Capacity Building for Conformity Assessment for Information Technology Equipment (ITE) in ASEAN Member States
| Proponent | : | Center for Materials and Technical Products (B4T), Agency for Research and Development of Industry, Ministry of Industry, Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Implementing Agency | : | Japan Business Machine and Information System Industries Association (JBMIA) |
Background
Signed in 1998, the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) commits the ASEAN Member States (AMSs) to “develop sectoral MRAs and other related cooperative activities to facilitate elimination of technical barriers to trade” within the region. These MRAs are agreements between two or more parties to mutually recognize or accept some or all aspects of one another’s conformity assessment results. The latter refers to the “systematic examination to determine the extent to which a product, process or service fulfills specified requirements.” One of these MRAs is the ASEAN Sectoral MRA for Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE), signed by the ASEAN Economic Ministers in 2002. This MRA aims “to facilitate the free movement of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) in the region through reduction on duplication of testing and certification for EEE manufactured in ASEAN.”
Implementation of such MRA, however, rests on the availability of human capital and competent institutions. The project Capacity Building for Conformity Assessment for Information Technology Equipment (ITE) in ASEAN Member States intends to specifically address the gap pointing to the lack of evaluation technology and conformity ability about information technology equipment (ITE), where demand in the region is expected to increase in the near future.
What is the project aiming for?
Directed towards testing engineers and senior engineers or managers of national testing laboratories in AMSs, the project aims to enhance capacities on product safety and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of ITE. Furthermore, technical infrastructure and competencies on laboratory testing, calibration, inspection, and certification and accreditation based on regionally/internationally accepted procedures and guides will be enhanced through the following main activities:
- Advance technical conferences on product safety and EMC;
- Basic workshops on product safety and EMC;
- Field study; and
- EMC round robin test.
Capacity building programmes implemented by ACCSQ will increase effectiveness and accelerate the implementation of its initiatives. The availability of human capital and competent institutions manned by skilled and qualified personnel are critical in ensuring mutual confidence and recognition of the result of conformity assessment, accreditation and regulatory actions among Member States.
Strategic Thrust 6: ASEAN Standards and Conformance Strategic Plan 2016-2025
“Forging Ahead Together: Ensuring Quality and Building Confidence”
The project also supports the strategic thrust on “capacity building and human capital development of AMSs” of the ASEAN Standards and Conformance Strategic Plan 2016-2025. A number of activities have already been implemented since 2018.
As of 31 May 2019
