Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a global standards developer, and the Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards (SLBS) are pleased to announce the signing of a Collaboration & License Agreement between their organizations. 

The Agreement, signed on October 6, 2020, that due to the health contingency of the COVID-19 pandemic, the signature was made virtually by both Parties within the framework of World Standards Day, held at the Press launch of World Standards Day Activities in Saint Lucia. This Agreement is intended to provide a framework to developing technical standards to improve the quality of life, well-being and public safety the rational use of resources, innovation, productivity and trade, for collaboration for Saint Lucia and its stakeholders.   

This agreement enables SLBS to leverage and reference UL standards within Saint Lucia and permits both organizations to collaborate further using good practices in standards development. 

“This MoU arises from regional collaboration with CROSQ and the initiative to establish relationships with each member country to meet the needs of each one.” said Phil Piqueira, Vice President Global Standards, UL. 

For its part, Director of the Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards (SLBS), Ing.Verne Emmanuel P.Eng , conveyed the following sentiments “This agreement follows a similar agreement signed last year at the ISO general Assembly with CROSQ and will significantly benefit SLBS and UL in the Standards Development and Conformity Assessment Processes. The ability for SLBS to partner with UL will significantly, minimize health and safety concerns, reduce the processing times for the conformity assessment of electronic items and other consumer goods, which will facilitate trade and have a positive impact on the ease of doing business.”

Standards are essential to public safety and confidence and improve the quality of products and services in the marketplace. UL leads the research and science needed to understand complex safety issues and develop standards. Further, we bring the right stakeholders together to effectively develop consensus-based standards. UL also plays a key role in the development and harmonization of national and international standards. As of today, UL has developed more than 1,700 documents, including standards and outline investigations, and utilizes the expertise of more than 400 Standards Technical Panels.

Underwriters Laboratories UL is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the UL mission through the discovery and application of scientific knowledge. They conduct rigorous independent research and analyze safety data, convene experts worldwide to address risks, share knowledge through safety education and public outreach initiatives, and develop standards to guide the safe, sustainable commercialization of evolving technologies. UL fosters communities of safety, from grassroots initiatives for neighborhoods to summits of world leaders. The organization employs collaborative and scientific approaches with partners and stakeholders to drive innovation and progress toward improving safety, security and sustainability.