The Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards (SLBS) will host a three day, regional workshop on “Conformity Assessment Infrastructure Supporting Trade” on August 4th - 6th 2009.

The workshop, a collaborative effort between the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the Caricom Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ), aims to provide participants with the requisite knowledge and understanding of the ISO standards and guides that set out the internationally agreed practices on conformity assessment activities.

 

The workshop is part of a series in the ISO Action Plan for developing countries 2005-2010, which responds to the need for technical regulations, standards, and the procedures for assessing conformity, to not create unnecessary obstacles to international trade, as mandated in The World Trade Organization's agreements, the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement) and the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement).

 

The two agreements also recognize that developing countries should establish the necessary infrastructure for application of standards, conformity assessment and participation in international agreements in these fields. These agreements also promote the creation of confidence in the conformity assessment results of others as a way of reducing barriers to trade.

 

The workshop will bring together regional delegates, from Haiti in the North to Belize in Central America, from industry, government, trade regulators, standardization officials, conformity assessment providers (laboratories, Inspection and certification bodies), accreditation bodies and interested stakeholders from the region.

 

The three day workshop will be held at the Bay Gardens Hotel and will begin with an opening ceremony on Tuesday 4th August in the conference room of the Bay Gardens Resort at 8:30am.