is to develop standards and protocols for electrical, gas 
and kerosene products for regulatory certification.  He  is responsible for the preparation, drafting and 
approval of technical standards in the area of in formation technologies, such as the security and 
privacy of electronic documents, for incorporation in the Regulations to the Law on Electronic Signatures, and for the development of other st andards for CORFO and Inter-American Development 
Bank (BID) projects on traceability and photovoltaic ener gy.  His previous work experience was with 
NEC Chile SA, Under-Secretariat of Teleco mmunications, Manquehue Telephone Company, 
National Petroleum Company and Telefónica CTC, Chile.  Mr. Muñoz graduated as an Electronics 
Engineer from the Federico Santa Maria T echnical University of Valparaíso, Chile. 
Samia El Azazy (Egypt)
 
Eng. El Azazy is the Manager of the Standards Harmonization Project in the Egyptian Organization 
for Standardization and Quality (EOS) and a Memb er in Egyptian Enquiry point and the Egyptian 
TBT Committee in EOS. She holds a B.Sc. in Mechan ical Engineering and a diploma in quality, and 
has more than 30 years experience in the fields of  standards, technical regulations and conformity 
assessment activities. She served as General Manager of  the Quality Department in the Ministry of 
Trade and Industry, and as Technical Director in Egyptian Accreditation Council for about 10 years. 
She has represented Egypt in many international,  European and regional conferences and workshops 
on issues concerning standardization and accreditation.  Moreover, Eng. El Azazy is an Advisor and 
lead Examiner in the Egyptian National Quality Award for Excellence for both the governmental 
service institutions and the industrial organizations. 
Evah Adega Oduor (Kenya)  
Ms Oduor is the Director of Standards & Internati onal Trade with the Kenya Bureau of Standards.  
She has almost 30 years experience in standardi sation, conformity assessment and metrology.  
Ms Oduor has participated in sever al trade negotiations and is activ e in the East A frica Community 
(EAC) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) regions on issues of standardisation and conformity assessment.  She is the Vice President of the Africa Electrotechnical Standardization Commission (AFSEC) on Conform ity Assessment and is the IEC Affiliate 
Coordinator for Africa.  Ms Oduor gained her M aster of Science Degree in Biochemistry from the 
University of Nairobi.    G/TBT/W/310 
 Page 29 
 
 
  Session 3:  Building capacity 
Ileana Márquez Martínez (United States)   
Ms Martinez is Acting Group Leader of the Globa l Standards and Information Group at the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) an d serves as International Affairs Advisor to the 
National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) at NIST and is Vice Chair of the 
Inter American Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC).  Her expertise focuses on the US approach to 
standards, regulations, certification, laboratory  accreditation and WTO trade obligations. From 1996 
through 2000, she served as the NIST Regional Standa rds Attaché in South America, with standards-
related responsibilities for the region.  She has work ed as a Standards Engineer in industrial sectors 
for both U.S. and overseas organizations, spending eight years at AFNOR, the French national 
standards body.  Ms. Martinez earned a bachelor de gree in Mechanical Engineering, did graduate 
work in Science/Technology Policy and is a reci pient of a 2001 Bronze Medal from the Department 
of Commerce for contributing to NIST efforts in st andards and conformity assessment outreach and of 
a 2004 ANSI Meritorious Service Award. 
Fabio Tobón (Colombia)  
Mr. Tobón is the Executive Director of the National Standards and Certification Body of Colombia 
(ICONTEC).  With more than 16 years experien ce in Standards and Conformity Assessment, 
Mr. Tobón has been a member of the Board of Directors and the Technical Management Board 
(TMB) of the International Organization for Standardi zation (ISO).  He is also a member of the Board 
of Directors of the Pan-American Standards Organization (COPANT) and a former member of the BoD of ASTM International.  An Agronomist fro m the Universidad Nacional in Bogota, Colombia, 
he received his Masters Degree in Agricultural Engi neering and Administration at the University of 
Minnesota.   
Gary Kushnier (United States)
 
