Testing and Metrology Directorate celebrates World Children’s Day

Manama, Nov. 19 (BNA): The Directorate of Testing and Metrology at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism participates in the celebration of the World Children's Day, which falls on November 20 of each year, to enhance international cohesion and awareness among children around the world, by highlighting the most important trends related to child protection to achieve the child's interest and social welfare. On this occasion, Shaikh Hamad bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Assistance Undersecretary for Domestic and Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, emphasised the importance of international events and days, including "World Children's Day" to educate the general public about issues of importance to future generations and mobilise resources to address global problems related to child issues. This occasion gives an opportunity to highlight the efforts of the Testing and Metrology Directorate and its pioneering role in adopting issues related to the child's right to use safe toys. Shaikh Hamad bin Salman Al Khalifa noted that the Testing and Metrology Directorate at the Ministry has started implementing many requirements to enhance the safety of children's toys in the Kingdom of Bahrain since January 1s, t2011, by obliging suppliers to meet the safety and security requirements for toys imported to the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the requirements come in two types, the first type being the characteristics of the game and its chemical composition, so that no toxic or harmful substance is included in the manufacture of the game. The second is the appearance; It appears in the packaging of the box that it bears the basic warnings related to the conditions of use or that it bears a sign called "the Gulf Conformity Mark" to indicate that these toys meet the safety requirements. The Ministry pays great attention to the safety of children in their early years by carrying out periodic inspection campaigns on children's toy products available in the local market. In 2018, the directorate seized more than 20,000 toys that included toys without safety cover for batteries, and others whose size increased by more than the allowed percentage, as well as toys that have sharp ends that harm children, balloons that contain lamps and batteries inside, and slime products that contain harmful chemical components that are not identical, and so on. In continuation of this approach, in the year 2019, more than 6000 lighter shape toys were withdrawn which contained sweets and small pieces that could be disassembled and swallowed by children, in addition to it provoking young children to smoke. The Assistant Undersecretary also pointed to the pioneering role that the Testing and Metrology Directorate plays in educating children and parents about the safety of children's toys and the importance of acquiring safe toys and avoiding the dangers of unsafe play through the directorate's participation in a wide range of lectures, events and workshops to educate the public of parents and children on this topic, most notably the strategic partnership with the Ministry of Education, which resulted in the presentation of a large group of lectures and workshops on the topic of children's play safety during the past years for public school students, and the strategic partnership with the Royal Police Academy to provide the same type of lectures. Shaikh Hamad bin Salman Al Khalifa confirmed that the directorate is on the verge of a new level to raise the safety of children's toys imported to the Kingdom of Bahrain by requiring the presence of the Gulf Conformity Tracking System Mark (GCTS) on imported toys as of the beginning of May 2021, as this system contributes to the speed of decision making in the validity of the Gulf certificates by scanning the code of the certificate, and then all the data related to the product is available. In this regard, Testing and Metrology Directorate at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism invites all dealers and importers of children's toys to attend the virtual seminar that will be held on November 29, 2020 at 10:30 a.m., in cooperation with the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to inform business owners of all developments and requirements required to import children toys products in the next stage, and those interested in participating can register to attend the seminar with the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry mobile application or through the Chamber's website.