Delegates from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam and representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat gathered in Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila for the 39th meeting of the ASEAN Consultative Committee for Standards and Quality – Working Group 1 on Standards and MRA (ACCSQ-WG1).

The Philippines, through the Department of Trade and Industry’s Bureau of Philippine Standards (DTI-BPS), hosted the 39th Meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Consultative Committee on Standards and Quality (ACCSQ) Working Group 1 on Standards and Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) last 30 October to 04 November 2017 in Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, Pasay City.

DTI-Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Assistant Secretary and BPS Officer-in-Charge Ernesto V. Perez underscores, “The ACCSQ WG 1 is vital in realizing the ASEAN goals as one community where the trading system is efficient and effective based on harmonized standards and conformity assessment procedures.”

The ACCSQ is composed of three (3) Working Groups, namely, Standards and Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAS), Conformity Assessment, and, Legal Metrology. The ACCSQ The Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS) as the National Standards Body of the Philippines represents the Philippines in the Working Group on Standards and Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) – WG 1. It also serves as the focal point for standards and conformance activities.

Fifty (50) delegates from the ASEAN member states of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Philippines participated in the meeting.

Singapore hosts the 40th ACCSQ WG 1 Meeting and its Related Meetings on 07-11 May 2018.

For more information on the ASEAN WG 1, call BPS at 751.3126 or send an email to bps@dti.gov.ph.♦