Strengthening the Compliance of the OIC Member States
to International Standards
101
procedures. This lack of coordination makes it difficult for local producers to comply with standards in
both domestic and export markets, despite the continuous efforts to harmonize Egyptian standards with
international standards and strictly apply food safety and SPS measures.
Egypt’s experience shows that leveraging internal and external resources can provide a sound basis for
moving forward on harmonization with international standards. Having historically been noted for its
difficulties in the area of non-tariff measures like product standards, Egypt has made substantial
progress towards a more transparent and competitive regulatory regime by making explicit use of
international and foreign standards. Focused technical assistance has helped, but the difficulty of
coordinating rules, regulations, and procedures across a large governmental apparatus has been the
cause of some challenges that will need to be addressed in the future—and which may, for similar
reasons, be relevant to other OIC member states.
6.2.3 Senegal
Senegal is a Least Developed Country with a per capita GDP of USD$2,270 in 2014, in purchasing power
parity terms. Agriculture is an important part of the country’s economic structure, and poverty remains
a serious issue in rural areas. In recent years, Senegal has been involved in a major program of
upgrading its national quality infrastructure, including through the use of international standards. It has
leveraged external assistance—both technical and financial—and is in the process of building up
standards capacity across a wide range of areas. However, as a small country, resource and skill
constraints remain serious, and much remains to be done to build up a globally competitive export
sector using standardization as part of the industrial base.
Figures 40 and 41 show the sectoral and geographical composition of Senegal’s exports. Consistent with
its development level, Senegal is highly reliant on primary commodities in its exports; manufactured
goods are relatively less important than in Bangladesh and Egypt. In terms of export markets, Senegal
exhibits a mixture of regional and extra-regional trade links. Close partners are important in aggregate
terms, but European countries also represent a significant source of export demand. The latter point is
important because European countries typically have strict standards in the crucial agricultural sector,
whereas regional partners usually have rudimentary standards regimes and considerable enforcement
difficulties.