Supplementary Act A/SA.1/02/13 Adopting the ECOWAS Quality Policy (ECOQUAL) and its Implementation Framework

Jurisdiction
African Regional Bodies · Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
Citation
Act 2-1 of 2013
Date
28 February 2013
Language
English
Type
Legislation
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Economic Community of West African States

Supplementary Act A/SA.1/02/13 Adopting the ECOWAS Quality Policy (ECOQUAL) and its Implementation Framework

Act 2-1 of 2013

The High Contracting Parties;MINDFUL of Articles 7, 8 and 9 of the ECOWAS Treaty as amended establishing the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government and defining its composition and functions;MINDFUL of Article 26 of the said ECOWAS Treaty which was signed in Cotonou on 24 July 1993, which states that Member States shall agree to harmonise and coordinate industrialisation policies, with a view to promoting industrial development and the integration of their economies;MINDFUL of the provisions of Article 26 paragraph 3 of the said Treaty and in particular paragraph L, which urge Member States to adopt joint standards and adequate quality control systems in order to create a solid base for industrialisation and enhance collective autonomy;MINDFUL of Supplementary Act A/SA.07/02/10 of 2 July 2012 adopting the West African Common Industrial Policy (WACIP);CONSIDERING that one of the objectives of ECOWAS is to promote cooperation and integration, leading to the establishment of an economic union in West Africa;CONSIDERING that of the ten (10) regional programmes linked to the specific objectives, strategies and activities of the West African Common Industrial Policy (WACIP), the priority programme is based on Standardisation, Quality Assurance, Accreditation and Metrology (SQAM) or Quality Infrastructure (QI);CONSIDERING that within the framework of its integration programme and on the basis of extensive consultations, ECOWAS has prepared the Regional Quality Policy which reflects the needs of Member States;CONVINCED that this policy provides crucial basis for the harmonisation or development of national quality policies, which will guide the establishment of quality infrastructure in Member States that are suitable, efficient and of internationally accepted standards;EMPHASIZING the need, in the framework of the adoption of the Regional Quality Policy, to take into account the differences in the legal systems, the administrative structures and technological development of Member States of the Community;DESIROUS of adopting an ECOWAS Quality Policy that seeks to establish a framework for the development and functioning of quality, suitable, relevant and efficient infrastructure, in order to facilitate intra-regional and international trade, protect the consumer and the environment and promote sustainable economic development;ON THE PROPOSAL of the Meeting of ECOWAS Ministers in charge of Quality Assurance held in Niamey (Niger) on 19 October 2012;ON THE RECOMMENDATION of the Sixty-Ninth Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers held in Abidjan from 30 November to 2 December 2012;HEREBY AGREE AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The ECOWAS Quality Policy (ECOQUAL) and its implementation framework are hereby adopted by virtue of this Supplementary Act.

Article 2

1.The general thrust of the ECOWAS Quality Policy shall be to maintain a solid industrial structure that is globally competitive, environmentally friendly and capable of significantly improving the living conditions of people by 2030.
2.The ECOWAS Quality Policy shall aim at ensuring the economic competitiveness of the region through the provision of world-class quality goods and services, as well as effectively protecting consumers and the environment.

Article 3

ECOQUAL shall seek to establish a framework for the development and functioning of quality, suitable, relevant and efficient infrastructures, with a view to facilitating intra-regional and international trade, protecting the consumer and the environment, and promoting sustainable economic development.

Article 4

Member States shall act to ensure the harmonisation of national quality policies with the ECOWAS Quality Policy referred to in Article 1 of this Supplementary Act.

Article 5

The ECOWAS Commission shall take the necessary measures to ensure the prompt implementation of ECOQUAL.

Article 6

This Supplementary Act shall be published by the ECOWAS Commission in the Official Journal of the Community within thirty (30) days of its signature. It shall also be published by each Member State in its National Gazette within the same time frame after notification by the Commission.

Article 7

1.This Supplementary Act shall enter into force upon publication. Consequently, signatory Member States shall embark on the implementation of its provisions once it enters into force.
2.This Supplementary Act shall be attached as an annex to the ECOWAS Treaty to which it shall be an integral part.

Article 8

This Supplementary Act shall be deposited at the Commission, which shall transmit certified copies thereof to all Member States and register same with the African Union (AU), the United Nations and such other Organisations as may be decided by the Council.
IN FAITH WHEREOF WE the Heads of State and Governement of the Economic Community of West African States have signed this Supplementary Act.Done at Yamoussoukro this 28th day of February 2013In a single version in, English, French and Portuguese, all languages being equally authentic
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