GCC Standardization Organization signs a memorandum of understanding and a regional adoption agreement with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
His Excellency Eng. Nawaf bin Ibrahim Al Mana, President of the GCC Standardization Organization (GSO), and His Excellency Mr. Philip Metzger, Secretary General of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), signed a memorandum of understanding and a regional adoption agreement between the two sides, on the sidelines of the (88th) meeting of the General Assembly of IEC currently held in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, in the United Kingdom (21-25 October 2024).
The President of GSO explained that the memorandum of understanding aims at enhancing the existing communication and cooperation between the two organizations. It covers many areas, including exchange of technical information in the fields of electrotechnical standardization, capacity building programs, and exchange of experiences, which contributes to the adoption of IEC standards and conformity assessment services in response to market requirements, facilitating global trade, and increasing the participation of experts and specialists of GSO member states in various committees and related activities of IEC. It also enhances GSO participation in the meetings of the IEC General Assembly, the Conformity Assessment Board, and the Standards Management Board SMB.1
The regional adoption agreement also allows GSO and its member states to adopt the standards issued by IEC, and grants it access to the list of international standards issued by IEC including all their original texts.
His Excellency GSO President added that the signing of the memorandum of understanding and the regional adoption agreement with IEC aims at supporting the current achievements realized between GSO and IEC. GSO has adopted about 6,000 International Standards issued by IEC, constituting 20% of the total Gulf standards, the number of which has now reached more than 28,000 Gulf standards and technical regulations, in compliance with GSO strategic direction to adopt international standards with a view to support international standardization and facilitating trade exchange, and in line with the practices of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
It is worthwhile mentioning that GSO has signed an agreement last year authorizing it to translate and sell translated standards by signing of a tripartite agreement between IEC and the member states of GSO, with the aim of supporting Arabic language and providing standards in Arabic language on a specialized international platform, which contributes to streamlining application of these standards by users in GSO member states.
It should be noted that IEC aims at promoting the global use of IEC international standards and conformity assessment services which ensures safety, efficiency, reliability and interoperability of electrical, electronic and information technologies, to enhance international trade, facilitate broad access to electricity and enable a more sustainable world.
GSO aims at accomplishing integration and interconnection between member states in the areas of organizing and unifying standardization activities and following up on their implementation to ensure safety of products, efficiency of services, and the ease of trade exchange in the Gulf common market, in addition to protecting the consumer, improving the quality of life, and enhancing the competitiveness of economies of member states in global markets.
