Shared Vision For A Better World

As consumers we have all had instances when we decry the lack of standards regarding goods and services. Adhering to standards is not only for the safety of the local market and citizenry, but is necessary in order to access international markets and clientele. In many societies there is perception that foreign made goods are of a superior quality and standards. The time has come for this view to be interrogated as we strive for a better world. Throughout the world, there is a set of standards that have been established that companies, organizations, and industries have all agreed to hold up. These standards have been established by mutual agreement between these organizations as part of their participation in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It was these categories of standards that helped drive the Industrial Revolution (1760-1840), The Industrial Revolution was the transition from creating goods by hand to using machines and today it drives the advancement of all technologies from automotive to telecommunications. World Standards Day observed on October 14 celebrates the work of these men and women, and the contribution their work makes to the world at large. The theme for World Standards Day is Shared Vision for a Better World. The United Nations has established a framework for arriving at a better world. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aimed at addressing social imbalances, developing sustainable economies, and slow the rate of climate change, are highly ambitious. In order to achieve these goals is it necessary for the cooperation of many public and private partners, and the use of all available tools, including international standards and conformity assessment.  History of World Standard Day. Since 1970, World Standards Day has been celebrated in various ways throughout the world. Conferences, exhibitions, seminars, TV and radio interviews, and even “World Standards Week" events take place annually on or around 14 October. The goal of World Standards Day is to raise awareness of the importance of global standardization to the world economy and to promote its role in helping meet the needs of business, industry, government, and consumers worldwide. World Standards Day also pays tribute to the thousands of volunteers around the world who participate in standardization activities. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) joined with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in the celebration of World Standards Day in 1988, and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) was added in 1993. In Jamaica, the Bureau of Standards is the government entity with responsibility for quality control and standards. The Bureau of Standards Jamaica was established by The Standards Act of 1969 to promote and encourage standardization in relations to commodities, processes and practices. Importantly, the role of the Bureau of Standards has expanded over the years to include the provision of services in relation to conformity assessment and metrology. The Bureau of Standards also provides industrial training as well as the promotion of research and education in standardization. The Bureau’s portfolio includes ensuring compliance with The Standards Act (1968), The Processed Food Act (1959) and the Weights and Measures Act (1976). Other aspects of our mandate are implemented under The Trade Act (1955), The Customs Act (1941), The Petroleum (Quality Control) Regulations (1990) and The CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality Act (2005). Regional Collaboration. The Bureau is responsible for facilitating the timely development, promulgation, promotion and implementation of national and regional standards (and technical regulations) for goods, services, processes and practices. It facilitates standards development through the formation of technical committees comprising stakeholders such as manufacturers, consumers, regulators, and professionals to set standards for safety and health, quality and performance. The Caribbean Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) mandate include; encouraging mutual recognition of accreditation and certification systems which are based on internationally accepted criteria, contributing to the preservation of the environment and conservation of the natural resources of the Region, the promotion of customer welfare and safety, the implementation of a regional quality infrastructure in leveling the playing field for Caribbean Trade in the global space; as well as to advance national quality policies and quality culture throughout the Caribbean and the implementation of the five pillars of Quality Infrastructure: Standards, Metrology, Accreditation, Conformity Assessment and Quality Promotions in member States. Sustainable Development. As the international community pauses to acknowledge World Standards Day we must be mindful that it takes a collective effort to achieve and maintain international standards. It is important also that governments and agencies in the field of quality control work together in order to satisfy the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s). Of particular concern is Sustainable Development Goal # 3 that addresses the promotion of well-being and healthy lives. The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. Food Safety. The burden of food borne diseases to public health and to economies has often been underestimated due to underreporting and difficulty to establish causal relationships between food contamination and resulting illness or death. As consumers each time we patronize a restaurant or eatery we do so in good faith. The 2015 World Health Organization (WHO) report on the estimates of the global burden of food borne diseases presented the first-ever estimates of disease burden caused by 31 food borne agents (bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins and chemicals) at global and sub-regional level, highlighting that more than 600 million cases of food borne illnesses and 420 000 deaths could occur in a year. The burden of food borne diseases falls disproportionately on groups in vulnerable situations and especially on children under 5, with the highest burden in low- and middle-income countries. The 2019 World Bank report on the economic burden of the food borne diseases indicated that the total productivity loss associated with food borne disease in low- and middle-income countries was estimated at US$ 95.2 billion per year, and the annual cost of treating food borne illnesses is estimated at US$ 15 billion. As the international community observes World Standards Day, governments must encourage more young people to pursue careers involved in food safety and quality control. Governments should make food safety a public health priority, as they play a pivotal role in developing policies and regulatory frameworks and establishing and implementing effective food safety systems. Arriving at the global place regarding a better world will not be easy. Additionally, in some societies attention to standards and safety is far more pronounced and rigid. Nonetheless, the responsibility for a better world rests on all our shoulders. An infusion of standards should also be in the National Standards Curriculum where students are exposed to safety standards from an early age. It is imperative that all societies foster and maintain a culture of safety standards for the sustainable development of the nation and the well –being of its citizens. Safety standards should not only be confined to the professionals in the industry, it is everyone's business. Happy World Standards Day. In the words of Peter Drucker, quality in a service or product is not what you put into it. It is what the client or customer gets out of it. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #WorldStandardsDay