Governments create the conditions for the functioning of markets, the operation of private firms, the strengthening of civil society and the welfare of communities and individuals, including during times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Governance shapes the decision-making process of these conditions as well as the process by which these decisions are implemented. The trade context of all of this is what is referred to as the Quality Infrastructure of a country.

You may wonder how Good Governance is especially important for you. For example, you may work in a product testing lab, in a national standards body that develops product standards, or at the inspection directorate, or you may be a Quality Infrastructure professional. You may be in a lab testing a product. The test result shows the product fails to meet standards, but you get a call to change the test results, adjust the numbers, or to disclose the test information. Principles of integrity and confidentiality apply. Or maybe you are chairing a committee to draft a standard or a regulation. Who should you invite? Will you exclude some manufacturers for the sake of others? Will you accept gifts? Openness, impartiality, transparency, consensus and effectiveness come into the picture.

Good Governance is perhaps the single most important factor in eradicating poverty and promoting development. Establishing and governing a Quality Infrastructure can substantially assist a nation in pursuing a development path aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), overcoming the challenges involved and benefitting from the considerable opportunities generated through achievement of the SDGs. More specifically, Good Governance of Quality Infrastructure contributes to improvements in three of the five dimensions addressed by the SDGs: prosperity, people and planet. Acting ethically contributes to sustainable business success that makes for a better world all around.