View source for International Organization for Standardization

{{Short description|International standards development organization}}
{{redirect|ISO|other uses}}
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=November 2010}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox organization
| name                     = International Organization for Standardization
| native name              = {{ubl|{{native name|fr|Organisation internationale de normalisation}}|{{native name|ru|Международная организация по стандартизации}}}}
| native_name_lang         =
| logo                     = ISO Logo (Red square).svg
| formation                = {{Start date and age|1947|02|23|df=yes}}
| predecessor              = International Federation of the National Standardizing Associations (ISA)
| type                     = [[Non-governmental organization]]
| purpose                  = [[International standard]]s development
| headquarters             = [[Geneva]], [[Switzerland]]
| abbreviation             = ISO
| membership               = 170 members (39 correspondents and 4 subscribers)<ref name="ISO_members">{{cite web |title=ISO members |url=https://www.iso.org/members.html |publisher=International Organization for Standardization |access-date=17 November 2020 |archive-date=24 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124090755/https://www.iso.org/members.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
| languages                = {{hlist |English |French |Russian<ref name="languages"/>}}
| leader_title             = President
| leader_name              = Sung Hwan Cho
| website                  = {{Official URL}}
| remarks                  = UID: CHE-105.816.788
CH-ID: CH-660-3098013-3
}}

The '''International Organization for Standardization''' ('''ISO''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|aɪ|s|oʊ}} {{respell|EYE|soh}};<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6ZLzzAZ_nQ&t=63s|title=Dare to dream BIG: Standards empower innovators (EN, ES, FR)|date=2016-10-24|people=|language=English|publisher=ISO|trans-title=|time=|access-date=2022-02-14|archive-date=14 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214062815/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6ZLzzAZ_nQ&t=63s|url-status=live}}</ref> {{langx|fr|Organisation internationale de normalisation}}; {{langx|ru|Международная организация по стандартизации|Mezhdunarodnaya organizatsiya po standartizatsii}}) is an independent, [[non-governmental organization|non-governmental]], [[international standard]] development organization composed of representatives from the national [[standards organization]]s of member countries.<ref name="UIA">{{Cite web |url=https://uia.org/s/or/en/1100016492 |url-access= |title=International Organization for Standardization (ISO) |author1=Staff writer |year=2024 |department=UIA Global Civil Society Database |website=uia.org |publisher=[[Union of International Associations]] |agency=Yearbook of International Organizations Online |location=Brussels, Belgium |format= |arxiv= |asin= |bibcode= |doi= |isbn= |issn= |jfm= |jstor= |lccn= |mr= |oclc= |ol= |osti= |pmc= |pmid= |rfc= |ssrn= |zbl= |id= |access-date=1 February 2025 |url-status= |archive-url= |archive-date= |via= |quote= |trans-quote= }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=ISO Membership Manual |url=https://www.iso.org/publication/PUB100399.html |website=ISO |access-date=10 April 2022 |language=en |archive-date=10 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220410094647/https://www.iso.org/publication/PUB100399.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 

Membership requirements are given in Article 3 of the ISO Statutes.<ref name="statutes">{{cite book | title =ISO Statutes | publisher =International Organization for Standardization | edition =20th | date =2022 | location =[[Geneva]] | language =EN, FR, RU | url =https://www.iso.org/files/live/sites/isoorg/files/archive/pdf/en/statutes.pdf | isbn =978-92-67-02040-2 | access-date =12 April 2022 | archive-date =31 March 2022 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20220331214602/https://www.iso.org/files/live/sites/isoorg/files/archive/pdf/en/statutes.pdf | url-status =live }}</ref>

ISO was founded on 23 February 1947, and ({{as of|2024|7|lc=y}}) it has published over 25,000 international standards covering almost all aspects of technology and manufacturing. It has over 800 [[List of ISO technical committees|technical committees]] (TCs) and subcommittees (SCs) to take care of standards development.<ref name="About_ISO"/>

The organization develops and publishes [[international standard]]s in technical and nontechnical fields, including everything from manufactured products and technology to food safety, transport, IT, agriculture, and healthcare.<ref name="About_ISO" /><ref>{{cite news |title=New 'net zero' standards could transform the climate – unless they're derailed |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/10/04/iso-london-declaration-climate/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220202010928/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/10/04/iso-london-declaration-climate/ |archive-date=2 February 2022 |access-date=18 March 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-06 |title=Health sector standards |url=https://www.iso.org/sectors/health |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=ISO |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-20 |title=Transport sector standards |url=https://www.iso.org/sectors/transport |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=ISO |language=en}}</ref> More specialized topics like [[Electrical engineering|electrical]] and [[electronic engineering]] are instead handled by the [[International Electrotechnical Commission]].<ref name=":1">Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. 3 June 2021. "[https://www.britannica.com/topic/International-Organization-for-Standardization International Organization for Standardization]". {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412114854/https://www.britannica.com/topic/International-Organization-for-Standardization |date=12 April 2022 }}. ''Encyclopedia Britannica''. Retrieved 2022-04-26.</ref> It is headquartered in [[Geneva]], Switzerland.<ref name="About_ISO">{{cite web |title=About ISO |publisher=ISO |url=http://www.iso.org/iso/about.htm |url-status=live |archive-date=17 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230217220116/https://www.iso.org/about-us.html}}</ref> The three [[official language]]s of ISO are [[English language|English]], [[French language|French]], and [[Russian language|Russian]].<ref name="languages">{{cite web |title=How to use the ISO Catalogue |url=http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/how_to_use_the_catalogue.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071004225623/http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/how_to_use_the_catalogue.htm |archive-date=4 October 2007|publisher=International Organization for Standardization}}</ref>

== Name and abbreviations ==
The International Organization for Standardization in French is ''{{lang|fr|Organisation internationale de normalisation}}'' and in Russian, {{lang|ru|Международная организация по стандартизации}} (''{{transliteration|ru|Mezhdunarodnaya organizatsiya po standartizatsii}}'').

