ANSI-USAID Standards Alliance Annual Report: 2014-2015

Agency for International Development (USAID), was established in 2012 to provide capacity building assistance to developing countries in implementing the World Trade Organization (WTO) Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement. The partnership aims to promote the use of international standards and conformity assessment procedures to facilitate trade and economic development. During the second year of implementation, from May 2014 to May 2015, the Standards Alliance achieved several key milestones and accomplishments. One of the notable achievements was the development of a work stream on Good Regulatory Practices (GRP). The Standards Alliance executed several programs on GRP in Year 2, with a focus on building institutional capacity in the use of trade-related International Support Measures (ISMs). The Standards Alliance also conducted a series of training and capacity building programs for developing countries. In Central America, the Alliance provided training on standards and U.S. customs requirements for the textiles industry, as well as a conference on food additive regulation. In Indonesia, the Alliance developed a Uniform Plumbing Code specific to Indonesia (UPC-ID) through an open, consensus process. In Mexico, the Alliance conducted a North American Conference on Good Regulatory Practices and Regulatory Cooperation. In addition, the Standards Alliance provided training and capacity building programs for national mirror committees, enquiry points, and certification and inspection bodies in several countries, including Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia, and Vietnam. The Alliance also supported the development of national standards and conformity assessment procedures in several countries, including Peru, Colombia, and Yemen. The Standards Alliance also recognized the importance of building partnerships and collaborations with other organizations and stakeholders. The Alliance worked closely with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to build institutional capacity in the use of trade-related ISMs. The Alliance also collaborated with the East African Trade Hub and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Southern African Trade Hub to provide training and capacity building programs for developing countries. The Standards Alliance also reported several key accomplishments in the area of standards development and conformity assessment. The Alliance developed a Uniform Plumbing Code specific to Indonesia (UPC-ID) through an open, consensus process. The Alliance also provided training and capacity building programs for national mirror committees, enquiry points, and certification and inspection bodies in several countries. The Standards Alliance also recognized the importance of monitoring and evaluation in its work. The Alliance reported on the progress made towards achieving its objectives and the challenges faced in implementing its programs. The Alliance also identified areas for improvement and developed strategies to address these challenges. Overall, the Standards Alliance made significant progress in its second year of implementation, achieving several key milestones and accomplishments in the areas of good regulatory practices, standards development, and conformity assessment. The Alliance's work has the potential to promote economic development and trade in developing countries, and its achievements are a testament to the importance of public-private partnerships in achieving development goals.