The non-intergovernmental Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is a group known for its work in developing alternative methods and approaches and represents 34 industrialised countries in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.
It offers a GLP award to laboratories across many industries meeting its guidelines of uniformity, consistency, reliability, reproducibility, quality, and integrity of non-clinical safety tests for chemicals from physio-chemical properties to kinetic and dynamic toxicity.
What the partnership means for the country
In this instance, Malaysia joins the part of chemicals programme related to MAD, with all of the rights and obligations of OECD member countries.
The MAD system, a multilateral agreement allows participating countries to share the results of various non-clinical safety tests done on chemicals and chemical products, such as those used in cosmetics.
“Malaysia’s participation in this system highlights the mutual benefit of the partnership between OECD and major emerging economies.”
The collaboration is said to save governments and chemical producers around €150 million annually.
“Governments participating in the MAD system have confidence that chemical safety test data generated in other countries is of high quality and can be used for regulatory assessments."
"This reduces duplicative testing, saves laboratory costs, promotes work-sharing by countries assessing the same data and removes a potential non-tariff trade barrier,” says OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría.
What now..
According to the non-governmental organisation, the first step towards participation in the MAD system for Malaysia will be provisional adherence.
During this time, non-members work with the countries involved in the partnership, to make their compliance monitoring programme on 'Good Laboratory Practice' acceptable to all members.
"Provisional adherence to the OECD system means that the non-member must accept data from OECD and adhering countries generated under MAD conditions."
Governments verify laboratory compliance using OECD procedures. At present, all 34 OECD countries as well as Argentina, Brazil, India, Malaysia, Singapore and South Africa adhere to the system. Thailand is currently a provisional adherent to it.