Mandate

As per Bhutan Standards Act 2010 (Act), the International Relation Division (IRD) of the Bhutan Standards Bureau (BSB) is established to provide support to the programme divisions such as Standard Division (SD), Certification Division (CD) & Metrology and Laboratory Services Division (MLSD) facilitating international and regional cooperation critical for the recognition of standards and certification issued by BSB as a national standard body. The function among other things involve liaising with international, regional and bilateral bodies; initiating and negotiating memorandum of understanding/agreements; initiating, developing and implementing projects; and planning cross-cutting programmes including the National Accreditation Focal Point. The IRD is also entrusted with the following areas of work:

1. Memorandum of Understanding & Cooperation Agreement
2. Initiating new memorandum of understanding and cooperation agreement for the approval of the RGOB
3. Reviewing the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Bilateral Cooperation Agreements (BCA) signed with International/Regional/Bilateral organizations for renewal or such other actions. BSB has signed MOUs and BCA with the following international, and regional organizations including:
4. Formerly American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) Internationa
5. Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution ( BSTI)
6. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
7. National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories(NABL)
8. National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies(NABCB)
9. The National Standardization Agency of the Republic of Indonesia( BSNI)
10. Delhi Test House (DTH)
11. Liaison work with International organizations involving:
12. Technical assistance and collaboration for update and reporting purpose
13. Coordinating participation of the BSB at international forum including meetings :
    1. Participation at decision making as well as member of technical committees
14. Liaison work with companies from India and Bangladesh for product certification involving:
    1. Acting as the interface for all product certification matters including receipt of applications, negotiating travel arrangements for the BSB auditors to the respective factory sites.
    2. Facilitating travel arrangements for companies visiting BSB to submit product samples.
15. Functioning as the National Accreditation Focal Point (NAFP) to

• Receive enquiries from local manufacturers on the accreditation process   
• Liaise with Regional and International Accreditation bodies (IAF, ILAC, APLAC) for securing accreditation of CAB's and for continuous updating
• Assist in the identification and appointment of accreditation bodies for laboratories, product certification and management system certification bodies of relevant agencies in the country.

Assist in the identification and appointment of accreditation bodies for laboratories, product certification and management system certification bodies of relevant agencies in the country.

TBT- ENQUIRY POINT

• Respond to enquiries from other signatories about the national standardization and conformity assessment activities.
• Notify national documents on technical regulations in accordance with the Agreement and provide documents covered by notifications to enquiries from other members
• Help the domestic industry by providing information about other member’s standards, technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures
• Issue alerts about new technical regulations enacted or contemplated by trading partners which may affect exporters.
• Provide documents covered by other member’s notifications to domestic enquirers by getting these from other member’s enquiry points.