A. What are your top prioritized TBT-related technical assistance and capacity building needs?
The Philippines priority needs are focused on the following areas:
1. Technical assistance for the improvement of technical infrastructure of government regulatory agencies (testing/calibration laboratories ) for a reliable certification system that will build the confidence of the trading partners of the country. Reviews and follow-ups of technical infrastructure development activities have also to be undertaken.
2. Capacity building needs specifically on:
➢ Expertise on WTO systems (implementation and administration of the WTO Agreement)
➢ Expertise on specialist areas (standards and conformance)
➢ Review of laws and policies relating to the Philippines commitment to the requirements of the WTO/TBT Agreement
These needs are further explained in the following matrix:
|AREA |TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE NEEDS |CAPACITY BUILDING NEEDS |
|Administration & | |Dispatch of a TBT expert to the Philippines (consultancy mission) |
|Implementation of the TBT | | |
|Agreement | |Appraisal of the current status of the Philippines against the |
| | |requirements of the WTO/TBT Agreement including review of laws & |
| | |policies relating to the country’s legal framework |
| | |Design and development of a comprehensive implementation plan, |
| |