Registration Opens for Second Workshop in APEC Toy Safety Initiative

The governments of the United States, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Malaysia, and Viet Nam – along with private sector partner the U.S. Toy Industry Association – will host An Open Dialogue on Toy Safety for all Stakeholders on Tuesday, January 12, 2010, in conjunction with the Hong Kong Toy Fair.   The one-day workshop is a follow-up to the successful APEC Toy Safety Initiative Regulator Dialogue that took place August 1-2, 2009 in Singapore.

The purpose of the workshop is to deepen understanding of toy safety programs among all interested groups in order to increase transparency, encourage better standards alignment, and reduce unnecessary impediments to trade while ensuring a high level of consumer product safety.  

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chairman Inez Tenenbaum will deliver opening remarks at the event; the Chairman’s counterparts from China and the European union have also been invited to join in the delivery of introductory remarks.

In addition, the event will showcase findings of a recent APEC survey of toy safety regulations and requirements in the region that will highlight the challenges and opportunities for greater alignment of toy safety requirements. [View initial draft Agenda] 

The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a forum of 21 Pacific Rim economies that come together to promote trade and investment in the region.  APEC member economies produce at least 85% percent of the world’s toy supply; 19 of the 21 APEC member economies exported toys in 2008.

Unlike the Regulator Dialogue event in Singapore, the Open Dialogue in Hong Kong will be open to all stakeholders and feature speakers and panelists from a variety of stakeholder groups within the APEC region, including:

• Toy industry officials, including manufacturers and retailers 
• Consumer organizations 
• Government regulatory and policy officials 
• Standards experts 
• Other stakeholders

European regulatory experts are also expected to attend.

The Open Dialogue will be held in the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre from 9:00 am to 5: 00 pm on January 12.  Advance registration is required as space is limited.  A block of rooms have been reserved at the Grand Hyatt at a special rate of HK $1900; the hotel registration form appears as a PDF link on the final event registration page.    

TIA’s co-sponsorship of the APEC Toy Safety Initiative is a component of an ongoing effort to develop partnerships with the region’s toy associations, testing companies, and conformity assessment bodies that can contribute technical expertise and support for the harmonization of emerging regulations and conformity assessment programs such as those now being developed in economies such as China, Japan, the United States and others – including TIA’s Toy Safety Certification Program® (TSCP).