260 likes | 414 Views
PASC XXX – COPANT 2007 Joint COPANT-PASC Meeting April 25, 2007 COPANT – An Overiew Peter Clark, President. Agenda. About COPANT The COPANT Strategic Plan Challenges and Successes. About COPANT. What is COPANT.
E N D
PASC XXX – COPANT 2007Joint COPANT-PASC MeetingApril 25, 2007COPANT – An OveriewPeter Clark, President
Agenda • About COPANT • The COPANT Strategic Plan • Challenges and Successes
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
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
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
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.
COPANT Authorities 2007-2009 President- Peter Clark, Canada Vice-president-Pablo Benia, Uruguay Treasurer- Mario Wittner, Argentina Executive Secretary - Manuel Díaz Portocarrero
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.
IRAM • Argentina BNSI • Barbados IBNORCA • Bolivia ABNT • Brazil SCC • Canada ICONTEC • Colombia INTECO • Costa Rica NC • Cuba INN • Chile INEN • Ecuador CONACYT • ElSalvador 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 Active Members - 27
Adherent Members - 6 • Spain - AENOR • France - AFNOR • Italy - UNI • Portugal - IPQ • Cooperación Interamericana de Acreditación - IAAC • South Africa - SABS
Technical Bodies • Technical Standardization Committees • Management Commissions
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
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)
COPANTINTEGRATION OF FREE TRADE AREAS NAFTA CARICOM MERCOCEN COMUNIDAD ANDINA MERCOSUR
ISO and IEC Membership • ISO • Signed cooperation agreement in 1994 • All COPANT members are ISO members • IEC • Signed cooperation agreement in 1994 • 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)
COPANT Strategic Plan2005-2009 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.
COPANT Strategic Plan2005-2009 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
COPANT Strategic Plan2005-2009 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
COPANT Strategic Plan2005-2009 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
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.
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
Thank youpclark@scc.caFor more information, visit www.copant.org