Speech of GSO President on the Arab Standardization Day 2020
GSO is participating in the celebration of the Arab Standardization Day, which falls on March 25 of every year. Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organization (AIDMO) has chosen the slogan “Arab standardization supports the halal economy” as the slogan for this year’s event.
Choosing the slogan came from the belief about the importance of the role that standardization plays in supporting the halal industry, which is considered as strong synonym of the economies for many countries, as it is no longer limited to food, but also includes various areas of halal and its services.
This importance of Halal industry ensures the need to increase partnerships with various standardization bodies and related Arab, Islamic and global organizations in order to develop halal standards, and to enhance the adoption of halal products meeting the needs of Muslim societies in our Gulf, Arab and Islamic countries, as well as Muslim immigrants and residents around the world.
GSO has been working since its establishment in cooperation with the national standardization bodies in member states and through its partnerships with various international and regional organizations working in the field of standardization to prepare and develop standards for the halal sector and to issue gulf standards and technical regulations that keep up with developments and consistent with the best International practices and the latest productive and technical methods, to serve the member states and support their economies. For the value of the halal industry, as one of the most important sectors in its work, GSO has issued more than 15 standards and gulf technical regulations, in addition to several other standards related to halal.
At the regional and International levels and in line with these developments, GSO is playing great efforts through cooperation, collaboration, and coordination with its partners. GSO cooperates closely with the Gulf Accreditation Center (GAC) to implement the Gulf standards and technical regulations for Halal needed for the approval of halal certification bodies. GSO also signed a MoU with the International Halal Accreditation Forum (IHAF) for technical cooperation in the fields of standards, Gulf technical regulations, technical committees, and capacity building programs. GSO has contributed to the preparation of the Arab Halal Program, which was adopted by AIDMO and referencing to Gulf standards and technical regulations. GSO and its members have effectively participated in preparing the Halal standards issued by the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC). Moreover, GSO has very close relationship with Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), which is currently updating the international standard for halal.
In conclusion, I would like to commend the great efforts of international, regional and national organizations in the field of standardization, as well as the appreciation to the Arab Organization for Industrial Development and Mining (AIDMO). On this occasion, I would also like to thank all those working in the field of standardization and its various activities in GSO Member States and AIDMO Arab States, and to all of those who support GSO’s activities.
May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.
