Algeria has won two seats on the technical committee of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), according to M. Mohamed Chaib Aissaoui, the Director General of Algerian Standards Organization. This means that Algeria will now have a representative in two technical committees.
Algeria is only the second country from the developing world to win a seat on such a committee. Jordan is the first. The significance is that Algeria can protect its industrial and manufacturing interests. The ISO is the world's largest developer of standards, principally technical standards. These standards are important for export industries in respect to regulatory bodies, to trade officials, to conformity assessment professionals, to suppliers and customers of products and services. The standards protect consumers and end users.
Membership on such a body will increase the willingness of traders to deal in Algerian goods and will also act as a catalyst within Algeria for upgrading standards to an international level.
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
