The West Africa Competitiveness and Quality Infrastructure Project (WACQIP) implemented by UNIDO is a regional component of the  the West Africa Competitiveness Program (WACOMP) of the ECOWAS Commission [1]. As part of its contribution to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, it proposed an emergency plan to the ECOWAS Commission and the European Union (EU).

The plan included the need to develop standards for products used in barrier measures such as hydro-alcoholic gels and masks for non-sanitary use, intended for the general public, currently designed by several ECOWAS member states.

The ECOWAS Commission, through Mamadou Traoré, who heads its Department for Industry and Private Sector Promotion (IPSP) , has joined the ECOWAS Community Committee for Standardization (CCs) to organize a meeting with a view to propose the adoption of key standards for masks for non-sanitary use and hydro-alcoholic products used for hand cleaning.

It should be recalled that the CCS is playing the role of Technical Management Committee (TMC) of the ECOWAS Standards Harmonization Model called ECOSHAM. Due to the containment measures, the meeting was held on April 24, 2020 through videoconference with technical assistance from the WACQIP. Simultaneous translation services were provided both in French and English languages.

The meeting recorded the participation of all members of the TMC (except Liberia), observers from the National Standards Bodies of the Member States, Representatives of the ECOWAS Commission, of the WACQIP and the Head of the Directorate for Standardization and Quality Promotion of Mauritania as an observer.

The meeting deliberated on the following points:

• The reasons for this emergency of the meeting;

• The measures implemented within the Member States concerning the production of non-sanitary masks and hydroalcoholic products as well as their quality control measures;

Three speeches were made during the opening ceremony: that of Mr. Bernard Bau Representative of UNIDO, followed by that of Mr. Mamadou Traore, Commissioner of Industry and Promotion of the Private Sector representing the Commission of the ECOWAS and the one from Mrs. Chinyere Egwuonwu, representative of Nigeria, President of the TMC.

Mr. Bernard Bau, recalled the support of UNIDO to the ECOWAS Commission in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic through a contingency plan which gives an important place to the standards and procedures of evaluation of conformity. He drew attention to the fact that this pandemic is a great opportunity for the ECOWAS Regional Quality Infrastructure (RQI) to demonstrate its usefulness in providing practical solutions to Member States.

Mr. Bernard Bau, recalled the support of UNIDO to the ECOWAS Commission in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic through a contingency plan which gives an important place to the standards and procedures of evaluation of conformity. He drew attention to the fact that this pandemic is a great opportunity for the ECOWAS Regional Quality Infrastructure (IRQ) to demonstrate its usefulness in providing practical solutions to Member States.

For his part, Commissioner Mamadou Traoré recalled the context of the fight which led to the rapid mobilization of the RQI set up by UNIDO within the framework of the WAQSP. He stressed that this meeting was in line with the emergency plan implemented by the ECOWAS Commission and encouraged all participants to move forward quickly by adopting the draft standards, so that we can move as soon as possible, to the implementation phase by Member States. He thanked UNIDO and the International Trade Center for their technical support, as weel as the European Union for their financial support.

Ms. Chinyere Egwuonwu, Director of Standardization of the Nigerian Standardization Organization (SON), President of the TMC, made it clear that the production of barrier masks requires taking into account a certain number of requirements which must be standardized .