The 38th World Standards Day was commemorated on Sunday, 14 October. This year the commemorations, which have been prepared by the international standards bodies - the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) – will follow the theme ''Standards and the citizen: Contributing to society''.
The message of the IEC, ITU and ISO underlines the importance of standards in underpinning our day-to-day lives, from the simplest things, to the fact that a message on a computer can be read, noting how difficult and even dangerous it would be to carry out ordinary, daily tasks without standards. Through their work in developing standards, IEC, ISO and ITU help to open up markets, promote environmental protection, safety, security, health and access to information, and to break down barriers between rich and poor nations. Their standards also foster technological innovation, healthy commerce and fair prices.
The message concludes by stressing that ''the work of IEC, ISO and ITU will continue to facilitate the development and diffusion of new technologies that will drive the world economy, contributing to the well being of all of the world's inhabitants."
World Standards Day will be marked, a posteriori, on 17 October in Brussels with a conference on the subject ''Standards and the citizen: Contributing to society'', organised by the Enterprise Directorate-General of the European Commission.
Further information:
- 14 October 2007-World Standards Day http://www.iso.org/iso/wsd2007
- mensagem:World Standards Day Message - 14 October 2007 http://www.iso.org/iso/wsd2007/wsd2007_message.htm
- Press release - Standards and the citizen: Contributing to society - 38th World Standards Day, 14 October 2007 http://www.iso.org/iso/pressrelease.htm?refid=Ref1079
