WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/GEN/99 
4 May 2010 
 (10-2429) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
UNIDO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CAPACITY BUILDING  
ACTIVITES RELATED TO TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE 
 
  The following information was provided by UNIDO
 at the TBT Committee meeting of  
24-25 March 2010. 
 
_______________ 
 I. INTRODUCTION 
1. The present document summarizes United Nati ons Industrial Development Organization 
(UNIDO) trade-related technical assistance and capac ity building approach (3Cs) and the current and 
planned technical assistance activities UNIDO provid es to developing countries and least developed 
countries aimed at overcoming Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and fostering trade and access to 
export markets. 
2. UNIDO assistance is delivered through country , regional and global programmes and global 
forum activities.   The technical  assistance is needs-based and established on c ountry/sub-regional 
specific analysis of poverty, industrial development and trade capacity needs, and is jointly developed 
with partner countries' strategies and projects.  The UNIDO programmes developed ensure that the 
principles of relevance, demand - orientation, lo cal ownership, and effectiveness – efficiency are 
followed to achieve sustained benefits for the client s.  UNIDO strategy is also characterised by strong 
emphasis on building and strengthening existing regi onal trade-related organi sations and agreements 
(e.g.  African Union, NEPAD, UEMOA, ECOWAS, SAARC, EAC), which promote harmonization and optimal use of resources.   
3. UNIDO commitments for trade-related assistance and capacity building activities, with focus 
on setting up and upgrading countries' standards and conformity assessment infrastructure and supply-
capacity building, amounted to about US$ 165 m illion over the period 2007-2009; representing an 
increase of 68 per cent compared to the period 2 001 – 2006 with a commitment of US$ 113 million. 
A. T
HE UNIDO  3CS APPROACH FOR TRADE RELATED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE / CAPACITY 
BUILDING (TRTA/CB) 
4. In the emerged "rules based" trading system, deve loping countries stand to gain appreciable 
benefits in terms of economic gr owth and wealth creation from great er market penetration and fuller 
participation in global trade.  In order to develop and exploit the full their export potential, developing 
countries need to strengthen and diversify their productive capacities, overcome supply-side 
constraints, improve competitiveness and exploit the economies of scale thereby integrating in 
regional and global value chains.  They also need to enhance standardization capabilities and 
compliance with technical standards and market requirements so as reduce in-flow of sub-standards 
goods, heighten consumer confiden ce and pursue global acceptance of their products.  Furthermore, 
the developing countries need to increase their know ledge of and bargaining-power within the rules-
based trading regime.   G/TBT/GEN/99 
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  5. Many developing countries, however, are ill equi pped to take advantag e of the opportunities 
provided by trade.  Weak infrastructure, lack of  productive capacities and the inability to meet product 
specifications and increasingly stringent requirement s in terms of quality, safety, health and the 
environment play strongly against their successful in tegration into global markets.  They lack the 
supply capacity to produce goods that can compete in terms of quality and price in export markets, so 
only by removing supply-side constraints, ensu ring compliance with t echnical standards and 
strengthening negotiating capacities the developing  countries can aspire to full and effective 
integration in the global trading syst em on mutually beneficial terms. 
6. UNIDO, based on its know-how and 40 years of experience in industrial development and in 
setting up Standardization, Metrolog y, Testing and Quality (SMTQ) infrastructures, has developed a 
strategic Trade Capacity-Building (TCB) approa ch to overcome supply-side and conformity 
constraints hampering effective industrial productive capacity.  Its prime objective is to achieve a 
palpable increase in developing country Manufacturing Value Added and exports by: 
(a) Removing supply-side constraints and developing competitive manufacturing 
capability (compete). 
(b) Developing and ensuring product conformity with technical and market requirements 
(conform). 
(c) Enhancing integration with and c onnectivity to markets (connect). 
7. The stage of development of the standards and conformity assessment systems in partner 
countries tends to reflect their gene ral level of economic and industrial  development and in turn has a 
bearing on the efficacy of their technical regulation regimes as well as on their need to protect 
consumers, ensure efficiency of productive and trad e activities, and foster market access.  In order to 
maximise sustainability, UNIDO's assistance is caref ully targeted and sequenced to ensure it is 
appropriate to the needs of part ner countries and regional groupings. 
 
 
 
     
 
  
 
8. Over the past forty years th ere has been significant support by UNIDO to developing 
countries' enterprises and standards and conform ity assessment organisations through strengthening 
legal, institutional and human capacities and infrastructure with emphasis on: 
(a) Measurement standards. 
(b) Legal metrology. 
(c) Standards development and harmonization. 
 G/TBT/GEN/99 
 Page 3 
 
