Opening the 41st ISO General Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland
From 26-28 September 2018, the ISO General assembly and related events took place in Geneva, Switzerland. Attending the General Assembly including over 500 representatives came from 150 member countries of ISO. The Vietnamese delegation was led by Ms. Vu Thi Tu Quyen, Deputy Director General of International Cooperation Department and representatives of Vietnam Standards and Quality Institute, Information Center; Representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and businesses.
The highlight subject of the ISO General Assembly 2018 is “Promoting the Global Agenda”, sharing knowledge and innovating new ideas on how International Standards can make the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development a reality. ISO has been actively involved in these activities for a long time. Currently, there are 600 ISO standards directly contributing to the implementation of 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Meetings on the sidelines of the General Assembly include: 52nd Meeting of the ISO Committee on the Issues of Developing Countries (DEVCO); Conference on Standards for Sustainable Development Goals; meetings on sustainable cities and communities, action on climate change, sanitation and clean water, clean energy, technology, standards and innovation, trends in national trade and role of standards, the linkage of standardizing bodies and government agencies;
At the General Assembly, the Vietnamese delegation presented and shared the experiences on enhancing the information exchange between the standardization body and government agencies.
The General Assembly discussed and adopted the Resolution on the position of the ISO Chairman for the term 2020-2021, arranged the personnel position of ISO, financial issues as well as the implementation plan in next time.
In addition, the General Assembly session is also an occasion to promote bilateral activities. The Vietnamese delegation received a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the French Federation for Standardization and the Directorate for Standard, Metrology and Quality and exchanged with the French delegation on the orientation for further cooperation.
17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals :
SDG 1 End poverty in all its forms everywhere
SDG 2 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture SDG 3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
SDG 4 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
SDG 5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
SDG 6 Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
SDG 7 Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
SDG 8 Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
SDG 9 Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation SDG 10 Reduce inequality within and among countries
SDG 11 Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
SDG 12 Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
SDG 13 Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
SDG 14 Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
SDG 15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
SDG 16 Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
SDG 17 Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development