A Number of SFDA Employees Attended a Workshop on "Harmonization of Standards, Technical Regulations, Conformity Assessment, Metrology and Accreditation in the GCC Countries"

<p align="justify">A number of SFDA employees from its different sectors has attended the workshop of GSO (Standardization Organization for GCC) and UNIDO (United Nation Industrial Development Organization) entitled &quot;Harmonization of Standards, Technical Regulations, Conformity Assessment, Metrology and Accreditation in the GCC Countries&quot; during the 2nd to 3rd of June, 2007, in the headquarter of the Saudi Arabia Authority of Standards and Specifications in Riyadh.<br />The workshop aimed to debate the need for and requirements of the proposed SYSTERCAM; (System of Harmonized Standards, Technical Regulations, Conformity Assessment and Metrology) in the GCC. It based on the UNIDO report regarding the assessment of GCC requirements in areas of standards, certification, testing, metrology and accreditation in individual GCC member countries as well as at the regional level. In addition, draft proposals on how a concrete plan of action can be set to strengthen GCC-GSO capacities in the standards and conformity spheres had been raised. <br />The national standards bodies of the six GCC countries and GSO were invited to review different options and to identify suitable solutions and structures to implement a SYSTERCAM that would be both effective in achieving its aims and efficient in the use of resources to achieve them.</p>