THE 3RD B&H QUALITY CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS' MESSAGE:
"LET US FREE THE SINERGY THAT CONNECTS US"

The European Quality Week and the World Quality Day were the immediate motives and good opportunities to start the talks about modern trends in quality management and the experiences and results of Bosnia and Herzegovina on its road towards European integrations through the quality prism, at the 3rd B&H Quality Conference, organised by BH Quality Association and the Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina organized the Third B&H Quality Conference, on November 7-8 2008, at Jahorina, with more than 130 participants. This conference, for the first time, gathered and initiated discussion between competent nationwide structures (Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Institute for Standardization of B&H, Institute for Metrology of B&H, Institute for Accreditation of B&H, Agency for Market Surveillance of B&H, Foreign Trade Chamber of B&H), representatives of other institutions and associations from Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H Quality Association, Medical Chamber of Sarajevo Canton), and representatives of industry and other organizations from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

We witness the true movement for quality in the world, where it is continuously emphasized that the quality is the key of competitiveness, and that it becomes a fundamental manner to run any business, anywhere on planet Earth. Yet simultaneously, the understanding that the quality cannot be its own goal, but an instrument to achieve the higher goal - quality of life, is increasingly present. Unfortunately, the data regularly published in reports of competent international institutions, confirms the fact that Bosnia and Herzegovina is at the bottom of the list of countries according to the number of quality systems certified upon relevant international standards. The same situation prevails when one compares relevant data about country competitiveness index, which undoubtfuly proves that there is a strong correlation between the quality and the excellence at one side, and the competitiveness of the economy at the other side.

The significant backwardness of our country, compared to other ex-socialist countries, new UE members, is a special worrying factor. Following practically proven experiences and criteria, these countries declared their Quality Improvement Programs, and adequate Quality Awards, with major goal to support creating conditions to improve competitiveness of their economy. The highest government bodies of these countries were the initiators and bearers of these activities, lead primarily by economical interests. Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the rare European countries that have no national Program of Quality and national Quality Award in compliance with European criteria, which is one of significant causes of our backwardness and existing disagreement between achieved results and our wishes for faster EU integration.

We, Conference participants, are aware of our country's situation, but simultaneously, from our own experience, we are sure that it can improve only if we all face the problems identified and modern tools to solve them. It is encouraging that, although with significant delay, the solid country infrastructure is established (institutes for standardization, metrology and accreditation, Agency for Market Surveillance in B&H, as fundamental columns of arranged quality assurance system in any country), as well as critical number of industrial and non-industrial organizations and associations which, through own examples and activities, can significantly contribute to achievement of desired goal. However, all necessary prerequisites and mechanisms to release the creative synergy of connecting all these structures nationwide, regionwide and throughout Europe, based on quality, are not completely examined. If we solve these problems, we have a chance to participate in world quality movement, because >Quality has no boundaries<, as this year's motto of World Quality Day (November 13th) says.

If Europe is our strategic commitment, application of European models and international quality standards and models of excellence must become our priority task. Therefore, we invite the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina to, within its competences, in the spirit of modern understanding of quality, and within commitments declared in the Declaration on Quality (November 6th 2001), contribute to creation of ambient where citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina will be active participants in increasing the quality of their lives. That would be the right answer to existing problems and future challenges which our country is facing, because we are convinced that increase in quality of work of all structures of society will surely lead to increase of competitiveness of economy and the country. That is the essence of the message with which European Quality Week is marked: >Return to quality, because without it, there will be no business successes<.

B&H Quality Association, through its past activities and achieved results, and especially through full membership in European Organization for Quality, proved itself that it has potential to develop the National Quality Program and National Quality Award of Bosnia and Herzegovina. With appropriate support from higher government instances in B&H and Foreign Trade Chamber of B&H in solving particular organizational and financial problems, we are ready to accept responsibility for its successful realization. 

Conference participants  

Jahorina, November 8th 2008.