NCA hosts major international conference in Kazakhstan
by NCA
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE - "PROSPECTS FOR AN ACCREDITATION SYSTEM IN KAZAKHSTAN WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT"
The national accreditation body of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NCA) hosted the International Conference on Accreditation, in Astana, on 16 September, 2011.
Development of quality infrastructure in Central Asia and the integration of Kazakhstan into the international system of accreditation were the main topics of the event. The leaders of national accreditation bodies from South Korea, Great Britain, Turkey, Slovakia, Russia and Belarus as well as leaders of ILAC and PAC participated at the event.
Accreditation plays an important role in the production of goods in accordance with international standards. An international conference of this level is especially important for Kazakhstan in light of the targets set in the State program of accelerated industrial-innovative development which started in 2010, to ensure diversification of the Kazakh economy.
A number of issues on interaction with international organizations, the transition to the international system of accreditation, the review of current issues in the field of accreditation and possible solutions were discussed. Particular attention was paid to the elimination of technical barriers in international trade through mutual recognition of test results and certificates, harmonizing rules and procedures for laboratory accreditation systems, etc. At the end of the Conference, participants adopted a resolution designed to facilitate the introduction of common rules for accreditation and exchange of experience among accreditation bodies.
In order to facilitate the creation of a regional organization for accreditation on the basis of EurAsEC a letter of intent "On cooperation of accreditation bodies of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Russian Federation was signed". A proposal for the establishment of the Eurasian regional organization for accreditation was supported by Mr. Peter Unger, Chair of ILAC, who stressed that the creation of such an organization would contribute to the implementation of common approaches in conducting accreditation, facilitation of entry into international organizations on accreditations, and the reduction of technical barriers in international trade.
The Conference was an important event for promotion of quality standards and ensuring confidence in conformity assessment. It was a good dialogue platform for the representatives of Kazakhstan's conformity assessment bodies on one hand, and internationally recognized experts in the field of accreditation on the other. Underlining the success of the Conference and the necessity to harmonize accreditation procedures throughout the world, the leader of NCA, Mr Timur Nurashev, offered to host such a conference on a regular basis in various economies. This proposal was embodied in the resolution of the conference.
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