Media Center

Press Release

The OAS and the Inter-American Metrology System Sign Cooperation Agreement to Assist Sustainable Development

The Organization of American States (OAS) and the Inter-American Metrology System (SIM), today signed a cooperation agreement to strengthen the development of metrological capabilities in the Americas, within the framework of regional cooperation in innovation, competitiveness and technology.

The Executive Secretary for Integral Development (SEDI) of the OAS, Sherry Tross, said that the signing is "a reflection of our commitment" to the SIM. "The partnership we have is essential in order to be able to continue supporting member states in the field of sustainable and inclusive development. We are talking about education, workforce development and innovation," she said. "We as an organization understand that we do have to respond to what countries need and focus on that," she added.

For his part, the President of SIM, Hector Laiz, recalled that the OAS has supported the organization since its establishment in 1979, when it had 15 member countries. "Now we have 34 and we are very proud of that we have done during these years," he added. Laiz highlighted that the support that the OAS has provided the institution he leads was "crucial in the development of the SIM" and urged the two institutions to continue working together because "we have a lot to do in the future."

Metrology is a mechanism that facilitates domestic and international trade, production systems and global value chains with the participation of small and medium enterprises, in addition to being a key factor in technological development and innovation in high impact economic sectors. The establishment and implementation of national and international measures, norms and standards is one of the basic components to confirm the quality, safety and efficacy of materials, components and products, key to ensuring sustainable and inclusive development.

The Cooperation Agreement will serve as a starting point for implementing the collaboration between the OAS and the SIM in response to the mandates of the Plan of Action of Guatemala approved by the Ministers and High Authorities on Science and Technology of the Americas last March, and to continue to support improvements in infrastructure measures and standards in the Hemisphere necessary to support innovation and competitiveness.

The Inter-American Metrology System is a regional organization made up of the National Metrology Institutes (NMI) of the member states of the OAS, which aims to promote international cooperation, particularly on Inter-American and regional metrology. Since its inception it has achieved high levels of horizontal cooperation, North-South and South-South, channeling the support of cooperation agencies and successful experiences of its regional institutes and of other countries and significantly increasing the provision of basic metrological services to ensure the quality and competitiveness products destined for global markets in a sustainable and safe manner.

A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-116/15