Celebrating the Importance of International Standards

Each year, on 14 October, the global community observes World Standards Day, recognizing the efforts of experts worldwide who develop international standards. These standards shape a safer, more sustainable, and efficient world; in fact, standards affect nearly every aspect of daily life - from the clothes we wear and the cars we drive to the devices we use.

Standards provide tools for businesses, governments, and communities to work together. Organizations like ISO, IEC, and ITU develop these standards, creating a framework for a shared future. As a leader in testing, inspection, and certification, Kiwa takes pride in applying these standards to help our clients build trust in their products, services, and systems.

According to Marjolein Veenstra, Team Leader Cyber Security at Kiwa, "World Standards Day reminds us of our company's vital mission towards a safer and more sustainable world. Observing this day is so important for us at Kiwa and our clients. That's because standards can provide the framework for reducing carbon emissions, promoting fair trade, and ensuring public health and safety."

Standards for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This year's World Standard's Day theme, 'Shared Vision for a Better World,' aligns with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which tackle global challenges like inequality, sustainability, and climate change.

At Kiwa, we are committed to the SDGs and recognize that standards are essential to achieving these goals. To support this, we focus on three strategic pillars: energy transition, sustainable entrepreneurship, and cybersecurity - each closely aligned with the SDGs. These pillars guide our efforts to contribute meaningfully to global sustainability and safety challenges.

Every certification, inspection, and test we perform supports global sustainability goals. Our services help businesses reduce their environmental impact and meet international standards. For example, our environmental certifications help companies lower their ecological footprint, while our testing and consultancy services ensure safety and efficiency in key sectors like energy and healthcare.

"Standards impact every industry," Marjolein explains. "Data security standards, essential across sectors like healthcare, IT, and construction, protect sensitive information and maintain operational security. Our services help organizations adopt these crucial standards to ensure a safer, more sustainable future."

Daniël Knot, Sales & Account Management, Kiwa Business Partners Program, further explains the importance of standards in the public sector: "In cybersecurity, certification contributes to an organization's cyber resilience. We frequently work with various sectors, especially healthcare, where the focus isn't just on physical safety for patients but also on their digital safety. Certification helps organizations to implement the right controls and store data securely. It doesn't make them hack-proof, but it significantly reduces the risk and impact of a breach. Hospitals, for instance, can perform various security checks and ensure their processes are compliant, and auditors like us assess whether or not the internal processes are in place."