Non-State Regulatory Regimes by Myriam Senn

Author:Myriam Senn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, Berlin, Heidelberg

6.2 Technological Standard Setting Networks

Historical Aspects

Standards are very important. Although they are often invisible or pass unnoticed by the individuals applying them, they will raise the levels of quality, safety, reliability, efficiency, and interchangeability of products. International standardization began in the electrotechnical field. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) was established in 1906. Pioneering standardization work in other fields was carried out by the International Federation of the National Standardizing Associations (ISA), established in 1926. In 1946 a new organization was created, whose objective was ‘to facilitate the international coordination and unification of industrial standards’.176 This new organization, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), officially began its operations in 1947. It replaced the ISA and the UNSCC (a United Nations Standards Coordinating Committee). Today, ISO is a network of the national standards institutes of some 157 countries operating on the basis of one member per country. They can be part of the governmental structure of their countries, be mandated by their government or have their roots uniquely in the private sector. It is the world's largest standards developing organization in all fields except in the fields of electricity and electronic where the IEC and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) respectively set the standards. These three organizations cooperate under the banner of the World Standards Cooperation (WSC) to better coordinate their activities and the implementation of the standards set. They complement each other, collaborate, and are the principal standards setters worldwide. Together with IEC and ITU, ISO has built a strategic partnership with the WTO to pursue the common goal of promoting a free and fair global trading system and the enhancement of the global market.177

ISO is a global network of organizations, an NGO specialized in the process of standardization. It is run by its members and operates based on consensus reached among them. Since 1947 it has published more than 16,500 International Standards. Its work programme ranges from standards for traditional activities, such as agriculture and construction, over mechanical engineering to medical devices and the latest information technology developments, such as the digital coding of audio-visual signals for multimedia applications. The vast majority of ISO standards are highly specific to a particular product, material, or process. The ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 families have earned a worldwide reputation. ISO 9000 is concerned with ‘quality management’ and ISO 14000 is primarily concerned with ‘environmental management’.178 ISO standards have important economic repercussions and make a positive difference to society as a whole. They make an enormous contribution to most aspects of living in numerous domains.

Another important international standard setting organization is the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). Since 2001 it has assumed accounting standard-setting responsibilities from its predecessor body, the International Accounting Standards Committee, which was formed as a not-for-profit corporation in 2001. The IASB is‘the independent standard-setting body of the IASC Foundation. Its members (currently 15 full-time members) are responsible for the development and publication of IFRSs, … and for approving Interpretations of IFRSs … All meetings of the IASB are held in public and webcast.

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