Caribbean regional quality infrastructure

The Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands(most of which enclose the sea), and the surrounding coasts. In 1973, the first political regionalism was created by advances of the English-speaking Caribbean nations through the institution known as the Caribbean Common Market and Community (CARICOM).The CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) was established in February 2002. Its primary objective is the establishment and harmonisation of standards to enhance the efficiency and improve quality in the production of goods and services in the Community, to protect the consumer and the environment and to improve trade within the Community and with third states.
CROSQ is supported by several donors, such as IDB, CDB and the EU-ACP through the EDF. To further assist CROSQ in its development, EU-ACP through its programme Pro€Invest is funding a Capacity Building Technicial Assitsance project to identify current and future institutional needs of CROSQ which will enable CROSQ to develop of an Action plan to be presented for financial support. A European consortium led by the Spanish ECA International, Entidad Colaboradora de la Administración,is providing a project team consisting of Folke Hermansson Snickars, as Team leader, and Dr Vera Poncano. The project started in October 2009 and will be completed in March 2010.

Albania applies for EU candidate status

Visiting Tirana in Albania for 3 days, I experienced the historic moment when this small and poor country applied for the EU candidate status on the 28th of April. As my reason for being in Tirana was related to the preparation for an EU accession, I was also pleased that the Stabilisation and accession agreement between Albania and the EU from 2006 now had entered into force by 1 April 2009. To work with the very dedicated staff of DPS, which already is an Affiliate of the European standards organizations CEN and CENELEC, was extremely rewarding.
Most of us usually have prejudgments about Tirana as a capital of a former communist dictatorship. Gray coulors, depressed faces, disorder, violence, crime, etc. Then go there! Today Tirana is giving an impression to be colourful, green, warm and nice. Not everywhere, but at least to give you a very optimistic feeling. This transformation within less than 10 years are mainly the work lead by the Mayor of Tirana, Edi Rama. When he, as an artist and rap artist, was elected the year 2000, 36 years old, he made a change. Long before Barak Obama. Put colour on the facades of the grey houses, planted trees, removed illegial contructions on municipal land, added street light and opened closed city areas for all people. Now you can walk freely on boulevards, sit down at outside cafés, or stroll in the green parks. To see a documentary on the Albanian Wonder Boy, look at You Tube

New Swedish aid delivery model

Sweden plans to pilot-test new aid delivery model with Indonesia as cooperation partner.
The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency is set to phase in what it calls partner-driven cooperation in Indonesia and six other countries that fall under the category of selective cooperation following the Swedish government's decision in 2007 to overhaul its development strategy.
The Swedish government wants to achieve a more focused development policy, and the first step it took was to nearly halve the number of countries with which it will cooperate. Sida will maintain bilateral cooperation with 33 of its 67 partner countries, and pilot the new strategy in seven. It will pull out from the rest.
Among the 33 countries I find most of those I have been working in:
- Albania
- Ethiopia
- Guatemala
- Kenya
- Moldavia
- Mozambique
- Uganda
International Development Articles - Devex Europe

Uganda Standards and Quality Infrastructure

Technical infrastructures to support sustainable development and trade in developing countries and countries in transition are focused in a paper published by the Joint Committee on Co-ordination of Assistance to Developing Countries in Metrology, Accreditation and Standardization (JCDCMAS). JCDCMAS is created by nine international organizations and is calling for a composite approach to development assistance for technical infrastructures. By this it is meant that a holistic consideration of a country's needs is required, and a plan of action be agreed. If this can be achieved by the developing country, then assistance efforts can be coordinated and synergies between the various parts of the tecchnical infrastructure established. Once established these synergies provide the technical infrastructure with its identity and strength, and enable it to contribute the country's sustainable development and trade potential.

This composite approach was applied in a Sida-funded project to assist Uganda's Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry (MTTI) in assessing the needs in Uganda, and based on these needs a programme proposal for development of an Uganda Standards and Quality Infrastructure (QUISP). The consultancy team consistency of Dr. Sam G Nahamya (former Permanent Secretary, MTTI), Dr. Eve Kasirye-Alemu (former Executive Direcctor, Uganda National Bureau of Standards) and myself as a Team Leader. Backstopping was aranged by the MTTI in an excellent manner, offering as project office the PS office and the secretariat services from Jacinta Atim. The team reported to the Assistant Trade Commisioner Cyprian Batala, and Deogratias Kamweya from MTTI and to a steering committee consisting of stakeholders from government agencies, private sector and donor organizations.