Mr. Salim Hoy, Standards Officer, is currently immersing himself in a specialized training program titled “Standards, Regulations, and WTO-SPS/TBT Measures” at the Centre for WTO Studies, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. This initiative, facilitated by the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme, a collaboration between the Ministry of External Affairs and the Department of Commerce of India, in conjunction with the Government of Belize, spans from October 9th to 18th, 2023, in New Delhi, India.
The program underscores the paramount significance of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreements and measures. Its core objective lies in understanding the legal framework governing these measures, elucidating the roles played by International and National standard-setting bodies, addressing Food Safety Issues and their implications on trade, as well as navigating the landscape of Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Systems and Procedures.
Given Belize’s status as a signatory to the World Trade Organization (WTO), it is incumbent upon us to fulfill the obligations outlined in the Marrakesh Agreement that established the WTO. This training program stands poised to augment the Bureau’s capabilities in effectively implementing the TBT agreement’s code of good practice with regard to Standards, Technical Regulations, and Conformity Assessment procedures.
The Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), an integral component of the WTO, holds profound relevance to the mission and operations of the Belize Bureau of Standards (BBS), which proudly serves as Belize’s National Enquiry Point for the Agreement on TBT. This training promises to be an invaluable asset to Mr. Salim Hoy and the BBS in their ongoing pursuit of excellence and compliance on the international stage. #StandardsAndTrade #WTO #BelizeBureauOfStandards