 
  (d) Material Testing laboratories. 
(e) Certification and inspection. 
(f) Accreditation (of testing and inspection bodies and certification bodies). 
(g) Quality management. 
(h) Consumers and environmental protection. 
9. Typical areas of UNIDO intervention are:  
(a) Development of national standards bodies (NSBs) , including TBT and Sanitary 
and Phytosanitary (SPS) enquiry points and the upgrading of national legal and 
regulatory frameworks. 
(b) Development of metrology (calibration) capacities  towards international 
recognition of their services for the calibrati on of national product testing equipment. 
(c) Development of product testing capacities  (micro-biological, chemical, textile, 
leather, electrical laboratories, etc.) toward s international recognition of their services 
for the proof of conformity with foreign buyer requirements. 
(d) Establishment and Upgrading of inspection and certification schemes and 
services  for the assessment of conformity ag ainst products and system standards 
including ISO 9001, ISO 14001,  ISO 22000, etc.) with increased emphasi s on public-private partnerships. 
(e) Development of national and/or regional accreditation schemes  for the 
accreditation of national laboratories, inspectors, certification bodies, etc. 
(f) In the case of important high profile products  important for groups of developing 
countries (e.g.  cotton, sugar, horticulture , fish, garments) develop projects covering 
supply capacity, value addition and conformity . 
(g) Upgrading SMEs with focus on quality, productivity and conformity  to standards 
and other market requirements. 
(h) Participation in international standardization  and strengthening participation of 
consumers  in standards activities. 
(i) Regional harmonization  of standards and conformity assessment systems. 
(j) Pilot projects to assist developing countries to implement farm-to-fork traceability 
systems . 
(k) Assessment of barriers to trade  at the country, sector, and enterprise levels.     G/TBT/GEN/99 
Page 4  
 
   
II. COUNTRY/REGIONAL COOPERATION 
10. According to UNIDO estimates, in 2002 UNIDO trade-related technical assistance 
commitments amounted to US$ 14.9 million.  After rising up to US$ 34.9 million in 2004 the commitments further increased to about US$ 43.6 million in 2007.  According to the World Trade 
Organisation (WTO) –Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) TRTA/CB 
Database UNIDO ranks as one of the top players in  trade-related technical assistance and capacity 
building among international orga nizations, implementing approximately  US$ 63.9 million in TRTA 
in 2009. 
TRTA provided by UNIDO and other Multila teral Agencies, 2001 – 2009 (US$ million) 
14.920.943.658.163.9
11.434.9
8.223.0
010203040506070
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009US$ million s
UNIDO UNDP ITC FAO UNCTAD 
 
 
(Source: WTO/OECD TCBDB ( http://tcbdb.wto.org ) & UNIDO (UNIDO estimations 2008, 2009), 
October 2009) 
 
11. Approximately 60per cent of all Trade Capac ity-Building Trade Assistance during 2007-2009 
was devoted to Least Developed Countries (LDCs).  At the same time, the prospects for expanded 
UNIDO activities in LDCs have continued to grow.   
III. HIGHLIGHTS OF CURRENT UNIDO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE RELATED TO 
TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE (TBT) 
12. The geographical distribution of UNIDO programmes related to standardization, conformity 
assessment and TBT related matters are presented in th e figure below.  It should be noted that UNIDO 
is increasingly involved in the de velopment and implementation of (sub-) regional projects, ranging 
from the ongoing projects in the Economic and Monetary Union of West Africa (UEMOA), Mekong 
countries, the South Asian Association of Regi onal Cooperation (SAARC), the Economic Community 
of West African States (ECOWAS), the East Africa Community (EAC) and Central America, and new projects under development for the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), CIS states, and the Caribbean (CARICOM).  G/TBT/GEN/99 
 Page 5 
 
 
   
 
 
