HARMONIZING STANDARDS Justice Kobe SADCSTAN Secretariat

1. HARMONIZING STANDARDSJustice KobeSADCSTAN Secretariat

2. PRESENTATION OUTLINE • Overview of SADCSTAN • Membership of SADCSTAN • SADCSTAN Rules and Structure • SADCSTAN Technical Committees • SADCSTAN Process • Adoption and implementation of SADC harmonized standards • Publication of SADC HS • SADC Harmonized Standards • Conclusion

3. What is SADCSTAN? SADCSTAN is SADC Cooperation in Standardization, a sole body mandated by SADC Council of Ministers to coordinate standardization activities and services in the region. • Established 1997 in Port Louis, Mauritius • There is Basic rules for the operation of SADCSTAN • There is also a formalized procedures for harmonizing standards agreed in Maseru, 2001

4. Objectives of SADCSTAN • SADCSTAN shall promote the coordination of standardization activities and services in the region, with the purpose of achieving harmonization of standards and technical regulations in support of the objectives of the SADC trade protocol. • Ultimate objective of the trade protocol is free movement of goods and services in the region (free trade by 2008)

5. Current SADCSTAN Membership

6. Membership of SADCSTAN • Membership is open to National Standards Bodies (NSBs) of member states • Where NSB does not exist, to a focal point or any other institution designated by the Minister of Trade and Industry • Associate members – but there are no associate members in SADCSTAN at the moment • Stakeholders (industry associations, other SQAM structures, SADC sectors, other bodies e.g. PIESA

7. SADCSTAN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE • Day to day management of SADCSTAN • Composed of Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, SADCSTAN Secretariat and two ordinary member representatives. Additional members can be co-opted as required. • It has to meet at least twice a year • Members appointed for a term of at least 2 years and can be reappointed

8. SADCSTAN HARMONIZATION TECHNICAL COMMITTEES • Harmonization work within SADCSTAN now takes place in Technical Committees (TCs) and Subcommittees (SCs) • Each TC and SC has a Secretariat that is allocated to a willing National Standards Body (NSB) • Each TC has a scope of work and is responsible for all harmonization work within that scope

9. SADCSTAN TECHNICAL COMMITTEES cont. 13 Technical Committee have been identified as follows: • TC 1 Construction • TC 2 Automotive and transportation • TC 3 Foods and agriculture • TC 4 Electrotechnical • TC 5 Environment • TC 6 Health and Safety

10. SADCSTAN TECHNICAL COMMITTEES cont. • TC 7 Packaged Goods • TC 8 Hospitality and tourism • TC 9 Non-destructive testing • TC 10 CASCO documents • TC 11 Quality • TC 12 Metrology • TC 13 Geographical Information Systems

11. TC membership; [P] and [O] members The TC secretariat requests each NSB to indicate its membership preference: • [P]: Must participate actively in the TC by commenting and voting • [O]: Receives all documentation, and may comment and vote • All NSBs must be either [P] or [O] • If no reply, [O] membership is assumed

12. SADCSTAN Process • TC Secretariat circulates all drafts to all [P] and [O] members for comments • Closing dates for comments are clearly stated, and strictly applied • national consultations must take place • All important stakeholders must be consulted, and national positions agreed upon

13. SADCSTAN Process • After the closing date for comments, the TC Secretariat collates the comments received • [P] members have an obligation to vote • Votes must be explicit: +, -, or abstain • Technical reasons must be given for negative votes (otherwise they don't count) • Positive votes cannot be conditional (minor comments OK - Secretariat decides on them)

14. SADCSTAN Process • Voting period applied • 3 months for CD (committee stage) • 6 months for DHS (enquiry stage) • 2 months for FDHS (approval stage) • Approval criteria:2/3 [P] members voting in favourmax 25% negative votes [P]+[O]

15. SADCSTAN Process • TC/SC Secretariat circulates a voting report • If criteria are not met, the TC must reconsider the technical reasons submitted with the negative votes • If criteria are met TC Secretariat informs SADCSTAN Secretariat • SADCSTAN Secretariat informs all NSBs of the new SADC Harmonized Standard

16. Adoption and Implementation of SADC HS • There is no obligation to adopt SADC HS but in the spirit of SADC, member countries are expected to: • Align or remove conflicting standards • Align or remove conflicting legislation • SADCSTAN does not prescribe how each member deals with alignment of national standards and regulations

17. Adoption and Implementation of SADC HS • However member NSBs are required to inform SADCSTAN secretariat of progress with regard to adoption and implementation • SADCSTAN Secretariat will place such information on the SADCSTAN web site

18. Publication of SADC HS • SADCSTAN does not publish standards • SADCSTAN member bodies should publish SADC Harmonized standards as national standards • Therefore national stakeholder input into the SADCSTAN process is important at each stage • otherwise there will be problems later at national level

19. Thank you !!