GSO celebrates World Metrology Day 2020
The Gulf Cooperation Council Standardization Organization (GSO) and other similar organizations and metrology institutions in the world celebrate the International Metrology Day (WMD), which falls on May 20 of each year, and this year comes under the theme “Measurements for Global Trade”.
In his speech on this occasion, His Excellency Mr. Saud bin Nasser Al-Khusaibi – GSO President, pointed out that the theme for celebrating this occasion was chosen for this year due to the great importance of metrology in global trade, “This year, we celebrate this occasion and the world is facing the Corona Virus Pandemic (Covid 19) who has spread unprecedentedly in all parts of the world, hoping the Almighty to protect people from this pandemic and to lift the scourge from us”, he said.
His Excellency explained that, according to the statistics of the World Trade Organization (WTO), world trade in products hit a record $ 19.67 trillion in 2018. Given that a large proportion of the global trade in products is priced using legal units of measurement (SI Unit), it becomes clear that metrology plays a central role in scientific discovery and innovation, industrial manufacturing and international trade, in improving the quality of life and in protecting the global environment. .
He reminded that Governments adopt technical regulations and standard to protect manufactures, producers, and consumers at the national and international levels. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimates that about 80% of global trade is affected by standard or technical regulations, and therefore there must be a sound measurement system, but to make sure that the application of technical regulations and standards does not become a technical barrier to trade (TBT) which may lead to increased costs or prevent the free flow of goods or require repeated testing to indicate the conformity of goods and products to these standards and regulations.
His Excellency indicated that accurate measurements guarantee the safe and reliable delivery of the goods and services we need, and that The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM), The International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) and National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) in every country of the world are working to enhance the role that measurement plays in global trade to ensure Justice, trust and protection for both the manufacture and the consumer, in addition to that many international measurement systems have been established to provide the necessary guarantees and confidence that these measurements are accurate and sound basis for world trade.
He added that since its establishment under the umbrella of GSO on June 02, 2010, the Gulf Metrology Association (GULFMET) has worked as a Regional Metrology Organization (RMO) to enhance and support its Member States (the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sultanate of Oman, State of Qatar, and State of Kuwait) for international recognition of measurement and calibration capabilities (CMCs) and standardize procedures in the field of legal metrology in order to facilitate regional and international intra-regional trade through the organization of inter-comparison programs to ensure the reliability of measurement results worldwide, organizing PEER Review programs, and providing technical advice programs to enhance metrological technical capabilities in Member States.
Mr. AlKhusaibi, concluded his speech on this occasion by congratulating and thanking all the employees in the national standardization bodies in Member States in general, and those working in metrology institutions in particular, stressing the role of metrology in various aspects of daily life. It should be noted that World Metrology Day is an annual celebration of the signature of the Metre Convention on 20 May 1875 by representatives of seventeen nations. The Convention set the framework for global collaboration in the science of measurement and in its industrial, commercial and societal applications. The original aim of the Metre Convention – the world-wide uniformity of measurement – remains as important today as it was in 1875. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia joined the International Meter Convention in 2011, and the United Arab Emirates joined in 2015, and all the Member States of GSO participate actively in the activities of (BIPM) of emanating from this Convention.
