Binu Merin Jacob

Update: A recording of the webinar is now available on YouTube and can be viewed on the following link: UNIDO will be hosting a webinar tomorrow, 18 June (1pm BST) to discuss occupational health and safety - the ISO 45000 suite of standards and guidance by Martin Cottam and Sally Swingewood. The presentation will discuss relevant aspects of the standard in the fight against COVID-19 and how organisations can adapt their health and safety at the workplace. Time: Jun 18, 2020 14:00 PM CET (13:00pm BST) To register, please follow this link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zWyEX448Q-CG0IrF5aW_6A

World Accreditation Day is marked on 9 June every year as a global initiative jointly established by ILAC and IAF, to help raise awareness about the importance of being accredited. This year’s theme is about how accreditation is crucial in improving food safety (#WAD2020). Ensuring that high standards are maintained in the quality and safety of food helps boost the confidence of all players involved in the supply of food in preventing food borne diseases, especially as we navigate our way out of the current global pandemic. IAF and ILAC have produced a short film highlighting the role of accreditation in food safety which can be viewed here: Also, do check out their film about accreditation in the fight against COVID-19, here:

Update: UNIDO have made a recording and transcript of this Webinar which is now accessible under the following link - https://zoom.us/rec/share/uot0DPbA0WdOfZ2WxWWBU68gB57Veaa8hCVLqPANzhmxsEW7qcA87woe1d-YvNH8 Access Password: 5m$61=88 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ UNIDO will be hosting a webinar tomorrow, 3 June (3.30pm BST) to discuss the fight against COVID-19 and what can be done on a regional level in the African, Caribbean and Pacific regions. The focus will be on standards and conformity assessment areas and ways to minimise the effects of the pandemic both during the crisis and post-crisis, and how these measures link to national quality infrastructure activities. Time: Jun 3, 2020 04:30 PM in Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna (3.30pm BST): To register, please follow this link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XxY3k5k6REiuFJRt_PdLhg

Partnering with the CSN has been very helpful for the UNBS enabling them to achieve standards compliance amongst local farmers in Uganda. Introducing the initiative to train the trainers has proved to be beneficial in creating awareness and understanding about the importance of producing products that are marketable, acceptable and profitable in line with the international standards. Film 2 CSN Train The Trainer Uganda.mp4

The CSN has been instrumental in collaborating with the UNBS to simplify and translate international standards, helping develop more than 26,000 brochures in 13 regional languages for the benefit of the smallholder farmers who make up 70% of the population in Uganda. As an ongoing endeavour with the UNBS, the CSN continues to make the need for standards known and understood to positively impact the overall welfare of the people in the country. Creating Standards Awareness_Uganda.mp4

Understanding the need for, and implementing the right health and safety standards at our workplaces is more important now than ever. Today, as we observe World Day for Safety and Health at Work, the focus is on combating the COVID-19 pandemic to protect our employers, workers and the community at large. To join the ILO webinar (2pm GMT) on workplace health and safety and preparing for a safe return to work post lockdown, click here. To learn more about adopting ISO best practices in ensuring health and safety at the workplace, click here. To find out more about adopting ISO best practices in building community resilience, click here.

During February and March 2020, the CSN conducted a survey to assess the programme’s outcomes to date, and to capture ideas about how the programme should develop for Phase 2 (April 2020-March 2021). Here are the result highlights: 93% of respondents felt that the CSN programme has led to beneficial outcomes, especially in helping raise awareness about the role of standards and regulations. Most participants indicated their interest to receive training in the following sectors: - 65% said they would like training focussed on ‘Agriculture and Fisheries’; - 55% said they would like training focussed ‘commonly traded goods among Members’. 100% of survey participants found the website to have useful information, expressing a strong interest to engage more with other national standards bodies and have wider collaboration with the academia, accredited bodies and subject matter experts. There were also several useful free-text responses to how the CSN has led to beneficial outcomes so far, as well as suggestions to help achieve more in the future. The full results will be published shortly, which will help inform how we deliver the next stages of the work programme to best suit the needs of the CSN membership. We would like to thank everyone for your participation and feedback in helping us shape the future of the programme. We will update you as the work programme develops while keeping a close eye on the current COVID-19 crisis. Please watch this space for more information. Wishing you all good health and wellbeing.

Every year, 22nd March is observed as World Water Day. In light of the current global pandemic surrounding COVID-19, the timing couldn’t be more perfect to understand, promote and learn the importance and benefits of complying with proper hygiene measures - especially handwashing - to prevent the spread of this virus. Let's all make use of this opportunity as a community to take the right action in creating better awareness and preventing this issue together. Please find further information on proper handwashing techniques here: https://www.who.int/gpsc/clean_hands_protection/en/

Each year, a theme is chosen for Commonwealth Day, which helps to guide activities by Commonwealth organisations throughout the year. This year’s theme is centred around 'Delivering a Common Future', and highlights how the 54 member countries in the Commonwealth family are ‘innovating, connecting and transforming’ to achieve some of its biggest goals like protecting natural resources and boosting trade. The Commonwealth Standards Network supports these themes by promoting innovation and building connections for strong trade among all Commonwealth states through the participation, adoption and implementation of international standards. Happy Commonwealth Day! #CommonwealthDay #commonwealth #ConnectedCommonwealth