13. Highlights of the main activities and achie vements of UNIDO country and regional 
TRTA/CB projects over the period reported (2007-2010) are presented below: 
(a) In Ghana , in the framework of the Memora ndum of Understanding signed between 
UNIDO and WTO, UNIDO is currently im plementing a TCB Programme funded by 
the government of Switzerland through the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs 
(SECO) (US$ 2.7 million) aimed at de veloping the supply-side capacity and 
G/TBT/GEN/99 
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  competitiveness in selected agro-based sectors.  Assistance is also provided to 
develop reliable assessment bodi es, to enhance the country's integration into the 
multilateral trading system, and at the same time strengthen the local consumer participation in the national standardiza tion process.  The programme also supports 
institutions, enterprises and consumer orga nizations.  The assistance focuses in the 
areas of standardization, training of i ndustry specialists, testing of products, 
certification and consumer-rela ted capacity building.  The enterprises will benefit 
from the inspection and testing of their produc ts, training of their specialists in quality 
and food safety management, and will ha ve better access to information on export 
opportunities, standards, technical re gulations and buyers' requirements. 
(b) In the East African Community (EAC)  UNIDO is currently implementing a project 
funded by the government of Norway through the Norwegian Agency for 
Development Cooperation (Norad) to the tune of EUR 3.4 million, aimed at 
enhancing the capacity of the five participating countries ( Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, 
Rwanda and Tanzania ), through a coordinated effort at the regional level, to 
participate in international trade mainly through (1) the enhancement of enterprise's 
capacity to produce according to internati onal market requirements and through (2) 
the strengthening of export-oriented support services, mainly relating to conformity assessment. 
(c) The UNIDO project "Increase access to export markets for Lebanese products and 
improvement of its Quality Infrastructure to increase TBT/SPS Compliance" started 
in 2006 in Lebanon  funded by SECO (US$ 2.2 million).  It aimed to enhance the 
capacities of the Lebanese quality infrast ructure by focusing on testing and 
conformity assessment procedures for packag ing testing and legal metrology mobile 
laboratory services and on supporting the creation of an advisory services on packaging and labelling to enhance comp liance with TBT/SPS systems requirements 
in order to facilitate exports in selected sectors with important trade potential as well 
as assuring adequate consumer protection.   In this perspective, the project improves 
the quality chain for selected food products.  Under this project, up to two laboratories and other institutions of th e Lebanese quality infrastructure are improved 
to provide certification and testing services to institutional and private sector customers.  Actions to quickly achieve international recognition of products are 
pursued to ensure access to export ma rkets of Lebanese goods and overcome 
potential barriers to trade.  Focusing on the actual needs of producers and exporters, 
the project strengthens the certification capability to provide services to exporters (related to standards and conformity assessm ent procedure, market information and 
technology solutions focusing on labelling and packaging and quality marks) and 
assists a group of producers on a pilot-basis in implementing Good Hygiene 
Practices/Good Manufacturing Practices ( GHP/GMP) and quality systems as well as 
food traceability.   
(d) In Egypt , UNIDO is currently providing technical assistance in the area of physical 
traceability systems (farm-to-fork) of agro-industrial products for the European markets through a project financed under a debt-for-development swap agreement 
between the governments of Egypt and Italy (US$ 7.0 million).  The 
UNIDO/ETRACE (Egyptian Traceability Centre for Agro-Industrial Exports) scheme aims at reducing barriers to trade for Egyptian enterprises by supporting the adoption of traceability schemes at the enterprise level, upgrading technology related to traceability, quality, safety and supply-chain management and fostering certification 
and accreditation.  Additionally, the pr oject provides for the preparation of 
traceability manuals and national guides outlin ing legal and technical requirements,  G/TBT/GEN/99 
 Page 7 
 
 
  thus facilitating the integration of Egyp tian exporters in global value chains.  
ETRACE aims to ensure that in term s of quality, safety and traceability, fresh 
produce complies with international regulations on food safely, including the European legislation 179/2002.    
(e) Mekong Programme Phase I & II
: In the Mekong region countries of Cambodia, 
Lao PDR, and Vietnam , UNIDO through an intervention funded by Norad with a 
total of US$ 2.5 million for Phase I & II, is  supporting the industr ial development and 
export capabilities of the three countries by reducing technical barriers to trade through the strengthening of standards, me trology, testing and quality institutional 
structures and national capacities.  The first Phase of the programme, initiated in 2003 
and completed in December 2005, focused primarily on awareness creation of and 
initial capacity building in the importance of SMTQ for industrial development in 
general and more importantly demonstrated  the way the absence of such capacities 
can act as a significant non-tariff barrier to trade.  Mekong Phase I accomplished its main focus of assessing the shortfalls in  the countries' SMTQ infrastructure and 
closing some of the identified gaps.  Moreover, the project went a long way in 
ensuring that the countries are prepared to  participate as members of WTO in the 
medium term.  Based on this foundation, the second phase of the project has been approved and commenced in 2006 (with an  expected end in June 2010).  The 
objectives of the second Phase of the Mekong project, were thus concentrating on development and strengthening of ne w and existing physical conformity 
infrastructure, further extensive training and securing of nationa l training capabilities 
on the various standards involved in the main identified export industries, ensuring regional and international credibility of  the conformity infrastructure, and 
development of operational TBT and SPS enquiry points in each country. 
(f) The UNIDO SMTQ intervention started in 1999 in Sri Lanka  funded by Norad (US$ 
2.5 million) managed within a relatively sh ort time span to make available in the 
country seven internationally accredited t esting laboratories covering the areas of 
chemical, microbiology, rubber/plastics and food analysis testing at the Sri Lanka 
Standards Institution (SLSI), Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) and Textile 
Training & Services Centre (TT&SC).   Furt hermore, to ascertain the accuracy of the 
tests and the testing equipment used by these laboratories, the country's industrial 
metrology capabilities were strengthened by upgrading the Industrial Metrology 
Laboratories at ITI in the areas of dimensional, volume, mass, thermometry, pressure and electrical metrology.  Summing up, a total of eight testing and metrology facilities were strengthened according to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard guidelines towards achieving international accreditation of their services by 2007.  All 
laboratories developed under the UNIDO/Nor ad intervention in Sri Lanka have met 
the international ISO/IEC (International Electronical Commission) 17025 strict criteria for accreditation, and were granted international recognitio n for their tests and 
calibration services by the Swedish Accreditation Body (SWEDAC).  This is a remarkable achievement since apart from India, Thailand and Malaysia no other 
developing country in Asia has reache d this milestone.  Another UNIDO/Norad 
SMTQ intervention commenced in 2006 "Str engthening international certification in 
Sri Lanka with particular reference to Social Accountability Standard (SA 8000) and 
Food Safety (HACCP/ISO 22000) Standard " with a budget of US$ 757,100.  The 
Food Safety Management component was in itiated in December 2006 under the aegis 
of UNIDO and key partnership of The Ceylon National Chamber of Industries 
(CNCI), National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka (NCE) and Sri Lanka Standards 
Institution (SLSI).  The National Certifi cation body "IND-EXPO Certification (Pvt) 
Ltd" was incorporated in March 2007.  National awareness seminars, validation G/TBT/GEN/99 
Page 8  
 