Mr. Kushnier has held the post of Vice-President of International Policy at the American National 
Standards Institute (ANSI) since 1995.  His prim ary responsibility is for overall liaison and policy 
coordination of ANSI’s activities with internationa l and regional organizati ons, as well as national 
member bodies.  ANSI is a not-for-profit membership organization that brings together organizations 
from both the private and public sectors dedicated to  furthering US and international voluntary 
consensus standards and conformity assessments .  ANSI accredits national standards developing 
organizations and approves American National Standa rds and is the sole US representative to the 
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the US National Committee, the 
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).  Prio r to his current appointment he served as Vice 
President of ANSI’s Brussels Office, where he wo rked closely with various European standards 
organizations during the early years of the formation of the European Union.  Currently he serves as 
Chair of the PASC Executive Committee and as staff liaison to the ANSI International Policy 
Committee.  Mr. Kushnier received his Bachelor of Science degree from Kean College, New Jersey.   
Carlos E. Rodríguez  (Colombia)  
Carlos E. Rodríguez has been the Executive Director  of the Costa Rican Technical Standards Institute 
(INTECO) since 1996.  He is currently also the IS O Regional Liaison Officer for Central America and 
the Caribbean and the Leader of the IEC Affiliate Country Programme.  As well, Mr. Rodríguez is a 
member of the Board of Directors of the Co sta Rican Accreditation Authority (ECA) and the 
Director-General of the Inter American Deve lopment Bank (IDB)/Multilateral Investment Fund 
(MIF) project on "SME Competitiveness through T echnical Standardization".  From 2003 to 2005, 
Mr. Rodríguez was President of the Pan American Standards Commission (COPANT).  Mr. G/TBT/W/310 
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  Rodríguez graduated from the University of Costa Rica and obtained a Masters in Policy 
Development and Evaluation from the Getulio Vargas F oundation.  He is also professor at the Faculty 
of Economics of the University of Costa Rica. 
Rula Madanat (Jordan)
 
Ms Madanat is Assistant Director General for Techni cal Affairs at the Jordan Institution for Standards 
and Metrology (JISM).  She has held several tec hnical and managerial positions with JISM for the 
past 21 years.  She was Team Leader for the "European-Jordan Twinning Project for Strengthening 
JISM" and twice headed JISM's team for the King Abdullah II Award for Government Performance 
and Transparency.  In addition to her knowledge  of the WTO TBT and SPS Agreements, Ms Madanat 
possesses substantive practical experience in the areas of standards, technical regulations and 
conformity assessment procedures.  She has represente d Jordan in many international, European and 
regional meetings, conferences, and workshops on is sues concerning trade and technical barriers.  For 
instance, she was a member of the Jordanian nego tiation delegation of the Free Trade Agreement with 
the USA and Canada.  Ms Madanat is a certif ied Management Development Expert under the 
Certified Trade Advisors Program of the Internatio nal Trade Centre (ITC), European Quality Auditor 
and European Quality Systems Manager, certified by the European Organization for Quality (EOQ).  
Ms Madanat holds a B.S. in Chemical Engi neering from the University of Jordan. 
Gerardo Patacconi (UNIDO)  
Mr. Patacconi is Chief, Qualit y, Productivity and Enterprises Upgrading, UNIDO Trade Capacity 
Building Branch, and focal point for cooperation with ISO and the WTO/TBT.  Holder of a high-level degree in Statistics and Manage ment Science, he was awarde d European Young Scientist in 
Operational Research in 1984. He has contributed  to the development and implementation of the 
UNIDO Trade Capacity Building Approach.  Over recent years he has focussed on the implementation of large-scale national and regional industrial restructuring and upgrading programmes and food traceability.  After joining UNIDO  in 1987, he has carried out research work 
and directly extended technical assistance and traini ng to industries and quality- related institutions to 
over 80 developing countries.  Mr. Patacconi  is  an ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 Lead Auditor and a 
trained Total Quality Management Specialist. 
Michael Roberts (WTO)
 
Mr. Roberts is a Counsellor in the Development Division.  He was appointed Aid for Trade 
Coordinator at the WTO Secretariat in January 20 09.  Prior to joining the Development Division, 
Mr. Roberts spent seven years with the Agricultu re Division, the majority as Secretary of the 
Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF).  During this time, he overs aw the evolution of the 
STDF into a multi-donor Trust Fund with 16 donors and annual resources of approximately US$5 
million.  The STDF is a funding and co-ordina tion mechanism which assists developing countries 
comply with sanitary and phytosanitary measures. 
John S. Wilson (World Bank)  
 
Mr. Wilson is a Lead Economist in the Developmen t Economics Research Group of the World Bank, 
directing policy research on trade facilitation, standards, regulatory reform, and economic 
development.  Providing expertise in lending opera tions and participating in Bank projects, he has 
provided leadership for the World Bank establishm ent of the inter-agency Standards and Trade 
Development Facility.  A member of the Worl d Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Trade 
Facilitation, he is co-author of numerous publicatio ns, including "Help or Hindrance? The Impact of 
Harmonized Standards on African Exports", "Trade, Tr ansparency, and Welfare in the Asia Pacific" 
and "Standards and Export Decisions: Firm-level Evidence from Developing Countries."  Work in  G/TBT/W/310 
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  progress includes "Aid for Trade Facilitation: Do es it Matter?"  Previously Vice President for 
Technology Policy at the Information Technolo gy Industry Council in Washington, D.C. and a 
Visiting Fellow at the Institute for International Econom ics, he was also a Senior Staff Officer at the 
U.S. National Academy of Sciences and Nati onal Research Council and Adjunct Professor of 
International Affairs at Georgetown Univers ity.  He holds degrees from Wooster College and 
Columbia University in New York. 
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