A common misconception is that ''ISO'' is an abbreviation for "International Standardization Organization" or a similar title in another language. In fact, the letters do not officially represent an [[acronym]] or [[initialism]]. The organization provides this explanation of the name:<blockquote>Because 'International Organization for Standardization' would have different acronyms in different languages (IOS in English, OIN in French), our founders decided to give it the short form ''ISO''. ''ISO'' is derived from the Greek word ''{{transliteration|el|isos}}'' ({{lang|el|ίσος}}, meaning "equal"). Whatever the country, whatever the language, the short form of our name is always ''ISO''.<ref name="About_ISO"/></blockquote>During the founding meetings of the new organization, however, the Greek word explanation was not invoked, so this meaning may be a [[false etymology]].<ref name="iso_name">{{cite web |title=Friendship among equals |url=https://www.iso.org/files/live/sites/isoorg/files/about%20ISO/docs/en/Friendship_among_equals.pdf |publisher=ISO |access-date=8 March 2020 |archive-date=14 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314143635/https://www.iso.org/files/live/sites/isoorg/files/about%20ISO/docs/en/Friendship_among_equals.pdf |url-status=live }} (page 20)</ref>

Both the name ''ISO'' and the ISO logo are registered trademarks and their use is restricted.<ref name="iso_logo">{{cite web |title=ISO name and logo |url=http://www.iso.org/iso/home/name_and_logo.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120919222138/http://www.iso.org/iso/home/name_and_logo.htm |archive-date=19 September 2012 |publisher=ISO}}</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Memory plaque of founding ISA in Prague cropped.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Plaque marking the building in [[Prague]] where the ISO predecessor, the ISA, was founded]]The organization that is known today as ISO began in 1926 as the '''International Federation of the National Standardizing Associations''' ('''ISA'''), which primarily focused on [[mechanical engineering]]. The ISA was suspended in 1942 during [[World War&nbsp;II]] but, after the war, the ISA was approached by the recently formed [[United Nations]] Standards Coordinating Committee (UNSCC) with a proposal to form a new [[International standard|global standards]] body.<ref name="Brief_history">{{cite web |title=A Brief History of ISO |url=http://www.sis.pitt.edu/~mbsclass/standards/martincic/isohistr.htm |publisher=University of Pittsburgh |access-date=12 June 2014 |archive-date=27 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427095105/http://www.sis.pitt.edu/~mbsclass/standards/martincic/isohistr.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

In October 1946, ISA and UNSCC delegates from 25 countries met in [[London]] and agreed to join forces to create the International Organization for Standardization. The organization officially began operations on 23 February 1947.<ref name="50_years">{{citation |url=http://www.iso.org/iso/2012_friendship_among_equals.pdf |title=Friendship among equals – Recollections from ISO's first fifty years |publisher=International Organization for Standardization |year=1997 |isbn=92-67-10260-5 |pages=15–18 |url-status=live |archive-date=26 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026060448/http://www.iso.org/iso/2012_friendship_among_equals.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Yates |first1=JoAnne |last2=Murphy |first2=Craig N. |date=2006 |title=From setting national standards to coordinating international standards: The formation of the ISO |url=https://thebhc.org/sites/default/files/yatesandmurphy.pdf |journal=Business and Economic History On-Line |volume=4 |access-date=29 June 2021 |archive-date=27 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427012046/https://thebhc.org/sites/default/files/yatesandmurphy.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

ISO Standards were originally known as '''''ISO Recommendations''''' ('''''ISO/R'''''), e.g., "[[ISO 1]]" was issued in 1951 as "ISO/R 1".<ref name="Tranchard 2017 q168">{{cite web | last=Tranchard | first=Sandrine | title=ISO celebrates 70 years | website=ISO | date=2017-02-23 | url=https://www.iso.org/cms/render/live/en/sites/isoorg/contents/news/2017/02/Ref2163.html | access-date=2023-08-10 | archive-date=20 October 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020052804/https://www.iso.org/news/2017/02/Ref2163.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

==Structure and organization==
ISO is a voluntary organization whose members are recognized authorities on standards, each one representing one country. Members meet annually at a General Assembly to discuss the strategic objectives of ISO. The organization is coordinated by a central secretariat based in [[Geneva]].<ref name="ISOStructureAndGovernance">{{cite web |url=http://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/about_governance.htm |title=Structure and governance |publisher=International Organization for Standardization |url-status=live |archive-date=19 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120919222955/http://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/about_governance.htm}}</ref>

A council with a rotating membership of 20 member bodies provides guidance and governance, including setting the annual budget of the central secretariat.<ref name="ISOStructureAndGovernance"/><ref name="tech_ctte_list">{{cite web |url=http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards_development/list_of_iso_technical_committees/iso_technical_committee.htm?commid=55010 |title=Council |publisher=International Organization for Standardization |url-status=live |archive-date=3 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103211437/http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards_development/list_of_iso_technical_committees/iso_technical_committee.htm?commid=55010}}</ref>

