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NISTIR 8007

A Review of U.S.A. Participation in 

ISO and IEC

Dong Geun Choi

Erik Puskar 

http://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8007
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NISTIR 8007 

A Review of U.S.A. Participation in 

ISO and IEC 

Dong Geun Choi

Erik Puskar

Standards Coordination Office

Laboratory Programs

This publication is available free of charge from:

http://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8007

June 2014

U.S. Department of Commerce 

Penny Pritzker, Secretary

National Institute of Standards and Technology 

Willie May, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Acting Director 
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ii

Foreword

The primary strategy for U.S.A. government engagement in standards development is “reliance on 

private sector leadership, supplemented by federal government contributions to discrete 

standardization processes as outlined in OMB Circular A-119, Federal Participation in the 

Development and Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards and in Conformity Assessment Activities.”

1

Apart from standards development led by the private sector, the Trade Act of 1979 requires that the 

U.S.A. federal government shall inform, consult and coordinate with the U.S.A. Trade Representative 

with respect to international standards-related activities in order to keep each adequately informed and 

identify activities that may substantially affect U.S.A. commerce.

Based on Section 2543 of the Trade Agreements Act of 19792, the Department of Commerce (DOC) is

responsible for monitoring the representation of United States interests before international standards 

organizations. As an agency of DOC, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

published two specific reports for this purpose. The first report, titled ‘A Review of U.S.A.

Participation in International Standards Activities (NBSIR 3698)’, was published in January 1988, and

covered the U.S.A. participation status in International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and 

International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) during 1966 to1986. The second report, ‘A Review 

of U.S.A. Participation in ISO and IEC (NISTIR 6492),’ was published 12 years later in February 

2000, and covered U.S.A. participation from 1966 to 1998 with a focus on the latter years. These two 

reports are a few of the publicly available resources to track the history of U.S.A. participation in ISO 

and IEC.

For the same purpose served by the two previous reports in 1988 and 2000, this report in 2014 is 

designed to describe the U.S.A. participation in ISO and IEC standardization activities during the 

years 1966 to 2012. This report shows the U.S.A. memberships, secretariats, chairs, and convenors in 

standards development committees in ISO and IEC compared with previous years and other countries. 

Additionally, this report provides some data about the agreement-based cooperative activities of a few 

U.S.A.-domiciled standards developing organizations. The alignment status of American National 

Standards (ANS), approved by American National Standards Institute (ANSI), with ISO and IEC 

standards, is also included.

Disclaimer: Any mention of commercial products or organizations within this document is for 

information only; it does not imply recommendation or endorsement by NIST.

Keywords

U.S.A. Trade Agreement Act; WTO; TBT; Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade; IEC; ISO; 

American National Standards Institute (ANSI); international standards; participation; trade; and, 

 

1 White House (January 17, 2012), Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies – Principles for 

Federal Engagement in Standards Activities to Address National Priorities (M-12-08).

2 Trade Agreements Act of 1979 (Section 2533: Representation of United States interests before international standards 

organizations).
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United States National Committee (USNC).

Table of Contents

Foreword............................................................................................................................................ ii

Keywords ........................................................................................................................................... ii

Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................. iii

Table of Contents – Figures...............................................................................................................v

Table of Contents – Tables................................................................................................................v

Acronyms...........................................................................................................................................vi

1. Introduction....................................................................................................................................1

1.1 Purpose.......................................................................................................................................1

1.2 The Role of NIST in Standards Activities..................................................................................2

1.3 Impacts of Standards on Trade...................................................................................................3

1.4 WTO TBT Agreement................................................................................................................3

1.5 The Politics and History of International Standardization .........................................................4

2. Comparison with Two Previous NIST Publications ...................................................................5

3. U.S.A. Participation in ISO ..........................................................................................................6

3.1 About ISO ..................................................................................................................................6

3.2 U.S.A. Participation in ISO Technical Committees and Subcommittees...................................8

3.4. U.S.A. Leadership in ISO TCs and SCs (Jan 2012)................................................................11

4. U.S.A. Participation in IEC.......................................................................................................12

4.1 About IEC ................................................................................................................................12

4.2 U.S.A. an IEC Member Since Its Foundation in 1906 .............................................................15

4.3 U.S.A. Participation in IEC SCs and TCs (April 2013)...........................................................16

4.4 U.S.A. leadership in IEC TCs and SCs (December 2012)......................................................18

4.5 U.S.A. Number of Experts and New Proposals in 2012 ..........................................................19

5. Agreement-based Participation by U.S.A.-domiciled SDOs or Consortia .............................20

5.1 IEEE’s Partnerships with ISO and IEC ...................................................................................20

5.2 ASTM International’s Partnerships with ISO Since 1999 .......................................................22

5.3 Approved PAS Submitters to JTC 1, Including some US-domiciled Consortia ......................23

5.4 OGC’s Agreement with ISO/TC211 Since 1998 ....................................................................24
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6. Use of ISO and IEC Standards in the USA................................................................................24

6.1 Adoption of ISO and IEC Standards as American National Standards (ANS)........................24

6.2 Referencing ISO and IEC Standards in U.S.A. Regulations....................................................26

7. Summary.......................................................................................................................................27

7.1 Participation in ISO and IEC....................................................................................................27

7.2 Agreement-based Participation in ISO and IEC.......................................................................28

7.3 U.S.A. Standards and Regulations Aligned with ISO and IEC Standards..............................29

Annex 1. Membership Comparison of ISO, IEC, and UN (Dec 2012) ........................................31

Annex 2. List of ISO and IEC Technical Committees ..................................................................37

A2.1 List of 224 ISO Technical Committees (Dec 2012)..............................................................37

A2.2 List of 97 IEC Technical Committees (Dec 2012)................................................................43

A2.3 List of Subcommittees in ISO/IEC JTC 1 and JPC 1 (Dec 2012).........................................47

Annex 3. List of U.S.A. Secretariats in ISO and IEC...................................................................48

A3.1 List of 121 ISO TC/SCs Whose Secretariat is the U.S.A. (Dec 2012)..................................48

A3.2. List of 24 IEC TC/SCs Whose Secretariat is the U.S.A. (Dec 2012)...................................52

Annex 4. ISO and IEC Standards Development Stages................................................................53

A4.1 Proposal Stage .......................................................................................................................53

A4.2 Preparatory Stage ..................................................................................................................53

A4.3 Committee Stage ...................................................................................................................53

A4.4 Enquiry Stage ........................................................................................................................53

A4.5 Approval Stage ......................................................................................................................54

A4.6 Publication Stage...................................................................................................................54

A4.7 Review of International Standards (Confirmation, Revision, Withdrawal) ..........................54

A4.8 Fast-track Procedure..............................................................................................................54

A4.9. ISO and IEC standards development codes..........................................................................55

Annex 5. U.S.A. Laws Concerning NIST’s Role in Standardization..........................................56

A5.1 Trade Agreements Act of 1979 .............................................................................................56

A5.2 The National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA) of 1995 ....................58

A5.3 OMB Circular No. A-119......................................................................................................58

Annex 6. MOU between ANSI and NIST.......................................................................................59

A6.1 - 1.0 Purpose..........................................................................................................................59

A6.2 - 2.0 Agreement.....................................................................................................................59
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A6.3 - 3.0 ANSI Responsibilities...................................................................................................60

A6.4 - 4.0 NIST Responsibilities ...................................................................................................60

A6.5 - 5.0 Strategies.......................................................................................................................61

A6.6 - 6.0 Other Agreements .........................................................................................................61

A6.7 - 7.0 Annual Meeting.............................................................................................................61

A6.8 - 8.0 Termination...................................................................................................................61

Table of Contents – Figures

Figure 1 ISO Structure (source: www.iso.org)........................................................................................8

Figure 2 IEC Structure (source: www.iec.ch).......................................................................................14

Figure 3 U.S.A. P-memberships in ISO and IEC have Increased in 1986 to 2012...............................27

Figure 4 U.S.A. Secretariats Increased in 1966-1998, and Declined in 1998 to 2012..........................28

Figure 5 U.S.A. Convenor in ISO Decreased and Chair in IEC increased in 1998 to 2012 .................28

Figure 6 Adoption of ISO and IEC Between 1986 and 2012................................................................29

Figure 7 Incorporation by Reference of ISO and IEC Between 2002 and 2012...................................30

Table of Contents – Tables

Table 1 Comparing Topics in three NIST reports (1988, 2000, and 2013)..............................................6

Table 2 Top 20 Countries in ISO participation (P- and O-members) (Dec 2012) .................................10

Table 3 ISO Secretariats and Convenors over Time (1966 to 2012) .....................................................11

Table 4 Top 20 Countries Holding ISO Secretariat and Convenor Roles in 2011.................................12

Table 5 Number of IEC TCs and SCs as of April 2013 (source: www.iec.ch)......................................17

Table 6 Top 20 Countries in IEC P-memberships (Dec 2012) ..............................................................17

Table 7 Top 15 Countries in IEC Secretariats and Chairs in Sep 2012..................................................18

