The Committee granted ad hoc observer status to the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ). The Committee also heard recent developments from observer organizations working with the TBT Committee.The full list of observer organizations is here.
The African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) reported that several international standards addressing tariff barriers will soon be put for adoption before the Organization’s Council. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) reported progress in developing and harmonizing electrotechnical standards across Africa.
The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of countries presented its work on improving effective participation in the TBT Committee through enhanced coordination. The Bureau international des Poids et des Mesures (BIPM) announced Qatar’s recent membership and reported progress in redefining the numerical value of measurement units.
The International Organization of Legal Metrology described its cooperation with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on weighing of shipping containers in the context of the IMO Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention, and announced Thailand’s recent membership of the OIML. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe reported on governments’ ongoing work on harmonization of technical regulations for vehicles and regulatory cooperation in general.