Strengthening the Compliance of the OIC Member States

to International Standards

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Product standards are an important source of trade costs for many countries, particularly developing

and least-developed countries, including OIC member states. On the one hand, countries with weak

standards infrastructure lack the support services necessary to promote competitive, high value added

industries in the export sector. In addition, differences in standards design and enforcement between

countries can add to trade costs, and effectively keep some developing country producers out of

important international markets. Product standards therefore pose two crucial issues for OIC member

states: market access, and export competitiveness. This project examines product standards and

international harmonization from those twin dimensions.

There are two main aspects to this project. First, it is a diagnostic exercise: through the application of

qualitative methodologies based on case studies and desk reviews, it identifies difficulties in the

adoption, implementation, and utilization of international standards within the OIC’s membership.

Second, the project is about identifying best practice solutions in the area of international standards,

based on experience both within and outside the OIC.

The value added of this project is that provides a basis in information and policy analysis upon which

OIC countries can move forward through COMCEC on international standards, with the aim of reducing

trade costs and boosting trade performance. Of particular importance on a policy level is the role of

international standards in mediating relationships in Regional and Global Value Chains (GVCs). Greater

reliance on international standards in GVC-intensive sectors can be expected to assist firms in joining

value chains, and moving up into higher value added activities that have important spillover effects for

the economy at large.

Within this general perspective, the study has four particular objectives:

Outline the importance and role of standards related measures (standards, technical regulations,

conformity assessment procedures);

Review and evaluate the institutional structure (international agreements like WTO TBT/SPS

and international organizations);

Analyze the current state in the OIC member states in terms of compliance with international

standards and assess opportunities and challenges; and

Derive practical recommendations and policy options for the Member States.

Although data are not available for many OIC member states, the information that has been made

available for the purposes of this report suggests varying degrees of harmonization with international

standards across countries (see Diagram below). Some OIC member states have relatively high degrees