1. Standards Outreach and the U.S. Government
Faraaz H. Siddiqi
Senior Counsel
Commercial Law Development Program
Office of the General Counsel
United States Department of Commerce

2. Standards Outreach and the U.S. Government
Agenda
Why do stakeholders need to get involved in standards outreach to developing countries?
How do stakeholders interface with the U.S. Government to conduct such outreach?

3. Commercial Law Development Program
a joint project between the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Agency for International Development that provides technical assistance to 50 developing countries on a bilateral or regional basis
aims to reform the legal and regulatory infrastructures of these countries by establishing transparency in the areas of standards and conformity assessment, intellectual property rights, and other disciplines covered by various World Trade Organization agreements, thereby increasing business opportunities for foreign and domestic investors

4. Commercial Law Development Program
Standards and Conformity Assessment Projects
Increase the efficiency of operations of the Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality Control
Assist the Government of Moldova in upgrading its Standards Section to support its application for WTO accession
Help the countries of Southeast Europe remove non-tariff barriers to trade when implementing Free Trade Agreements

5. Why do stakeholders need to get involved in standards outreach to developing countries?

6. Because it is good, proactive business practice.

7. Importance of Standards Outreach to Developing Countries
Stakeholders need to proactively influence the standards development process to protect their business interests
Developing countries are key to the standards development process
ISO – one country / one vote
European advantage
Africa has 50 countries
Important to present standards options directly to developing countries

8. Importance of Standards Outreach to Developing Countries
Developing Countries have the fastest growing economies
Fixing the issues below can open up lucrative markets
Typical problems:
Cannot meet conformity assessment requirements in export markets
Limited resources for national conformity assessment
Difficulties in establishing internationally recognized accreditation bodies
Difficulties in implementing ISO Guides
Lack of interministerial coordination

9. Importance of Standards Outreach to Developing Countries
The standards infrastructure in developing countries is often in flux and therefore amenable to change
Technical assistance provides the best mechanism for dialogue to effect change

10. Importance of Standards Outreach to Developing Countries
Outreach provides the best information of the standards practices in developing countries, which, more often than not, lack operational Enquiry Points
Companies can get a sense of the standards infrastructure for a region by providing standards outreach to a leading country in that region

11. Why should stakeholders interface with the U. S
Why should stakeholders interface with the U.S. Government to conduct such outreach?

12. Because working with the U. S
Because working with the U.S. Government provides high level access to officials and policymakers in the U.S. and in developing countries who can effect change.

13. Working with the U.S. Government
Industrial Functional Advisory Committee on Standards
Private sector provides input to U.S. trade officials (USTR, DOC)
U.S. Embassies
State Department Economic Affairs Officers
United States Commercial Service Officers
Foreign Agricultural Service Officers
National Institute for Standards and Technology

14. Working with the U.S. Government
United States Agency for International Development
Millennium Challenge
Core assistance to developing countries will increase by 50 % over the next 3 years
Priority of Standards and Conformity Assessment

15. Working with USAID Consultancy
Members of the Private Sector are all equal
Cooperative Partnerships with Associations
Working with USAID-funded assistance programs like CLDP
Limitations
No marketing for private purposes

16. Working with USAID-Funded Initiatives
CLDP helped to link the the U.S. and Egyptian standards communities
Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality Control (EOS)
Develops Egyptian Standards
4000 Egyptian Standards / 10% mandatory
ASTM International signed a Memorandum of Understanding with EOS based on an initial meeting of officials during a CLDP-sponsored visit of EOS staff to the United States
ANSI and EOS have also agreed to future cooperation based on an ANSI official participating in a CLDP-sponsored seminar in Cairo

17. Conclusion Standards outreach benefits both the provider and recipient
It is in a company’s interest to work closely with the U.S. Government to modernize the standards infrastructure of developing countries
Faraaz Siddiqi
Commercial Law Development Program
U.S. Department of Commerce
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