Standardization, Quality Assurance, Accreditation and Metrology

The technical regulation framework and sanitary and phytosanitary policy framework in SADC was approved by the SADC Committee of Ministers of Trade on 12 July 2008, Lusaka, Zambia.

• Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Annex to the SADC Protocol on Trade; and
• Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Annex to the SADC Protocol on Trade.

A formal framework, referred to as the SADC SQAM Programme, in which the cooperation amongst the national institutions in Standardization, Quality Assurance, Accreditation and Metrology (SQAM) has been established in SADC. Member States have been building up their national SQAM infrastructures for trade development and consumer protection. The SQAM Programme is responsible for:

• Facilitating trade through harmonization of standards based on international standards;
• Ensuring that the region's approach to dealing with sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and technical barrier to trade (TBT) issues is aligned with WTO norms and does not result in the creation of non-tariff barriers (NTBs).
• Facilitating industry competitiveness through ensuring the use of relevant standards and the production of quality goods in the region, and
• Ensuring the protection of consumers through use of regulations based on international best practices for quality, safety and conformity assessment.