Minister calls for commitment to global standards

Speaking yesterday at the opening of the 31st General Assembly of the International Organization for Standardization in Dubai, His Excellency Sultan Al Mansouri said:

"The construction practices we set today are our legacy for future generation. It is our responsibility to the upcoming generation and let us today resolve to remain committed to following global standards."

The Minister made his comments on World Standards Day to more than 500 delegates from 157 ISO member countries attending the General Assembly.

He told them that the UAE has two of the world's future megacities - Abu Dhabi and Dubai - with real estate developments in Abu Dhabi alone worth US$500 billion.

"The contribution of real estate to the country's GDP stands at 8 per cent. It is in this context that sustainable development becomes important for the UAE," he said.

"ISO standards in the construction sector enable the development of energy efficient buildings that also address the challenges of climate change.

"International standards applicable to today's buildings increase production efficiency and optimize resource use. Other benefits include ensuring competitively priced products and construction work, higher quality and safety, lower exploitation costs, reduced accidents and rapid dissemination of new technologies. All these in turn contribute to an improved quality of life for the user and occupants of buildings.

"From an international perspective, these also add to the efforts taken globally to manage climate change."

The ISO General Assembly runs until October 17 and is being held in the Middle East for the first time since ISO's inception in 1947, hosted by the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA).

Among the delegates were Jacques Regis, president of the International Electrotechnical Commission; Malcolm Johnson, director of the Standardisation Bureau of the International Telecommunication Union; and Vesile Kulacoglu, director of the trade and environment division of the World Trade Organisation.

ISO president Hakan Murby commented:

"The organisation of our meetings this week has benefited from the full support of the government of the UAE, which sees our presence here as a symbol of the options taken by the country in relation to reconciling industry, trade, and respect for the environment and to positioning the UAE as a model of a diversified, open, and modern economy."

Reviewing specific contributions by ISO standards in offering tools to assist the global community in meeting the challenges of sustainability, ISO secretary-general Alan Bryden said: "Important new standards have been published on issues as diverse as food safety, GHG emissions accountability and verification, information security, security management in the supply chains, water services, or information processing.

"We have also opened some important new frontiers, from risk management, societal security and social responsibility, to nano-technologies, biofuels, water services, tourism, aquaculture, and fishery."

ISO Dubai 2008 is sponsored by leading companies and government authorities in the UAE: Etisalat, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Hydra Properties, General Holding Company (GHC), Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD), Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), and Dubai Conferences Office.

Open Session attendees today (Wednesday Oct 15) will discuss future sustainable buildings, smart and earthquake-resistant buildings, safety of high rise buildings, and best practices to reduce harmful impact on the environment resulting from construction.