EAC standards experts acquire negotiation skills

Athree-day training workshop has started in Kigali to equip officials from the East African Community standards bodies with negotiation skills. The workshop is part of the preparations for an International Standards Organisation meeting in Sweden next month.The training focuses on the International Standards Organisation’s process on bio-energy and carbon footprint in general and ISO13065 sustainability criteria for bio-energy, Willy Musinguzi, the East African Community principal standards officer, said. Musinguzi added that EAC standards experts would also acquire skills on how best to influence standards at an international level.He challenged EAC standards bodies to move from being standards-takers to standards-developers. “It is, therefore, important for us to acquire the right skills on how we can negotiate at international level,” he said.The training is sponsored by the Swedish Development Co-operation.Dr. Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe, the Rwanda Bureau of Standards director general, said the need to enhance regional capacity on international standards process is essential to promote trade. “We need to be at a level where by, if we are to adopt a standard, we understand what it means to us as individual countries and also as a region to promote regional trade,” he explained.He added that it’s important for the bodies to train in lifecycle assessment standards so as to enhance competences, especially in technical standards. Johansson Lars, deputy head of the Swedish Embassy in Rwanda, said standards on safety and quality are important for small economies because they make it possible for them to participate in global markets competitively.