Working Party on Regulatory Cooperation and Standardization Policies (WP.6)
Introduction
The Working Party on Regulatory Cooperation and Standardization Policies (WP.6) encourages increased regulatory coherence in specific sectors that have a critical impact on sustainable development and promotes greater resilience to natural and man-made hazards. WP.6 also works to:
- Promote the use of standards by policy-makers and business as a tool for reducing technical barriers to trade, promote increased resilience to disasters, foster innovation and good governance
- Advocate the use of standards in the implementation of UN-wide goals, including the implementation of the Agenda 2030 and the Sendai framework for action
Key areas of work
In focus
No country benefits from counterfeits. The WP.6 Advisory Group on Market Surveillance (MARS) is organizing a webinar on 21 February 14:00-16:30 on how market surveillance agencies can play a role in the combat against counterfeits. This reflects the 2007 Recommendation M on the topic and will provide an opportunity to take stock of its implementation and any eventual updates. More available on the event website.
The Focal Point network of experts on Education on Standardization was endorsed at the 32nd Annual session. We will soon be having a launch meeting for this network; all interested parties are invited to contact the WP.6 secretariat
Highlights
17 April 2023: The GRS “Gender and Salutation Code List” project is pleased to announce that it has finalized the draft text of its White Paper guidance. The draft is open for Public Review until 19 May 2023. If you are interested, please see the text and comment template on the projects page, Public Review segment.
21 April 2023: The WP.6 project on “Regulatory compliance of products with embedded artificial intelligence and other digital technologies” will have its launch meeting on 21 April 2023 from 12:00 Geneva-time. If you would like to join this virtual meeting, please send an email to the WP.6 secretariat.
4 April 2023: During the annual meetings of the MARS, the GRM and the START-Ed in May 2023, the leadership nominations will take place. Any experts interested in taking such a leadership role in these groups should send their self-nomination intentions to the secretariat by 25 April 2023.
20 March 2023: Raising awareness on the essential role of quality infrastructure to other links on the international supply chain, Secretary Lance Thompson publishes an article in the UNCTAD Transport and Trade Facilitation Newsletter.
7 March 2023: The WP.6 GRS project meeting on gender and salutation code list takes place on 7 March from 15:00 CET. If you would like to join this project work, please contact the secretariat.