Table 8 IEC Change in Secretariats held 1966 to 2012..........................................................................19

Table 9 Top 10 Countries in IEC Participation of Experts (2005, 2012)...............................................19

Table 10 Source of IEC New Proposals (1999, 2012) ...........................................................................20

Table 11 List of Approved PAS Submitters to JTC 1............................................................................23

Table 12 ANS Adoption from ISO, IEC standards (1987, 1996, and 2012)..........................................25

Table 13 ISO and IEC Standards Incorporated by Reference in the U.S.A. regulations.......................27

Table 14 Agreement-based Participation in ISO and IEC......................................................................29
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Acronyms

ACRONYMS DESCRIPTIONS (Country or Organization)

ABNT Brazilian Technical Standards Association (Brazil)

AENOR Asociación Española de Normalización y Certificación (Spain)

AFNOR Association française de normalisation (France)

ANS American National Standard (USA)

ANSI American National Standards Institute (USA)

API American Petroleum Institute 

ASI Austrian Standards Institute (Austria)

ASRO Romanian Standards Association (Romania)

ASTM ASTM International 

BEC Belgian Electrotechnical Committee (Belgium)

BIS Bureau of Indian Standards (India)

BSI British Standards Institution (UK)

CEI Comitato Elettrotecnico Italiano (Italy)

CES Swiss Electrotechnical Committee (Switzerland)

CFR Code of Federal Regulations (USA)

DIN German Institute for Standardization (Germany)

DKE Deutsche Kommission Elektrotechnik Elektronik Informationstechnik (Germany)

DMTF Distributed Management Task Force, Inc.

DS Danish Standards Foundation (Denmark)

GOST R Federal Agency on Technical Regulating and Metrology (Russia)

IEC International Electrotechnical Commission 

IEC CAB IEC Conformity Assessment Board

IEC CB IEC Council Board

IEC CO IEC Central Office

IEC EXCO IEC Executive Committee

IEC MSB IEC Market Strategy Board
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IEC NC IEC National Committee

IEC SMB IEC Standardization Management Board

IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

ISO International Organization for Standardization

ISO CASCO ISO Committee on Conformity Assessment

ISO COPOLCO ISO Committee on Consumer Policy 

ISO CS ISO Central Secretariat

ISO CSC ISO Council Standing Committee

ISO DEVCO ISO Committee on Developing Country Matters

ISO GA ISO General Assembly

ISO MB ISO Member Body

ISO PDCs ISO Policy Development Committees

ISO TMB ISO Technology Management Board

JISC Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (Japan)

KATS Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (Korea)

NBN Bureau voor Normalisatie/Bureau de Normalisation (Belgium)

NEN Netherlands Standardization Institute (Netherlands)

NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology (USA)

OASIS Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards

OGC Open Geospatial Consortium (USA)

O-member Observer Member (ISO, IEC)

OMG Object Management Group

OVE Oesterreichischer Verband für Elektrotechnik (Austria)

PKN Polish Committee for Standardization (Poland)

P-member Participating Member (ISO, IEC)

PSDO Partner Standards Development Organization (ISO)

SA Standards Australia (Australia)

SABS South African Bureau of Standards (South Africa)

SAC Standardization Administration of China (China)

SC Subcommittee (ISO, IEC)

SCC Standards Council of Canada (Canada)
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SEK SEK Svensk Elstandard (Sweden)

SESKO Finnish Electrotechnical Standards Association (Finland)

SFS Finnish Standards Association (Finland)

SIBR Standards Incorporated by Reference (name of database , USA)

SIS Swedish Standards Institute (Sweden)

SN Standards Norway (Norway)

SNIA Advancing Storage and Information Technology

SNV Swiss Association for Standardization (Switzerland)

TA Technical Advisor (USNC for IEC)

TAG Technical Advisory Group (ANSI/USNC for ISO and IEC) (USA)

TC Technical Committee (ISO, IEC)

TCG Trusted Computing Group

UL Underwriters Laboratories 

UNI Ente Nazionale Italiano di Unificazione (Italy)

UNMZ Czech Office for Standards, Metrology and Testing (Czech Republic)

UPnP Forum Universal Plug and Play Forum

USNC United States National Committee (for IEC) (USA)

UTE Union Technique de L’Electricite (France) 

W3C World Wide Web Consortium

WG Working Group (ISO, IEC)
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1. Introduction

1.1 Purpose

This report presents historical information on the extent of U.S.A. participation and leadership roles in two 

private-sector international standardization bodies, perspectives on the organizations involved, the present 

role of international standards in world trade, and the correlation between the U.S.A. position in 

international standardization activities and world trade.

This publication serves as an update to the original NBSIR 88-3698, A Review of U.S.A. Participation in 

International Standards Activities, as well as NISTIR 6492, A Review of U.S.A. Participation in the 

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission 

(IEC). It focuses on U.S.A. participation in technical committees (TC) and sub-committees (SC) within two 

private-sector international standards development organizations, namely ISO and IEC. Due to the volume 

of information involved, this publication does not address U.S.A. participation in any of the other activities 

within each of these organizations (e.g., the Committee on Conformity Assessment and the Committee on 

Consumer Policy in ISO, conformity assessment schemes in IEC). Specific mention is also made of the 

World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade. It should be noted that some 

U.S.A.-based standards developers have increased their international presence over this time period. The 

U.S.A. involvement with these developers may be more robust and may share common goals with regards to 

standards development.

U.S.A. participation in private-sector international standardization activities is voluntary. Direct 

involvement and payment of the associated expenses depends upon the perceived interests of the industries 

that may be affected by resultant standards. Consequently, some U.S.A. companies and industries have been 

very active in international standards-making committees, whereas others have not participated at all. The 

objective of this study was to collect, analyze, and present data that might summarize the extent of past and 

present U.S.A. participation in the activities of ISO and IEC over the 46-year period from 1966 to 2012. 

This information can help readers assess whether U.S.A. involvement and leadership activities are sufficient 

and what, if any, strategies or actions are necessary to strengthen the U.S.A. position in these organizations. 

The following sections describe various NIST responsibilities, the significance of international standards in 

world trade, background on ISO and IEC, and how the United States is represented in those bodies. 

Separate sections briefly describe the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade and Annex 3 of that 

Agreement, the Code of Good Practice for the Preparation, Adoption and Application of Standards. A 

review of U.S.A. participation levels in ISO and IEC over the 46-year period from 1966 to 2012 is provided, 

followed by a comparison of U.S.A. exports with U.S.A. participation in ISO and IEC.
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1.2 The Role of NIST in Standards Activities3

Title IV, Section 413 of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979 (19 U.S.A.C. 2531-2573), P.L. 96-39, authorized

the implementation of all agreements negotiated during the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)

Tokyo Round, including those relating to non-tariff barriers. Section 413 of the Act directs the Secretaries of

Commerce and Agriculture to ensure that they are kept informed of the adequacy of representation in

international standards-related activities, to identify any activities that might substantially affect the 

commerce of the United States, and to coordinate with the Special Representative (the Office of the United

States Trade Representative, USTR) with respect to international standards-related activities. USTR is

responsible for coordinating U.S.A. discussions and negotiations with other countries with respect to

standards-related activities.

Title IV also specifies that the U.S.A. should be represented in non-treaty or private international standards

organizations (e.g., ISO and IEC) by a recognized “organization member.” Responsibility rests with the 

Secretaries of Commerce and Agriculture to determine and ensure that U.S.A. interests are being adequately

represented and that U.S.A. commerce is not adversely affected by that organization member’s participation 

in private international standards organizations. There are no guidelines or definitions given for what is

deemed to be adequate representation of U.S.A. interests. ANSI serves as the U.S.A. member body to ISO

and, through its U.S.A. National Committee, to IEC.

Within NIST, the Standards Coordination Office is responsible for carrying out several Title IV functions. 

These include maintaining an inquiry point on standards, conducting conformity assessments and technical

regulations, and monitoring the adequacy of U.S.A. representation in private international standards activities,

particularly with regard to the potential impact on international trade. The 1994 revision of the Trade

Agreements Act (P.L. 103-465), also entitled the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, did not amend these

responsibilities. 

In addition to its responsibilities under the Trade Agreements Act, NIST serves as a coordinator of standardsrelated activities within the federal government as directed by OMB Circular A-119, which serves as 

implementation guidance for the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA) of 1995

(P.L. 104-113).

To ensure a coordinated effort between the public and private sectors in both domestic and non-treaty

international standards activities, NIST and ANSI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)4. 

Revised and renewed in 2000, this MOU states that NIST and ANSI will serve as links between privatesector standards and conformity assessment interests and government interests. The ultimate objective of this

cooperative effort is to enhance and strengthen the national voluntary consensus standards system of the

United States while supporting continued U.S.A. competitiveness and economic growth. Other government

agencies, U.S.A. and non-U.S.A.-based international standards developing organizations (SDOs), trade

associations, and companies are members of ANSI. Representatives of these organizations participate in

various ANSI fora which are, in part, responsible for determining ANSI policy and structure. These fora also

 

3 The U.S. Laws concerned with NIST’s role for standardization are summarized in Annex 5.

4 Annex 6 contains the full text of the MOU between ANSI and NIST.
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serve as mechanisms that facilitate discussion of current issues of interest.

