The cryptic abbreviation MSTQ, SQAM, or SMCA have gradually been substituted by the "quality infrastructure"-concept. During a long time
ARSO, the African Organization for Standardization, founded in 1977, attempted to cover all of the components of a quality infrastructure. From 2007 on new African organizations have been created:
- AFRIMETS The Intra-Africa Metrology System, founded 2007
- AFSEC The African Electrotechnical Standardization Commission, founded 2008
- AFRAC The African Accrediatation Cooperation, founded 2010
In August 2013 the four African organizations have established the Pan-African Quality Infrastructure,
PAQI.
On its web site the PAQI states that a well coordinated and integrated
Pan-African Quality Infrastructure will boost both intra-African and
Global trade, which could foster the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
A PAQI Joint Committee Secretariat is hosted at the ARSO Central Secretariat in Nairobi, Kenya. PAQI Joint Committee Chairperson is Dr. Hermogène Nsengimana, ARSO Secretary General.
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An increased interest in trade between Mongolia and Europe is manifested by a 3-year cooperation project "Support to the Modernisation of the Mongolia´s Standardisation System". An introductory training on the EU harmonisation system took place 17-21 November 2014. 80 staff members of Mongolian Agency for Standardization and Metrology (MASM) were trained by Folke Hermansson Snickars and Richard Lawson, who also took part in a business seminar at the Mongolian Chamber of Commerce and Industry on "Export to Europe-Transformation of requirements into opportunities" with more than 100 participants.
