The Standing Committee (SC) of the Convention has granted the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) the status of Observer.
GSA is the Convention's fourth authority to become an Observer but the first authority from Africa to be granted a status with the Convention.
Non-Members of the Conventiona, which want to participate in SC meetings as well as in the Convention's Round Robin (interlaboratory proficiency testing scheme on precious metals), can apply for the status of either Observer or Technical Programme Participant (TPP).
There are now 4 Observers:
- Ghana Standards Authority
- Assay Office of Moldova
- Bureau of Metrology, Montenegro
- KRISOS (Asociación Española de Laboratorios Acreditados en el Área de Metales Preciosos), which comprises six laboratories in Spain in the field of precious metal control: Instituto Tecnológico Metalmecánico, Mueble, Madera, Embalaje y Afines (AIDIMME), Centro de Laboratorios de Madrid (CLYSIM), Dpto. Verificación y Análisis (SAVECO), Instituto Tecnológico de la Bisutería (ITEB), Collegi Oficial de Joiers, d’Orfebres, de Rellotgers i de Gemmòlegs de Catalunya (JORGC).
The are currently 9 TPPs:
- Institute of Metrology of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- National Jewellery Quality Supervision and Inspection Center of China (with branch in Shenzhen)
- Assay Office of North Macedonia
- Assay Office of Mauritius
- Assay Office of Mongolia (based in Ulaanbaatar with branches in Bayankhongor and Darkhan-uul)
- Singapore Test Services Pte Ltd, Assay Office of Singapore
- ECOMEP Laboratorio de Contraste de Córdoba of Spain
- LGAI Technological Center S.A. (APPLUS) of Spain
- The Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand (GIT)