VIENNA, 24 June 2009 – The Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Kandeh K. Yumkella, and the Secretary General of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Rob Steele, signed a memorandum of understanding in Vienna yesterday.
UNIDO and ISO have a long and fruitful history of cooperation in promoting sustainable industrial development enabling developing countries to actively take part in the development and adoption of international standards, as well as helping their enterprises and institutions to apply and comply with standards and conformity assessment procedures. Their joint efforts in the field of standards have had a strong impact on increasing quality, productivity and safety, on fostering trade, productive and business linkages, as well as protecting consumers and the environment.
The new agreement is a response to the increasingly important role that standards play as policy mechanism and market tool for trade and sustainable development, including climate change mitigation. It also reflects the emerging new areas of collaboration in which shared objectives, functions and activities of the two organizations have become complementary.
The Secretary General of ISO delivered a keynote speech at the International Energy Conference in Vienna yesterday.