Commonwealth Standards Network

Project name: Commonwealth Standards Network

Funded by: UK Aid

 

The Commonwealth Standards Network (CSN) programme works with National Standards Bodies (NSBs) and key related stakeholders across the Commonwealth to support the increased use of international standards as a tool to stimulate domestic economic performance and export potential.

The ‘Network’ stream of the CSN has delivered the following outputs:

  • Network development: More than 75% of Commonwealth countries are participating members of the CSN and annual meetings take place to help shape the CSN’s development
  • Digital Platform and resources: www.commonwealthstandards.net has been developed to provide access to information that supports the use and development of international standards. Resources available on the platform include a ‘Framework of international standards’ based on members’ economic development priorities, and a ‘Toolkit’ to support their development and implementation
  • Support: Eleven in-country NSB training and stakeholder workshops have been delivered to a range Commonwealth countries to provide coordination and knowledge sharing on issues relating to the development and use of international standards and their associated economic benefits. Nineteen further sessions will be delivered by March 2020

 

The ‘Technical Assistance’ stream of the CSN delivers NSB and private sector training to five Commonwealth countries to address specific institutional capacity constraints, enabling them to better use international standards and participate in international standards development. Technical Assistance outputs are divided into the following regional work streams:

  1. The Africa technical assistance programme focused on providing standards-related technical assistance to two countries – Uganda and Zambia. In both countries, the prime beneficiary is the NSB, namely the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) and the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS)
  2. The Caribbean technical assistance programme focuses on providing standards-related technical assistance to St Lucia and improving the standardisaton practices, certification skills and marketing and communication of the St Lucia Bureau of Standards (SLBS)
  3. The Oceania technical assistance programme has been contributing to the removal of technical barriers to trade among Papua New Guinea (PNG), Vanuatu (ROV) and their trading partners to ensure the free movement of goods