UNUnited Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Activities

Working Party on Regulatory Cooperation and Standardization Policies (WP.6)

 

 

  • Introduction
  • Speakers
  • Background reports
  • Further reading
  • Presentations
  • Report

Practical information for delegates

For download:

About the Conference:

Risk permeates all aspects of life. A professional management of uncertainty is essential for the resilience and effectiveness of all organizations, be they governmental or business.

The Conference is organized to promote an exchange of experience on the use of risk assessment and management techniques in:

  • technical regulations;
  • standards;
  • conformity assessment;
  • accreditation;
  • metrology;
  • market surveillance.
The Conference will benefit from input from academia, governmental authorities, international standards organizations, conformity assessment bodies and business associations.

The following topics will be discussed:
  • How can risk assessment and management methodologies be used as a basis for the choice of technical regulation objectives?
  • Implementing risk management standards and methodologies in business strategies
  • Risk assessment in the choice of conformity assessment options: suppliers' declaration of conformity vs third party assessment
  • Mitigating risks on the markets for consumer products: risk assessment options and market surveillance authorities
  • Risk Management at Customs: how to balance trade facilitation and safety?
  • Sustainable development and social responsibility: managing ecological risks, consumer protection, and occupational hazards
  • Certification schemes in risk management.
Please contact the Secretariat for more details.
   
