The Caricom Rapid Alert System for Exchange of Information on Dangerous (non-food) Consumer Goods (Carrex) is expected to be completely operational at the national and regional levels by year end.
According to a press release from the Caricom Secretariat, representatives from national standards bureau in Caricom were trained at a Regional Workshop in Suriname on matters relating to the Carrex and consumer product safety. The workshop ran from 3-5 December 2014 and was facilitated by the Caricom Secretariat in collaboration with the Organisation of American States (OAS).
Participants were to focus on the study of risk assessment concepts and methods in order to enhance national inter-agency networking in creating and sharing information, the Secretariat said. Sessions were aimed at strengthening national capacities to detect unsafe products and to take timely measures to tackle the circulation of such products.
The training will enable Caricom member states to implement the Carrex system and market surveillance processes for non-food consumer goods more effectively. The intervention was funded with assistance under the Tenth European Development Fund (10th EDF) Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) and Economic Integration Programme (EIP).
According to the statement, the Community Strategic Plan 2015-2019 identifies, among other areas for priority focus, the accelerated implementation of the CSME, building competitiveness and unleashing key economic drivers to transition to growth and to generate employment and the development of human capital.
