World Standards Day celebrated

Islamabad : Pakistan is celebrating Worlds Standard Day today with a theme of Sustainable Development Goals, Our Shared Vision for a Better World. Each year on 14 October, the members of the International Electrical Commission (IEC), International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) celebrate World Standards Day, which is a means of paying tribute to the collaborative efforts of thousands of experts worldwide who develop the voluntary technical agreements that are published as International Standards.

In a statement issued by Zahid Mubarik, president, SHRM Forum Pakistan, Member of the Board, The Centre for Global Inclusion USA and CEO, HR Metrics Pakistan, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which project to address social imbalances, develop a sustainable economy, and slow the rate of climate change, are highly ambitious. To reach them will require the cooperation of many public and private partners, and the use of all available tools, including international standards and conformity assessment.

Further added that the intense battle against a persistent global pandemic revealed the absolute necessity of addressing the SDGs in an inclusive way, to strengthen our societies, making them more resilient and more equitable. It is testament to the power of cooperation and the belief that the sum of whole is greater than parts. It is in this spirit that we are engaging in a multi-year World Standards Day journey that showcases the many ways in which international standards contribute to the success of the SDGs. World is united to work together to accelerate the 2030 Agenda, with standards for the SDGs, and ‘Shared vision for a better world’.

Zahid Mubarik further said that in business industry, HR standards are strategic tools that reduce costs by minimising waste and errors, and increasing productivity. They help companies to access new markets, level the playing field for developing countries and facilitate free and fair global trade. The HR standards offer broad, coordinating guidance to all stakeholders in the society and harmonize disparate practices for the benefit of organisations and their employees. Standards will boost economy by removal of barriers to trade, better market access, more business efficiency, flexibility, cost-effective means of complying with international and national conventions, he added. HR Standard mitigates the risk for all stakeholders including employers, regulators, employees, compliance agencies, public and community.

With a view to standardise HR, ISO convened Technical Committee 260 in 2011 to develop global HR standards. Pakistan is among 11 pioneer countries including USA, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Netherlands and Portugal.