Members of the broader U.S. standardization community came together last night for the U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day, attending an exhibition and reception at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center to recognize the tremendous impact that voluntary codes and standards have on society’s public health, safety, and security.
Each year, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) co-chair the event; ASTM International served as the 2023 administrating organization.
The 2023 U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day centered on the theme Shared Vision for a Better World. In today’s global, interconnected world, collaboration furthers our shared goals. The standardization system has the greatest impact when all stakeholders work together—from the public and private sector; to national and international representatives; to consumers, industry, governments, academia, and non-governmental organizations. Together, we can achieve more through standardization, developing solutions to the complex global challenges of sustainability, safety, security and climate change…and leaving a better, more resilient, and more equitable world for the next generation.
“Standardization is all about cooperation,” said Joe Bhatia, ANSI president and CEO, in his closing remarks. “Events such as the U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day nurture those relationships—keeping them alive and strong—and reinforcing our ability to come together and create solutions to build a better world.”
The event included the presentation of the 2023 Ronald H. Brown Standards Leadership Award to decorated astronaut Michael López-Alegría. López-Alegría—who hosted the first ever standards meeting from the International Space Station—has more than 40 years of aviation and space experience. He is involved in both operational and business development efforts within Axiom Space, where he is chief astronaut. His extensive expertise supports the work of ASTM’s Committee F47 on Commercial Spaceflight, which he helped to launch in 2016 and currently chairs. Through his personal engagement in standardization efforts, he has recruited respected technical experts to develop standards, led promotional efforts for F47 at industry events, and engaged in strategic outreach to critical federal government stakeholders. A trailblazer in space and on the ground, López-Alegría helps guide the F47 members and committee through the development of standards and works to expand the committee’s innovative footprint.
The event also included the announcement of the 2023 World Standards Day Paper Competition winner, selected by the SES Publications Committee: Muhammad Ali, HP senior standards strategy and policy leader, for his paper, “Strategically Advancing the Sustainable Standards Model.”
World Standards Day was initially launched in 1970, and is now celebrated by nations around the globe. U.S. activities are organized annually by a planning committee consisting of representatives from the standards and conformity assessment community. The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) will serve as the administrating organization for the 2024 U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day.
For more information, visit www.wsd-us.org.