The technical management board is responsible for more than 250 [[List of International Organization for Standardization technical committees|technical committees]], who develop the ISO standards.<ref name="ISOStructureAndGovernance"/><ref name="iso_technical_ctte">{{cite web |url=http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards_development/list_of_[[Iqcglobal.com.au|iso]]_technical_committees.htm |title=Technical committees |publisher=International Organization for Standardization |url-status=live |archive-date=19 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120919220258/http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards_development/list_of_iso_technical_committees.htm}}</ref><ref name="develops">{{cite web |url=http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards_development/who-develops-iso-standards.htm |title=Who develops ISO standards? |publisher=International Organization for Standardization |url-status=live |archive-date=19 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120919212351/http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards_development/who-develops-iso-standards.htm}}</ref><ref name="governance">{{cite web |url=http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards_development/governance_of_technical_work.htm |title=Governance of technical work |publisher=International Organization for Standardization |url-status=live |archive-date=19 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120919222005/http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards_development/governance_of_technical_work.htm}}</ref>

===Joint technical committee with IEC===
{{main|ISO/IEC JTC 1}}
ISO has a joint technical committee (JTC) with the [[International Electrotechnical Commission]] (IEC) to develop standards relating to [[information technology]] (IT). Known as [[ISO/IEC JTC 1|JTC&nbsp;1]] and entitled "Information technology", it was created in 1987 and its mission is "to develop worldwide [[Information and communications technology|Information and Communication Technology]] (ICT) standards for business and consumer applications."<ref name="jtc1_home">{{cite web |url=http://www.iso.org/iso/jtc1_home |title=ISO/IEC JTC 1 |publisher=International Organization for Standardization |url-status=live |archive-date=15 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111215062549/http://www.iso.org/iso/jtc1_home}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://jtc1info.org/ |title=JTC 1 home page |publisher=[[ISO/IEC JTC 1]] |access-date=15 May 2021 |archive-date=15 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515160408/https://jtc1info.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

There was previously also a JTC 2 that was created in 2009 for a joint project to establish common terminology for "standardization in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources".<ref name="iso_list_tech">{{cite web |url=http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards_development/list_of_iso_technical_committees/iso_technical_committee.htm?commid=585141 |title=ISO/IEC JTC 2 Joint Project Committee – Energy efficiency and renewable energy sources – Common terminology |publisher=International Organization for Standardization |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006120431/http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards_development/list_of_iso_technical_committees/iso_technical_committee.htm?commid=585141}}</ref> It was later disbanded.

=== Membership ===
{{Further|Countries in the International Organization for Standardization}}
[[File:ISO Members 2020.svg|thumb|A map of ISO members {{as of|2020|November|lc=y}}:<br />{{legend|#4444ff|ISO member countries with a national standards body and ISO voting rights}} {{legend|#ffff00|Correspondent members (countries without a national standards body)}} {{legend|#ff0000|Subscriber members (countries with small economies)}}
{{legend|black|Other places with an ISO 3166-1 code who are not members of ISO}}]]
{{As of|2025}}, there are 173 [[Countries in International Organization for Standardization|national members]] representing ISO in their country, with each country having only one member.<ref name="About_ISO" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=ISO – Members |url=https://www.iso.org/members.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124090755/https://www.iso.org/members.html |archive-date=24 January 2021 |access-date=2020-11-18 |website=ISO |language=en}}</ref>

ISO has three membership categories,<ref name="ISO_members"/>
* ''Member bodies'' are national bodies considered the most representative standards body in each country. These are the only members of ISO that have voting rights.
* ''Correspondent members'' are countries that do not have their own standards organization. These members are informed about the work of ISO, but do not participate in standards promulgation.
* ''Subscriber members'' are countries with small economies. They pay reduced membership fees, but can follow the development of standards.

Participating members are called "P" members, as opposed to observing members, who are called "O" members.

=== Financing ===
ISO is funded by a combination of:<ref name="iso_general">{{cite web |url=http://www.iso.org/iso/support/faqs/faqs_general_information_on_iso.htm |title=General information on ISO |publisher=ISO |url-status=live |archive-date=5 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071005105014/http://www.iso.org/iso/support/faqs/faqs_general_information_on_iso.htm}}</ref>
* Organizations that manage the specific projects or loan experts to participate in the technical work
* Subscriptions from member bodies, whose subscriptions are in proportion to each country's [[gross national product]] and trade figures
* Sale of standards

=={{anchor|Standards}}International standards and other publications==
{{see also|List of ISO standards}}
International standards are the main products of ISO. It also publishes technical reports, technical specifications, publicly available specifications, technical [[Erratum|corrigenda]] (corrections), and guides.<!--
     --><ref name="ISOUS95IECUS95directives2004">The ISO directives are published in two distinct parts:
* {{cite web |url=http://www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs/iec/isoiecdir-1%7Bed9.0%7Den.pdf |title=ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1: Procedures for the technical work |year=2012 |publisher=ISO/IEC |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120613062832/http://www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs/iec/isoiecdir-1%7Bed9.0%7Den.pdf |access-date=17 July 2012 }}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs/iec/isoiec-dir2%7Bed6.0%7Den.pdf |title=ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2: Rules for the structure and drafting of International Standards |year=2011 |publisher=ISO/IEC |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016080553/http://iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs/iec/isoiec-dir2%7Bed6.0%7Den.pdf |access-date=17 July 2012 }}</ref><!--
     --><ref name="iso-directives">{{cite web |url=http://www.iso.org/directives |title=ISO/IEC Directives and ISO supplement |author=ISO |url-status=live |archive-date=16 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516045913/http://www.iso.org/directives }}</ref>