  workshop and Gap analysis have been conduc ted.  The National capacity for the Food 
Safety Management System (HACCP/I SO 22000) standard development and 
certification will be achieved through the trai ning of consultants, accredited trainers 
and auditors as stipulated under the international practices. 
(g) For the LDCs of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation
 (SAARC) 
the UNIDO project funded by Norad (US$3.0 million) for Market Access and Trade 
Facilitation Support for South Asian LDCs, assisted Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan 
and Maldives  in strengthening their SMTQ institutions to overcome technical 
barriers in their external trade and enable  them to increase value added exports and 
generate additional income from their pr oducts thereby overcoming poverty.  The 
development of national standards will also help in upgrading the quality of products 
in their domestic markets.  UNIDO also supported Maldives to become a member of 
ISO and sponsored Bhutan and Nepal to attend the ISO General Assemblies for 
networking among standards bodies worldwide.   UNIDO also sponsored participants 
from SAARC LDCs to attend the training wo rkshops organized by ISO and BIS in 
India.   
(h) In the West Africa Economic and Monetary Union  (UEMOA) UNIDO 
implemented a large-scale project funded by the European Union (EUR 14.5 million), UEMOA Phase I, which achieved remarkable results by creating regional legal and institutional systems in fields of accreditation, certification, standardization and metrology.  Considering the positive achiev ements and experience gained from this 
programme, the European Union decided to finance, as part of the 9th European 
Development Fund (EDF), the Programme to Support competitiveness and harmonisation of TBT and SPS in West Afri ca (West Africa Quality Programme) to 
the tune of EUR 14.5 million.   This programme has been divided in two main components: UEMOA Quality Programme Phase II (UPQ2 - EUR 6.5 million), and 
ECOWAS Quality Programme (non-UEMOA, plus Mauritania) (ENUM- EUR 8 
million).  The activities planned under UP Q2 consolidate the achievements of 
UEMOA Phase I, by targeting to strengt hen the capacity of the UEMOA Commission 
to implement the application of the UEM OA Quality Regulation at the regional and 
national levels.  The activities planne d under ENUM focus on strengthening the 
quality infrastructure within the ECOWAS Commission, in order to support the 
implementation of the ECOWAS Common Industr ial Policy, particularly in its trade-
related aspects, namely those related to Eu ropean market.  The West Africa Quality 
Programme provides to this region the support needed in terms of quality, in order to comply with the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).  The project in the UEMOA countries is also complementary to the EUR 16 million for Restructuring 
and Upgrading industrial enterprises of th e UEMOA member states also implemented 
by UNIDO. 
(i) The overall objective of the "Business Environment Support and Trade Facilitation" 
(B.E.S.T.F.) project in Mozambique , is to promote export-led growth and to improve 
the existing investment climate by allevia ting trade-related constraints affecting the 
business environment.  The focus of the project is on the strengthening of existing 
institutions involved in the delivering of services in the area of metrology, 
standardization and certification together with the INNOQ (National Institute for 
Normalization and Standards) as the lead institution.  Furthermore the enhancement 
of the availability, access and quality of info rmation and advisory services for trade, 
including training with IPEX (National In stitute for Export Promotion) and to reduce 
the time and costs associated with import  and export operations with the Directorate 
of Customs of the Mozambican Revenue Author ity (AT) is of great importance.   The  G/TBT/GEN/99 
 Page 9 
 