OPENING SESSION: Keynote Speakers
Ján Kubiš
Jan Kubiš is the Executive Secretary of the UNECE.
A graduate of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, he served as Minister for Foreign Affairs of Slovakia, as Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, and as Secretary-General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) during the period from 1999 to January 2009.
Among his previous functions, Mr. Kubiš was the European Union's Special Representative for Central Asia, Personal Representative of the Chairman-in-Office of OSCE for Central Asia, and Director of OSCE’s Conflict Prevention Centre.
RobdertSteele
Robert Steele
Mr. Robert Steele took up his functions as ISO Secretary-General on 1 January 2009. He has played a key role in the development of policies that sustain the global relevance of international standards, both in New Zealand and internationally. Prior to his current position, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Standards New Zealand, was a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors and a fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management. Internationally, Mr. Steele was a member of the ISO Council, represented Standards New Zealand on the ISO Technical Management Board, and was Secretary of the Pacific Area Standards Congress.
Christer Arvius
Chairperson, Working Party on Regulatory Cooperation and Standardization Policies
Mr. Christer Arvíus is Director and Head of the Department for Internal Market and Technical Rules at the Swedish National Board of Trade1. He has a long experience in international trade, trade policy and management. His work covers matters related to the EU Internal Market, EU external trade relations and global trade and trade policy. During the period 1992 – 1995 he worked as Head of the Trade Policy Affairs Division in the EFTA Secretariat, Brussels. He is a Swedish member in several international committees, fora, e.g.: the WTO/TBT Committee; WP on Regulatory Cooperation and Standardization Policies within the United Nation’s Economic Commission for Europe, UN/ECE (Chairman); UN/ECE “START” Team (Chairman); ASEM (Asia European Meetings) on Standards and Conformity Assessment; EU Council Group for the negotiations with third countries on mutual recognition agreements (133-MRA); EU Council Group on Standardization; EU Group of Senior Officials for Standardization and Conformity Assessment Policy (SOGS). He is also involved in technical cooperation activities with third countries, e.g. in Central and Eastern European Countries and developing countries in Africa, Asia and Central America. On the national level he is i.a. a member of SIS-TK 316 Conformity Assessment; member of the SIS General Assembly; member of the SEK General Assembly and the Chairman of the Commission on Swedish Standards (NSS).
SESSION 1: Approaches to risk-based regulation: Optimizing the cost of safety
Mr. Serenkov Gretchen H. Stanton
Senior Counsellor in the Agriculture and Commodities Division of the Secretariat of the World Trade Organization (WTO). She joined the Secretariat of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1985. During the Uruguay Round negotiations, Gretchen served as the Chairman of the Working Group that negotiated the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (the "SPS Agreement"). She is now Secretary of the WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. Ms. Stanton previously also served as Secretary of the International Dairy Agreement of the WTO. She has been the Secretary of a number of GATT and WTO dispute settlement panels. Prior to joining the GATT, she worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agriculture Service in Washington, D.C. and in Mexico City. Gretchen, who is originally from Mexico, received a Master's Degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Arizona.
Mr. Bounds Gregory Bounds
Policy Analyst, Regulatory Policy Division of the OECD. Gregory Bounds commenced with the Regulatory Policy Division of the OECD in January 2007, working on risk and regulatory policy, regulatory impact analysis and regulatory management practices in OECD countries. Previously he managed a program of regulation of third party access to monopoly infrastructure facilities, and periodic reviews of regulation with the Essential Services Commission (ESC), within the Government of the State of Victoria, Australia. Mr Bounds was a senior officer in the Victorian Office of Regulation Reform responsible for ensuring a whole of Government approach to regulatory quality. He holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the Australia and New Zealand School of Government.
Mr. Serenkov Marco d'Ambrosio
Administrator at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry with significant experience on international regulatory matters in the field of industrial policy. Before working for the European Commission, he was responsible for industrial and trade matters within two large Italian business associations. He is currently responsible for the Technical Barriers to Trade aspects of Free Trade Agreements with Canada, India, Ukraine, ASEAN, Central America and Andean Community, as well as of TBT-related Regulatory Dialogues with Japan, Russia and India.