'''International standards'''
: These are designated using the format ''ISO[/IEC] [/ASTM] [IS] nnnnn[-p]:[yyyy] Title'', where ''nnnnn'' is the number of the standard, ''p'' is an optional part number, ''yyyy'' is the year published, and ''Title'' describes the subject. ''IEC'' for ''[[International Electrotechnical Commission]]'' is included if the standard results from the work of ISO/IEC JTC 1 (the ISO/IEC Joint Technical Committee). ''ASTM'' (American Society for Testing and Materials) is used for standards developed in cooperation with [[ASTM International]]. ''yyyy'' and ''IS'' are not used for an incomplete or unpublished standard and, under some circumstances, may be left off the title of a published work.

'''Technical reports'''
: These are issued when a technical committee or subcommittee has collected data of a different kind from that normally published as an International Standard,<ref name="ISOUS95IECUS95directives2004"/> such as references and explanations. The naming conventions for these are the same as for standards, except ''TR'' prepended instead of ''IS'' in the report's name.

For example:
* ISO/IEC TR 17799:2000 Code of Practice for Information Security Management
* ISO/TR 19033:2000 Technical product documentation – Metadata for construction documentation

'''Technical and publicly available specifications'''
: Technical specifications may be produced when "the subject in question is still under development or where for any other reason there is the future but not immediate possibility of an agreement to publish an International Standard". A publicly available specification is usually "an intermediate specification, published prior to the development of a full International Standard, or, in IEC may be a 'dual logo' publication published in collaboration with an external organization".<ref name="ISOUS95IECUS95directives2004"/> By convention, both types of specification are named in a manner similar to the organization's technical reports.

For example:
* ISO/TS 16952-1:2006 Technical product documentation – Reference designation system – Part 1: General application rules (later withdrawn and replaced by ISO/TS 81346-3:2012, which was later withdrawn)
* ISO/PAS 11154:2006 Road vehicles – Roof load carriers (later revised in ISO 11154:2023, which does not have the "PAS" abbreviation in its name)<!-- Does ISO still put "PAS" in the official names of newly developed or revised standards? As far as I know, they do not. They do accept PAS submissions, but I don't think they identify that as part of the name of the standard. -->

'''Technical corrigenda'''
:When partnering with IEC in their joint technical committee, ISO also sometimes issues "technical corrigenda" (where "corrigenda" is the plural of [[Erratum|corrigendum]]). These are amendments made to existing standards to correct minor technical flaws or ambiguities.<ref name="ISOUS95IECUS95directives2004"/><!-- The cited 2004 document is out of date. As far as I know, ISO doesn't publish technical corrigenda anymore, except in partnership with IEC in JTC 1 (because IEC retains that practice). The description of the concept of a corrigendum was also incorrect (and unsourced). I changed it to match the referenced (out-of-date) document (section 2.10.2). Also, I don't think technical corrigenda were ever intended for "usability improvements" or "extensions", and I don't think that document says anything about expecting standards that have technical corrigenda to be updated or withdrawn (or doing that on any particular schedule), so I removed those unsourced statements. -->

{{anchor|guides}}'''ISO guides'''
:These are meta-standards covering "matters related to international standardization".<ref name="ISOUS95IECUS95directives2004"/> They are named using the format ''"ISO[/IEC] Guide N:yyyy: Title"''.

For example:
* ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004 Standardization and related activities – General vocabulary
* ISO/IEC Guide 65:1996 General requirements for bodies operating product certification (since revised and reissued as ISO/IEC 17065:2012 Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services).<ref>ISO, [https://www.iso.org/standard/46568.html ISO/IEC 17065:2012 Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221003093033/https://www.iso.org/standard/46568.html |date=3 October 2022 }}, published September 2012, revised 2018, accessed 3 October 2022</ref>

===Document copyright===
ISO documents have strict copyright restrictions and ISO charges for most copies. {{as of|2020}}, the typical cost of a copy of an ISO standard is about {{US$|120}} or more (and electronic copies typically have a single-user license, so they cannot be shared among groups of people).<ref>{{cite web |title=What Does ISO Certification Cost? |url=https://reciprocitylabs.com/resources/what-does-iso-certification-cost/ |website=Reciprocity |language=en |date=11 November 2019 |access-date=13 November 2020 |archive-date=21 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201121020655/https://reciprocitylabs.com/resources/what-does-iso-certification-cost/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Some standards by ISO and its official U.S. representative (and, via the U.S. National Committee, the [[International Electrotechnical Commission]]) are made freely available.<ref name="PubliclyAvailableStandards">{{cite web |title=Publicly Available Standards |publisher=ISO |date=19 October 2023 |url=http://standards.iso.org/ittf/PubliclyAvailableStandards/ |access-date=17 December 2007 |archive-date=13 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013032935/http://standards.iso.org/ittf/PubliclyAvailableStandards/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="free_ansi">{{cite web |title=Free ANSI Standards |url=http://webstore.ansi.org/ansidocstore/free_standards.asp |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 April 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070403014457/http://webstore.ansi.org/ansidocstore/free_standards.asp}}</ref>

