Basseterre, St. Kitts, 2015-10-14 – The St. Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards of the Ministry of International Trade, Industry, Commerce and Consumer Affairs will join with the International Standards Community in celebrating World Standards Day, on 14th October 2015.The theme for this year is “Standards –the world’s common language “.
World Standards Day is celebrated each year on 14 October to pay tribute to the efforts of thousands of experts worldwide who collaborate to develop voluntary international standards that facilitate trade, spread knowledge and disseminate technological advances.
The IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) are the world’s three principal standards bodies and are committed to collaboration under the banner of the WSC (World Standards Cooperation).
Each year the heads of these three organizations sign a message outlining the World Standards Day theme. The 2015 message highlights international standards as “The World’s Common Language.” Not only are standards good for trade, they also make it easy for people around the world to work together.”
Standards set the minimum specifications and requirements for products and services, and therefore provide the framework upon which the desired quality and safety of products and services can be based.
Standards help consumers by: improving choice and access to goods and services; lowering cost; protecting health, safety and the environment; and making it easier to assess the quality and reliability of products and services.
As part of the activities for the week, the St. Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards in collaboration with CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) plans to host a workshop on Good Standardisation Practices. This deals with procedures for the development of standards, advancement of international trade, participation in the standards development process, coordination and information. As part of the awareness programme for the week, schools will be visited, posters will be strategically placed in the public and private sector area, giveaways and media interviews.
The St. Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards was formally established by the Bureau of Standards Act, 1999, and is mandated to develop and implement national standards and adopt regional or international standards where necessary. Under the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement, implemented within the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Bureau of Standards is designated as the Enquiry Point for exchange of information. The Bureau also holds the national standards of metrology (mass, volume, length, etc.) and is responsible for advising the Government on technical matters as they relate to health and safety of its consumers. Responsibilities also include food and water analyses, the verification of all scales, balances and other measuring devices within the Federation and facilitating development of local industry and commerce.