1. PASC XXX – COPANT 2007 Joint COPANT-PASC Meeting April 25, COPANT – An Overiew Peter Clark, President

2. Agenda
About COPANT
The COPANT Strategic Plan
Challenges and Successes

3. About COPANT

4. What is COPANT
private not-for-profit association that promotes standardization and related activities in its member countries
Executive Secretariat : Caracas, Venezuela, since 1989
Legal entity in Buenos Aires, Argentina
27 active members from North, Central, South America & Caribbean
Its origin – dates back to 1947
1947 – Meeting of UPADI in Quitandinhas - The technical integration required standards at Panamerican level
1956 – creation of Pan American Committee of Technical Standards (CPANT) - meeting Río de Janeiro
1961 – working committee to create - meeting in Montevideo
1964 – creation of COPANT - meeting in New York

5. Principal Objective
To promote the development of technical standardization and related activities in its member countries
with the aim of promoting their commercial, industrial, scientific and technological development
in benefit of the economic and commercial integration and the exchange of goods and services,
while facilitating cooperation in the intellectual, scientific, economic and social spheres

6. COPANT – What it Does Develops standards Promotes coordination
Promotes use of international standards
Coordinating body
Information Exchange
Training
Certification system development
Harmonization of Policies with International

7. COPANT- Management & Administration
Assembly
President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Executive Secretary & accredited delegates - meets ordinarily once a year
Board of Directors
President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Executive Secretary & a Director from each of the 8 standards bodies (active members) or duly accredited representatives – meets twice a year.
Executive Secretariat
Represented by Executive Secretary - serves according to the provisions of the currently valid Statutes and Rules of Procedure, and to the resolutions adopted by the Assembly and the Board of Directors.

8. COPANT Authorities 2007-2009 President - Peter Clark, Canada
Vice-president - Pablo Benia, Uruguay
Treasurer - Mario Wittner, Argentina
Executive Secretary - Manuel Díaz Portocarrero

9. Membership Categories
Active members
national standards bodies of American countries that have been recognized by the Assembly as representative of their nations.
Adherent members
International, regional and sub-regional standards bodies;
National standards bodies of non-American countries;
Scientific, technical, commercial, industrial, agricultural and cattle-related entities.

10. Active Members - 27 IRAM • Argentina Guatemala • COGUANOR
BNSI • Barbados
IBNORCA • Bolivia
ABNT • Brazil
SCC • Canada
ICONTEC • Colombia
INTECO • Costa Rica
NC • Cuba
INN • Chile
INEN • Ecuador
CONACYT • El Salvador
ANSI • United States
GDBS • Grenada
Guatemala • COGUANOR
Guyana • GNBS
Honduras • COHCIT
Jamaica • JBS
Mexico • DGN
Nicaragua • MIFIC
Panama • COPANIT
Paraguay • INTN
Peru • INDECOPI
Dominican Republic • DIGENOR
Saint Lucia - SLBS
Trinidad and Tobago • TTBS
Uruguay • UNIT
Venezuela • FONDONORMA

11. Adherent Members - 6 Spain - AENOR France - AFNOR Italy - UNI
Portugal - IPQ
Cooperación Interamericana de Acreditación - IAAC
South Africa - SABS

12. Technical Bodies Technical Standardization Committees
Management Commissions

13. Technical Committees CT 112: Conformity Assessment
CT 120: Quality Management
CT 125: Milk and Dairy Products
CT 130: Fish and Fishing Products
CT 142: Metrology
CT 143: Accesibility of Individuals to the Physical Environment
CT 146: Occupational Safety and Improvement of Work Environment and Conditions
CT 148: Environment
CT 149: Tourism Services
CT 150: Terminology
CT 151: Electrotechnical
CT 152: Energy Efficiency

14. Management Commissions
Name
Coordinator
Technical Management Commission (TMC) – ABNT
ABNT
Policy Management Commission (PMC)
ICONTEC – not active
Informatics Management Commission (IMC)
ANSI – not active

15. Cooperation Agreements
International Standardization Bodies : ISO, IEC
Regional Integration Bodies: ALADI, CAN (before JUNAC) / RAN
Sectorial Regional Associations: MERCOSUR (AMN), CONSEJO DE NORMAS DE CARICOM (today CROSQ)

16. COPANT INTEGRATION OF FREE TRADE AREAS
NAFTA
CARICOM
MERCOCEN
COMUNIDAD ANDINA
MERCOSUR

17. ISO and IEC Membership ISO IEC Signed cooperation agreement in 1994
All COPANT members are ISO members
IEC
Full members (5): ABNT (Brazil), ANSI (USA), DGN (Mexico), SCC (Canadá), IRAM (Argentina)
Associate members (1) ICONTEC – Colombia; voting on NC (Cuba)
Affiliate Members (17)

18. The COPANT Strategic Plan

19. COPANT Strategic Plan 2005-2009
Mission
COPANT supports
facilitation of global trade,
improvement of quality, safety, security, environmental and consumer protection, as well as the rational use of natural resources,
global dissemination of technologies and good practices, all of which contribute to economic and social progress.
through the network and collaboration of its national member bodies, international liaisons, regional cooperation and partner organizations, COPANT develops regional COPANT standards, whenever a need exists, and constitutes the leading platform in the Americas for the support of globally and market relevant international standards development and conformity assessment activities.

20. COPANT Strategic Plan 2005-2009
Vision
COPANT's leadership and support of the processes of regional standardization and harmonization in the Americas, based upon the principles of transparency and consensus, enable it to efficiently articulate a coherent regional voice toward the fulfilment of its mission and to be recognized and relied upon by industry, public authorities, consumers and other stakeholders. In this way, COPANT contributes to the competitiveness of the region, the well-being of its citizens, and a more efficient and sustainable world economy

21. COPANT Strategic Plan 2005-2009
Strategic Objectives
The strategic objectives of COPANT are the following:
Improve COPANT’s leadership as the driving force for the coordination and harmonization of the regional standardization processes and for ensuring the development and use of COPANT standards
Foster COPANT member participation in international standardization
Prioritize human resource training
Make efforts to improve the infrastructure of COPANT member organizations, especially for those that are less developed

22. COPANT Strategic Plan 2005-2009
Strategic Objectives - continued
Promote conformity assessment activities in the region.
Achieve better visibility for COPANT
To be considered the principal body for reference in the Americas in the areas of Standardization and Conformity Assessment
To improve the value of COPANT to its members and increase their participation in COPANT activities

23. Some Challenges Ahead
Harmonizing regional standards to increase use of international standards
Enhancing COPANT participation in ISO and IEC
Communicating and effectively engaging all members, especially those with limited resources.

24. Successes
COPANT Tag Groups: Social Responsibility, TC 207, TC 176, CASCO
Pilot Project on Electrical Certification - established April 1999 in Cartagena, Colombia – leader is IRAM
On-going training initiatives
Budgets now allow simultaneous translation for Board of Directors meetings in three languages (lower burden on host)
More streamlined reporting, and minutes
COPANT statutes recently revised

25. Thank you pclark@scc.ca For more information, visit www.copant.org