1.3 Impacts of Standards on Trade

Standards are more important today than ever before. In the international marketplace, standards developed

through voluntary processes are highly desirable because they represent a broad-based consensus of all

interested parties, including producers (exporters), users (importers), governments, consumers, and 

academia. Nations that actively participate in developing international standards may be able to influence the

provisions to favor their own products or those that they prefer for some reason. Since trading countries

competing in the global marketplace are inclined to be aggressive in exploiting every opportunity to favor

these products through the standards development process, it seems incumbent on the United States to 

participate vigorously in international standardization activities if it intends to maintain existing trade outlets

and find new markets. 

1.4 WTO TBT Agreement

The provisions of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement) and of the Code of Good 

Practice for the Adoption, Application and Preparation of Standards (Code) have important implications for 

ISO and IEC member bodies. 

Specific provisions under the TBT Agreement pertain to technical regulations, standards, conformity 

assessment practices, notification requirements, and standards developing bodies. In the area of technical 

regulations and standards, the TBT Agreement states that members should:

 accord the same treatment to imported products as like products of national origin;

 accord the same treatment to all like imported products, regardless of origin;

 ensure that any technical regulations and standards used to protect human, animal, or plant life or 

health or the environment are not more trade-restrictive than necessary;

 use, in part or in whole, relevant international standards as a basis for technical regulations 

whenever possible;

 participate in relevant international standards bodies to develop and adopt appropriate technical 

regulations and standards;

 recognize technical regulations of other members as equivalent provided these regulations meet the 

objectives of their own regulations;

 emphasize product performance requirements rather than design or descriptive requirements, and

 notify other members of proposed technical regulations and standards that might significantly affect 

trade.

Annex 3 of the TBT Agreement contains the Code. The Code is open to acceptance by any standardizing 

body within the territory of a WTO Member and outlines general guidelines for the preparation and use of 

standards. The Code encourages standards bodies to operate in a transparent manner, ensure 

nondiscrimination toward imported products, and align national standards with international standards 

whenever possible. Adoption of the Code is voluntary, but more than 100 standards bodies currently adhere 

to the Code. In the United States, ANSI is a signatory to the Code on behalf of its over 200 standards-
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developing members.

1.5 The Politics and History of International Standardization

International trade is one of the most important factors in the growth of the world economy. Important

objectives of international standardization and related activities are to facilitate trade and the exchange of 

goods and services at the international level and to promote cooperation in the areas affected by international

standards.

Formal international standardization started over one hundred years ago in the electrotechnical field with the 

founding of the IEC in 1906. While some attempts were made in the 1930s to develop international 

standards in other fields, it was not until after World War II that the United Nations Standards Coordinating 

Committee, established by the United States, Great Britain, and Canada, provided the leadership that 

resulted in the formation of ISO in 1946. 

During the 1950s and 1960s, international standardization work focused almost entirely on the development 

of international agreements on basic mechanics, such as screw threads, roller bearings, pipe sizes, shafts, 

couplings, and power transmissions. These early efforts addressed issues primarily related to international 

harmonization for interchangeability, vocabularies, and standards for units and symbols. In the 1960s and 

1970s, there was an increase in using international standards in lieu of national standards. In the 1980s and 

1990s, robust standardization work supporting the introduction of information and communications 

technologies was launched.

Concurrent with this evolution in standardization was a growing recognition of the role that standards and 

standards-related issues play in trade. It was recognized that the negotiation and adoption of technical

standards for all classes of products and services can lead to the formation of economic and political 

coalitions among nations and regions and market segmentation among major producers. National and

regional groups motivated by competing interests can use regulations and standards for political purposes. 

Indeed, a General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) working group concluded that technical barriers, 

such as standards, was the largest category of non-tariff measures faced by exporters. Voluntary adoption of 

the Standards Code to the GATT in 1979 reflected a growing acceptance of international standards for all 

classes of finished products, materials, and services.

With the establishment of the World Trade Organization in 1995 and the adoption of the Agreement on 

Technical Barriers to Trade, an integral part of the WTO Agreement, the importance of technical 

regulations, standards, and conformity assessments to trade was called out. All WTO members, 159 

countries as of March 2013, are responsible for adhering to the provisions of the TBT Agreement to ensure 

that regulations, standards, and conformity assessment procedures do not create unnecessary obstacles to 

trade.

Three well-known standards development organizations operating in the international arena are ISO, IEC, 

and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). ISO and IEC form the world’s largest nongovernmental forum for voluntary industrial and technical collaboration at the international 

level. Collectively, ISO and IEC are responsible for the development of over 25,000 international standards 
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in a wide variety of technical and business sectors. The third organization, the ITU, a treaty organization, is 

the United Nations specialized agency for information and communications technologies. U.S.A.

participation in the ITU is coordinated by the U.S.A. Department of State. More information can be found 

at http://www.itu.int/en/Pages/default.aspx. 

2. Comparison with Two Previous NIST Publications

This report is a successor of two previous NIST reports published in February 1988 and January 2000. The

1988 report, NBSIR 3698, describes the role of international standards, their increasingly significant 

importance in world trade, and the extent of past and current U.S.A. participation in the two major

international standardization bodies: ISO and IEC. The degree of U.S.A. participation covers the 20-year 

period 1966 to 1986. The 2000 report, NISTIR 6492, describes the role of international standards, their 

importance in world trade, and the extent of U.S.A. participation in ISO and IEC over the period from 1966 

to 1998 (with a focus on 1986 to 1998). Mention is also made of the WTO’s Agreement on Technical 

Barriers to Trade.

This 2014 report, in principal, is an update of the two previous reports, covering U.S.A. participation status 

in ISO and IEC for the period from 1966 to 2012. The chapter for comparison of U.S.A. exports with U.S.A.

participation in ISO and IEC is skipped because the correlation analysis was relatively uncertain. A new 

chapter included in this report, not existing in previous two reports, is Chapter 5, ‘Agreement-Based 

Participation by US-Domiciled SDOs’. This chapter shows three examples of joint development or adoption 

of mutual standards by IEEE, ASTM International, and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). Another

chapter included in the 1988 report but excluded from the 2000 report is Chapter 6, ‘Alignment with ISO 

and IEC standards in the USA.’ This chapter reviews the adoption or alignment of ISO and IEC standards as 

ANSI approved ANS. A comparison of topics of the reports in 1988, 2000, and 2013 is provided below in 

Table 1.
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Table 1 Comparing Topics in Three NIST Reports (1988, 2000, 2013)

Contents 1988

report

2000 

Report

2013 

Report

Data Period 1966 to 

1986

1966 to 

1998

1966 to 

20125

Introduction, Background, 

ISO, IEC, WTO/TBT, Trade Agreement Act

Yes Yes Yes

ISO: membership, secretariat, convenor Yes Yes Yes

IEC: membership, secretariat, chair Yes Yes Yes

Agreement-based participation in ISO, IEC No No Yes

(new)

Alignment of ISO, IEC standards with ANS (ANSI) Yes No Yes

Incorporation of ISO, IEC standards in the U.S.A.

regulation

No No Yes

(new)

Comparison of Export with Participation in ISO/IEC Yes Yes No

3. U.S.A. Participation in ISO

3.1 About ISO

3.1.1 ISO Activities Since 19476

ISO is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, founded in 1947. ISO originated from the union of 

two organizations, ISA (International Federation of the National Standardizing Associations) and UNSCC 

(United Nations Standards Coordinating Committee). After the union of the ISA (International Federation of 

the National Standardizing Associations) and the UNSCC (United Nations Standards Coordinating 

Committee), ISO was created through discussions held at a conference in London in October 1946, which 

included participation by 65 delegates from 25 national standards organizations.

The mission of ISO is “to promote the development of standardization and related activities in the world 

with a view to facilitating the international exchange of goods and services, and to developing cooperation 

in the spheres of intellectual, scientific, technological and economic activity.” The first ISO standard was 

published in 1951. Upon its establishment in 1947, ISO membership consisted of 27 national standards 

bodies; at present, ISO is comprised of standards bodies from over 130 countries, of which 90 are 

participating member bodies, 36 are correspondent members, and 7 are subscriber members. There are 16

correspondent members that do not participate in technical work and do not have voting rights, but are 

 

5 Some data was from 2011 and 2013

6 The first two paragraphs of the historical descriptions of this section is the summary of interview with Willy Kuert <The Founding 

of ISO (page 15-21)> in ISO (1997) “Friendship among Equals” – Recollections from ISO’s first fifty years. More detailed history 

can be found at the following site: http://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/the_iso_story.htm. 
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allowed to attend meetings as observers. Subscriber members are countries that pay reduced membership 

fees for the same privileges as correspondent members. Table 1 in the Appendix lists current members of 

ISO.

The scope of ISO work extends over all fields except electrical and electronic standards, which are the 

responsibility of IEC. ISO addresses a wide variety of subjects ranging from screw threads to solar energy. 

