World Standards Day 2022: Every year World Standards Day also known as International Standards Day is observed on October 14 to raise global awareness about the importance of using standardized measurements, technologies, and industries.

Key Points:

• This day strives to educate consumers, policymakers, and businesses about the value of standardization.
• Many organizations plan events to show the importance of standardization at the global level.
• The day also gives recognition to the achievements of scientists for developing voluntary universal standards that can be used for various measurements.
• Organizations like ISO (the International Organization for Standardization), IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), and ITU (International Telecommunication Union) have come together to bring together the world community to solve issues linked with standardization after the pandemic.

Theme for World Standards Day 2022:

The theme for this year is “Shared Vision for a Better World”.

This year’s theme is part of the campaigns ISO, IEC and ITU towards creating global awareness about the role of standardization in achieving the United Nation’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

World Standards Day 2022 in India:

• On the occasion of World Standards Day 2022, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) organized a standards conclave called “Manak Mahotsav”.
• The event was organized based on the theme “Standards for Sustainable Development Goals – A Shared Vision for a Better World”.

World Standards Day: Significance

• The significance of observing World Standard Day is to value the need for standardisation globally.
• This day pays tribute to the thousands of experts across the globe who collaborated to develop voluntary technical agreements, which are published as the International Standards.
• The day honours the contributions of organisations such as the ISO, IEC, ITU, International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA), and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), as well as the professionals, who collaborate with them.

Importance of Standardization:

• Before the modern standardization of units of measurement, the common units of measurement used to vary even at the scale of small geographic regions.
• The process of standardization is a crucial tool for facilitating trade and overcoming technical challenges in the age of globalization.
• It boosts access to global market, promotes innovation, international collaboration, increases efficiency and minimizes wastages.
• It also ensures the creation of a better world by building smart cities based on international standards.

History-World Standards Day:

• The day has its footprints in 1946 when delegates from 25 countries came together in London.
• On 14 October 1946, World Standards Day was first created.
• The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) was founded in 1947 with 67 technical committees.
• The first World Standards Day, however, was formally inaugurated in 1970 by Faruk Sunter, then-President of the ISO who wished to facilitate standardization in the industrial sectors.
• The date of 14 October was chosen to commemorate the first meeting of delegates from 25 countries on 14 October 1946 in London, who decided to design a global organization to facilitate standardization.

About International Organization for Standardization:

• The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an international standard development organization that develops and publishes standards in all technical and non-technical fields.
• Since its inception, it has published over 24,261 international standards for business and technologies.
• It is headquartered in Geneva.
• It has representatives from national standards organizations of the member countries.
• As of 2022, it has 167-member states.