Setting its Sights on Safety: ISO COPOLCO Plenary and Workshop 2005

2005-06-17

For the 150 delegates from around the world who took part in the 2005 meeting of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Committee on Consumer Policy (COPOLCO), the vibrant backdrop of Canada's largest city, from atop the CN Tower (where the opening reception was held), was almost a dangerous distraction. Fortunately, not even the vertigo-inducing view through the tower's glass floor could divert delegates from their focus on ensuring that the consumer voice is heard in the international standards community, especially when it comes to safety and security.

Hosted by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) from May 22-26, 2005, the event itinerary included training opportunities for interested participants and enabled various COPOLCO working groups to meet in advance of the Plenary and Workshop. All meetings were held at the Intercontinental Hotel located steps from the shore of Lake Ontario in the heart of downtown Toronto. In addition to highlighting Canada's consumer involvement and its commitment to international standards activities, the hosting was also a chance to showcase the important standards work being done within the National Standards System (NSS) to improve the quality of life and the safety of Canadians.

The Meeting's emphasis on safety reflects many of the public concerns that are played out daily in the media. While consumer security concerns are most commonly linked to product safety (with particular emphasis on protecting vulnerable groups including children and the elderly), the need to address related issues, such as natural disasters, industrial accidents, environmental emergencies and acts of terrorism are now also being voiced by consumers.

Vital to moving forward with a plan to increase consumer involvement in, and awareness of, standardization in these areas, are face-to-face meetings to share knowledge and ideas and to come to a consensus on the type of action that should be taken. Since its creation in 1978, COPOLCO has been instrumental in promoting the role for consumers in standardization activities worldwide. Twenty-seven years later, COPOLCO members represent more than 90 countries and the ISO policy committee continues to seek out new member nations across the globe, in particular from developing countries.

In addition to being a longstanding member and leader within COPOLCO, Canada is highly regarded in the international standards community for its efforts to increase involvement of developing countries within ISO, as well as other international and regional standards and conformity assessment bodies.  The SCC was pleased to be able to welcome 16 consumer delegates from countries in Central and South America and, the Caribbean who were able to attend the meetings thanks to funds donated by various sponsors, including the Standards Council's Advisory Committee on Developing Countries.

A special training day organized on May 23 provided the sponsored delegates with the chance to learn more about COPOLCO and the important role that consumers have to play in international standards work.

Some of the key objectives for the training were to:

• Increase awareness about the various roles for consumers in the areas of standards development and conformity assessment;
• Foster understanding about the national and cultural realities that impact consumers in different parts of the world;
• Improve communication and collaboration between consumer representatives, consumer associations and standards organizations; and
• Inform participants about the various resources available to support their continued participation in standardization activities.

The itinerary featured a number of presentations from experts on various consumer issues as well as a case study on the development of the international safety standard for lighters. In addition, participants were encouraged to share their thoughts and experiences during facilitated discussions throughout the day. Among the topics they were asked to consider were their perception of the benefits of becoming involved as a consumer representative in standards work, and what kind of additional assistance they felt would be most beneficial in improving the ability of developing countries to fully participate in COPOLCO.

The theme for the workshop, held on May 24, was "A safer world for consumers – how can standards help?".  SCC Executive Director, Peter Clark and COPOLCO Chair, Caroline Warne welcomed workshop participants. Later that morning, Clark made a presentation about the role for product certification in improving consumer safety.

In addition to product safety, the workshop touched on many of the emerging security issues impacting consumers globally. Other speakers included:

• Dr. James Young, Special Advisor to the Deputy Minister, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada;
• Dr. George Arnold, ANSI Chairman and Chair, ISO Advisory Group on Security;
• Hal Stratton, Chairman, US Consumer Product Safety Commission;
• Ms. Pat Keindel, President of Standards at the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and
• Marilena Lazzarini, President, Consumers International.

Following these and other presentations, participants were able to ask questions and engage in an open dialogue about the issues. This was also the case during break-out sessions which were organized to foster discussion on the protection of essential public services, promoting safety of vulnerable populations, and balancing public security needs and personal interests.

The plenary meeting, which was held on May 25-26, provided delegates with an opportunity to move forward on numerous key issues of the COPOLCO workplan, including: Graphical symbols; Second hand goods; Product recalls; Customer satisfaction standards; and E-commerce.

Another unique way that COPOLCO participants were encouraged to share expertise and knowledge was through the presentation of posters. The poster event was the first of its kind at a COPOLCO meeting and was by all accounts a worthwhile endeavour. Through imagery and words, the 17 posters on display enabled delegates to share some of the important work they have been undertaking and fostered continued debate on these issues.

Also discussed during the plenary were the outcomes from both the training day and the workshop. COPOLCO noted the value of continuing to incorporate training opportunities into its annual meetings. It also thanked the many speakers who took part, and highlighted the contributions of the sponsors. At the same time, the Committee commended the SCC for its “outstanding organization and hospitality” and emphasized in particular the well planned schedule which “greatly facilitated COPOLCO's discussions and decisions”.  The success of the meeting was thanks in large part to the dedication of the event steering committee which included SCC staff as well as members from the SCC's Consumer and Public Interest Committee (CPIC).

Satisfaction with Canada's hosting of the event was also echoed by the delegates who used the event evaluation form to give the SCC hosting an overall rating of 8.95 out of 10. Forty per cent of delegates completed the evaluation. In addition to giving high marks for the organization of meetings, participants were also pleased with the social activities that were planned. In particular, delegates had high praise for the visit to Niagara Falls where they were treated to a spectacular rainbow, and for the dinner that followed at the Château des Charmes winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Participants were also appreciative of the support services provided, both prior to and during the event, including online registration, a conference Web site, and an on-site business centre available for use by delegates throughout the Meeting.

For its part, the SCC was also very satisfied with the important outcomes that were generated by the 2005 Meeting. It will continue to work in support of consumer involvement in standards work throughout the next year in collaboration with ISO COPOLCO, including when it meets for the next Plenary and Workshop in Malaysia in May 2006.

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