As of December 2011, work in ISO was carried out through some 3,335 technical bodies: 224 Technical 

Committees (TCs), 513 Subcommittees (SCs), 2,516 Working Groups (WGs), and 82 Ad Hoc Study Groups

published more than 19,000 ISO standards since its inception. In addition, 1,419 new work items were 

registered and 4,007 work items appear on the programs of work of the TCs in 2011. The list of ISO TCs is 

available in Annex 2.1.

Around 78 % of ISO member bodies are governmental institutions or organizations incorporated by public 

law, and the remaining 22 % are private sector standards organizations7. ANSI, the U.S.A. member body to 

ISO, is one of the private-sector member bodies. Under the ANSI-NIST MOU8, ANSI is the recognized 

U.S.A. member body to ISO, and, through the USNC, to IEC.

ISO Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland coordinates ISO operations, administers voting and approval 

procedures, and publishes international standards. The operational costs of ISO itself are estimated at 140 

million Swiss francs per year9. Around 37 million Swiss francs represent the operational cost of ISO Central 

Secretariat, financed by membership fees (55 %), publications, and other services (45 %).

3.1.2 ISO Structure

The General Assembly of ISO is the ultimate authority for its work and is hosted annually by a member 

country. Principal Officers include the President, Vice-President (policy), Vice President (technical 

management), Vice-President (finance), Treasurer, and Secretary General.

Key bodies of ISO include the Council and its three Policy Developing Committees (PDCs), Council 

Standing Committees, Ad Hoc Advisory Groups, and the Technical Management Board (TMB). TMB 

manages the overall technical work of standards development, and establishes and dissolves Technical 

Committees (TC). Central Secretariat provides support services related to membership, technical 

committees, marketing, training and similar offerings. Figure 1 presents the overall structure of ISO.

 

7

ISO (2009), ISO members. The list of ISO members are in Annex 1, comparing with those of IEC.

8 For the full ANSI-NIST MOU, see Annex 6.

9 Approximately $150M U.S. dollars
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Figure 1 ISO Structure (source: www.iso.org, used with permission from ISO)

ISO members are categorized into three groups. Member bodies or full members participate in and influence 

ISO standards developing process; correspondence members attend and observe standards development; and 

subscriber members keep up to date on ISO’s work. As of May 2014, ISO had 117 member bodies, 41

correspondent members, and four subscriber members.10 Among the total 162 member countries, only three 

countries are not also members of United Nations – Hong Kong, China; Macau, China; and Palestine. All of 

the 82 IEC members are also ISO members. The list of IEC members is available in Annex 1. 

3.2 U.S.A. Participation in ISO Technical Committees and Subcommittees

Since the foundation of ISO in 1947, the U.S.A. has been a member body and Council Member. ISO

Council takes care of most governance issues. The Council meets twice a year and is made up of 20 member 

bodies. Among them, only two countries, United Kingdom and France, have been Council Members of ISO

since its foundation in 1947. In 2013, the member bodies elected to the Council are the following: 

 

10 For more information, see http://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htm
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ABNT/Brazil (2013), AFNOR/France (2014), ANSI/U.S.A. (2014), BDS/Bulgaria (2013), BIS /India 

(2013), BSI/United Kingdom (2013), CYS/Cyprus (2013), DIN/Germany (2014), DSM/Malaysia (2014), 

EOS/Egypt (2013), ESMA/United Arab Emirates (2014), INNORPI/Tunisia (2014), IPQ/Portugal (2014), 

IRAM/Argentina (2014), JISC/Japan (2013), MCCAA/Malta (2014), NEN/Netherlands (2013), 

SA/Australia (2013), SAC/China (2013), and SIS/Sweden (2013).

Under the Council are a number of bodies that provide guidance and management on specific issues. U.S.A.

participates in all of the committees under the council, including the three PDCs:

 CASCO – providing guidance on conformity assessments; 

 COPOLCO – providing guidance on consumer issues, and 

 DEVCO – providing guidance on matters related to developing countries. 

U.S.A. also participates in the Council Standing Committees that advise on financial and strategic matters of 

ISO.

ISO’s Annual Report 2011 indicates that ISO had 3,335 technical bodies, including 224 TCs, 513 SCs, 2516 

WGs, and 82 Ad Hoc Study Groups11. ISO member bodies may register as participating (P-member), 

observer (O-member), or not represent at committee level based on their interests and resources. Pmembers have the right to vote while O-members do not. 

As shown in Table 2, by the end of 2012 the U.S.A. was participating in 620 (84%) out of the total 737 ISO 

TCs and SCs, placing it 12th in the ranks of committee participation. The U.S.A. had 583 P-members (171 

TCs and 412 SCs), and 37 O-members (26 TCs and 11 SCs) of ISO. 

12 By comparison in 1998, the U.S.A.

participated in 74 % of TCs as a P-member, and 4 % of TCs as an O-member. In 1986, the U.S.A. was 

designated an active participant in 69 % of TCs, and an observer in 29 % of TCs.

 

11 ISO Annual Report 2011, or ISO in figures for the year 2011 (as of Dec 31, 2012, published on Feb 16, 2012)

12 ISO website http://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htm , accessed on Dec 31, 2012.
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Table 2 Top 20 Countries in ISO Participation (P- and O-members) (Dec 2012)

13

No. Country Member 

Body

Membership

Status

TC 

participation

1 United Kingdom BSI Member body 726

2 France AFNOR Member body 724

3 Germany DIN Member body 718

4 Korea, Republic of KATS Member body 711

5 China SAC Member body 706

6 Japan JISC Member body 687

7 Romania ASRO Member body 687

8 Italy UNI Member body 666

9 Poland PKN Member body 643

10 Spain AENOR Member body 625

11 Russian Federation GOST R Member body 622

12 USA ANSI14 Member body 620

13 India BIS Member body 610

14 Netherlands NEN Member body 596

15 Czech Republic UNMZ Member body 595

16 Finland SFS Member body 560

17 Belgium NBN Member body 545

18 Switzerland SNV Member body 540

19 Sweden SIS Member body 536

20 Austria ASI Member body 531

 

13 ISO website http://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members.htm , accessed on Dec 31, 2012.

14 ANSI is the only private-sector member body – the rest are governmental bodies.
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3.4. U.S.A. Leadership in ISO TCs and SCs (Jan 2012)

ISO’s Annual Report 2011 indicates that the U.S.A. held 117 

secretariats (see Annex 3.1) of the 737 ISO TCs and SCs, and 509 

convenors of the 2,516 WGs. The U.S.A. held 616 positions 

(19.2 %) out of 3,253 leadership positions in ISO in January 2012.

In theory, a secretariat should act in a purely international capacity, 

divesting itself of a national point of view. In practice, it could be 

advantageous to hold a Secretariat, at a minimum ensuring that its

national body is represented in international discussions. 

Table 3 below demonstrates the progression in secretariats and 

convenors held by the United States in the years 1966, 1986, 1998, 

and 2012. By 1998, the U.S.A. held the secretariats for 31 (16.8 %) 

of the 184 TCs, 110 (18.7 %) of the 587 SCs, and 431 (21.3 %) of 

the 2,020 Working Groups. These figures include the ISO/IEC Joint 

Technical Committee (JTC 1). When added together, the United 

States held 572 (20.5 %) of the 2,791 leadership positions available 

in ISO. Between 1998 and 2012 the number of ISO secretariats and 

convenors held by the U.S.A. decreased slightly by a little more than 

1 %, primarily due to a decrease in the number of secretariats.

Table 3 ISO Secretariats and Convenors over Time (1966-2012)

Positions 196615 1986 1998 2012

Secretariats Total 118 809 771 737

USA 10 85 141 117

U.S.A. ratio

(%)

8.5 % 10.5 % 18.3 % 15.9 %

Convenors Total n/a 1556 2020 2516

USA n/a 212 431 509

U.S.A. ratio

(%)

n/a 13.6 % 21.3 % 20.2 %

Total Total 118 2365 2791 3253

USA 10 297 572 626

U.S.A. ratio

(%)

8.5 % 12.6 % 20.5 % 19.2 %

Table 4 lists the top 20 countries in terms of the secretariats and convenors in ISO TC/SCs in ISO, where 

U.S.A. ranks the 2nd in secretariats and the 1st in convenors.

 

15 For the year of 1966, the total number of committees does not include SC, but TC only.

ISO Secretariat Responsibilities

“The secretariat is responsible for 

monitoring, reporting, and ensuring active 

progress of the work, and shall use its utmost 

endeavor to bring this work to an early and 

satisfactory conclusion. These tasks shall be 

carried out as far as possible by 

correspondence. In all circumstances, the 

secretariat shall work in close liaison with its 

TC/SCs chair, WG convenors and project 

leaders. The secretariat is responsible for 

ensuring that ISO/IEC Directives and the 

decisions of the technical management board 

are followed.”

