EU, MoI, UNIDO Celebrate World Standards Day 2025

The European Union, together with the Ministry of Industry and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), marked World Standards Day 2025 with a high-level event highlighting the growing importance of standards in industrial development, international trade, and consumer protection. 

The celebration was organised under the “European Union support to trade, industry, growth and rapid market access” TIGARA project, in partnership with the Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality (EOS).

Under the auspices of Lieutenant General Kamel Al-Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development, Minister of Industry and Transport, the event featured the participation of representatives from the EU Delegation to Egypt, and Dr. Gihan Bayoumi, Deputy Representative of UNIDO Sub-regional Office in Egypt, alongside senior national stakeholders, development partners, and representatives of Egypt’s industrial ecosystem and National Quality Institutions.

This year’s commemoration carries particular significance for Egypt, following the election of Dr. Khaled Soufi, Chairman of EOS, as President-elect of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). His election represents an important milestone for Egypt and acknowledges the country’s growing role in shaping international standardization.

Sharing her reflections on the occasion, Anne Schouw, the Deputy Head of the EU Delegation underlined the value of the partnership with Egypt saying “Standards are the foundation of modern economies. They underpin consumer safety, shape industrial competitiveness, and open new paths for global trade. Through TIGARA project, the European Union is proud to support Egypt’s efforts to build a strong, modern and internationally recognised quality infrastructure, capable of unlocking new opportunities for Egyptian products in the EU market and beyond.”

The discussions highlighted how standards contribute to economic resilience, safer products, and smoother access to global value chains. They also emphasised the role of quality infrastructure in advancing sustainable industrial development, particularly in light of global priorities, such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs).

The event also showcased TIGARA’s ongoing work to strengthen Egypt’s national quality infrastructure, including institutional support to EOS, improvements to conformity systems, and targeted assistance to SMEs seeking to enter new markets.

Patrick Jean Gilabert, Representative and Head of UNIDO Sub-regional Office in Egypt shared the following message:

“I dream of seeing Egyptian products compete with global brands in the stores of Paris, Brussels, and Berlin. UNIDO remains committed to working with the European Union and the Government of Egypt to build a system where Egyptian industries -large and small- can meet international expectations and expand their opportunities globally.”