Ghana Standards Board Benefits from MOU with ASTM International

According to a 2008 annual report, the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the Ghana Standards Board and ASTM International in 2007 continues to be a success. 

Established in 1967, the Ghana Standards Board (GSB) is the national standards body on behalf of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. GSB is responsible for national standards development and dissemination we well as testing and inspection services and product certifications. 

Over the past year, GSB consulted hundreds of ASTM International’s more than 12,000 standards in preparation of its national standards as well as for normative referencing in Ghanaian national standards. The use of ASTM standards for this purpose is a direct benefit of the MOU signed by the organizations.

Mr. Adu G. Darkwa, executive director of the Ghana Standards Board, believes the MOU between GSB and ASTM International is very beneficial to Ghana. “This cooperation has enabled the speedy provision of standards for the emerging oil and gas industry and in the review of the National Building Code,” said Mr. Darkwa.

Last month, Miss Adelaide Teimle Leigh, assistant standards officer at GSB, participated in another benefit of the ASTM MOU program – the Standards Expert Exchange Program (SEEP). SEEP is an intensive one-month training program held at ASTM headquarters in West Conshohocken, Pa., for standards experts from MOU countries. During the program, the experts learn about ASTM International and its standards development process, visit both federal government agencies and U.S.-based standards development organizations in Washington, D.C., and share information about their work and their home organization.

Initiated in 2001, ASTM International's MOU program promotes communication between ASTM International and national standards bodies worldwide, fostering awareness of the standardization systems of all parties involved. The purpose of the program is to increase greater worldwide participation in the ASTM standards development process and facilitate the development of national standards that will aid health, safety, and environmental and economic conditions. More information on the MOU program can be found on the ASTM International Web site (www.astm.org/GLOBAL).

 
ASTM Contact: Teresa Cendrowska,  Phone: 610-832-9718; tcendrow@astm.org

 

Release 8421/Nov2009

 

Category
November 25, 2009