==Standardization process==
A standard published by ISO/IEC is the last stage of a long process that commonly starts with the proposal of new work within a committee. Some abbreviations used for marking a standard with its status are:<ref name="about-mpeg">{{cite web |url=http://mpeg.chiariglione.org/about_mpeg.htm |title=About MPEG |website=chiariglione.org |url-status=live |archive-date=21 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100221015546/http://mpeg.chiariglione.org/about_mpeg.htm}}</ref><ref name="iso-stages-codes">{{cite web |url=https://www.iso.org/stage-codes.html |title=International harmonized stage codes |author=ISO |url-status=live |archive-date=4 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071004225136/http://www.iso.org/iso/standards_development/processes_and_procedures/stages_description/stages_table.htm }}</ref><ref name="iso-stages">{{cite web |url=http://www.iso.org/iso/standards_development/processes_and_procedures/stages_description.htm |title=Stages of the development of International Standards |author=ISO |url-status=live |archive-date=12 August 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070812204054/http://www.iso.org/iso/standards_development/processes_and_procedures/stages_description.htm}}</ref><ref name="acronyms-committees">{{cite web |url=http://www.iso27001security.com/html/faq.html#Acronyms |title=The ISO27k FAQ – ISO/IEC acronyms and committees |publisher=IsecT Ltd. |url-status=live |archive-date=24 November 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051124081445/http://www.iso27001security.com/html/faq.html#Acronyms}}</ref><ref name="iso-directives-procedures">{{cite web |url=http://www.astm.org/COMMIT/1st_Supplement.pdf |title=ISO/IEC Directives Supplement – Procedures specific to ISO |year=2007 |author=ISO |url-status=live |archive-date=12 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112093253/http://www.astm.org/COMMIT/1st_Supplement.pdf}}</ref><ref name="abbr">{{cite web |url=http://www.iso.org/iso/support/faqs/faqs_list_abbreviations.htm |title=List of abbreviations used throughout ISO Online |year=2007 |author=ISO |url-status=live |archive-date=12 August 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070812204054/http://www.iso.org/iso/support/faqs/faqs_list_abbreviations.htm}}</ref><ref name="us-tag-committee">{{cite web |url=http://www.sae.org/exdomains/standardsdev/global_resources/US%20TAG%20Committe%20Handbook%206March2008.doc |format=DOC |title=US Tag Committee Handbook |date=March 2008 |access-date=1 January 2010 |archive-date=17 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100217015655/http://www.sae.org/exdomains/standardsdev/global_resources/US%20TAG%20Committe%20Handbook%206March2008.doc |url-status=live }}</ref>
* PWI – Preliminary Work Item
* NP or NWIP – New Proposal / New Work Item Proposal (e.g., ISO/IEC NP 23007)
* AWI – Approved new Work Item (e.g., ISO/IEC AWI 15444-14)
* WD – Working Draft (e.g., ISO/IEC WD 27032)
* CD – Committee Draft (e.g., ISO/IEC CD 23000-5)
* FCD – Final Committee Draft (e.g., ISO/IEC FCD 23000-12)
* DIS – Draft International Standard (e.g., ISO/IEC DIS 14297)
* FDIS – Final Draft International Standard (e.g., ISO/IEC FDIS 27003)
* PRF – Proof of a new International Standard (e.g., ISO/IEC PRF 18018)
* IS – International Standard (e.g., ISO/IEC 13818-1:2007)

Abbreviations used for amendments are:<ref name="about-mpeg"/><ref name="iso-stages-codes"/><ref name="iso-stages"/><ref name="acronyms-committees"/><ref name="iso-directives-procedures"/><ref name="abbr"/><ref name="us-tag-committee"/><ref name="iso-tr-ts-2009"/>
* NP Amd – New Proposal Amendment (e.g., ISO/IEC 15444-2:2004/NP Amd 3)
* AWI Amd – Approved new Work Item Amendment (e.g., ISO/IEC 14492:2001/AWI Amd 4)
* WD Amd – Working Draft Amendment (e.g., ISO 11092:1993/WD Amd 1)
* CD Amd / PDAmd – Committee Draft Amendment / Proposed Draft Amendment (e.g., ISO/IEC 13818-1:2007/CD Amd 6)
* FPDAmd / DAM (DAmd) – Final Proposed Draft Amendment / Draft Amendment (e.g., ISO/IEC 14496-14:2003/FPDAmd 1)
* FDAM (FDAmd) – Final Draft Amendment (e.g., ISO/IEC 13818-1:2007/FDAmd 4)
* PRF Amd – (e.g., ISO 12639:2004/PRF Amd 1)
* Amd – Amendment (e.g., ISO/IEC 13818-1:2007/Amd 1:2007)

Other abbreviations are:<ref name="iso-directives-procedures"/><ref name="abbr"/><ref name="iso-tr-ts-2009"/><ref name="deliverables">{{cite web |url=https://www.iso.org/deliverables-all.html |title=ISO deliverables |author=ISO |url-status=live |archive-date=12 August 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070812204054/http://www.iso.org/iso/standards_development/processes_and_procedures/deliverables.htm}}</ref>
* TR – Technical Report (e.g., ISO/IEC TR 19791:2006)
* DTR – Draft Technical Report (e.g., ISO/IEC DTR 19791)
* TS – Technical Specification (e.g., ISO/TS 16949:2009)
* DTS – Draft Technical Specification (e.g., ISO/DTS 11602-1)
* PAS – Publicly Available Specification
* TTA – Technology Trends Assessment (e.g., ISO/TTA 1:1994)
* IWA – International Workshop Agreements (e.g., IWA 1:2005)
* Cor – Technical Corrigendum (e.g., ISO/IEC 13818-1:2007/Cor 1:2008)
* Guide – a guidance to technical committees for the preparation of standards

