 Fellow Saint Lucia's, the Ministry of Commerce, Manufacturing, Business Development, Corporatees and Consumer Affairs, together with the Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards, is pleased to join members of the International Organization for Standardization, the ISO, International Electrotechnical Commission, the IEC, and the International Telecommunication Union, the ITU, in celebration of World Standards Day on October 14, 2021. World Standards Day provides an opportunity to reflect on the importance of standardization and contributions of numerous experts around the world, including experts in Saint Lucia and throughout the Caribbean, who have worked tirelessly over the years in ensuring that internationally recognized standards are maintained in the quality of products, services and processes generated globally. As a member of the ISO, the Government of Saint Lucia and the Bureau of Standards recognize the important role of standards in facilitating Saint Lucia's economic development by assuring the quality of goods and services produced for the domestic, regional and international markets. This year, World Standards Day has been observed under the theme, shared vision for a better world. It is a universal call to action, urging all societies and governments to play their part in protecting our beautiful planet and improving the lives and economic prospects for all. My ministry recognizes the importance of businesses in developing economies like ours to continually work at ensuring the quality of the products and services conformed to internationally recognized standards. The significance of this cannot be overemphasized. Our businesses, which adopt ISO standards, stand to benefit tremendously. For instance, companies implementing the quality management systems, standard ISO 9001, which ensures quality and safety with regard to processes, gain increased customer satisfaction due in part to the trust created from the application of these standards. In addition, the resulting operational efficiencies enable them to benefit from cost savings and increase probabilities for sustainability. Locally, the Saint Lucia standards mark has been actively used in the bottle water sector with increasing demands in other manufacturing sectors. Companies achieve increased market presence through the use of the mark based on the confidence of the consuming public in the quality associated with the processes and bringing these products to market. Let me take this moment to urge all local businesses to take advantage of the benefits the standard mark affords. As it pertains to the environmental protection, environmental standards have been developed to preserve nature and the environment. They help protect humanity against the devastating impact of infrastructural damage, loss of life and property. These standards require that businesses ensure proper management of toxic chemicals while ensuring both public health and healthy environments. ISO standards allow businesses to capitalize on innovative environmental solutions, enabling efficient responses to emerging environmental needs and the ability to develop plans to mitigate against future disasters. As the custodian of Saint Lucia's national quality infrastructure, the Bureau has demonstrated its commitment to quality by its recertification to ISO 9001. The accreditation of our meteorology lab to ISO 17-025, a first in the OECS and the progress towards accreditation and conformity assessment processes to ISO 17-020. Withoutwithstanding COVID-19, the Bureau has continued work towards the finalization and implementation of the draft national quality policy, the NQP, to guide the development of Saint Lucia's pathway to economic recovery. The NQP is designed to address short and long-term needs that will provide the appropriate mechanisms for assisting local enterprises, including our micro, small and medium enterprises, to access local, regional and global markets, while also ensuring human, animal and plant health, and the safety and protection of the environment. These high-valued interventions aid our efforts to address climate change and meet critical United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for Saint Lucia. Furthermore, I am pleased to report that the Bureau, in collaboration with the ISO, offers technical support to businesses to address the adverse impact of COVID-19 on the business community. Presently, the Bureau and ISO have made relevant standards freely accessible to enterprises for COVID-19-related responses, while the Bureau has provided for public access via its websites all compulsory standards to promote compliance and good practice. It is my government's vision that Saint Lucia's businesses, consumers and government agencies will continue to utilize these elements to optimize production and quality, and in so doing, boost the economy while improving the quality of life for our people. I wish to extend heartfelt appreciation to the volunteers on the technical committees who have helped to develop and shape national standards for all of Saint Lucia. Let me therefore wish everyone a happy World Standards Day 2021. I thank you.