General Standards
Djibouti is a member of COMESA and participates in continental-scale integration initiatives. The country also participates in negotiations between the European Union and the countries of Eastern and Southern Africa on the creation of an economic partnership. Recently, a virtual trade facilitation system was launched under the sponsorship of COMESA on the Djibouti-Addis-South Sudan Corridor. Once it is completed, the system will allow cargo to be tracked along the entire length of the corridor in real time.
Djibouti does not have specific legislation on standardization. However, under the supervision of the Sub-Directorate of Quality Control and Standards it has recently adopted technical regulations relating to food. The technical means of Djibouti are limited, and as a result inspection procedures do not generally go as far as assessing conformity with these technical regulations. Since 2011, Djibouti has had a National Codex Alimentarius Committee (CNCA) responsible to coordinate its sanitary and phytosanitary measures with international standards. Microbiological and physiochemical analyses are carried out on water and other food products, both imported and locally produced.
The Sub-Directorate of Quality Control and Standards also coordinates all standardization activities, including developing and publishing standards, certifying products and processes, quality assurance, testing, metrology, accreditation of laboratories, and participation in international standardization work and related activities.
