The inaugural international standard for cities

Dubai, January 11, 2015: Dubai was awarded a Platinum Designation for its compliance with the ISO 37120 international standard, which is considered the first of its kind in the world that is tailored for cities. The ISO 37120 is the first ISO International Standard on city indicators and is published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), of Geneva. Dubai is one of nine cities around the world to win this Platinum Certification along with other destinations including London, Barcelona, Boston, Toronto and Rotterdam.

In this regard, HE Abdullah Al Shaibani Secretary General of Dubai Executive Council, said: "This significant achievement is the outcome of the hard work and sincere efforts exerted by all government entities in order to institutionalize success. Dubai's success was never fortuitous but rather an institutional work based on solid rules, as is the case with the world's other leading cities whose impact extends far beyond their borders. "

Al-Shaibani added: "Dubai draws inspiration to achieve excellence, prosperity and  success from the sustainable vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, as well as the implementation of long-term strategic plans aimed at further improving all indicators, including those contained in the ISO 37120 Standard, which has been taken into consideration during the preparation of the Dubai Plan 2021, striving to make our commitment towards the world a personal commitment to each and every one of us".

For her part, Mrs. Aisha Abdullah Miran said: "We strongly believe in the importance of the initiative, that's why we have been keen, since its inception in 2008 by the Global City Indicators Facility of the University of Toronto, to be supportive, strategic partners of it. We believe that Dubai has a lot to offer in the field of urban development on a global level, and for this we had to be proactive and be one of the few cities around the world that has been asked to establish the World Council on City Data and to adopt the ISO 37120 Standard in its first version". She added: "There is a large gap in the whole world in city data, unlike country data. We have actually noticed this through our work in the development and implementation of strategic plans at national level and most recently in the Dubai Strategic Plan 2021. We believe that this is a golden opportunity for Dubai to play a leading role in the standardization of metrics that measure the well-being of cities and the exchange of best practices in this domain."

"Today, we are proud of Dubai receiving the ISO 37120 Certificate. This achievement would not have been possible without the support of various government entities, along with their work teams, which showed high levels of proficiency and a sincere commitment to providing the necessary data, thus contributing to the fulfillment of this achievement; I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to them all."

It is worth mentioning that the World Council on City Data is a global hub for enhancing the quality of urban, economic and social data around the world, through establishing a consistent and comprehensive platform for standardized urban metrics, all of which can be employed in setting development policies and plans that contribute to the development of cities, and enhance the quality of life for residents. It is also a forum for decision-makers in different cities to allow them to share their experiences and knowledge on the management of cities around the world and serve residents in the most optimal way.

The concept of the Council was launched in May 2014 during the Global Cities Summit, held in Toronto, through a productive cooperation between the Global City Indicators Facility and twenty other cosmopolitan cities representing the six continents and including, besides Dubai, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Bogota, Boston, Amman, Guadalajara (Mexico), Haiphong (Vietnam), Helsinki, Johannesburg, London, The Holy City of Makkah, Melbourne, Makati (Philippines), Minna (Nigeria), Rotterdam, Sao Paulo, Shanghai and Toronto. The responsibility of those cities is to work hand in hand to develop the vision and strategic orientations, in addition to the work plan for the coming five years.

On the other hand, the new ISO 37120 Standard, issued by the International Organization for Standardization, is considered the first of its kind in this field, and includes 100 indicators spread over various fields and sectors, such as economic, social and urban development, along with the environment, water, health, government administration and many others. These include 46 core indicators which form the primary rule of global indicators in this standard. A city wishing to obtain a certificate of conformity related to this standard should collect the data of the key indicators, according to their precise definitions as mentioned in the Standard. The data must then be audited by a licensed third party, as is the case with all standard specifications.

© Press Release 2015