International Standards are developed by ISO technical committees&nbsp;(TC) and subcommittees&nbsp;(SC) by a process with six steps:<ref name="iso-stages"/><ref name="iso-directives-part1">{{citation |url=https://isotc.iso.org/livelink/livelink/fetch/2000/2122/4230450/4230452/Consolidated_ISO_IEC_Part-1_(E)_2022.pdf?nodeid=22166036 |title=ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 – Consolidated ISO Supplement – Procedure for the technical work – Procedures specific to ISO |year=2022 |author=ISO |access-date=16 September 2022 |archive-date=20 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920163717/https://isotc.iso.org/livelink/livelink/fetch/2000/2122/4230450/4230452/Consolidated_ISO_IEC_Part-1_(E)_2022.pdf?nodeid=22166036 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Stage 1: Proposal stage
* Stage 2: Preparatory stage
* Stage 3: Committee stage
* Stage 4: Enquiry stage
* Stage 5: Approval stage
* Stage 6: Publication stage

The TC/SC may set up [[working group]]s&nbsp;(WG) of experts for the preparation of a working drafts. Subcommittees may have several working groups, which may have several Sub Groups (SG).<ref name="wg11-structure">{{cite web |url=http://kikaku.itscj.ipsj.or.jp/sc29/29w12911.htm |title=ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC&nbsp;29, SC&nbsp;29/WG 11 Structure (ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29/WG 11 – Coding of Moving Pictures and Audio) |author=ISO, IEC |date=5 November 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 January 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010128180300/http://www.itscj.ipsj.or.jp/sc29/29w12911.htm |access-date=7 November 2009  }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" <!--width="100%"-->
|+ {{Larger|Stages in the development process of an ISO standard}}<!--
     --><ref name="iso-stages-codes"/><ref name="iso-stages"/><ref name="acronyms-committees"/><ref name="us-tag-committee"/><ref name="iso-directives-part1"/><!--
     --><ref name="iso-tr-ts-2009">{{citation |url=http://isotc.iso.org/livelink/livelink/JTC001-N-9876.pdf?func=doc.Fetch&nodeId=8498789&docTitle=JTC001-N-9876 |title=Letter Ballot on the JTC 1 Standing Document on Technical Specifications and Technical Reports |author=((ISO/IEC JTC1)) |date=2 November 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022055824/https://isotc.iso.org/livelink/livelink/fetch/-8913189/8913214/8913373/8913380/JTC001-N-9876.pdf?nodeid=8498789&vernum=-2 |archive-date= Oct 22, 2021 }}</ref>
|-
!width="6%"| Stage code !!width="15%"| Stage !!width="19%"| Associated document name !!width="45%"| Abbreviations !! {{hlist|Description|Notes}}
|-
| 00 || Preliminary || Preliminary work item     || PWI ||
|-
| 10 || Proposal    || New work item proposal    || {{hlist|NP or NWIP|NP Amd/TR/TS/IWA}} ||
|-
| 20 || Preparatory || Working draft or drafts   || {{hlist|AWI|AWI Amd/TR/TS|WD|WD Amd/TR/TS}} ||
|-
| 30 || Committee   || Committee draft or drafts || {{hlist|CD|CD Amd/Cor/TR/TS|PDAmd (PDAM)|PDTR|PDTS}} ||
|-
| 40 || Enquiry     || Enquiry draft             || {{hlist|DIS|FCD|FPDAmd|DAmd (DAM)|FPDISP|DTR|DTS}} || (CDV in IEC)
|-
| 50 || Approval    || Final draft               || {{hlist|FDIS|FDAmd (FDAM)|PRF|PRF Amd/TTA/TR/TS/Suppl|FDTR}} ||
|-
| 60 || Publication || International Standard    ||rowspan="2"| {{hlist|ISO|TR|TS|IWA|Amd|Cor}} ||
|-
| 90 || Review      || ||
|-
| 95 || Withdrawal  || || ||
|}

It is possible to omit certain stages, if there is a document with a certain degree of maturity at the start of a standardization project, for example, a standard developed by another organization. ISO/IEC directives also allow the so-called "Fast-track procedure". In this procedure, a document is submitted directly for approval as a draft International Standard (DIS) to the ISO member bodies or as a final draft International Standard (FDIS), if the document was developed by an international standardizing body recognized by the ISO Council.<ref name="iso-stages"/>

The first step, a proposal of work (New Proposal), is approved at the relevant subcommittee or technical committee (e.g.,&nbsp;SC&nbsp;29 and JTC&nbsp;1 respectively in the case of MPEG, the [[Moving Picture Experts Group]]). A working group (WG) of experts is typically set up by the subcommittee for the preparation of a working draft (e.g., MPEG is a collection of seven working groups as of 2023). When the scope of a new work is sufficiently clarified, some of the working groups may make an open request for proposals—known as a "call for proposals". The first document that is produced, for example, for audio and video coding standards is called a verification model&nbsp;(VM) (previously also called a "simulation and test model"). When a sufficient confidence in the stability of the standard under development is reached, a working draft&nbsp;(WD) is produced. This is in the form of a standard, but is kept internal to working group for revision. When a working draft is sufficiently mature and the subcommittee is satisfied that it has developed an appropriate technical document for the problem being addressed, it becomes a committee draft&nbsp;(CD) and is sent to the P-member national bodies of the SC for the collection of formal comments. Revisions may be made in response to the comments, and successive committee drafts may be produced and circulated until consensus is reached to proceed to the next stage, called the "enquiry stage".

