IEC TC-31 Meetings in Sao Paulo - Brazil, along with the 72nd IEC General Meeting

IEC 72nd General Meeting - Sao Paulo 2008 - Brazil welcomes IEC Family through technology and dance

More than 1 200 engineers, business leaders, technologists and government officials from 62 countries gathered in São Paulo, Brazil, from 10-21 November 2008 for the IEC 72nd GM (General Meeting).

Experts in such fields as electrical energy efficiency, power transformers, the safety of electrical equipment, the universal plug and socket and the latest multimedia technologies met in Brazil's business capital.

The GM was hosted by COBEI (the Brazilian Committee of Electricity, Electronics, Illumination and Telecommunications), which is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2008.

At the opening ceremony on 17 November, delegates were treated to a mix of Brazil's technological prowess and the country's dance culture. In welcoming the delegates, Carlos Alberto Godinho, Chairman of the hosting Brazilian National Committee of the IEC, highlighted the scale of the meeting: "More than 75 Working Groups, 15 Technical Committees, 15 Subcommittees are present and working to prepare standards for the new technologies and to harmonize the rules to contribute in transforming the idea of liberal world trade into reality."

Other dignitaries at the opening were Humberto Barbato, President of GM sponsor ABINEE (Brazilian Electrical and Electronics Industry Association), who gave an overview of Brazil's strategies for development of the country's electrical and electronics industry, and Reginaldo Arcuri, President of ABDI (Brazilian Agency of Industrial Development), who highlighted the country's efforts to encourage greater participation of Brazilian industry in standardization.

In declaring the GM officially open, IEC President Jacques Régis paid tribute to COBEI and the sponsors for bringing such a varied and challenging programme together, as well as to a wide spectrum of Technical Committees and Subcommittees.
"This week's programme is both an exciting and challenging one for the IEC," Régis said. "There is a myriad of technical meetings, and the key management meetings of our Conformity Assessment Board, Standardization Management Board and Council Board…The week offers a unique opportunity for everyone to renew contacts with current colleagues and to meet new ones…an opportunity to discuss the technical and management issues and to exchange ideas.

This annual gathering is a time for all of the IEC Family to come together and strengthen global cooperation among countries."

Régis highlighted the IEC's role in encouraging the sustainable development of developing and newly industrializing countries through its global network of experts.