Mr. Hurevich Valery Hurevich
Director of the Belarusian State Institute for Standardization and Certification (Minsk, Belarus). Field of activity: development and improvement of the system for technical normalization and standardization. Areas of scientific interest: methodology of risk analysis, assessment and management in the field of technical normalization and standardization.
Morfee Peter Morfee
Peter Morfee is Principal Technical Adviser/Senior Policy Advisor at the Ministry of Economic Development of New Zealand.
Peter is a graduate Electrical / Mechanical Engineer who has over 20 years of experience in Electrical Safety Regulation, leading 3 major legislative reforms. He has a wide range of technical expertise and participation in regional Standard development He has participated in NZ’s MRA negotiations with the EU, APEC, Taiwan, Singapore, ASEAN and China where he has introduced an increasing focus on Regulatory Compliance enhancement
Macrae  Donald Macrae
Member, Risk and Regulation Advisory Council, UK. Before going independent in 2007 as a consultant in Regulation and Policy, he was Director General for Law and Regulation in the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Amongst his recent consultancy work, he has been advising Brazil’s technical standards regulator, Inmetro, for over a year on applying Impact Assessment to Conformity Assessment Procedures, in conjunction with the University of Sao Paulo.
GeraldLinke Gerald Linke
Appointed on 1 September 2008 to Head of the Competence Center Gas Technology of E.ON Ruhrgas. During his career at Ruhrgas he served as: Responsible for the operation of all assets in the Ruhrgas Northern Region; as Head of Competence Center Pipelines for EON Ruhrgas overseeing the construction and integrity assessment of all EON Ruhrgas pipelines, and for R&D related to pipes and pipeline operation, maintenance and monitoring
  Bernd Groh
PhD in Mechanical Engineering, joined E.ON Ruhrgas in 2005. He holds responsibilities for technical safety and risk related expertise and application of modelling techniques during incident investigation studies. He provided safety advice in conceptual risk assessment studies (HAZID, ALARP). As section manager he was held responsibilities for several R&D activities related to operating of natural gas transmission systems including underground storage sites and takes part in international collaborations of gas companies with regard to safety and risk related subjects and R&D actions.
Dr. Gennady Grozovkiy
Deputy Director of VNIINMASH (Moscow, Russian Federation), working in the field of safety machinery. He holds a PhD in Philosophy. Dr. Grozovskiy also lectures in many technical universities of Moscow and has over a hundred scientific publications
SESSION 2: Market for consumer products: What role for risk management standards?
Ms. Williams Carolyn Williams
Carolyn Williams MA ACII MIRM is Development Manager for the Institute of Risk Management, the leading international educational and training body for the risk management profession. She joined IRM in 2006 from Lloyd’s of London, where she was responsible most recently for risk management training and communication. She is also a member of the Chartered Insurance Institute’s Qualifications, Examinations and Assessments Committee.
Nikonov  Valentin Nikonov
PhD in Economics, Managing Director of the Growth Trajectory Consulting Company, ISO/IEC 9001:2008 Auditor, Certified Project Manager, Coordinator of the organizing committee of the UNECE WP.6 International Conference on Risk Assessment and Management. Valentin is the author of a book on Risk Management and of numerous articles on risk management, implementation and certification of integrated management systems, information security and project portfolio management.
Kogan  Irena Kogan
Irena Kogan’s expertise and knowledge reside in information technology management system development and implementation. Being an IT professional with a list of successful IT projects, she is involved in the work of SQLink Group, Bank Mizrahi Tefahot and Growth Trajectory Consulting Company
Mr. Avanesov Evgeny K. Avanesov
Doctor of Business Administration in the field of Quality Management. He works as a Principal Auditor in the leading Certification Body of Russian Federation – “Test-Saint-Petersburg Co Ltd”. During his 15 years’ activity in this sector he has carried out more than 300 audits all over Russia and abroad. He is an author of a lot of articles about quality, certification, audits, management standards etc. He is currently leading the Russian delegation in ISO/TC 176, the "umbrella" committee under which the ISO 9000 series of quality management standards are being developed.
Millar David Millar
Chief Operations Officer of PRMIA (Professional Risk Managers' International Association) – a 62,000-member global association of risk professionals – where he takes particular responsibility for managing the associations risk standards and exams. He is an experienced financial risk specialist and a trainer, writer and conference presenter on risk practices and regulations. Mr Millar has worked at board and operational management levels in investment banking, brokerage and exchanges, clearing and settlement services.
