The GCC Standardization Organization celebrates the World Metrology Day 2023
The GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) and other identical bodies and institutions in the countries of the world celebrate the International Metrology Day, which falls on 20 May of each year. This year is celebrated under the theme “Measurements supporting the global food system”.
In his speech on this occasion, His Excellency Mr. Saud bin Nasser Al-Khasibi, GSO President explained that the theme for this year’s celebration was chosen due to fact that food represents at this time a great concern to the consumer, as providing safe food and access to it at reasonable prices is still a key challenge to governments and related organizations all over the world.
Pointing out that access to quality food at reasonable price in global markets requires producers to prove that they meet the requirements of standards and technical regulations related to food, in addition to the need for governments to ensure the integrity of fair trade, especially in local food markets, and this is achieved by providing an infrastructure for metrology to provide reliable measurements of the quantity, quality and quality level of quality products.
He added, “There is no doubt that the depletion of natural resources and the impact of climate change pose an additional challenge to the global food system, hence a general goal has been included in the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations concerned with a world without hunger and everyone’s right to clean water.”
His Excellency indicated that GSO has developed a large number of Gulf standards and technical regulations in the food sector, and has contributed to the establishment of a halal system for food products, and is working closely with the relevant international and regional organizations such as (the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and Codex Alimentarius Commission, etc. to enhance cooperation and coordination in the field of standards and technical regulations for food products and to ensure their safety and quality.
His Excellency President of GSO stated that in the framework of its interest and initiatives to contribute to achieving the goals of sustainable development, GSO has issued the GCC unified measurement law which aims to spread assurances among members of society in the member states of GSO, and to ensure fairness in commercial transactions, improving the quality of products and industrial processes, including food products, protecting the health and safety of individuals, protecting the environment, and preventing fraud and cheating. GSO has also issued (1326) Gulf standards and (568) technical regulations for food products and related production processes. It also formed a Gulf technical committee concerned with the standards of food and agricultural products and four sub-committees belong to it, as well as another Gulf technical committee for Halal standards and services, and work is underway to form other committees and working groups, in addition to issuing a guide for control procedures for pre-packaged containers, including food containers with a view to ensure the accuracy of net contents, and the formation of a Gulf technical committee for ionizing radiation measurements to ensure reliable measurements of radiation that food and agricultural materials may contain.
At the end of his speech, His Excellency President of GSO congratulated and thanked all the workers in the national standardization bodies in the member states in general, and those working in metrology activity in particular. He hailed the great efforts exerted by them in providing measurements of high reliability and credibility that are internationally recognized, and workers in the field of standards to provide Gulf standards and technical regulations that are in line with international practices and keeping abreast with the rapid developments in the field of standardization. He called on all member states and beneficiaries to benefit from the services provided by GSO, and to employ them to promote standardization activities in their countries; wishing those working in the metrology discipline success in achieving the goals and aspirations of their countries to reach advanced levels in all standardization activities, and to highlight the importance of these activities and their active role in all areas of life.
It is worthwhile noting that the World Metrology Day is an annual celebration commemorating the signing of the International Meter Convention on 20 May, 1875 by representatives from seventeen countries, which is considered a framework for global cooperation in the science of metrology and in its industrial, commercial and social applications. The aim of the meter convention is to unify Measurement all over the world which is still as important today as it was in 1875. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia joined the International Meter Convention in 2011, and the United Arab Emirates joined in 2015, and all member states of GSO actively participate in the activities and events of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) emanated from this Convention.
