SRC Lunchtime Chat | Standards as a Development Springboard

On October 12, 2026 the Shridath Ramphal Centre for Trade Law, Policy and Services hosted its Lunchtime Chat under the theme “Standards as a Development Springboard: Moving Beyond the ‘Barrier’ Narrative” in celebration of World Standards Day. The panel discussion featured experts from Caribbean and hemispheric standardization organizations, including Dr. Sharonmae Smith-Walker (CEO of CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality), Mr. Hadyn Rhynd (Director of Barbados National Standards Institution), and Ms. Kory Eguino (Executive Secretary of Pan American Standards Commission). The participants discussed how standards can help Caribbean businesses access markets, with particular emphasis on regional harmonization, technical support for small enterprises, and the challenges of participating in international standardization bodies like ISO and IEC. Key topics covered included the benefits of standards adoption beyond compliance requirements, the need for greater regional cooperation, capacity building for national standards bodies, and practical examples of how standards facilitate trade. The panelists identified political priority and resource allocation as the single biggest barriers to building standards capacity in the Caribbean region, emphasizing that standards must be positioned as economic development tools rather than regulatory burdens.