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ISO has just published a new brochure providing a concise
overview of how ISO's technical programme, which has so far
produced more than 17,400 International Standards, contributes
to a sustainable world.
ISO - a multi-sector, multi-stakeholder international organisation
- is the leader for the production of consensus-based International
Standards. ISO's membership comprises the national standards
bodies of 157 countries. This network is complemented by more
than 600 international and regional partners and the participation
of close to 100,000 experts.
The brochure is entitled - How ISO’s technical programme
and standards contribute to a sustainable world.
It explains how International Standards of the type developed
by ISO - based on a double level of consensus, between stakeholders
and between countries - contribute to the three dimensions
of sustainable development - economic, environmental and social.
They -
- support the facilitation of global trade, the dissemination
of new technologies, good business practices and the relations
between economic actors
- support good environmental practice and information, energy
efficiency and the dissemination of new, eco-friendly and
energy performance technologies - and
- contribute to consumer protection, safety at work, healthcare,
security and other social interests which may require technical
or management standards for the related products and services.
ISO Secretary-General Alan Bryden commented - "While the
content of the majority of ISO standards is technical, their
implementation goes beyond solving technical problems to delivering
positive results in economic, environmental and societal spheres."
The new brochure is based on a survey launched in 2007 by
the ISO Technical Management Board (TMB) of the technical
committees that develop ISO standards.They were asked how
they felt their standards contributed to sustainable development.
The brochure gives a selection of examples provided by committees
developing standards for energy, food, water, the environment,
health, fire safety, building, transport, nanotechnologies,
social responsibility and people with disabilities.
It also describes how ISO's standardisation work benefits
from strategic management and policy inputs that also contribute
to sustainability. These inputs come from the TMB and ISO
policy development committees for consumer affairs, developing
countries and conformity assessment.
How ISO’s technical programme and standards contribute
to a sustainable world (20 pages, A5 landscape format)
is available in English (ISBN 978-92-67-10484-3) and French
(ISBN 978-92-67-20484-0) editions, free of charge from ISO
national member institutes - Click
Here
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