From: ISO/IEC Directive, Part I ‘Procedures 

for the technical work’ (ninth edition, 2012)
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Table 4 Top 20 Countries Holding ISO Secretariat and Convenor Roles in 2011

No. Country (MB) Secr. Ratio No. Country (MB) Conv. Ratio

1 Germany (DIN) 130 17.6 % 1 U.S.A. (ANSI) 509 20.2 %

2 U.S.A. (ANSI) 117 15.9 % 2 United Kingdom (BSI) 355 14.1 %

3 United Kingdom (BSI) 70 9.5 % 3 Germany (DIN) 352 14.0 %

4 France (AFNOR) 69 9.4 % 4 France (AFNOR) 212 8.4 %

5 Japan (JISC) 67 9.1 % 5 Japan (JISC) 193 7.7 %

6 China (SAC) 45 6.1 % 6 Sweden (SIS) 88 3.5 %

7 Sweden (SIS) 25 3.4 % 7 Canada (SCC) 80 3.2 %

8 Australia (SA) 19 2.6 % 8 Netherlands (NEN) 78 3.1 %

9 Netherlands (NEN) 19 2.6 % 9 Australia (SA) 76 3.0 %

10 Switzerland (SNV) 18 2.4 % 10 Korea, Rep. of (KATS) 65 2.6 %

11 Canada (SCC) 17 2.3 % 11 China (SAC) 60 2.4 %

12 Italy (UNI) 16 2.2 % 12 Italy (UNI) 42 1.7 %

13 Korea, Rep. of (KATS) 16 2.2 % 13 Belgium (NBN) 34 1.4 %

14 Norway (SN) 11 1.5 % 14 Switzerland (SNV) 34 1.4 %

15 Russian Fed. (GOST R) 9 1.2 % 15 Norway (SN) 33 1.3 %

16 South Africa (SABS) 9 1.2 % 16 Denmark (DS) 26 1.0 %

17 Brazil (ABNT) 8 1.1 % 17 Brazil (ABNT) 21 0.8 %

18 India (BIS) 8 1.1 % 18 Spain (AENOR) 18 0.7 %

19 Denmark (DS) 7 0.9 % 19 Austria (ASI) 16 0.6 %

20 Spain (AENOR) 7 0.9 % 20 Finland (SFS) 16 0.6 %

- Remaining Countries 50 6.8 % - Remaining Countries 208 8.3 %

- Secretariat Total 737 100.0 % - Convenor Total 2,516 100.0 %

4. U.S.A. Participation in IEC

4.1 About IEC

4.1.1 IEC Activities Since 190616

IEC is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, founded in 1906. In the late 19th century the lack of 

standardization of electrical equipment had become a worldwide problem, even though the importance of 

electrical measuring units had been universally recognized. With the development of economic generators, 

 

16 This section is based on the IEC history section of the website: http://www.iec.ch/about/history/overview/ 
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filament lamps, fittings, and reliable cables, local authorities and distributors for the first time could choose 

between the merits of different designs. While the series of International Electrical Congresses, particularly 

those between 1881 and 1900, had been solely concerned with electric units and standards, it was at the 

1904 St. Louis, USA, Congress that, in the interests of commercial transactions and trade, the proposal was 

made for establishing a permanent international commission to study the unification of electrical machines 

and apparatuses.

IEC is financed by a combination of membership dues and revenues from the sales of its publications. 

IEC’s 2010 Annual Report indicates that the total membership dues amounted to US$11.65 million while 

revenues from sales (both direct sales and royalties) came to US$9.54 million, which along with other 

revenues resulted in a total net income of US$24 million. 

IEC Central Office in Geneva, Switzerland coordinates IEC operations, administers voting and approval 

procedures, and publishes international standards. Similar to ISO, IEC NCs that participate in a TC or a SC 

are P-members, and NCs that want to be kept informed of ongoing work are O-members.

4.1.2 IEC Structure

The objective of IEC is to promote international cooperation on all questions of standardization in the fields 

of electrical and electronic engineering. IEC's members are National Committees (NC), and they appoint 

experts and delegates from industry, government bodies, associations, and academia to participate in the 

technical and conformity assessment work of IEC. Each NC is required to be as representative as possible 

of all electrical-related interests in its country including manufacturers, users, governmental authorities, and 

educational and professional bodies. Many NCs receive a large amount of support from industry; many are 

recognized and financially supported by their governments.

The work of IEC is currently carried out by 97 TCs and 111 SCs, and close to 1,200 working-level groups. 

The committees span a wide range of electrotechnical sectors and have developed 6,959 standards related 

documents, including 6,271 standards, 226 technical specifications, 407 technical reports, and 55 IEC

Publically Available Specifications (IEC-PAS), and had 1,489 active projects as of December 201217. The 

list of IEC TCs is provided in Annex 2.2.

The Council of IEC is a legislative body and is the supreme governing body of IEC. Its members include

the Presidents of all IEC Full Member NCs, the current IEC Officers and all Past Presidents, and the Council 

Board members. The Council sets IEC policy and long-term strategic and financial objectives. It delegates 

the management of IEC work to the CB (Council Board), with specific management responsibilities in the 

spheres of standards, conformity assessment, and market strategy being assumed, respectively by the 

Standardization Management Board (SMB), the Market Strategy Board (MSB), and the Conformity 

Assessment Board (CAB). The structure of IEC is shown in Figure 2.

 

17 Updates may be found at http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:6:0##ref=menu
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Figure 2 IEC Structure (source: www.iec.ch, used with permission of IEC)

IEC Council delegates the management and supervision of IEC's standards work to the SMB. The SMB is a 

decision-making body that reports to the CB. The SMB is responsible for setting-up and disbanding TCs 

and SCs, approving their scopes, appointing TC/SC chairmen and allocating secretariats, allocating

standards work, timeliness of standards production, and approval and maintenance of the Directives,

reviewing the need for and planning for IEC work in new fields of technology, and maintaining liaisons with 

other international organizations.

The MSB reports to the CB and identifies the principal technological trends and market needs in IEC's fields 

of activity. 

The CAB is responsible for setting IEC’s conformity assessment policy, promoting and maintaining 

relations with international organizations on conformity assessment matters, creating, modifying and 

disbanding conformity assessment systems, monitoring the operation of conformity assessment activities,

and examining the continued relevance of IEC’s conformity assessment activities in general.
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4.1.3 ISO and IEC: Relationships including Joint Technical Committee (JTC) 118

ISO and IEC have a formal agreement in place that establishes a non-duplicative and cooperative 

relationship between the two organizations. In accordance with this agreement, the two organizations 

complement each other in the field of international standardization. IEC is responsible for issues relating to 

international standardization in the electrical and electronic engineering fields, while other areas are the 

responsibilities of ISO. In areas that do not relate to a particular technology, ISO assumes responsibility for 

the work and ensures that any electrotechnical issues that arise are addressed in consultation with IEC. 

The standards development processes of ISO and IEC are described in Annex 4.

4.2 U.S.A. an IEC Member Since Its Foundation in 190619

Since IEC’s foundation in 1906 in London, the U.S.A. has been an active member, participating in and 

leading IEC’s standardization and conformity assessment activities. IEC Council Board includes the U.S.A.

and 14 other national committees from Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy,

Japan, Korea, Netherlands, South Africa, Sweden, and United Kingdom. The U.S.A. or its individual 

experts have been vigorously involved in all of the major committees and groups of IEC including IEC

SMB and IEC CAB.

The U.S.A. National Committee (USNC) of IEC manages U.S.A. participation in the technical work of IEC. 

ANSI provides secretariat services to the USNC, its executive committee, technical advisors, and technical 

advisory groups. It takes part in the Commission’s entire technical program and holds secretariats of 

approximately 24 TCs and SCs. Among them are committees that develop international standards in the 

areas of semiconductor devices, household appliances, air-conditioning appliances, laser equipment, solar 

photovoltaic energy systems, fiber optics systems, design automation, and electrical insulation systems, 

among others.

The USNC appoints a technical advisor (TA) and a technical advisory group (TAG) to develop the U.S.A.

position for each TC and SC. TAs and TC and SC delegates are drawn from U.S.A. professional societies, 

trade associations, companies, government agencies, testing laboratories, and other interested stakeholders

concerned with the development of national electro-technical standards. The TA develops the U.S.A.

position on IEC committee matters by consulting with the TAG. The TA is also responsible for ensuring 

that the U.S.A. position is presented to the appropriate IEC TC.

 

18 This section is fully based on the previous 2000 NIST report (NISTIR 6942)

19 More information about U.S. participation history in IEC can be found at 

http://www.ansi.org/standards_activities/iec_programs/governance_committees/history.aspx?menuid=3#.UQG85h1QXeB
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4.1.4 ISO/IEC JTC 120

ISO and IEC started work on information technology (IT) standardization around 1960 during the initial 

stages of computerization. As the industry took off with rapid innovation and widespread acceptance, both 

ISO and IEC worked to keep pace with the development of responsive standards. In the 1980s, IT 

technological innovations became more complex and far-reaching; the international standardization 

community recognized that a comprehensive venue in which to address all aspects of information and 

communication technology (ICT) standardization was needed; therefore, in 1987, JTC 1 was formed by the 

merger of ISO TC 97 (Information technology) and IEC TCs 47B (Microprocessor systems) and 83

(Information technology equipment). Bringing together the qualities and strengths of ISO and IEC, JTC 1 

was positioned to speed progress and wide deployment and avoid the development of duplicative or possibly 

incompatible standards by the two organizations.

