The Tribune

The Bahamas has secured a second term on the Council heading the organisation that develops global standards for product quality and safety.

Dr Renae Ferguson-Bufford, executive director of the Bahamas Bureau of Standards and Quality (BBSQ), will represent The Bahamas on the Council of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, for the 2027–2029 term.

The Bahamas was elected to one of three available seats in group four, which represents small island developing states (SIDS), during the 2026 ISO general assembly held in Paris on October 1. The Bahamas competed against national standards bodies from Kenya, Mongolia, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The other two elected group four members were Kenya and Zimbabwe.

Senator Kevin Simmons, chairman of The Bahamas’ BBSQ Standards Council, said of the country’s election: “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.”

Dr Ferguson-Bufford added: “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 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.

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 body. 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.

The ISO is a global network of 177 national 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 organisation’s core governance body, with responsibility for matters including strategy and policy, financial oversight, governance and organisational oversight, commercial policy and information technology.

The BBSQ, in a statement, said 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 Bahamas’ re-election comes as the Bahamas Bureau of Standards and Quality (BBSQ) marks a decade 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 helps ensure that measurements used in daily commerce, including fuel pumps and commercial scales, are accurate. Conformity assessment involves checking and verifying that products, services or processes meet established requirements.

The BBSQ added that, 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.