Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 05, 2017 (SKNIS): The St. Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards (SKNBS), within the Ministry of International Trade, together with the CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) Secretariat, is currently hosting the 31st Meeting of the Council of CROSQ at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort from October 4 to 6, 2017.
Derek Omar, CEO of CROSQ, said that the council meets twice per year and rotates the meetings to different member states. The council strives to advertise and promote the roles of the bureau of standards in those member states as well as educate and advertise the role of the CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality, which is a collaborative effort of the 15 bureau of standards.
Mr. Omar explained that the 15 bureau of standards in the member states are all at different stages of development in respect to their standards programme, their metrology infrastructure, the amount of accreditation of their lab’s international standards, and also at various levels of conformity and assessment of quality assurance practices. He said that all of them are consistent though in the lack of exposure that they get in information and awareness.
“So, that’s why we rotate these meetings to bring up this advocacy for the bureaus and their regional work collaborating together and also for the work of the development of the national quality structure and the regional quality infrastructure.
According to the CEO, the CROSQ Secretariat is involved in technical assistance, project proposal writing, sourcing regional project donor funds, and administrating that to the member states, “but the true implementation of regional quality infrastructure and national quality infrastructure occurs through the bureau of standards, not through the regional organization.”
“That’s why the national bureau of standards means so much to all of us because that’s where true implementation of regional work takes place and we are very thankful to CEOs making this contributory effort with each other and coming to visit each other’s places to see what is needed and trumping support.”
St. Kitts and Nevis’ membership in CROSQ provides it access to standards development and harmonization through the coordinated effort of the organisation’s Technical Management Committee (TMC), says Hiram Williams, Director of the SKNBS.
“Hence the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis will continue to support the SKNBS participation in our own regional organization such as CROSQ, and also support our strategical alliance with international organizations such as the International Organization for Standardization, which is (ISO), the Inter American Metrology System, Codex Alimentarius (the world’s most recognised food standardized body), the Pan American Standards Commission (COPANT) and the International Lecture Technical Commission (ILC)and ASTM International,” said Mr. Williams.
The director added that the government is pleased with its partnership with CROSQ and the other member states as they work together as a region to influence the content of international standards.
CROSQ, headquartered in Barbados, is a regional inter-governmental organization established in February 2002 to facilitate the development of regional standards, promote the harmonization of metrology systems and support the sustainable production and trade of goods and services in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). The Council of CROSQ consists of the Directors/Executive Directors (or representatives) of the National Standards Bodies (NSBs) of the representative 15 Member States, who provide policy and direction.