The Bahamas has secured another term on the Council of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the global body headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, for the 2027–2029 term.
The country was elected to one of three available seats in Group 4, representing Small Island Developing
States (SIDS), during the 2026 ISO General Assembly held in Paris, France, on October 1. The Bahamas
competed against national standards bodies from Kenya, Mongolia, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The other
two elected members for Group 4 were Kenya and Zimbabwe.
BBSQ Executive Director Dr. Renae Ferguson-Bufford will represent The Bahamas on the Council for
the 2027–2029 term.
ISO is a global network of 177 national standards bodies that develops international standards to support
the quality, safety, reliability and consistency of products, services and processes across industries. These standards also support international trade, innovation and economic development.
The ISO Council is the organization’s core governance body, with responsibility for matters including
strategy and policy, financial oversight, governance and organizational oversight, commercial policy and information technology. The Bahamas’ continued representation provides an opportunity to contribute to these discussions and bring the perspective of a Small Island Developing State to the international standards community.
The achievement comes as the Bahamas Bureau of Standards and Quality (BBSQ) marks 10 years since
the launch of its National Quality Infrastructure services in 2016. As The Bahamas’ national authority for
standards and quality, BBSQ works across three key areas: standards, metrology and conformity
assessment.
Standards establish agreed requirements for products, services and processes. Metrology is the science of measurement and helps ensure that measurements used in everyday commerce, including fuel pumps and commercial scales, are accurate. Conformity assessment involves checking and verifying that products, services or processes meet established requirements.
Together, these functions support consumer protection, fair trade and business competitiveness, while
helping to build confidence in the quality, safety and reliability of goods and services in The Bahamas.
The Bahamas first secured a seat on the ISO Council in 2023, when Dr. Ferguson-Bufford became the
first woman from the Caribbean to serve on the Council. Her return for a second consecutive term builds on The Bahamas’ participation over the past three years and comes as BBSQ enters its second decade of operation.
Reflecting on the significance for Bahamians, Senator Hon. Kevin Simmons, Chairman of the BBSQ
Standards Council, said:
“BBSQ’s work has a direct impact on the quality of products and services available to Bahamians, the
confidence consumers can have in the marketplace and the ability of Bahamian businesses to compete
beyond our shores. As the Bureau enters its second decade, its continued presence on the ISO Council is
an opportunity to bring the experience and needs of The Bahamas into global standards discussions, while bringing international best practices back home to strengthen our own systems.”
For Dr. Ferguson-Bufford, the second term presents an opportunity to build on the foundation established
during The Bahamas’ first term:
“It is an honour to return to the ISO Council and to continue representing The Bahamas at this level. Our
first term opened important doors for collaboration, learning and participation, and we now have an
opportunity to build on that foundation. We look forward to continuing to advocate for meaningful
participation by Small Island Developing States and contributing to a standards system that serves
countries of every size.”
The Bahamas’ continued representation on the ISO Council reinforces the country’s role in the
international standards community while supporting BBSQ’s ongoing work to strengthen quality,
consumer confidence, trade and competitiveness at home.
The post The Bahamas secured a second term on the Council for the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) appeared first on ZNS BAHAMAS.
