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How Standards Were Developed
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Development of the MAC international Standards has been an international, multi-stakeholder endeavor.
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- The initial rough draft, developed in 1999, synthesized existing information and preliminary stakeholder input. The MAC Board of Directors and Strategic Planning Workshop reviewed this draft in September. Marine Ornamentals 1999 conference participants also provided input during MAC workshop sessions.
- The MAC Secretariat developed the initial working draft of the MAC international Standards in October 2000. It was reviewed by the MAC Standards Advisory Group (SAG) during November-December 2000 and by participants of the Pacific Regional Workshop on the Aquarium Trade (Nandi, Fiji) in February 2001. The multi-stakeholder SAG included about eighty (80) members, with equal representation from Asia, the Pacific, North America and Europe.
- The second working draft of the MAC international Standards was prepared by the MAC Secretariat during the first quarter of 2001 and posted on the MAC Web site for general public review during March-April 2001. Participants at the International Workshop on the Coral Trade (Jakarta, Indonesia) in April 2001 provided extensive review and comment during working sessions. In June 2001, the SAG reviewed the results of the public review and provided further comments.
- The final working version, i.e., Issue 1, of the MAC international Standards was published on the MAC Web site on July 6, 2001.
- The MAC Board of Directors approved the MAC international Standards on Nov. 27, 2001, after completion of feasibility studies and field tests to evaluate the applicability of the MAC Standards throughout the chain of custody, from collection to export to import to retail.
- The Standards Committee will revise or amend the MAC international Standards as needed. The Standards Committee will be established and operate consistent with the World Trade Organization (WTO) Code of Practice for standards-setting organizations. The committee members will be selected by the MAC Board of Directors and will represent the range of stakeholder concerns, including conservation, industry, certification and accreditation. The recommendations of the Standards Committee will be forwarded to the MAC Board for its endorsement.
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