Means to Spur Economic Growth

World Standards Day observed to focus on the standardization of goods and technologies for global growth

The 2010 World Standards Day was observed in a ceremony on Oct. 13 at Construction Hall in southern Seoul with Prime Minister Kim Hwang-shik leading the 600 participants including government officials from 10 foreign countries.
Among the dignitaries at the ceremony included Chairman of the Knowledge Economy Committee of the National Assembly Rep. Kim Young-hwan and heads of economic and consumer organizations.
Prime Minister Kim, in his congratulatory speech, said for Korea to be an advanced country, it should adhere to principles for creating a fair and warm society. He said Korea should have standards made open to everyone, providing equal opportunities for sharing and consideration for all, which can be realized through the efforts of those involved with standardization.
The international standardization organizations, including ISO, IEC and ITU, issue commemorative messages on the day and this year’s title of the message was “Standards make the world accessible for all.”
The international standards organizations believe that more 10 percent of the world’s population are handicapped and over 25 percent of the population in advanced countries are elderly citizens with many of them wanting to enjoy the same degree of benefits as the general public in the areas of society, politics and economy. They want to live life as much like the general public as they can, riding elevators in tall buildings and using electronic gadgets. Anyone can be in similar situations when they get sick and suffer from natural disasters, making life difficult and complicated.
The international standard organizations strengthen the accessibility for developers, producers and users through international standards, providing opportunities for the isolated classes of people to have safe and convenient lives.
To take some examples of products made by international standards, wheelchair lamps prevent pedestrians coming from the opposite direction, especially mothers pushing baby carriages, from clashing with wheel chairs; large switches on electronic gadgets help those with damaged hands to use them conveniently; automatic sliding doors can prevent accidents by sensing people coming in and going out; and a small point on the number 5 of telephones can be very convenient to the blind and people who have had optical surgery.
Standardization has been helping both advanced and developing countries by providing the same standards for technological innovation, closing the gap between them. And standardized commodities have been spurring commercial trade by enticing the production of the same standardized goods in many countries in the world and those that can be used in many countries.
Government citations and medals were presented to individuals and companies in recognition for their contributions to the development of international standards.
World Standards Day is celebrated internationally each year on Oct. 14. The day honors the efforts of the thousands of experts who develop voluntary standards within standards development organizations such as the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The aim of World Standards Day is to raise awareness among regulators, industry and consumers to the importance of standardization for the global economy.
Oct. 14 was specifically chosen to mark the date in 1946 when delegates from 25 countries first gathered in London and decided to create an international organization focused on facilitating standardization.[2] Even though the ISO was formed one year later, it wasn’t until 1970 that the first World Standards Day was celebrated. Each year, the ISO determines a theme based on a current aspect of standardization.
Around the globe, various activities are chosen by national bodies to commemorate the date. The Standards Council of Canada (SCC), Canada’s national accreditation body, celebrates World Standards Day together with the international community. The SCC publishes its annual issue of CONSENSUS magazine on World Standards Day as well as hosts events or plans other initiatives on this date. nw

Prime Minister Kim Hwang-shik makes a speech at a ceremony marking World Standards Day held on Oct. 13 at the Construction Hall in southern Seoul. A scene from a ceremony for World Standards Day held at the Construction Hall in southern Seoul with Prime Minister Kim Hwang-shik at the podium.