 
  B.E.S.T.F.  project, with a budget of EUR 6,262,500, is jointly funded by European 
Union and UNIDO and its implementation commenced in July 2008. 
(j) UNIDO's EU-funded project in Ivory Coast  on "Prevention of Ochratoxine A (OTA) 
in coffee and cocoa" is particularly suc cessful.  As a major exporter of coffee and 
cocoa - the country tops the list of the world producers of cocoa - Ivory Coast counts 
on European imports of both products.  In  addition to getting more information on 
controlling OTA in coffee and cocoa beans, I vory Coast needs reliable data to lobby 
the European Commission DG SANCO (Dir ectorate General for Health and 
Consumer Affairs) and th e Codex Alimentarius Commission for the adoption of 
realistic maximum levels of OTA in coffee and cocoa.  UNIDO has been providing 
assistance to the Ivory Coast authorities in identifying critical contamination points 
and adopting appropriate sampling met hods.  It equipped a laboratory with 
instruments to detect OTA in coffee a nd cocoa, trained staff and upgraded the 
premises.  UNIDO has been helping in awareness building and introduced good 
practices during the production and post-harvest  stages.  With 1.7 million hectares of 
cocoa and over 600,000 hectares of coffee, producers must be made aware of the 
precautions that can be taken to avoid, or reduce, contamination.  Based on the results 
of the studies, promotional materials were prepared for each actor in the supply chain including leaflets, ready-to-air radio spots, films as well as special training material those unable to read.  Training programmes were adjusted for people working at all 
stages of the supply chain in more than 1,260 villages and c ooperatives by 36 well 
trained and equipped extension officers selected among decentralized entities of the 
Ministry of Agriculture and cooperatives.  On  that basis, a new project for the Ivory 
Coast is being developed, where UNIDO, in partnership with the private sector, proposes to develop and test a "sustainability scheme" for cocoa cooperatives to enhance the quantity, quality and safety of cocoa production.  This should be done in 
a socially and environmentally sustainabl e manner and with strong benefits for the 
communities within which the cooperatives are located.   
(k) Many of Zambia's  traditional exports - honey, wood and wood products, 
horticulture, leather and leather products, co tton and apparel - have not achieved the 
success they deserve because of failure to pr ove compliance with international quality 
standards.  Under a new project, launched jointly by UNIDO and WTO with funding 
from Norad, the export performance of Zamb ia will be improved by strengthening the 
national legislative framework supporting sta ndards, technical regulations, metrology, 
testing and quality; addressing deficiencies in standards, testing and metrology, 
especially legal metrology; establishi ng a credible conformity assessment 
infrastructure with accreditation in relevant areas; and fostering integration into the 
multilateral trading system.  During the inception phase of the project, a detailed 
assessment was carried out of the national quality infrastructure of Zambia and the 
subsequent drafting of a national quality pol icy.  The ultimate beneficiaries of this 
Aid for Trade project are manufacturers and exporters in strategic export sectors, who would be able to expand produc tion and have access to, and be able to comply with, 
export country regulations and standards and buyers' requirements by virtue of 
accredited testing and certification facilities in Zambia. 
(l) Phase II of the UNIDO TRTA Project in Pakistan , funded by the European Union 
(EUR 9,395,000), started in January 2010.  TRTA-I, which ende d in September 2007, 
focused on building awareness of, and capac ity for, WTO participation, building 
capacity in certification, metrology and accreditation of testing laboratories, and 
establishing the Intellectual Property Organiza tion.  Taking the findings of TRTA-I as 
a basis, the overall programme purpose of  TRTA-II is to support the economic G/TBT/GEN/99 
Page 10  
 
  integration of Pakistan into the global and regional economy and to stimulate decent 
work and employment creation by increasing exports and enhancing the enabling climate for international trade.  The TRTA- II programme has three complementary components aimed at improving the trade and investment policy climate and enhancing trade development, strengthe ning standards and quality capacity, and 
improving the protection of intellectual propert y rights.  The programme is broader in 
scope than the previous TRTA, addressi ng regional negotiations and WTO, trade 
development and trade policy, and involving the private sector and civil society as 
well as the Government of Pakistan.  The TRTA-II programme has the following 
three Components: Trade Policy Capacity Building, Export development through 
improvement of the quality infrastructur e and Strengthening of the Intellectual 
Property Rights.    
(m) The Bangladesh Phase I  Quality Support Programme funded by the European Union 
(EUR 8.5 million) aims at bringing qua lity standards and quality management in 
Bangladesh up to international standards, and at increasing awareness of international 
quality standards in the business community to support the development and 
diversification of exports.  UNIDO supports  the country for the development of the 
national quality infrastructure in the areas of National Quality Management Systems, 
Textiles and Fisheries.  The immediate beneficiaries of the programme are the co-operating organizations in the public and th e private sector.  Assistance is also 
provided in setting-up of the Bangladesh Accreditation Body (BAB).  The 
Bangladesh Phase II  activities of the Better Work and Standards Programme 
(BEST) programme, commencing mid 2010 with funds amounting to EUR 13.5 million, will improve the quality framework fo r Bangladesh with special focus on the 
fisheries and textile and clothing (T&C) sectors.  The activities of the BEST are successor to the actions implemented under the Bangladesh Quality Support 
Programme which is due to end in Apr il 2010.  In addition, BEST will focus on 
institutional reform and workers rights.  The three main components of the programme are Better Quality Infrastructur e (BQI), Better Fisheries Quality (BFQ) 
and Better Work in Textiles and Garments (BWTG). 
A. LABNETWORK
1 
14. Labnetwork (LABNET) is UNIDO's global La boratory Network portal, a common UN 
interagency platform on laboratory accreditation.  It was launched in Hyderabad, India with the 
support of Vimta Labs Ltd., and draws together members from developed and developing countries 
and provides a forum for an exchange of experience and information on:  
(a) Existing laboratories and their activities to en able client countries to select reliable 
testing, measurement and calibration services;  
(b) Steps to be taken in setting up and ma intaining new laboratories (design, 
management, accreditation and maintenance); 
(c) Proficiency testing, certified reference materials and traceability as well as trade-
related issues;  
(d) Testing and calibration. 
                                                      