Melanie Lockwood Herman
Executive Director of the Nonprofit Risk Management Center, a resource center serving the nonprofit community in the United States. The Center provides training, technical assistance and informational resources on a wide range of topics, including risk management, nonprofit governance, employment practices, insurance-buying, and protecting vulnerable populations. Melanie has spent her entire career in the nonprofit sector and has authored and co-authored more than 15 books covering a wide spectrum of nonprofit management issues. Each year she delivers numerous workshops, seminars and keynote presentations on nonprofit management topics. Her most recent book is Exposed: A Legal Field Guide for Nonprofit Executives (2009). In August 2007 Melanie was named to the 10th annual NonProfit Times Power & Influence Top 50, a list of "executives and thinkers
Lenoid Leonid Dvorkin
“AFNOR Rus” General Director, IRCA Principal Auditor, EOQ Quality Systems Auditor, GOST R and Gazpromcert Lead Auditor, Tutor of Russian Quality Organization. Performed over 300 management systems audits (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001). Author of publications in journals “Standards and Quality” and “Management Systems Methods”. Operational experience: SGS Vostok Ltd., Certification Manager; Ministry of Construction of Russia (GOSSTROY) Standardization Department, Federal Center of Certification in Construction, Technical Director; “UralNIIAS”, Vice-Director; “NIIS” Certification and Testing Center, Director; Trust “Urals Steel Constructions”, Field Engineer. 
Paul Taylor
Paul Taylor is currently Director of Risk Assurance at Morgan Crucible plc. Morgan Crucible is a UK listed company operating in 40 countries manufacturing advanced ceramic and carbon components. He is responsible for creating and implementing a risk management strategy throughout the group as well as being responsible for the internal audit function.
With over 30 years experience in international working environments, Paul has lived in the USA, Australia, Belgium, Switzerland and France as well as the UK. Prior to working for Morgan Crucible, he has been Head of Risk Management in 3 FTSE 100 international groups (paper industry, logistics and retail) and in a large packaging company in Switzerland.
Paul is a Chartered Engineer and is active in risk management in Europe. He has been Vice- President of FERMA is currently a Board Member. He is also Deputy Chairman of Airmic, the UK Risk Managers’Association.
SESSION 3: Implementing technical regulations: Risk management for conformity assessment, certification, and market surveillance
  Philippe Portalier
Graduated with a Bachelor in EU Legal Affairs (1986) and in Industrial Property Law (1985). Before joining in 1998 Orgalime, the European Engineering Industries Association, Philippe Portalier worked for 12 years for various public and private organisations in France, including the European Commission and the household appliance maker “Groupe Brandt” (today “Fagor-Brandt”). Since then, he coordinates Orgalime advocacy on the application of the New Legislative Framework (NLF) for the marketing of engineering products, including standardisation and conformity assessment matters. 
  Marc Schaedeli
Head of Risk Management, Nestlé Ltd. Marc is the Head of Risk Management at Nestlé, based in Vevey, Switzerland. For eight years he has built up and further developed world-wide Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) at Nestlé. He holds a degree in Food Process Engineering from the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (dipl. LM-Ing ETHZ). He is a Steering Committee member of the European Strategic Risk Management Council of the Conference Board and a Steering Committee member of the Global Zurich Risk Engineering Workshop.
PD Dr. Gaby-Fleur Böl
Natural scientist and Head of the interdisciplinary department risk communication at the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in Berlin and teaches as private lecturer at the University of Potsdam. Regarding consumer health protection the department risk communication is responsible for a participatory dialogue with stakeholders from science, trade and industry, political circles, the media, associations, non-governmental organisations and consumers. Main research areas of the department risk communication are risk perception, early risk detection, risk impact assessment, scientific uncertainty and evaluation of risk communication processes for instance in the fields of new technologies like nanotechnology, changes in nutritional behaviour of consumers following risk communication or the ranking of risks by various social interest groups.
Christophe Renard
Executive Vice President at Cotecna Inspection, Geneva. He is a graduate French aeronautics engineer in 1987, British MBA in 2001, and Six Sigma Black Belt in 2003. His career includes computer science and animation, organization consulting, management systems certification and inspection services. He is currently responsible for the innovation, development and marketing of inspection, conformity and security services to governments, which represent the biggest market of Cotecna Inspection.

