ISO - International Organization for Standardization
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a non-governmental entity that lacks the authority to enforce its standards. ISO does not issue regulations or laws, but countries can choose to adopt ISO standards as legally binding or refer to them in regulations. While ISO standards are voluntary, they often become market requirements, such as the ISO 9001 series.
ISO standards are developed based on market needs, primarily by industry experts and technical and business sectors. These standards are based on international consensus and are reviewed at least every five years to determine if amendments or repeals are necessary. ISO standards provide a framework for global technology compatibility and are designed to be relevant and useful worldwide.
Most ISO standards are specialized for specific products, materials, or processes. However, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 are generic management system standards applicable to any organization, regardless of size, sector, or whether it is public or private. ISO 9001 focuses on quality management, while ISO 14001 addresses environmental management.
ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 Series
The ISO 9000 series pertains to quality management, ensuring organizations meet client quality requirements, comply with legal regulations, improve customer satisfaction, and enhance performance continuously. The ISO 14000 series involves environmental management, focusing on reducing negative environmental impacts and achieving continuous improvement in environmental performance.
ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 have become integral to the global economy, ensuring product and service quality and promoting environmental harmony. The implementation of ISO standards provides a unified basis for global business, supports legislation, aids regional integration, and facilitates the transfer of good practices to developing economies.
ISO standards are developed under strict rules to ensure transparency and fairness, though the process can be time-consuming due to the need for consensus and public review. Besides standards, ISO also develops various guidelines, instructions, and manuals related to standards.
For more information, visit the ISO website and their standards releases page.
Institutions
- ASQ - American Society for QualityIEC - International Electrotechnical CommissionISO - International Organization for StandardizationInternational Accreditation Forum (IAF)International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC)Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC)GFSI & The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF)
- CEN CENELECAssociation Française de Normalisation (AFNOR)Comité Français d'Accréditation (COFRAC)Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN)Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle (DAkkS)Ente Nazionale Italiano di Unificazione (UNI)Italian Accreditation Body - AccrediaNederlands Normalisatie Instituut (NEN)Dutch Accreditation Council (RvA)Asociación Española de Normalización (UNE)Entidad Nacional de Acreditación (ENAC)Swedish Standards Institute (SIS)Swedish Board for Accreditation and Conformity Assessment (SWEDAC)Swiss Association for Standardization (SNV)Swiss Accreditation Service (SAS)British Standards Institution (BSI)United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS)Austrian Standards (AS)Akkreditierung AustriaBureau de Normalisation (NBN)Belgian Accreditation Body (BELAC)Czech Office for Standards, Metrology and Testing (ÚNMZ)Czech Accreditation Institute (CAI)Danish Standards (DS)Danish Accreditation Fund (DANAK)Finnish Standards Association (SFS)Finnish Accreditation Service (FINAS)Hungarian Standards Institution (MSZT)National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI)Irish National Accreditation Board (INAB)National Accreditation Body of Hungary (NAH)Romanian Accreditation Association (RENAR)Polish Committee for Standardization (PKN)Polish Centre for Accreditation (PCA)Instituto Português da Qualidade (IPQ)Portuguese Institute for Accreditation (IPAC)Romanian Standards Association (ASRO)Federal Accreditation Service (RusAccreditation)Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology (Rosstandart)Slovenian Institute for Standardization (SIST)Bulgarian Institute for Standardization (BDS)Bulgarian Accreditation Service (BAS)Croatian Standards Institute (HZN)Croatian Accreditation Agency (HAA)Cyprus Organization for Standardization (CYS)Icelandic Standards (IST)Institute for Standardization of Serbia (ISS)Accreditation Body of Serbia (ATS)Belarusian State Centre for Accreditation (BSCA)Belarusian State Committee for Standardization (BELST)Icelandic Accreditation (ISAC)Latvian Standard (LVS)Latvian National Accreditation Bureau (LATAK)European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)
- Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas (ABNT)Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade e Tecnologia (INMETRO)Instituto Argentino de Normalización y Certificación (IRAM)Organismo Argentino de Acreditación (OAA)Instituto Nacional de Normalización (INN)Instituto Colombiano de Normas Técnicas y Certificación (ICONTEC)Organismo Nacional de Acreditación de Colombia (ONAC)Fondo para la Normalización y Certificación de la Calidad (FONDONORMA)Instituto Uruguayo de Normas Técnicas (UNIT)Organismo Uruguayo de Acreditación (OUA)
- South African Bureau of Standards (SABS)South African National Accreditation System (SANAS)Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality (EOS)Egyptian Accreditation Council (EGAC)Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ)Institut Algérien de Normalisation (IANOR)Algerian Accreditation Body (ALGERAC)Ethiopian Standards Institute (IES)Ethiopian Accreditation Service (EAS)Ghana Standards Authority (GSA)Ghana National Accreditation Service (GhaNAS)Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS)Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS)Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS)Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS)Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS)Institut National de la Normalisation et de la Propriété Industrielle (INNORPI) - TunisiaTunisian Accreditation Council (TUNAC)Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS)Southern African Development Community Accreditation Services (SADCAS)
- National Standardization Agency of Indonesia (BSN)Standardization Administration of China (SAC)China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS)Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC)Japan Accreditation Board (JAB)Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO)Saudi Accreditation Committee (SAC)National Accreditation Body of Indonesia (KAN)Standards Institution of Israel (SII)Israel Laboratory Accreditation Authority (ISRAC)Department of Standards Malaysia (DSM)Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA)Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC)Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS)Philippine Accreditation Bureau (PAB)Singapore Standards Council (SSC)Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC)Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS)Korea Accreditation Board (KAB)Turkish Standards Institution (TSE)Turkish Accreditation Agency (TÜRKAK)Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA)Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC)Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI)Bangladesh Accreditation Board (BAB)Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS)Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control (COSQC)Iraqi Accreditation System (IQAS)Jordan Standards and Metrology Organization (JSMO)Jordan Accreditation Unit (JAC)National Standards And Quality Department (NSQD) MyanmarSri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI)Sri Lanka Accreditation Board (SLAB)Mongolian Agency for Standardization and Metrology (MASM)Mongolian National Accreditation System (MNAS)Institute of Standards of Cambodia (ISC)Cambodia Accreditation Council (CAC)Iran National Standards Organization (INSO)National Accreditation Center of Iran (NACI)GCC Standardization Organization - GSO