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The Government would continue to promote the adoption of international standards, a spokesman for the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) said today (October 13).
Speaking on the eve of World Standards Day 2005, the spokesman said international standards were the cornerstones of the global trading system and contributed to a safer environment.
World Standards Day is celebrated on October 14 every year by members of major international standards organisations, such as the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), to pay tribute to the collaborative efforts of experts worldwide in developing the voluntary technical agreements that are published as international standards.
The theme of World Standards Day 2005 is ˇ§Standards for a safer worldˇ¨. Implementation of international standards is helping to make the world a safer place. ISO, IEC and ITU develop a diverse variety of international standards that address the new safety and security challenges of the 21st Century. ISO develops standards to ensure safety in construction and buildings, transportation, home and workplace as well as food and machinery safety. IEC produces both product-specific and system standards in the areas of electricity, electronics and related technologies, whereas ITU is taking a leading role in cybersecurity and protection of telecommunication networks.
"The Government encourages adoption of international standards and gives priority to keeping up to date with requirements of prevailing standards. Promotion of safety and general well-being of the public is an important aspect for applying international standards," the ITC spokesman said.
Currently, relevant and prevailing international standards, including but not limited to ISO, IEC and ITU, are incorporated into the Government's regulatory requirements wherever appropriate for promoting safe and secure use of products in Hong Kong. For example, compliance with specified international and other reputable standards is deemed to satisfy the requirements of legislations such as the Toys and Children's Products Safety Ordinance, the Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance and the Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation. Telecommunications equipment for domestic use is also required to comply with the radio radiation hazard protection and electrical safety requirements and specifications as prescribed by the Telecommunications Authority based on the recommendations and requirements of prevailing international standardisation bodies and organisations. In respect of information security, relevant international standards have also been included in the technical standards for enabling e-Government in Hong Kong.
"To keep abreast of the latest developments and to exchange information and views on international standardisation activities, ITC participates in major international and regional forums relating to standards and conformance issues including the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation Sub-Committee on Standards and Conformance, Pacific Area Standards Congress and ISO," the spokesman said.
To support local businesses in understanding and applying international standards, the Product Standards Information Bureau of the ITC maintains a library with some 120,000 standards issued by ISO, IEC and standard bodies of Hong Kong's major markets and offers a technical enquiry service.
Ends/Thursday, October 13, 2005
Issued at HKT 16:18
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