AIDMO Trade,

The project was designed to support the Arab region to fulfil the implementation of best international practise on quality infrastructure. The theory of change within the project was aiming to strengthen the capacity on the regional level thought the national quality structures of the countries within the MENA-region in areas which are required to achieve sustainable results under the project. The goal of the project was devided into following outcomes to be reached under the intervention to enable the region to coordinate the infrastructure on rules and standards to achieve a regional cooperation on Quality Infrastructure (QI).  Two areas was highlighted as of main importance to achieve sustainable results and was addressed under the following outcomes; that AIDMO technical and regional coordination capacities was strengthened for the planning, implementation and management of Quality Infrastructure related technical assistant programs within the framework of the Arab Region Standard Strategy 2009-2013 (decided upon by the member states of AIDMO); and that an effective Arab Coordination Centre for Accreditation (ACCA) was established and in operation for coordinating the accreditation setup at the regional level. The project was managed by United Nations Industry Development Organisation (UNIDO) through Arab Industry Development Mining Organisation (AIDMO) whom hosted the work of establishing new structures on quality infrastructure in the Arab region. AIDMO received support to understand the new international structures of QI by UNIDO which gave the region a new platform of work on accreditation. International accreditation is set up through international standards by ISO, the International Standard Organisation, and rules by ILAC the international organisation for accreditation. These systems are together the base for international recognition which are the global demand for confidence. The work to support the national accreditation structures was implemented under the project and countries which were not international recognised was prepared to be assessed in accordance with the requirements of ILAC. New accreditation schemes were also introduced, and the project supported the link between technical barriers to trade and the requirements on trade in food, such as food safety system on accreditation.  The project managed to deliver results on supporting the establishment of a regional cooperation system on accreditation in accordance with the international requirements. In addition to the work the project also developed a tool on good governance "The Regional Arab Guideline on Good Governance and Professional Practices for Organizations and Personnel of the National Quality Infrastructure". This work was added on to the project to give the region a tool to foster good practise on QI to be used for mitigating risks of corruption within the work on national level. The guideline was developed in three languages, Arabic, English and French. UNIDO supported the countries to use the tool and arranged for training and workshops. The Arab regional standardisation strategy 2009-2013 was set up under the old framework of Quality Infrastructure and the countries in the region was requesting support to enable an update of the strategy to be in line with international requirements. A team of national and international experts worked together to finalize a new concept of work "Arab Quality Infrastructure Strategy" which was later approved by the committee for standardisation under AIDMO chair. The technical capacities of the Arab Standardization centre were strengthened and a coordination technical assistant training services within the region was discussed but took never form under the project.