Trusted Measurements, Better Policies: UNIDO Marks World Metrology Day 2026
Vienna, 20 May 2026 — As the world marks World Metrology Day 2026, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is calling for greater investment in national measurement systems as a foundation for trusted policy making, industrial competitiveness and sustainable development.
Observed annually on 20 May, World Metrology Day commemorates the signing of the Metre Convention in 1875, which established the basis for today’s international measurement system. This year’s theme, “Metrology: Building Trust in Policy Making,” highlights the role of reliable measurement in helping governments take decisions that are evidence-based, enforceable and trusted.
As countries navigate geopolitical tensions, disrupted supply chains, digital transformation and artificial intelligence, measurement systems are becoming increasingly strategic. Governments need dependable data to regulate markets, support industry, protect consumers, monitor climate commitments, manage energy systems and strengthen food safety.
“Trusted measurements are the foundation of good decisions. They help governments protect consumers, support industry, enable trade, monitor climate action and deliver progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals” said Alejandro Rivera-Rojas, Chief of UNIDO’s Division of MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation.
For UNIDO, metrology is central to Quality Infrastructure (QI), enabling countries to compete, trade and industrialize sustainably. It supports fair trade, product quality, market access, food safety, value addition, energy efficiency, emissions monitoring and confidence in clean technologies. Yet many developing countries continue to face gaps in metrology services, legal frameworks, calibration capacity, laboratory infrastructure, traceability and international recognition.
To address these challenges, UNIDO supports countries through its Quality Policy methodology, embedding metrology within national development planning and linking measurement capacity to industrial policy, trade objectives and regulatory needs.
In Colombia, the Global Quality and Standards Programme (GQSP) implemented by UNIDO and funded by Switzerland through SECO, has supported the National Institute of Metrology (INM), together with ICONTEC and ONAC, in leading the review of the country’s National Quality Policy. Building on this, through the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Quality Infrastructure Programme, implemented by UNIDO and funded by the European Union (EU) and Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), INM Colombia is now coaching the Dominican Quality Institute (INDOCAL) in the development of the Dominican Republic’s National Metrology Strategy, demonstrating how South-South cooperation can translate quality policy expertise into practical metrology strengthening.
Through the ACP QI Programme, UNIDO is aligning the National Quality Policies of Botswana, Ghana, Senegal and Uganda to the African Quality Policy. In the Pacific, we are supporting the development of the Pacific Regional Quality Policy and Strategy and the National Quality Policies of Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. Furthermore, UNIDO is also updating national metrology laws in Grenada, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and in Fiji.
UNIDO also uses the Quality Infrastructure for Sustainable Development Index (QI4SD), to help countries assess the maturity of their QI, including metrology. It enables policy makers to identify gaps, benchmark progress, prioritize investments and translate international QI data into policy intelligence.
In parallel, UNIDO cooperates with the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) and the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) to strengthen scientific, industrial and legal metrology systems, especially important for countries with limited capacity or without formal membership in these organizations, helping them modernize metrology laws, develop national strategies, build technical skills, improve traceability and connect to regional and international frameworks.
As countries seek more resilient economies, UNIDO emphasized that metrology should be seen not only as a technical function, but as a public policy asset. Reliable measurement helps turn policy ambition into practical results, from safer food and fairer markets to cleaner energy, stronger industry and greater trust in public decisions.
To mark the occasion, watch UNIDO's World Metrology Day 2026 video.
For more information, please contact David Tomlinson: D.TOMLINSON [at] unido.org