The JTC 1 is recognized as one of the largest and most prolific technical committees in the international 

standardization community. Its 19 active subcommittees21 have produced over 2,600 published standards 

and continue to make tremendous impacts on the ICT industry worldwide.

The U.S.A. has played a leadership role in the work of JTC 1, with ANSI serving as secretariat. JTC 1 

counts 37 countries among its participants (plus another 54 as observers), and over 2,000 experts from 

around the world represent their national body positions in collaboration to develop the most effective and 

relevant ICT standards. It is the efforts of these dedicated professionals that drive JTC 1’s record of 

accomplishment.

This approach has enabled JTC 1 to make great progress in developing standards that cross a broad swath of 

technology sectors, particularly in rapidly expanding IT-related areas such as cloud computing, security, 

sustainability, and accessibility. JTC 1 is currently addressing such critical areas as teleconferences and emeetings, cloud data management interface, biometrics in identity management, sensor networks for smart 

grid systems, and corporate governance of IT implementation.

4.3 U.S.A. Participation in IEC SCs and TCs (April 2013)

IEC has 172 committees consisting of 95 TCs and 77 SCs of which 187 are IEC-only committees and 21 are 

ISO/IEC joint committees. Table 5 presents the 185 IEC-only committees, including 89 SCs with advisory 

or special committees as well as 96 TCs. These 185 committees contain 1,191 working-level groups: 437 

working groups, 239 project teams, and 515 maintenance teams22.

 

20 This section is largely based on the ASNI’s press release in JTC 1’s 25 year celebration, released on June 28, 2012, available at 

http://www.ansi.org/news_publications/print_article.aspx?articleid=3270, and ISO’s website

21 The list of JTC 1 subcommittees is in Annex 2.3.

22 Source: http://www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs/facts.htm (accessed on Dec 31, 2012)
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Table 5 Number of IEC TCs and SCs as of April 2013 (source: www.iec.ch)

Class Descriptions Number of TCs Number of SCs Total

TCs and SCs 95 77 172

TAs TC100/TAs 0 12 12

PCs PC 118 1 0 1

Total 96 89 185

Among the 187 IEC committees, the U.S.A. is a participating member (P-member) in 162 committees 

(86.6 %), 89 TCs (93.7 %) and 73 SCs (79.3 %). This figure includes the CAB document voting. The 

U.S.A. does not participate as an observer member in any IEC committees. The U.S.A. is ranked 7

th in the 

number of P-members in IEC committees. Table 6 lists the top 20 countries sorted by the number of Pmembers in IEC committees. In 1998, the U.S.A. had 77 (74.4 %) P-members and no O-members out of 

184 TCs/SCs; in 1986, there were 140 (68.9 %) P-members and 50 (24.6 %) O-members out of 203 

TCs/SCs. 

Table 6 Top 20 Countries in IEC P-memberships (Dec 2012)

Rank Country NC Membership P-Member O-Member P+O

1 China SAC Full Member 177 0 177

2 Germany DKE Full Member 177 0 177

3 Japan JISC Full Member 174 2 176

4 United Kingdom BSI Full Member 170 5 175

5 Italy CEI Full Member 166 11 177

6 France UTE Full Member 165 12 177

7 USA ANSI Full Member 162 0 162

8 Russian Federation GOST R Full Member 152 16 168

9 Korea, Republic of KATS Full Member 143 31 174

10 Finland SESKO Full Member 141 32 173

11 Spain AENOR Full Member 136 40 176

12 Sweden SEK Full Member 135 41 176

13 Netherlands NEN Full Member 126 33 159

14 Switzerland CES Full Member 125 22 147

15 Denmark DS Full Member 118 55 173

16 Austria OVE Full Member 115 50 165

17 Belgium BEC Full Member 105 63 168

18 Romania ASRO Full Member 93 69 162
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19 Canada SCC Full Member 91 24 115

20 Australia SA Full Member 90 49 139

4.4 U.S.A. Leadership in IEC TCs and SCs (December 2012)

The U.S.A. held 24 TC/SC secretariats (12.8 %)23 ranking 4

th behind Germany, France, and Japan (see 

Annex 3.2) and 31 Chairs (16.6 %)24 ranking 2

nd behind Germany as summarized in Table 7. IEC does not 

provide statistics for convenors. 

Table 7 Top 15 Countries in IEC Secretariats and Chairs in September 2012

Secretariats Chairs

No. Country Sec. Ratio No. Country Chair Ratio

1 Germany 34 18.2 % 1 Germany 37 19.8 %

2 France 24 12.8 % 2 USA 31 16.6 %

3 Japan 24 12.8 % 3 United Kingdom 22 11.8 %

4 USA 24 12.8 % 4 France 18 9.6 %

5 United Kingdom 20 10.7 % 5 Italy 13 7.0 %

6 Italy 13 7.0 % 6 Japan 9 4.8 %

7 China 6 3.2 % 7 Sweden 6 3.2 %

8 Sweden 6 3.2 % 8 Canada 5 2.7 %

9 Korea, Republic of 5 2.7 % 9 Finland 5 2.7 %

10 Spain 5 2.7 % 10 China 4 2.1 %

11 Canada 3 1.6 % 11 Denmark 3 1.6 %

12 Netherlands 3 1.6 % 12 Netherlands 3 1.6 %

13 Switzerland 3 1.6 % 13 Australia 2 1.1 %

14 Australia 2 1.1 % 14 Norway 2 1.1 %

15 Belgium, Norway, 

Russian Federation,

South Africa

(4 countries)

2

(8)

1.1 %

(4.3 %)

15 Austria, Belgium, Brazil

Switzerland, Spain

Ireland, Israel, Korea

New Zealand, Poland

South Africa (11 countries)

1

(11)

0.5 % 

(5.9 %)

- Remaining Countries 7 3.7 % - Remaining Countries 16 8.3 %

- Secretariat Total 187 100.0 % - Chair Total 187 100.0 %

 

23 IEC website as accessed on Dec. 31, 2012.

24 The 2012 IEC Activity Report to IEC Council by General Secretary on Oct. 5, 2012 in Oslo, Norway.
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Table 8 depicts the percentage of total IEC TC and SC Secretariats held by the U.S.A. from previous years, 

which increased from 8.5 % in 1966 to 16.8 % in 1998, but then slightly decreased to 12.8 % in 2011.

Table 8 IEC Change in Secretariats Held 1966 to 201225

Positions 196626 1986 1998 2012

Secretariats Total 153 203 184 187

USA 12 33 31 24

U.S.A. Ratio

(%)

8.5 % 16.3 % 16.8 % 12.8 %

U.S.A. Rank 4

th 2nd 1st 4th

4.5 U.S.A. Number of Experts and New Proposals in 2012

IEC 2012 Activity Report presents two additional important figures: the number of experts who participated 

in IEC work and the number of new proposals by country.27 IEC created an Expert Management System in 

2004 to track a participant's degree of participation as an Expert and their authorization to access the 

relevant documentation. The System provides the number of participating experts in IEC work since 2005. 

As displayed in Table 9, 1,646 U.S.A. experts participated in IEC work in 2012, and the U.S.A. ranked 2

nd

following Germany. In 2005, the U.S.A. ranked 1st with 1,090 experts who participated in IEC.

IEC also provides the number of new proposals for standards by the Secretariat and the national committees.

‘New proposals for standards’ are interpreted as being in the ‘proposal stage,’ and are not yet accepted as 

new projects or final standards. In 2012, around 30 % of the new proposals came from secretariats and 

70 % from national committees. In 2012 the U.S.A. submitted 17 new proposals, ranking 4

th among all 

members, and in 1999, ranked 3rd with 13 new project proposals as shown in Table 10. 

Table 9 Top 10 Countries in IEC Participation of Experts (2005, 2012)

2005 2012

Rank Country Experts Rank Country Experts

1 USA 1,090 1 Germany 1,819

2 Germany 1,067 2 USA 1,646

 

25 The data for Chairs is not available in the two previous NIST reports. Currently available data for IEC chairs is IEC General 

Secretary activity reports announced during the years of 2005 to 2012.

