Standards and Conformity Assessment In The Arab Countries: An Overview

1. Paper presented by Mr.Talaat Al-Dafer Director General Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organization (AIDMO) Rabat - Morocco Standards and Conformity AssessmentIn The Arab Countries: An Overview

2. Standardization Enhance Trade Quality Assurance

3. Customs Agreed upon Standards(Regional & International) Breaking The Borders

4. Standardization at the Arab regional level 1958 1st Conference on standards Application of SI system of units Establishment of NSBs Standardization & Metrology Mineral Resources Industrial Development 1960 Permanent Tech Standards Committ 1967 Activity of ASMO WITH TEN MEMBER STATES 1990 AIDMO

5. AIDMO MEMBER COUNTRIES

6. Unification of symbols, terms, definitions, types, testing, analysis and assessment methods, design basis and implementation in Arab States. Issuing Unified Arab Standards for raw materials, goods, products, technical implementation systems in line with the international standards taking into account the Arab circumstances. Development of skills of Cadres from member states in different fields of standards: quality control, and testing methods. Issuing, and adopting of marks and symbols of conformity of goods and products to Arab Standards, and setting up systems related to terms of use and conformity Marks. Assisting Arab States in the Establishment and or development of national standardization bodies to protect the consumer and to improve the quality of products Promoting the quality of products and the unification of standards to enhence commercial exchange and cooperation in the related activities through the following :

7. Assisting AIDMO in the formulation of policies, elaboration of work programs for standards, Laboratories, quality, and the required surveys in this field. Establishment of Arab Standards' Committees or their elimination, the adoption of their work programmes and the follow-up of their achievements. Suggesting of training programmes for Arab cadres in the field of standardization and related activities. Suggesting policies for assisting Arab member states to establish and improve their standardization bodies. Undertaking studies on unified draft Arab Standards and considering their primary adoption so as to be submitted to the ministerial Council to be finally adopted. The role of HCCS

8. The center prepare draft annual plan to be submitted to the High Consultative Committee of Standardization (HCCS) for primary adoption. The HCCS shall undertake the distribution of this plan to the secretariats of AIDMO Technical Committees. In case a country wishes to prepare a certain standard, this should be done in coordination with the technical secretariat of the committee. Also the final version of this standard should be verified by the technical secretariat of the committee. The technical secretariat shall prepare and distribute the draft standard to other standards' bodies for comments within three months as of the date of distribution. Also the center shall be given a copy of this correspondence. Technical secretariat shall study the comments received and prepare new draft, noting that the standard body which does not return any comments after the deadline is considered agreed . Technical working Guide for AIDMO Center of Standardization and Metrology regulating paragraphs :

9. In case of convincing technical comments, the draft shall be prepared again taking into consideration the new remarks and shall be redistributed to the member states for comments in two months' period. If 75 % of NSBs agree on the draft project, the technical secretariat shall submit draft project to AIDMO center of standardization together with a report. the center shall undertake preparing the draft standard in its final version and submitting it to the executive council of AIDMO. The HCCS shall recommend, by majority of votes, the submission of adopted projects to the Executive council of AIDMO for their adoption. The project then becomes an Arab standard as of the date of its final adoption by the Executive Council. The center shall undertake the printing of unified Arab standards and their distribution to national standards bodies.

10. AIDMO Standards' Technical Committees

12. potential change in the consumer's demands which cover a whole range of sectors. The demands change according to the standard of living of the consumer. technological progress changing social and economic circumstances difference in taste and culture of people difference in the designe of products quality standards liable to change according to the following variables:

13. AIDMO and Arab countries noted with satisfaction the necessity of developing a national quality infrastructure according to the new international concepts. • conformity assessment has become an integral part of the world trade convention on technical barriers to trade

14. preparation, adoption and implementation of standards Preparation, adoption and implementation of technical regulations Metrology Testing Certification and conformity assessment Inspection Accreditaion These activities verify that the product or service meets stated or implied requirements • conformity assessment covers the following activities :

15. 1588 • Total number of Unified Arab Standards adopted so far is • This include ISO 9000, and ISO 14000 series and are called AIDMO/ISO standards • AIDMO translate into Arabic language 24 ISO/IEC Guides, • AIDMO is encouraging the development and/or establishment of national conformity assessment Bodies leading to mutual recognition agreements ,

16. AIDMO share with others: • The celebration of the World Standards Day on the 14th of October every year. • The celebration of the Arab Standards Day on the 25th of March every year • AIDMO is planning to choose the first Ambassador of standardization to the Arab Region

18. AIDMO CHART Director General Director General’s Office Legal adviser Planning and Follow-up office Co-ordinating Committee General relations and Information office Financial controller Consultant Deputy Director General Specification and Standardization center Department of Mineral resourses Department of consultancy and Industrial Development Department of Studies And Industrial Integration Department of Administrative and Financial affairs Industrial information Center Standardization Section Mining section Industrial Consultation section Economic Studies Section Personnel Section Computer Section Specification Section Geology section Transfer of Technology section Small and medium Scale Industries Section Financial Affair’s Section Statistics and Information Section Quality Section Industrial Project’s Promotion section Industrial Integration Section General Services section Library and Documentation Section Human Resources Section Energy and Environment Section Printing Unit Regional Office Cairo Regional Offices

19. Thank you. Wishing your conference every possible success in Building Bridges of Peace, Hope and Prosperity between our nations through our dedication for harmonization of standards