Enhancing Market Surveillance through Best Practice (EMARS), Best Practice Techniques in Market Surveillance, refer to pages 71 -86 and 101-113

European Commission (EC):

Institute on Governance, Information Brief on International Risk Management Standards

International Risk Governance Council (IRGC), White Paper on Risk Governance: Towards and Integrative Approach

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Risk and Regulatory Policy

Risk and Regulation Advisory Coucil (RRAC)

Institute of Risk Management. "A risk management standard"

How to develop a risk management plan


Time
Speaker
Title
24 November 2009
OPENING SESSION
10:00 - 10:10 Chairperson Introduction
10:10 - 10:25 Mr. Ján Kubiš
Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

Risk assessment and management for economic and social development  

10:25 - 10:40 Mr. Rob Steele
Secretary-General, International Organization for Standardization
A toolbox of standards to manage risks in the workplace and in daily life
10:40 - 10:55

Mr. Anatoliy Nichkasov
Deputy Minister, Ministry of Architecture and Construction

Speech
10:55 - 11:05 Mr. Christer Arvius
Chairperson, Working Party on Regulatory Cooperation and Standardization Policies
Risk management as a shared responsibility: what role for WP.6?
11:05 - 11:10 Questions and answers
SESSION 1: RISK-BASED REGULATION: OPTIMIZING THE COST OF SAFETY
11:10 - 11:20 Moderator of Session 2 Presentation of the 1st session
11:20 - 11:30 Ms. Gretchen H. Stanton
Secretary of the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Committee), World Trade Organization
Scientific evidence and risk-based regulations in the work of the WTO TBT and SPS Committees and as the basis for good regulatory practices
11:30 - 11:40 Mr. Gregory Bounds
Economist/Policy Analyst, Regulatory Policy Division, Public Governance & Territorial Development Directorate, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Achieving better regulatory quality: what tools can assist regulators in preparing better rules?
11:40 - 11:50 Mr. Marco D'Ambrosio
Policy Officer, Unit I/2 - International Regulatory Agreements, Toys Safety, Corporate Responsibility European Commission
Proportionality between risks and regulatory intervention: the experience of the European Union
11:50 - 12:00 Questions to the Speakers
12:00 - 12:10 Discussion (Session 1)
12:10 - 12:20 Mr. Peter Morfee
Principal Technical Advisor/Senior Policy Advisor, Ministry of Economic Development, New Zealand
Risk assessement for regulatory system design (the experience of APEC)
12:20 - 12:30 Mr. Donald Macrae
Member, Risk and Regulation Advisory Council, United Kingdom
Response with responsibility: policy-making for public risk in the 21st century
12:30 - 12:40 Mr. Valery Hurevich
Director, Belarusian State Institute for Standardization and Certification
System of technical regulation and standardization as an object of risk management
12:40 - 12:50 Questions to the Speakers
12:50 - 13:00 Discussion
LUNCH BREAK
15:00 - 15:10 Mr. Bernd Groh
E.ON Ruhrgas AG, Gas Technology Competence Centre
Use of new technologies for reducing risks within business in the energy industry
15:10 - 15:20 Mr. Gennady Grozovsky
Deputy Director, Vniinmash
Standards for management of technical risks and their applications
15:20 - 15:30 Questions to the Speakers
15:30 - 15:40 Discussion (Session 1)
15:40 - 15:50 Moderator of Session 1 Conclusion of Session 1
SESSION 2: MARKETS FOR CONSUMER PRODUCTS: WHAT ROLE FOR RISK MANAGEMENT STANDARDS
16:00 - 16:10 Moderator of Session 2 Presentation of the 2nd session
16:10 - 16:20 Ms. Carolyn Williams
Development Manager, Institute of Risk Management (IRM)
Practical implementation of standards including BS31100: risk management & code of practice
16:20 - 16:30 Mr. Valentin Nikonov
Managing Director and
Ms. Irena Kogan
Partner, Growth Trajectory Consulting Company
How can management systems standards contribute to mitigate business risks?
16:30 - 16:40 Mr. Evgeny Avanesov
Principal Auditor, “Test-Saint-Petersburg” Co Ltd
Risk management in ISO 9000 series of standards
16:40 - 16:50 Questions to the Speakers
16:50 - 17:00 Discussion
17:00 - 17:10 Mr. David Millar
Chief Operations Officer, Professional Risk Managers’ International Association
Weak points in risk management within companies
17:10 - 17:20 Ms. Melanie Herman
Executive Director, Nonprofit Risk Management Center
Risk management standards for nonprofit organizations: challenges and opportunities
17:20 - 17:30 Mr. Paul Taylor
Director of Risk Assurance, Morgan Crucible Company and Federation of European Risk Management Associations (FERMA)
How can risk assessment standards be used to strengthen cooperation between business and authorities?
17:30 - 17:40 Questions to the Speakers
17:40 - 17:50 Discussion (Session 2)
17:50 - 18:00 Moderator of Session 2 Conclusion of Session 2
25 November 2009
SESSION 3: IMPLEMENTING TECHNICAL REGULATIONS:RISK MANAGEMENT FOR CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT, CERTIFICATION, AND MARKET SURVEILLANCE
10:00 - 10:10 Moderator of Session 3 Presentation of the 3rd session
10:10 - 10:20 Ms. Gaby-Fleur Böl
Head of the Department Risk Communication, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Germany
Evaluation, communication, participation - theory and practice of risk communication
10:20 - 10:30 Mr. Leonid Dvorkin
General Director, AFNOR Rus
How are risk management tools used in conformity assessment?
10:30 - 10:40 Mr. Jan Roed
Danish PROSAFE Representative, Head of Department, International Coordination, The Danish Safety Technology Authority
Risk assessment: what tools can market surveillance authorities’ use?
10:40 - 10:50 Questions to the Speakers
10:50 - 11:00 Discussion
11:10 - 11:20 Mr. Philippe Portalier
Senior Adviser, ORGALIME
Effective market surveillance systems and risk management: a business perspective
11:20 - 11:30 Mr. Marc Schaedeli
Head, Human Pandemic Task Force/Risk Management, Nestlé
Risk management at the company level: taking responsibility for products safety
11:30 - 11:40 Mr. Christophe Renard
Executive Vice President - Development and Marketing, COTECNA INSPECTION SA
Risk management in the inspection business
11:40 - 11:50 Questions to the Speakers
11:50 - 12:10 Discussion (Session 3)
12:10 - 12:20 Moderator of Session 3 Conclusion of Session 3
12:20 - 12:30 General Discussion
12:30 - 12:50 Elaboration of Chairperson's summary of the Conference
12:50 - 13:00 Closing of the Conference  

Report of the Conference

Report of the Conference on Risk Assessment and Management
ECE/TRADE/C/WP.6/2010/2
ENG FRE RUS