Cablegate: The Libyan National Centre for Standardization and Metrology

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Brooke F Adams 10/19/2006 11:26:19 AM From DB/Inbox: Brooke F Adams

Cable
Text:

UNCLAS TRIPOLI 00592

SIPDIS
CXCAIRO:
ACTION: FCS
INFO: ECON IPS DCM AMB

DISSEMINATION: FCS
CHARGE: PROG

VZCZCCRO696
RR RUEHEG
DE RUEHTRO #0592 2901440
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 171440Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1328
INFO RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE USD FAS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0449
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 0582
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0460
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 0024
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 0330
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 1503

UNCLAS TRIPOLI 000592

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/MAG GAVITO, OES FOR SENSENEY; AMMAN FOR
WHITLESLEY; CAIRO FOR DR. MARIE RICCIARDONE;

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: BBSR BEXP ECIN EIND WTRO XI LY
SUBJECT: THE LIBYAN NATIONAL CENTRE FOR STANDARDIZATION AND METROLOGY
- AN OVERVIEW

1. SUMMARY: The Libyan National Centre for Standardization and
Metrology (LNCSM) was established with the goal of bringing
Libya into conformance with international trade standards,
focusing on eventual accession of Libya to the World Trade
Organization (WTO.) The current focus within the LNCSM is
protecting the health and safety of Libya's citizens and
environment by creating a valid national testing and conformity
assessment system. The LNCSM monitors the trade climate within
Libya to avoid creating unnecessary barriers to trade, harmonize
the rules of competition, and avoid or remove non-tariff trade
barriers. In addition, they maintain a focus on avoidance of
putting measures in place that would be contrary to Libya's
eventual obligations, if and when they can achieve membership in
the WTO. The director general of the LNCSM, Dr. Ahmed Shembesh,
in addition to seeking international acceptance of testing and
reports generated within Libya, also seeks to create domestic
confidence in Libya's testing procedures, as well as the bodies
charged with undertaking those procedures. END SUMMARY.

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The Current Program
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2. Currently the market surveillance portion of the LNCSM
charter is limited by poor communication resources, lack of
established procedures and norms, lack of historical record
keeping, and a nebulous market place that suffers from porous
borders and IPR violations on every scale. The LNCSM recognizes
these issues and focuses their current limited program of market
surveillance and national conformity on the following areas:

--Protection of consumers from hazards posed by unsafe imported
materials
--Facilitating the exchange of goods between local industries
and enterprises
--Facilitating the export of local goods by ensuring that they
bring a fair price
--Taking a special focus on export assistance to small and
medium sized businesses

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The Direction of the LNCSM
---------

3. The LNCSM intends to be the driving force behind upgrading
and establishing a functioning conformity assessment and
consumer protection system in Libya's near future. They
envision a system afforded appropriate laws, and protected by
standards, measures and a quality infrastructure that will be in
line with international guidelines. They are currently seeking
assistance to achieve these goals in the following key areas:

--Awareness raising campaigns
--Personnel and institutional capacity building
--Analysis of training needs
--Seminars and Workshops
--Practical on-the-job training of specialists
--International study tours

---------
Future Actions
---------

4. During her proposed November 11-13, 2006 visit, Assistant
Secretary McMurray of the Bureau of Oceans and International

SIPDIS
Environmental and Scientific Affairs and Dr. Hratch Smerjian of
the National Institute for Standards and Technology are
tentatively scheduled to meet with Dr. Shembesh of the LNCSM and
discuss potential areas for U.S. cooperation with Libya in the
fields of standardization and metrology.

SIGNATURE

BERRY

GOLDRICH

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