The government today said standardisation is an important facilitator for industry and trade and for protection of consumers' interests. Speaking at a function in New Delhi, Consumer Affairs secretary Rajiv Agarwal said standards are primarily necessary for protecting the interests of consumers. He said standards are reliable tools for building confidence, reducing uncertainty and managing risk in today's globalised world. Mr Agarwal said for creating global confidence be it in products or services the first and foremost requirement is globally accepted standards. He said these have to be developed taking all stakeholders into confidence internationally.