Strengthening of the quality infrastructure across the Pacific region has been identified by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat as a key priority for supporting export trade by adding value to goods and services that originate in the Pacific region.
NATA’s Danielle Dicker (Technical Manager) and Brett Hyland (Stakeholder Engagement Manager) were in Fiji in May, participating as accreditation subject matter experts working on development of the Pacific Regional Quality Policy.
The event, held in Nadi from 21-23 May, was coordinated by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and was attended by senior government officials from the region, as well as key development partners including Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and United Nations Industrial Development Organization.
NATA attended in the capacity of an Implementing partner, along with Standards Australia, JASANZ, NMIA and others. NATA’s role was to deliver a session on accreditation, culminating in the development of an agreed draft Roadmap for building future accreditation capacity within the region.
The Fijian hosts excelled themselves with their welcoming spirit and a rich dialogue ensued among Pacific Island representatives and stakeholders, with a clear shared commitment to improving prosperity across the region.
In terms of accreditation capacity within the region, there is still a long road to be travelled, but participants expressed their appreciation for the input of subject matter experts, helping to guide participating Forum Island Countries in defining strategic and achievable next steps.
You can learn more about this important initiative here