FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2000-03-29

"Global Gateways 2000" - Minister of Industry and business leaders join Standards Council of Canada in pan-Canadian launch of Canadian Standards Strategy

OTTAWA, March 29 /CNW/ - John Manley, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Standards Council of Canada, and Linda Lusby, Chair of the Standards Council of Canada, today launched the new Canadian Standards Strategy at "Global Gateways 2000" from Ottawa via satellite to seven other Canadian cities: Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Saskatoon, Calgary, Vancouver and Yellowknife.

"Canada must exercise leadership in the development of international standards to compete in key sectors of the global economy and ensure that emerging standards support Canadian societal values," said Minister Manley.  "Universal standards are the invisible gateways to the global economy. Canada needs not only to comply with, but also help shape a growing number of
international standards to ensure unfettered access to markets around the world."

"What makes the National Standards System strong is the involvement of all sectors of the Canadian economy and society," Minister Manley told the national audience. "What will make it stronger is working with consumers, regulators and other interested parties, to fashion well-defined and widely applied standards that open the door to new opportunities."

In Montreal, Mr. Brian W. Edwards, president and Chief Executive Officer of BCE Emergis, one of the leading network-centric electronic commerce services providers in North America, told the audience, "Defining standards has become a new battlefield on which companies with a global outlook must position themselves. Don't let your competitors maneuver at leisure in the field- in Canada or abroad. In this case, as in many others, silence means consent."

Standards Council Chair Linda Lusby unveiled the Canadian Standards Strategy, along with proposals for its implementation. Ms. Lusby said it is vital to strengthen the country's National Standards System in the new world of global standardization, to ensure Canadian stakeholders forge effective consensus positions on critical standards issues. This will give Canada more influence at international forums such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), where more than 130 other countries will be looking after their own agendas.

"This is as true for societal issues as it is for business issues. Just as business has become global in scope, so have issues like privacy and sustainable development. Effectively addressing these issues requires the use of new technologies, new coalitions and new standards approaches," said Ms.
Lusby.

Standards leadership in both technology and consumer protection is one key component of Canada's goal to become a world leader in electronic commerce. The federal Electronic Commerce Strategy is designed to create an environment where e-commerce can thrive.

The Standards Council has played a leadership role in international discussions about the role of standards in the protection of privacy, and Canadian companies are at the forefront of technologies intended to safeguard electronic information.

The Standards Council of Canada is a Crown corporation with the mandate to promote efficient and effective standardization in Canada. The Standards Council oversees the country's National Standards System, which includes over 270 organizations and some 15,000 individuals involved in the development, promotion and implementation of standards.
A copy of the Ministers speech is available at http://www.ic.gc.ca/speech.

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