SARSO and International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

The SARSO and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) signed Cooperation Agreement by correspondence on 08 May, 2016. Mr. Kevin Mckinley, Acting Secretary General, ISO and Dr. Syed Humayun Kabir, Director General, SARSO has signed the agreement of behalf of their organizations. This agreement will be helpful for SARSO to strengthen the cooperation between ISO and its Members in the South Asian Region and to support the practical realization of the objectives set for the mutual benefit of ISO, SARSO and the South Asian Countries. The main purpose of the cooperation Agreement between ISO and SARSO is to establish mutual beneficial cooperation in promoting and undertaking harmonization of national Standards of SAARC Member States with a view to removing the technical barriers to trade and to facilitate flow of goods and services in the region and to present the common interest of the Member States in the various international standardization organizations. The ISO and SARSO cooperation agreement has made provisions for SARSO to take part in the ISO Strategic Plan and ISO Action Plan for developing countries and their yearly implementation plans.

This cooperation has also provision for SARSO to have full access to the text of ISO Standards to facilitate discussion, technical review and the adoption of ISO Standards as SAARC Standards. SARSO will also have access to working documents and reports for CASCO, COPOLCO, DEVCO and REMCO through this cooperation. In addition to this, SARSO will also encourage its Member States to contribute to studies on the economic and social benefits of standardization; capacity building of standardization and conformity assessment infrastructures and technical assistance and education and training programmes related to standardization and conformity assessment. Similarly, this cooperation Agreement has made provision for ISO to get access resolutions of the Governing Board and the Technical management Board of SARSO related to standardization and conformity assessment activities and the SARSO action plan.

The ISO Council has recognized SARSO as the regional standards organization for the South Asian region.

SARSO and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)

The SARSO and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) signed Cooperation Agreement on 09 October, 2016 in Frankfurt, Germany during the 80th IEC General Meeting. Mr. Frans Vreeswijk General Secretary and CEO of IEC and Dr. Syed Humayun Kabir, Director General of SARSO signed the agreement on behalf of their organizations.

The agreement was signed to strengthen the cooperation between IEC and SARSO in a number of areas, covering especially cross representation and exchange of information. The main purpose of the cooperation Agreement between two organizations is to promote the development, use and adoption of IEC International Standards  as well as the use of IEC Conformity Assessment Systems in response to market demands, and thus to facilitate world trade. Through the cooperation Agreement, both the organizations will consider the possibility of developing a joint activity programme.

SARSO and CEN/CENELEC

The SARSO and CEN/CENELEC (European Standards Organization) formalized the cooperation through the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding on 11 October 2017 in the realm of the IEC General Meeting. This Memorandum of Understanding offers tangible opportunities for greater technical and systemic alignment, with a view to facilitate trade in goods and services between Europe and South Asian countries. The MoU between CEN/CENELEC and SARSO would provide a common framework for the sharing of information, transferring of technical knowledge, exchange of best practices in sectors such as textile, electrical and electronic goods, chemicals, food and building materials, as well as for supporting the work made by the international standardization organizations, namely ISO and IEC.