1 www.labnetwork.org   G/TBT/GEN/99 
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  15. LABNET members have access to information on laboratories and networks worldwide as 
well as support from experts on technical, regulatory and quality management issues.  They can use 
the information provided by LABNET to improve the quality of their work and stay abreast of new 
developments in the testing and calibration industry. 
16. UNIDO acts as a key partner in the area of inte rnational standards with organizations such as 
the ISO, the International Accreditation Forum (I AF), the International Laboratory Accreditation 
Cooperation (ILAC), the Bureau International des Po ids et Mesures, and the worldwide proficiency 
testing information systems EPTIS and COMAR.   During a Joint UNIDO-IAEA (International 
Atomic Energy Agency) - UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) - WHO (World Health Organization) Laboratory Network Seminar,  held in Vienna in July 2009, UNIDO organized 
an Expert Group Meeting (EGM) to discuss ways of  enhancing LABNET.  All participants agreed 
that the LABNET portal had potential for inter-agenc y cooperation.  Specifically, it could disseminate 
information on testing and calibration, laboratory management from planning to accreditation, layout 
and design and - in collaboration with various stake holders - facilitate the sharing, of case studies, 
lessons learned and best practices implemented by different countries. 
IV. COOPERATION WITH THE WTO AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS 
17. By adopting a holistic approach to the comp lex and multi-dimensional problems of trade 
capacity-building and joining forces with other common-system organizations and agencies, as well as bilateral agencies and professional institutions to meet the supply capacity and conformity needs of 
developing countries and LDCs, the UNIDO TCB progr amme demonstrates the practical application 
of the Aid for Trade objectives.   
A. UNIDO
 AND THE ENHANCED INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK (EIF) 
18. In June 2009, UNIDO signed an agreement in Vienna to join the EIF that assists in the 
coordinated delivery of TRTA for LDCs.  This fo llowed a decision by the EIF Board in May to 
recognize UNIDO as an implementing partner of the EIF and as observer to its Board.  UNIDO's 
contribution will draw on its expertis e in the area of TCB.  The partnership agreement was signed by 
UNIDO Director-General, Kandeh K.  Yumkella, th e Chairman of the EIF Board, Anthony Mothae 
Maruping, the Executive Director of the EIF Secretariat, Dorothy Tembo and the Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) , Bernard Schlachter The initial step towards 
UNIDO-EIF collaboration was taken by the Dir ector-General in 2006, when he steered the 
Organization towards closer cooperation with the WTO in the context of Aid for Trade.  His initiative 
to re-establish the LDC Ministerial Conferences, focusing on the link between Aid for Trade and 
supply side development challenges facing LDCs, de monstrated UNIDO value added contributions to 
the EIF.  The partnership between UNIDO and the EIF shows that the Aid for Trade initiative is 
moving towards implementation of concrete projects in line with the national priorities of the LDCs. 
B. UNIDO
 AND THE STANDARDS AND TRADE DEVELOPMENT FACILITY (STDF) 
19. During the course of the LDC Ministerial Conf erence held in Siem Reap, Cambodia, in 
November 2008, UNIDO and STDF signed and Inter-a gency Framework Agreement to cooperate on 
project implementation and supervision.  UNIDO's  knowledge and experience in helping developing 
countries to produce food and agricultural products  with high-export potential, that conform to 
relevant international standards, enriches both th e STDF's coordination and project activities.  For 
instance, UNIDO will be a key partner in future STDF work on the development of SPS indicators.  
And of course, UNIDO can also now impl ement or supervise STDF projects.   
 G/TBT/GEN/99 
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  C. P
ARTICIPATION IN TBT  AND RELATED TRAINING AND WORKSHOPS  
20. Under the WTO and UNIDO-MoU, TCB branch participates in WTO TBT/SPS 
national/regional workshops and provides inputs on the development of standards and conformity 
capacities, as well as presenting lessons from ongoi ng UNIDO projects covering TBT and SPS.   
D. UNIDO  CONTINUES TO HAVE STRONG STRATEGIC  AND OPERATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH 
ISO,  ILAC  AND IAF,  BIPM  AND OIML. 
21. With a broad portfolio of projects covering st andards, metrology, testing, certification and 
accreditation, UNIDO is a privileged partner of key international standards and conformity 
organizations such as ISO, the IAF, the ILAC a nd the International Bureau of Weights and Measures 
(BIPM).  The partnerships institutions are crucial in  building capacity in standards and conformity as 
well as in SPS compliance. 
22. In December 2008, a MoU was signed between UNIDO, the International Organization of 
Legal Metrology (OIML), and the BIPM.  The stra tegic partnership will enhance the impact of 
industrial development on economic growth, minimize technical barriers to trade and assist in the 
beneficial integration of developing countries and transition economies into the global economy.  In 
addition to joint programmes, the three organiza tions will share information, pool resources and 
expertise and contribute to each other's meetings. 
23. In December 2003, the first MoU between ISO and the UNIDO was signed.  The MoU aims 
to make it easier for developing and least-dev eloped countries and economies in transition, to 
participate in and benefit from in ternational trade.  Measures like the development of training material 
on standardization and related c onformity assessment activities, and awareness-raising through joint 
workshops and seminars have been developed since th en.  In order to reinforce their joint activities, 