26 For 1966, the total number of committees includes technical committees only, excluding subcommittees.

27 Some of the early-year IEC activity reports were kindly provided by (Mr.) Jack Sheldon, Standardization Strategy Manager at IEC 

Central Office. 
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3 Japan 819 3 Japan 1,524

4 UK 716 4 UK 805

5 France 577 5 China 781

6 Italy 383 6 France 720

7 Sweden 257 7 Korea, Republic of 623

8 Canada 247 8 Sweden 476

9 Netherlands 188 9 Italy 468

10 Korea, Republic of 184 10 Switzerland 337

Table 10 Source of IEC New Proposals (1999, 2012) 28

1999 2012

Rank Country NPs Rank Country NPs

- Secretariat 70 - Secretariat 58

1 Japan 16 1 Japan 22

2 Germany 14 2 Germany 21

3 USA 13 3 Korea, Rep of 20

4 UK 8 4 USA 17

5 Netherlands 7 5 China 15

6 France 4 6 France 10

7 Italy 2 7 Switzerland 8

8 Sweden 2 8 Netherlands 5

9-12 Austria, Poland, Spain, Switzerland 1 9-10 Denmark, Italy 3

5. Agreement-Based Participation by U.S.A.-Domiciled SDOs or Consortia

There are other levels of participation by U.S.A.-domiciled standards-developing organizations and

consortia in ISO and IEC standardization activities. This section presents some examples of such because 

there is no comprehensive survey available in this regard.

5.1 IEEE’s Partnerships with ISO and IEC 29

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) is the world’s largest technical 

professional society. Through its more than 370,000 members in 160 countries, the organization focuses on 

 

28 Source: 1999 and 2012 IEC Activity Report by General Secretary, which represents the activities in Oct 1998 to September 1999 

and October 2011 to September 2012 respectively. The ranking and the number of new proposals by countries is transformed from 

the visual chart in that report by authors and may include read-error. 

29 IEEE provides detailed information about the organization’s level of collaboration with ISO and IEC. More information about 

IEEE’s partnership with ISO and IEC is available at: http://standards.ieee.org/develop/intl/index.html.
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21

a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers, and telecommunications to biomedical 

engineering, electric power, and consumer electronics, and has developed nearly 900 active industry 

standards. 

5.1.1 ISO/IEEE PSDO Agreement Since 2008

ISO and IEEE have a Partner Standards Development Organization (PSDO) cooperation agreement in place 

to increase their cooperation in developing international standards. The PSDO cooperation agreement 

provides new opportunities to adopt and jointly develop international standards to serve the global 

marketplace. The agreement aims to optimize stakeholder resources in the development of standards where 

both ISO and IEEE have expertise, and to shorten time-to-market. The agreement facilitates processes for 

the joint development of standards and for the adoption of standards. The agreement currently focuses on 

the following three TCs and six SCs of ISO:

 ISO/TC 204 - Intelligent Transportation Systems 

 ISO/TC 215 - Health Informatics 

 ISO/IEC JTC 1 

• SC6 - Telecommunications and Information Exchange Between Systems 

• SC7 - Software and System Engineering 

• SC22 - Programming Languages, their Environments and System Software Interfaces 

• SC25 - Interconnection of Information Technologies 

• SC31 - Automatic Identification and Data Capture Techniques 

• SC36 - Information Technology for Learning, Education, and Training (ITLET)

IEEE documents 51 standards adopted or jointly developed as of December 2012 under the ISO/IEEE 

PSDO Agreement. These include standards for Health Informatics (12), Instrumentation and Measurement 

(4), Local and Metropolitan Networks (10), Microprocessors (6), Portable Operating System Interface 

(POSIX) (7), and Software and System Engineering (12).30

5.1.2 IEC/IEEE Dual Logo Agreement Since 2002

The IEC/IEEE Dual Logo Agreement originally aimed at identifying suitable IEEE standards and draft 

standards as candidates for processing through the IEC full-consensus procedure at the country level. The 

Agreement has been expanded to include the joint development of new or existing standards in parallel in 

both organizations. The Agreement involves a dual-logo arrangement in which the logos of both 

organizations will appear on documents adopted by and jointly developed with IEC. 

IEEE documents 23 standards adopted or jointly developed as of December 2012 under the IEC/IEEE Dual 

Logo Agreement. These are in the areas of Design Automation (6), Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation (1), 

Instrumentation and Measurement (3), Nanotechnology (1), Nuclear Power Engineering (3), SCC20 - Test 

 

30 Additional information can be found at http://standards.ieee.org/develop/intl/dual.html
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22

and Diagnosis for Electronic Systems (2), Switchgear (1), Test Technology (4), and Transformers (2).31

5.2 ASTM International’s Partnerships with ISO Since 1999

ASTM International, formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), develops 

globally recognized international voluntary consensus standards. Today, some 12,000 ASTM standards are 

used around the world to improve product quality, enhance safety, facilitate market access and trade, and 

build consumer confidence. 

There have been two separate formal partnership activities between ASTM International and ISO. The first

partnership ran from 1999 to 2004 for dosimetry standards development, and the second began in 2011 for 

additive manufacturing standards development. 

From 1999 to 2004, ISO and ASTM International conducted a pilot project, “Radiation Processing 

Dosimetry Standards,” which successfully transformed 25 ASTM dosimetry standards32 into ISO/ASTM 

standards. Implemented in 2001, detailed procedures enabled the ISO/ASTM standards to be reviewed and 

maintained by ASTM International with unrestricted participation and input from ISO. As part of the 

process, the revised standards were balloted independently by ISO and by ASTM International using their 

normal ballot procedures. These 25 standards included ISO/ASTM 51607-4 and ISO/ASTM 52116-02. 

Since the pilot program, all of the published standards have proceeded through the full maintenance cycle33.

In 2011, ISO and ASTM International signed an agreement to increase their cooperation in the development 

of international standards for additive manufacturing34 which refers to the process of joining materials to 

manufactured objects, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to “subtractive manufacturing” methods, such as 

machining. The Partner Standards Development Organization (PSDO) cooperation agreement provides new 

opportunities for the two organizations to adopt and jointly develop international standards that serve the 

global marketplace in the field of additive manufacturing. The decision to set up the PSDO agreement 

follows the recent creation of ISO/TC 261, Additive manufacturing. ASTM’s committee F42, Additive 

Manufacturing Technology, had already initiated important work in this area and it was decided that both 

groups would benefit from combining their expertise. So far, three standards have been drafted for ballot 

under this PSDO agreement: ISO/ASTM DIS 52792, ISO/ASTM FDIS 52915, and ISO/ASTM 52921.

 

31 More information can be found at http://standards.ieee.org/develop/intl/joint.html

32 For full list please see http://www.astm.org/DATABASE.CART/I.htm, and scroll down to ISO/ASTM listings. Also, the 

subcommittee-based list can be found at http://www.astm.org/COMMIT/SUBCOMMIT/E61.htm, standards under the jurisdiction

of E.61.01-E.61.05.

33Grove, Jeff (July/August 2011) “Promoting Public-Private Collaboration in Standards Development - Recommendations for an 

Enhanced Government–SDO Partnership in the United States, ASTM Standardization News (available at 

http://www.astm.org/SNEWS/JA_2011/grove_ja11.html).

34 More information can be found at http://www.iso.org/iso/home/news_index/news_archive/news.htm?refid=Ref1481
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5.3 Approved PAS Submitters to JTC 1, Including Some US-Domiciled Consortia35

ISO and IEC publish different types of documents – international standards (IS), technical specifications

(TS), technical reports (TR), guides, and publically available specifications (PAS) to achieve an optimum 

degree of order in a given context of standards development procedures and to describe where the document 

is used. PAS is a document published by ISO or IEC to respond to an urgent market need, representing 

either a) a consensus in an organization external to ISO or IEC, or b) a consensus of the experts within a 

working group36.

JTC 1 has a transposition procedure whereby organizations accredited as valid PAS Submitters can send 

their specifications directly for country voting to become ISO/IEC standards37. There are now nine approved 

PAS Submitters as of Jan 201338 as Table 11 shows. The majority of them are US-domiciled or USoriginated standards development organizations, and 115 PASs have been approved so far through this PAS 

Submitter procedure for JTC 1

39

. 

Table 11 List of Approved PAS Submitters to JTC 1

No. Organizations Status

1 Advancing Storage and Information Technology (SNIA)

http://www.snia.org/

Approved status through 

September 2018

2 Distributed Management Task Force, Inc. (DMTF)

http://www.dmtf.org/

Approved status through 

January 2019

3 GS1 

http://www.gs1.org/ 

Approved status through 

January 2016

4 Object Management Group (OMG)

http://www.omg.org/

Reaffirmed through 

December 2014

5 Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC)

http://www.opengroup.org/

Approved status through 

March 2014

6 Organization for the Advancement of Structured 

Information Standards (OASIS) http://www.oasis-open.org/

Reaffirmed through 

May 2015

7 The Open Group (The Open Group )

http://www.opengroup.org/

Reaffirmed through 

July 2015

8 Trusted Computing Group (TCG) 

https://www.trustedcomputinggroup.org/home

Reaffirmed through 

February 2016

9 Universal Plug and Play Forum (UPnP Forum )

http://www.upnp.org/

Approved status through 

August 2018

 

35 More information can be found at http://isotc.iso.org/livelink/livelink/fetch/2000/2122/327993/755080/2317216/

Approved_PAS_Submitters.html?nodeid=2315468&vernum=0

36 ISO and IEC (2011) ISO/IEC Directives Part 2 - Rules for the structure and drafting of International Standards, 6th edition

37 http://www.w3.org/2010/04/pasfaq#L373

38 http://isotc.iso.org/livelink/livelink/fetch/2000/2122/327993/755080/2317216/Approved_PAS_Submitters.html?nodeid=

2315468&vernum=0

39http://isotc.iso.org/livelink/livelink/fetch/2000/2122/327993/755080/2317216/JTC_1_PAS_Submitted_Standards.pdf?

nodeid=7287210&vernum=0
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24

10 World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)

http://www.w3.org/

Reaffirmed through 

November 2017

5.4 OGC’s Agreement with ISO/TC211 Since 1998 40

Other than traditional standards developing organizations, there are other forms of consortia that have 

worked closely with ISO or IEC committees for standards development. These may include EPCglobal (a 

joint venture between GS1 (formerly known as EAN International) and GS1 US (formerly the Uniform 

Code Council, Inc.) with JTC1/SC31 for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) standards41, and the Open 

Geospatial Consortium (OGC) with ISO/TC211 for geographic information system standards. The OGC is 

an international industry consortium of 478 companies, government agencies, and universities participating 

in a consensus process to develop publicly available interface standards (www.opengeospatial.org). 

