World Standards Day - Levelling the playing field

By Dr. Lalith Senaweera

The World Standards Day is marked globally each year on October 14. This day was selected in 1946, when delegates from 25 countries met in London and decided to introduce an international organisation to work on international standardisation.

As a result of this initiative, the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) was formed one year later. The first World Standards Day was first celebrated in 1970.

This day recognises the efforts of the thousands of experts who develop voluntary standards within standards development organisations such as the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), International Electro Technical Commission (IEC) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Considering the importance of setting the framework for fair competition and paving the way for growth, this year's World Standards Day (WSD) theme is defined as 'Standards level the playing field'.

This is an important theme in today's context. The world is undergoing transformation at all levels and a product or service available in one market for consumers no longer belongs to one country before they get to the end-consumer. Products transit through many countries where changes are done to add value to the final product.

Importance of Standards

Standards are connected with our daily life even though we are not aware that we use standards. For instance when we want to purchase a shirt we use the collar size and it helps us to purchase the shirt but sometimes we are not aware this collar sizes were introduced as a result International

Standardisation work.

We as consumers want to buy safe foods, water and standards contribute to the protection of human beings.

When we are ill, we need treatment on the basis of examination of reliable tests and analysis for that we need standards.

If we want to replace a malfunctioning part of an equipment, it is possible because of standardisation.

Because of standards, toys used by children are protected from incorporating poisonous paints and also having proper dimensions to safeguard the lives of children from unexpected threats while using the toys.

These examples indicate that standardisation is very much linked with our daily life and it helps us to carry out our work efficiently and comfortably. Not only have standards in a broader view contributed to the economy of the country but also supports us to carry out our daily work efficiently.

Economic growth

If enterprises make products as per the applicable standards, it helps to eliminate waste of labour, time and raw material which happens with low quality production. Standards will contribute to economic prosperity with the reduction in production costs.

This new trade mechanism has not only helped to streamline trade activities by eliminating multiple assessments but also provides an opportunity for globally-based organisations to improve the quality of products and services while paving the way to protect the health, safety and environment of the global community.

Standards determine criteria and methods for inputs used, production processes and allows for planned and controlled production.

This process would enable the enterprises to cut down unforeseen costs and reach the product or service with a favorable price to the consumer. Moreover, standards help in theuse of new technology and that will also help to improve productivity of manpower which affects economic growth.

Standards are also used as tools to reduce climate change effects by improving energy efficiency and decreasing waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

International trade

International standards represent the consensus view of the world's leading experts in different industry sectors, service and trade. Volunteering such experts' service in the formulation of international standards provides the world best practices to contemporary social, economic and environmental challenges.

Principles

The use of international standards is encouraged by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as much as possible as the basis for the national standards wherever it is effective and appropriate. The WTO's Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) includes the Code of Good Practice for the Preparation, Adoption and Application of Standards.

However, when formulating standards it should follow the recognised principles and those are:

Transparency - All vital information should be available to all interested parties.

Openness - At any stage of the standards development process it shall be open to relevant parties on a non-discriminatory basis .

Impartiality and Consensus - The standardisation process should not favour the interests of any single organisation, country or region.

Effectiveness and Relevance - Standards need to relevant and effectively respond to the market needs.

Coherence - Avoid duplication by coordination and cooperation with other bodies.

The International Standards Bodies and National Standards Bodies always implement these principles to ensure that standards add value to the industry and trade.

National Standards Bodies do have opportunities to influence especially the ISO's work by becoming a chair of a Technical committee, by holding a secretariat for a technical committee, direct participation in Technical committees or at policy level by being a member of Policy Development Committees such as DEVCO, COPOLCO, and CASCO.

To ensure that national contributions to be effective, participation in the chosen groups must be systematic and continuous.

The Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) being the National Standards Body of Sri Lanka is actively involved in ISO's work by participating in applicable Technical Committees (TCs) and also at the policy level where the Director General has been holding the Chairmanship of ISO DEVCO - Policy making Committee for developing cCountry matters since 2013.

Conformity

Another way of using International standards is the conformity assessment area where certification, testing, and accreditation functions are used.

Global trade is now tied up with certification systems such as accredited certificates on ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO22000 which are used as the basis for international trade. The new mechanism of global trade is not possible if international standards are not developed as the basis for evaluation purely on the criteria given in the International standard.

Benefits

Today, throughout the world, all organisations use the same international language as all practice the use of international standards as the basis for certification and accreditation.

Standards are becoming a vital element in our life, in society and the world as it provides benefits to all of us. Standards make our life easier, ensures the efficient use of resources, security of life and property, ensure ease of comparison and selection.

Final product

Standards provide opportunities to increase development and productivity of manpower paving the way for economic development and growth and role of SLSI in promoting Standardisation.

SLSI has introduced over 1,500 standards covering different subjects and these standards are more or less based on the international standards as SLSI is the member body of the ISO and the IEC.

To promote these standards within the industry and trade, SLSI conducts standards promotional programs to educate stakeholders about the importance of using such standards.

Once a standard is developed, SLSI informs the Chambers about the importance of that standard calling on them to pass on the information to industry and trade.

It is equally important to educate regulators in standards issues and by involving them in standardisation process and therefore, SLSI provides them opportunities to participate in Technical Committees and also seeks their views before finalising any standard.

To have a wider consultation process, SLSI provides one month to obtain all interested parties inputs and it is inbuilt to the standardisation process as 'Public Comments' stage.

Therefore, it is imperative for all of us to make use of national standards developed by SLSI - the national standards body, as it brings much benefits to all of us.

The writer is the Director General andCEO of the Sri Lanka Standards Institution