TECHNICAL WORKSHOP FOR THE VALIDATION OF DRAFT DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ECOWAS PRODUCTS CERTIFICATION SYSTEM

Cotonou (Benin), 31st May - 1st June 2018,

"A key moment Before the Launch of the ECOWAS Product Certification Mark"

As part of its support for the implementation of the ECOWAS Quality Policy (ECOQUAL), the West Africa Quality System Program (WAQSP) is organizing in Cotonou, Benin, from 31 May to 1 June 2018 on behalf of the Department of Industry and Private Sector Promotion of the ECOWAS Commission, a Technical workshop for the validation of draft documents relating to the establishment of the ECOWAS products certification system.

The workshop is part of the implementation of the 2017-2018 program of activities of the Community Committee for Conformity Assessment (CCCA) validated by the Community Quality Council, at the first meeting of this body in Dakar (Senegal) on January 29, 2018. This action plan includes, among other things, support for setting up the certification mechanism at ECOWAS level.

In August 2016, WAQSP built capacities of experts from product certification bodies in ECOWAS member States plus Mauritania, that are operational or in the process of being set up. Following this workshop, product certification has developed in the region with already five (05) accredited product certification bodies: CODINORM (Côte d’Ivoire), Association sénégalaise de normalisation – ASN (Senegal), Agence nationale de Normalisation et de Métrologie et du Contrôle Qualité – ANM (Benin) supported by the WAQSP, and Bureau Norme Audit -BNA(Côte d’Ivoire), Ghana Standards Authority -GSA (Ghana).

These experts will be gathered together to validate the draft documents relating to the establishment of the product certification mechanism in the ECOWAS area before their submission to the approval of the CCCA.

At the end of the workshop, the following draft documents should have been validated by the experts, with a view to their adoption by the CCCA, one of the structures of the Regional Quality Infrastructure (IRQ) of ECOWAS:

- The draft general rules for the management of the ECOWAS Product Certification Mark;

- The draft model of particular regulation of the ECOWAS Conformity Mark;

-The draft terms of reference for the development of the logo of the ECOWAS Standards Conformity Mark;

- The draft list of first priority products for certification.

"This will be a key moment that precedes the launch of the ECOWAS mark of conformity to standards; this mark is intended to be affixed to products and services in the region; it will serve as a benchmark to enable the average West African consumer to quickly recognize products and services that comply with the standards in force in the ECOWAS region. It is once again the protection of the consumer that ECOWAS aims through this mark ", said Dr. Kafui Kouassi CODIO KOUASSI, President of the CCCA.

Recall that the WAQSP implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) with European Union funding (12 million Euros), is a support program for ECOQUAL, which aims, among other things, "... to establish a framework for the development and operation of appropriate, relevant, effective and efficient quality infrastructure to facilitate intra-regional and international trade, protect the consumer and the environment, and promote sustainable economic development ..."

For further information, contact:

- Aka Jean Joseph KOUASSI – Chief Technical Advisor - WAQSP: A.KOUASSI@unido.org / +234 806 645 76 16 (Abuja)

- Koissi MIDAYE – Expert in CAO - WAQSP: K.MIDAYE@unido.org / +234 909 9656093(Abuja)

- Youssouf MAMA SIKA- National Technical Coordinator – WAQSP : youssouf75@gmail.com / +229 95452020 (Cotonou)

- Doudou NDIAYE- Regional Communication Expert : D.NDIAYE@unido.org / +28188822325(Abuja) ou +22997882948 (Cotonou)