After a consensus to proceed is established, the subcommittee will produce a draft international standard (DIS), and the text is submitted to national bodies for voting and comment within a period of five months. A document in the DIS stage is available to the public for purchase and may be referred to with its ISO DIS reference number.<ref>For example, ISO, [https://www.iso.org/standard/84157.html ISO/DIS 10009: Quality management — Guidance for quality tools and their application] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230802042550/https://www.iso.org/standard/84157.html |date=2 August 2023 }}, accessed 2 August 2023</ref>

Following consideration of any comments and revision of the document, the draft is then approved for submission as a Final Draft International Standard (FDIS) if a two-thirds majority of the P-members of the TC/SC are in favour and if not more than one-quarter of the total number of votes cast are negative. ISO will then hold a ballot among the national bodies where no technical changes are allowed (a yes/no final approval ballot), within a period of two months. It is approved as an International Standard&nbsp;(IS) if a two-thirds majority of the P-members of the TC/SC is in favour and not more than one-quarter of the total number of votes cast are negative. After approval, the document is published by the ISO [[Secretariat (administrative office)|central secretariat]], with only minor editorial changes introduced in the publication process before the publication as an International Standard.<ref name="about-mpeg"/><ref name="iso-stages"/>

Except for a relatively small number of standards,<ref name="PubliclyAvailableStandards"/> ISO standards are not available free of charge, but rather for a purchase fee,<ref name="iso_shopFAQ">{{cite web |url=http://www.iso.org/iso/store/shopping_faqs.htm |title=Shopping FAQs |publisher=ISO |url-status=live |archive-date=5 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071005054552/http://www.iso.org/iso/store/shopping_faqs.htm}}</ref> which has been seen by some as unaffordable for small [[Open-source model|open-source]] projects.<ref name="oreilly2007">{{cite web |url=http://www.oreillynet.com/xml/blog/2007/08/where_to_get_iso_standards_on.html |title=Where to get ISO Standards on the Internet free |publisher=oreillynet.com |last=Jelliffe |first=Rick |quote=The lack of free online availability has effectively made ISO standard irrelevant to the (home/hacker section of the) Open Source community. |date=1 August 2007 |url-status=live |archive-date=24 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071124060422/http://www.oreillynet.com/xml/blog/2007/08/where_to_get_iso_standards_on.html}}</ref>

The process of developing standards within ISO was criticized around 2007 as being too difficult for timely completion of large and complex standards, and some members were failing to respond to ballots, causing problems in completing the necessary steps within the prescribed time limits. In some cases, alternative processes have been used to develop standards outside of ISO and then submit them for its approval. A more rapid "fast-track" approval procedure was used in [[ISO/IEC JTC 1]] for the [[standardization of Office Open XML]] (OOXML, ISO/IEC&nbsp;29500, approved in April 2008), and another rapid alternative "publicly available specification" (PAS) process had been used by [[Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards|OASIS]] to obtain approval of [[OpenDocument]] as an ISO/IEC standard (ISO/IEC 26300, approved in May 2006).<ref name="jtc1_sc34_0940">{{cite web |url=http://www.jtc1sc34.org/repository/0940.htm |title=Report on WG1 activity for December 2007 Meeting of ISO/IEC JTC1/SC34/WG1 in Kyoto |website=[[ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 34]] |url-status=live |archive-date=12 August 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070812081252/http://www.jtc1sc34.org/repository/0940.htm}}</ref>

As was suggested at the time by Martin Bryan, the outgoing convenor (chairman) of working group 1 (WG1) of [[ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 34]], the rules of ISO were eventually tightened so that participating members that fail to respond to votes are demoted to observer status.

The computer security entrepreneur and [[Ubuntu (operating system)|Ubuntu]] founder, [[Mark Shuttleworth]], was quoted in a [[ZDNet]] blog article in 2008 about the process of standardization of OOXML as saying: "I think it de-values the confidence people have in the standards setting process", and alleged that ISO did not carry out its responsibility. He also said that [[Microsoft]] had intensely lobbied many countries that traditionally had not participated in ISO and stacked technical committees with Microsoft employees, solution providers, and resellers sympathetic to Office Open XML:<ref name="zdnet_2222">{{cite web|url=http://blogs.zdnet.com/open-source/?p=2222 |title=Ubuntu's Shuttleworth blames ISO for OOXML's win |publisher=ZDNet.com |date=1 April 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080404052723/http://blogs.zdnet.com/open-source/?p=2222 }}</ref>
<blockquote>
When you have a process built on trust and when that trust is abused, ISO should halt the process... ISO is an engineering [[Old boy network|old boys club]] and these things are boring so you have to have a lot of passion&nbsp;... then suddenly you have an investment of a lot of money and lobbying and you get artificial results. The process is not set up to deal with intensive corporate [[lobbying]] and so you end up with something being a standard that is not clear.
</blockquote>

===International Workshop Agreements===
International Workshop Agreements (IWAs) are documents that establish a collaboration agreement that allow "key industry players to negotiate in an open workshop environment" outside of ISO in a way that may eventually lead to development of an ISO standard.<ref name="deliverables"/>

==Products named after ISO==
On occasion, the fact that many of the ISO-created standards are ubiquitous has led to common use of "ISO" to describe the product that conforms to a standard. Some examples of this are:
* [[Disk images]] ending in the [[file extension]] "[[ISO image|ISO]]" to signify that they are using the [[ISO&nbsp;9660]] standard file system as opposed to another file system—hence disc images commonly being referred to as "ISOs".
* The sensitivity of a photographic film to light (its "[[film speed]]") is described by [[ISO&nbsp;6]], [[ISO&nbsp;2240]], and [[ISO&nbsp;5800]]. Hence, the speed of the film often is referred to by its ISO&nbsp;number.
* As it was originally defined in ISO&nbsp;518, the flash [[hot shoe]] found on cameras often is called the "ISO&nbsp;shoe".
* [[ISO 11783]], the communication protocol for the agriculture industry, which is marketed as ISOBUS.
* [[ISO 13216]], the standardized attachment points for child safety seats, which is marketed as ISOFIX.
* [[ISO 668]], the standardized intermodal containers, sometimes called "ISO&nbsp;containers".