UNIDO and ISO signed a new MoU in June 2009, incl uding the cooperation in the area of Energy and 
Environment.  The agreement will increase the ef fectiveness of their joint efforts and enhance 
coordination of their complementary and mutually supportive activities by encouraging the widest use 
of standards and assist developing countries and ec onomies in transition benefit as they become more 
involved in the global economy. 
24. The ILAC and the IAF General Assembly is th e global forum to debate on the conformity 
assessment issues (certification, inspection and accr editation) with its stakeholders and strategic 
partners from international organizations such as ISO, OIML and UNIDO.  In October 2009, UNIDO 
participated and presented its Accreditation and Ce rtification related programmes at the ILAC-IAF- 
Joint Development Support Committee (JDSC) and the ILAC/IAF General Assembly.  The latter is in 
the process of deciding on the organizational reform , including the option to merge both the bodies for 
effective and efficient operation with minimal cost.  UNIDO is the core partner of the JDSC, which 
pursues developing countries interest in the accreditation and certification community.   
V. TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE 
A. PARTICIPATION IN THE TBT  COMMITTEE  
25. UNIDO holds an ad-hoc observer status in th e WTO TBT Committee and attends regularly its 
meetings.   
26. UNIDO made two presentations at the WTO Regional Workshop on Technical Barriers to 
Trade for the English Speaking African Countries,  in May 2009 in Port Louis, Mauritius.  
Presentations on "Building Quality Infrastructure" and "Technical Assistance and the TBT agreement 
– UNIDO approach and project examples" were held .  The UNIDO approach to develop the necessary  G/TBT/GEN/99 
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  compliance infrastructure was well received and the value of UNIDO technical partnerships such as 
ISO, BIPM, ILAC, IAF and STDF appreciated.   
B. NEEDS ASSESSMENT  
27. As one of the top providers of TRTA with  emphasis on TBT matters, UNIDO has developed 
over the last ten years several needs assessment tools.  Moreover, UNIDO projects are conceived and 
developed through communications received via di fferent channels.   Among them, typical schemes 
are: (i) Government request for TBT-related TRTA  to cover legal framework, institutional and human 
capacity and physical infrastructure (testing laboratories, mobile calibration….); (ii) Request by businesses associations such as national/sectoral indust rial associations, chambers of commerce and 
Industry…) or local institutions (standards bodi es, certifiers, inspection bodies, labs…); (iii) 
Identification of new standards or conformity asse ssment procedures which might have a significant 
impact on developing countries' export; or (iv) Product banned to export; (v) TRTA linked with 
bilateral, regional or multilateral trade negotiations.   Usually, donors are associated to the project 
development process from the initial development phase and often UNIDO puts some seed money 
either to carry out the need assessment or to contribu te to tackle with urgent problems and requests.  
The UNIDO methodology for need ass essment requires both desk research and field work and it is 
supported by the UNIDO field representation syst em, as well as by its technical networks which 
include: National Cleaner Production Centres, Tec hnology Centres, Investment and Partnership 
Promotion Offices, Sub-Contracting Exchanges, etc.    
C. O
THER ACTIVITES  
1. Lebanon Survey: TBT – Effects on the food manufacturing industry in Lebanon  
28. The Survey was conducted within the framewo rk of the UNIDO MACLE project (Market 
Access & Compliance for Lebanese Export) and is a follow-up on the 2004 assessment of the food 
manufacturing industry in Lebanon.  Lebanon is in the final stage of the WTO accession and has not 
yet enacted the TBT and SPS agreements.  Delays in  the implementation of the agreements include: a) 
the absence of a consensus between the relevant mini stries, b) the gap in training field inspectors at 
the level of the Ministry of Economy and Trade (MOET) and the MOH c) a lack of international accreditation of laboratory specialized in food analysis  and conformity assessments and d) the need to 
further extend the role of the Lebanese Standa rds Institution (Libor) in the development and 
assessment of standards. 
29. The report shows that Lebanese food exporters in terviewed for this study have been keeping 
up with the upward export trends at an acceptabl e pace, despite periods of political instability.  
Lebanon experienced an important leap in the valu e of its exports after 2007, related to increased 
awareness of the benefits of exporting, in term s of sales, facilitation of trade and the gradual 
compliance of Lebanese producers with global mark et requirements.  Figures show that half of 
Lebanon's total food exports are destined for Arab ma rkets.  The EU and the North American markets 
follow, but mainly for niche ethnic segments.   
30. As a result of the survey, recommendations a nd identified improvement actions focus on the 
need for the public and the private sector to be better prepared to meet TBT requirements. 
2. Trade Compliance Report (TCR) 2010 
31. The TCR, an annual publication, compiles and analyses the main challenges and opportunities 
developing countries face in complying with technica l, sanitary and other standards, when exporting 
to demanding world markets.  In particular, th e inaugural TCR 2010 highlights the current standards 
challenges faced by developing countries, analyses product rejections in US and European markets, G/TBT/GEN/99 
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  assesses the standards and conformity infrastructure gaps and provides case studies.  For the first time 
the TCR provides a very detailed picture of the quantitative impact of non-compliance of developing 
countries on their exports.  In addition, and to sh ed further light on the capacity of developing 
