Skip to main content

Risk Management in Regulatory Systems

Conference of the Group of Experts on Risk Management in Regulatory Systems (GRM)

25 May 2023 10:00 - 16:00

Background and Objective

Risk management aims to safeguard against hazards that stem from the quality of products and services – or lack thereof – that have the potential to cause harm or damage the health and safety of consumers and the environment. Development and enforcement of regulations require application of the state-of-the-art risk management tools. Applying best practice on risk management in regulatory frameworks and international trade results in regulations that make products safe, make organizations’ processes stable and ensure consumers are better protected from hazards without stifling growth and creating barriers to trade.

Risk management is essential for the key areas of work of WP.6:

  • Risk management principles constitute an important building block of the international trade system and lie at the basis of several WTO Agreements. Efficient application of risk management by regulatory authorities is crucial for facilitating trade and removing technical barriers.
  • Ensuring health and safety of consumers requires building risk-based regulatory frameworks, which would bring risks to a tolerable level by devising and implementing regulatory requirements that are proportionate to risks they were set out to address.
  • Achieving Sustainable Development Goals and implementing the principles of Circular Economy require regulations that would minimize effects of uncertainty on objectives.

Risk management can take place pre-border, at-the-border or post-border.

This webinar aims to showcase best practices in integrated risk management strategies and systems.

This meeting is taking place as part of the WP.6 Second Forum. Find out about the other meetings at this webpage.

Agenda

10:00 - 11:30      GRM administrative agenda (examining PoW 2023, achievements, what needs further work, elements for the PoW 2024, update on projects, potential future projects, preparing report for the WP.6 Annual Session, PoW 2024, nomination of officers) [PPT]

                           Project update on Integrated Risk Management in Single Window Systems [PPT]

                           Project proposal on internal skills management and knowledge matrix [PPT]

                           Project proposal on Risk management and SDG14 [PPT]

11:30 - 12:00      Break

Launch of the GRM webinar “Risk Management in Regulatory Systems”

12:00                    Opening and Welcome – Arier Ivanier, Acting Chief of Section, ECTD, UNECE [Bio]

12:05                    Opening and Welcome – Donald Macrae, Acting Chair of GRM [Bio]

12:10                    Opening Keynote –  Pierre Bonthonneau, International Trade Centre [Bio]

Risk management at the border: customs perspective and integration with product regulators

                             Moderator: Valentin Nikonov, Co-coordinator of GRM [Bio]

12:30                    Irina Sigua, Georgia Customs [Bio][PPT]

12:50                    David Anikoh, Nigerian Customs [Bio][PPT]

13:10                    Joaquín González, Mexico Customs [Bio][PPT]          

Risk management in product compliance: regulator’s perspective and integration with customs

                             Moderator: Donald Macrae, Acting Chair of GRM

13:45                    Lucy He, WorkSafe New Zealand [Bio][PPT]

14:05                    Dr. George Drossos, Hellenic Ministry of Development & Investments [Bio][PPT]

14:25                    Maribel Hurtado Sepúlveda, North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO) [Bio][PPT]

Closing keynote

15:00                    Zahouani Saadaoui, DG TAXUD, European Commission [Bio][PPT]

Nomination procedures

Nomination of officers

During the annual session of this group, participants will be asked to nominate the chair and vice chair for the coming period. These nominations are done on an annual basis, with no limit on the number of times an officer can be re-nominated. Each group should have a chair and a vice chair (there can be a maximum of two vice chairs).

Candidature:

Any individual interested candidates may make their intention known by 25 April 2023 at the latest. Please send an email to the Secretary of WP.6: [email protected] by close of business on 25 April.

Candidacies will be checked with the WP.6 Chair and eventually with the candidate’s delegation for confirmation and any further information. A short bio will be requested and shared below at least one week prior to the meeting for the information of the meeting participants.

Responsibilities:

The chair of the group is responsible for the meetings of the group and for presenting the work of the group to the parent body, the WP.6 annual session. The chair is therefore asked to ensure to have the financial dispositions to be able to physically participate in all necessary meetings. The chair ensures that all meetings are fair and open. The chair, with the assistance of the secretariat, ensures that all topics discussed within the group are in line with the Programme of Work and that deliberations are properly recorded.

The vice-chair acts as back-up for the chair and the above responsibilities, if needed. The vice-chair may also be asked by the chair to carry out specific tasks. The vice-chair is also asked to participate physically in all meetings and to ensure that they have the necessary financial dispositions to be able to do so.

Nomination procedures:

If there is more than one candidate for any given position, or there is a request from a member State, the secretariat will prepare and publish a nomination procedure at least one week prior to the event.

Candidatures received:

  • Candidate for Chair: Alexia Davison [Bio]
  • Candidate for Vice-Chair: Donald Macrae [Bio]
  • Candidate for Vice-Chair: Jamila Mendoza [Bio]
  • Candidate for Vice-Chair: Valentin Nikonov [Bio]

The voting procedure that will apply should voting be necessary is contained in this document.