== ISO awards ==
ISO presents several awards to acknowledge the valuable contributions made in the realm of international standardization:<ref>{{cite web |title=ISO - ISO awards |url=https://www.iso.org/iso-awards.html |website=ISO |access-date=26 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

* '''The Lawrence D. Eicher Award''': This award acknowledges outstanding standards development. It is available to all ISO and ISO/IEC technical committees.
* '''The ISO Next Generation Award''': Aimed at young professionals from ISO member nations, this award highlights those who advocate for sustainability-centric standardization and emphasize the importance of partnerships.
* '''The ISO Excellence Award''': Dedicated to recognizing the endeavors of ISO's technical professionals, any individual nominated as an expert, project leader, or convenor in a committee working group is eligible for this award.

==See also==
{{Portal|Science|Engineering|Technology}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em|small=yes}}
* {{annotated link|Countries in the International Organization for Standardization}}
* {{annotated link|Ecma International}}
* {{annotated link|European Committee for Standardization|abbreviation=CEN}}
* {{annotated link|Global Reporting Initiative}} – for sustainability information and linking up with reporting on their 17#[[GlobalGoals]] indicators
* {{annotated link|GOST}} – a set of technical standards maintained by the Euro-Asian Council for Standardization, Metrology, and Certification
* {{annotated link|IEEE Standards Association}}
* {{annotated link|Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology}}
* {{annotated link|Interface 2010}} – the Interface Marketing Supplier Integration Institute
* {{annotated link|International Classification for Standards}}
* {{annotated link|The International Customer Service Institute}}
* {{annotated link|International Electrotechnical Commission|abbreviation=IEC}}
* {{annotated link|International healthcare accreditation}}
* {{annotated link|International Telecommunication Union}}
* {{annotated link|Internet Engineering Task Force}}
* {{annotated link|List of ISO standards}}
* {{annotated link|Standardization}}
* {{annotated link|Standards organization}}
* {{annotated link|Terminology planning policy}}
{{div col end}}

=== ISO divisions ===
Some of the 834 Technical Committees of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) include:<ref name="About_ISO"/>
{{div col|colwidth=30em|small=yes}}
* [[ISO/TC 37|ISO/TC 37 - ''Language and terminology'']] – Terminology and other language content resources
* [[ISO/TC 46|ISO/TC 46 - ''Information and documentation'']] - Libraries, archives, indexing and information science
* [[ISO/TC 68|ISO/TC 68 - ''Financial services'']] - Banking, securities and financial services
* [[ISO/TC 176|ISO/TC 176 - ''Quality management and quality assurance'']]
* [[ISO/TC 211|ISO/TC 211 - ''Geographic information/Geomatics'']] - [[Geographic data and information]]
* [[ISO/TC 215|ISO/TC 215 - ''Health informatics'']] - [[Health informatics|Health-related data/information]]
* ISO/TC 262 - ''Risk management'' - [[Risk management]]
* [[ISO/TC 289|ISO/TC 289 - ''Brand evaluation'']] - [[Brand]] evaluation and valuation
* [[ISO/TC 292|ISO/TC 292 - ''Security and resilience'']] - Security of society
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite web |first = Willy |last=Kuert |title = Friendship Among Equals – Recollections from ISO's first fifty years |publisher = ISO |year = 1997 |url = http://www.iso.org/iso/2012_friendship_among_equals.pdf |url-status = live |archive-date = 26 October 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121026060448/http://www.iso.org/iso/2012_friendship_among_equals.pdf }}
* {{cite web |first1=JoAnne|last1=Yates|author-link1=JoAnne Yates|first2=Craig N.|last2=Murphy|url = http://web.mit.edu/iandeseminar/Papers/Fall2006/Yates.pdf |date=Fall 2006 |title = Coordinating International Standards: The Formation of the ISO |url-status = live |archive-date = 22 September 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100922210249/http://web.mit.edu/iandeseminar/Papers/Fall2006/Yates.pdf}} [http://web.mit.edu/iandeseminar/index2006.html ''MIT Innovations and Entrepreneurship Seminar Series''].

==External links==
{{Commons category|ISO}}
* {{Official website}}
** [https://standards.iso.org/ittf/PubliclyAvailableStandards/index.html Publicly Available Standards], with free access to a small subset of the standards.
** [https://www.iso.org/advanced-search/x/ Advanced search for standards and/or projects]
** [https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/ Online Browsing Platform (OBP)], access to most up to date content in ISO standards, graphical symbols, codes or terms and definitions.

{{International Organization for Standardization}}
{{ISO standards}}
{{Social accountability}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:International Organization for Standardization| ]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Geneva]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1947]]
[[Category:Social responsibility organizations]]
[[Category:Technical specifications]]
[[Category:1947 establishments in Switzerland]]