countries to comply with standards, the TCR take s a two-pronged approach to analyse compliance 
infrastructure and compliance performance that underlie  export performance.  Lastly, the TCR aims to 
outline the logic of a cost-benefit analysis of trade capacity building technical assistance, and 
concludes with case studies highlighting different aspects of compliance and technical assistance 
challenges.   
3. Resource Guide 2010 
32. The first edition of the Inter-Agency Resource Guide continues to be in great demand both on 
the part of donor and recipient countries as well as in ternational organizations.  As a contribution to 
the Aid for Trade Initiative, an updated and enlarged  2010 edition is currently under preparation.  
Further to the 21 organizations in the earlier ed ition, the 2010 Inter-Agency Resource Guide will 
include from the United Nations (UN) system the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the 
International Telecommunications Union (ITU), th e United Nations Educati onal, Scientific and 
Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Universal Postal Union (UPU), the World Tourism 
Organization (UNWTO) and the International Fu nd for Agricultural Development (IFAD).  In 
addition, regional development ba nks will be included, namely th e Asian Development Bank (ADB), 
the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), th e African Development Bank (AFDB) and the 
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).  The OECD will be included with its 
Aid for Trade related publications and monitoring services.  The 2010 Resource Guide will for the 
first time provide references to technical servi ces from bilateral donors, starting with the OECD 
Development Assistance Committee (DAC) members.  This cooperation will potentially allow for 
greater visibility of South-South technical assistance offers.  The Guide is being financed by a contribution of the Government of Sweden to UNIDO's TCB Trust Fund. 
4. A guide to private standards 
33. UNIDO with the financial support of Norad, h as been implementing a global research project 
aimed at providing a practical yet comprehensive gui de to the private/industry standards that are 
influential in determining buyer-s upplier relationships in world markets for manufactured goods.  The 
Guide to Private Standards, will provide not only an  inventory of relevant industry standards by 
selected sectors (e.g.  textiles and apparel, furnitu re and wood products, leather and footwear.) for 
developing country exporters, but also an assessment of their implications vis-à-vis other barriers to 
trade to yield benefits for both policy makers a nd private enterprises in developing countries and 
enable UNIDO and other interested institutions to better focus and design their Technical Assistance 
and Capacity Building projects.  UNIDO has established cooperation a Dutch think-tank, Centre for 
Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) to finalize the empirical and qualitative analysis for 
the Guide.  UNIDO has also b een actively discussing cooperation on the information portal with 
Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Devel oping Countries (CBI) and the International Trade 
Centre (ITC).   
34. Following the completion of the empirical data collection phase, two main outputs will be 
delivered to more specifically target the two identif ied groups.  The first and foremost target group 
consists of producers and industry associations in developing countries that may face difficulties to 
get access to international markets due to the prolif eration of private standards.  The second target 
group consists of those engaged in technical cooperation at governments, international Non-
Governmental Organizations (NGOs), multi-stakehol der initiatives, standards bodies, and the UN.    G/TBT/GEN/99 
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  VI. CONCLUDING REMARKS 
35. UNIDO is committed to foster developing countries access to and integration in the global 
markets assuring adequate protection of consumers and of the environment.  This is defined in the 
Organization's TCB programme, which is one of the th ree thematic priorities of the Organization.   
UNIDO's TCB approach encompasses the improve ment of supply capacity and upgrading of 
standardization capabilities and greater conformity to  market requirements to overcome barriers to 
trade.  The UNIDO TCB approach has been develo ped on the basis of project and research activities 
carried out by UNIDO and on the Organization's forty years of experience in strengthening developing countries' industrial capacity and their SMTQ infrastructure and skills.     
36. UNIDO's assistance attends the whole supply-chai n and takes into account that developing 
countries need capacities to produce competitive expor table products that c onform to international 
standards.  Only through this way, participati on in international trade and investment flows can 
become a feasible path out of the poverty trap. 
37. UNIDO, through its TCB programme, will continue  to provide demanded technical assistance 
and capacity building at the national and (sub-) regiona l levels in the field of standards and related 
fields and also to increase participation of deve loping countries in international standardization 
activities.   In this perspective UNIDO will strengt hen further the strategic partnerships established 
with WTO, ITC, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and key 
technical organizations such as ISO, ILAC, IAF. 
 
For further information please contact: 
UNIDO Trade Capacity-Building Branch: 
 Lalith Goonatilake, Director L.Goonatilake@unido.org
 
Tel.:  +43 1 26026 3859  
Fax:  +43 1 26026 5830  Gerardo Patacconi, Chief G.Patacconi@unido.org
  
Quality, Standards and Conformity Unit  
Tel.:  +43 1 26026 3605 Fax:  +43 1 26026 73605  Address: United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) 
  Vienna International Centre, P.O.  Box 300, A-1400, Vienna 
 
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