As the Region embraces the theme of this year’s Worlds Standards Day “Standards for a Safer World”, we are enjoined to focus on industry best-practices, new and emerging technologies, new barriers to trade as well as emerging threats to health, safety and the environment.

As a useful economic and social tool, standardisation has the potential to play a larger role in protecting health, well-being and the environment. For example, products of the future should use fewer resources and should meet environmental requirements throughout their whole life cycle. They might also lead to cost reduction, more innovation and competitive advantages.

There is now an increased focus on the challenge to integrate environmental aspects into standards development. This challenge is also fuelled by the rapid changes in the global economy which continue to make exacting demands on developing countries, as we struggle to establish and safeguard the basic welfare of our people. Globalisation, market liberalisation and an increasingly competitive environment, dictate the establishment of new rules, particularly in our trading relations.

In crafting our regional integration and development policy, the work of the Caribbean Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) plays an essential role. We have the responsibility to shape the framework for vibrant, sustainable economic relations within the Region as well as prepare and position our members to engage affectively and competitively with our neighbours, trading partners, and beyond the immediate region.

The recent broadening of standards in technical specifications to include not just products, but also processes and systems, places an even greater responsibility on CROSQ to guide the Region’s standards development in ever broader spheres of economic activity. This is no easy task, but we are committed to meeting the challenge.

Already, we have established guidelines, and the necessary framework, for conformity assessment. There are provisions for product specifications, as well as testing and calibration laboratories, certification, inspection and accreditation bodies. The objective is to make these structures as homogeneous, transparent and credible as possible throughout our region to facilitate the certification process.

We have an impressive programme of activities ahead of us as we continue the task so integral to the sustainable development of our region. We cannot fulfil these tremendous responsibilities without the full support of our respective Member States as well as the institutions and organs of CARICOM.

And so as we embrace the profound message of World Standards Day 2005, the challenge is for us to ride the crest of change, maximise the emerging opportunities, and ensure that as we add value to our resources and grow our markets that we do not compromise the environment that sustains us. The maintenance of a safer world is in our enlightened self interest.