ISO/TC 211 (Geographic information/Geomatics) and the OGC established a cooperative agreement in 

1998. The purpose of this agreement is to establish an understanding between ISO/TC 211 and the OGC. 

This agreement formalizes the intention of ISO/TC 211 and OGC to cooperate and enables the development 

of a series of agreed specifications based on other related standards.

Under this agreement, the OGC has adopted five ISO/TC 211 standards as abstract specifications on which 

to base its own work on implementation of specifications. Also, a number of standards initially developed 

by the OGC have been brought to ISO/TC 211 and, after further development, published as ISO 

International Standards. These include eight ISO/TC211 standards and two draft standards, including ISO 

19123 and ISO 1914242. 

6. Use of ISO and IEC Standards in the USA

6.1 Adoption of ISO and IEC Standards as American National Standards (ANS)

6.1.1 Alignment of ANS with ISO and IEC Increased 

In the U.S.A., the number of ISO and IEC standards adopted as ANS rapidly increased from 15 (0.2 %) out 

of some 8,500 standards in 1987, 150 (1.3 %) out of around 11,500 standards in 1996, to 1,576 (15.5 %) out 

of 10,144 ANS in May 2012 (See Table 12). 

The current alignment ratio (15.5 %) of the U.S.A. is low compared to major trade partners of the U.S.A.

Canada adopted 1,376 ISO standards, representing 36.4 % of its 3,776 national standards 43 at the end of Dec 

 

40 More information can be found at http://www.isotc211.org/Agreements/Agreement_OGC.pdf

41 In July 2006, the EPC Gen 2 protocol was approved and adopted by the International Standards Organization as ISO 18000-6C 

standard.

42 More information can be found at Standards Guide -- ISO TC 211 Geographic Information/Geomatics (see page 98), available at 

http://www.isotc211.org/Outreach/ISO_TC_211_Standards_Guide.pdf

43 ISO, 2009, ISO Members
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25

2008, and today it is estimated that around 35 % of national standards of Canada are harmonized with ISO 

and IEC44. Other trading partners have similar high rates of harmonization. In 2009, the rate of ISO/IEC 

harmonization was 28 % by China, 63 % by Japan, and 55 % by Korea.45. In Europe, 41.8 % of the 

European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical 

Standardization (CENELEC) standards are identical to ISO and IEC standards, and 56.1 % are based on ISO 

and IEC standards46. The still relatively low formal adoption of ISO and IEC standards in the U.S.A. is 

likely an outcome of our unique and diverse standards system with some 230 ANSI-accredited standards 

developers, many of which develop ANS and other standards that are also used globally. ANSI, as the sole 

U.S.A. Member Body to ISO, and through the USNC to IEC, has the rights to nationally adopt ISO and IEC 

standards. However, ANSI does not develop or adopt standards itself and, instead, may assign its rights to 

nationally adopt an ISO or IEC document to an ANSI-Accredited Standards Developer (ASD). Eligible 

ASDs adopt identical or modified ISO and IEC documents as ANS.

Table 12 ANS47 Adoption from ISO, IEC Standards (1987, 1996, 2012)

Total 198748 199649 May 201250

ANS (ANSI) 8,500 (estimation) 11,500 (estimation) 10,144

ANS adoption from ISO, IEC 15 150 (estimation) 1,576

Adoption ratio (%) 0.2% 1.3% 15.5%

6.1.2 The Case of UL: Adoption or Alignment?

The adoption of ISO or IEC standards as ANS may not be a simple, one-way process, but an interactive 

cooperation or alignment process. In addition to the organizational agreement-based cooperation described 

in Section 5, there have been different types of cooperation by U.S.A.-domiciled SDOs. Such cooperation 

may result in alignment of ISO or IEC standards with the US-domiciled SDO’s standards. The case 

described here of UL standards alignment with IEC standards is part of the 10,144 ANS adoption in Table 

12.

 

44 The Canadian Standards Strategy since 2000 has promoted the adoption of international standards.

45 Two internal survey reports in 2005 and 2010 conducted by Korean Standards Association (KSA). This data was provided by the 

author Dr. Dong Geun Choi.

46 CEN-CENELEC, 2012, CEN-CENELEC Quarterly Statistical Pack for 2012 Quarter 2, available at 

http://www.cencenelec.eu/aboutus/InFigures/Pages/default.aspx.

47 ANSI approved standards. Its designation procedure is available at www.ansi.org.

48 Cooke, Patrick W. (1988) “A Review of U.S. Participation in International Standards Activities (NBSIR 88-2698)”, NIST: 

Gaithersburg.

49 Toth, B. (1996). NIST Special Publication 912 “Profiles of National Standards-Related Activities” (See the section of the United 

States, page 144), available at http://gsi.nist.gov/global/docs/pubs/NISTSP_912.pdf

50 The statistics and comments are from personal communication with Gary Kushnier and Anne Caldas of ANSI.
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26

6.1.2.1 52 UL-IEC Aligned Standards51

UL is a global independent company in existence for more than 100 years. UL has aligned quite a few of

their standards with relevant IEC standards. As of Jan 2014, there are over 75 UL/IEC standards, as listed in

UL’s standards catalogue52. UL/IEC standards are U.S.A. adoptions of the IEC standards, with U.S.A.

national differences. These 52 UL-IEC harmonized standards include UL 60065 ‘Standard for Audio, 

Video and Similar Electronic Apparatus - Safety Requirements’ (IEC 60065) and UL 62108 ‘Concentrator 

Photovoltaic (CPV) Modules and Assemblies - Design Qualification and Type Approval’ (IEC 62108).

6.2 Referencing ISO and IEC Standards in U.S.A. Regulations

Since the late 1990s, the NTTAA legislation and OMB Circular A-119 have served to significantly improve 

the efficiency of the U.S.A. federal government’s use of standards in regulations by requiring federal 

agencies to select voluntary consensus standards whenever possible instead of developing unique

government standards. NIST coordinates and monitors the implementation of the NTTAA within U.S.A.

federal agencies, and maintains the Standards Incorporated by Reference (SIBR)

53 database for 

informational purposes. The SIBR notes the number of times an SDO has a standard incorporated into a 

regulation and how often the standard is referenced in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). A standard 

may be referenced more than once in the CFR. According to the SIBR, 3,64454 voluntary consensus 

standards have been incorporated by reference, and these standards have been cited a total of 9,486 times in 

the CFR as of July 2012.

As indicated in Table 13, the number of ISO and IEC standards annually incorporated by reference into

U.S.A. regulations more than doubled from 70 standards and 205 citations in January 2002 to 172 standards

and 419 citations in July 2012. The total number of all standards incorporated by reference and cited in the 

CFR held steady during the years (3,763 standards, 9,477 citations in 2002 and 3,644 standards, 9,486 

citations in 2012). Therefore the ratio of the total incorporated and cited ISO and IEC standards compared to 

all incorporated and cited standards in the CFR more than doubled from 1.86 % (70 out of 3,763) to 4.72 % 

(172 out of 3,644) incorporated, and from 2.16 % (205 out of 9,477) to 4.42 % (419 out of 9,486) cited. The 

use of ISO and IEC standards in the U.S.A. regulations has increased in actual numbers and in frequency.

 

51 Source: http://ulstandardsinfonet.ul.com/catalog/

52 Source: http://ulstandardsinfonet.ul.com/catalog/stduliec.html

53 The SIBR Database Administration System is operated by NIST, available at http://standards.gov/sibr/query/index.cfm.

54 The number of standards can vary by counting method for different parts of a standard, or old-newer versions of one standard.
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27

Table 13 ISO and IEC Standards Incorporated by Reference in the U.S.A. Regulations55

Classification Number of 

Standards

Instances of 

References

Year 2002 2012 2002 2012

Total Standards Incorporated 3,763 3,644 9,477 9,486

Total ISO & IEC Standards Incorporated 70 172 205 419

Ratio of Total ISO & IEC Standards Incorporated 

Compared to All Standards Incorporated

1.86% 4.72% 2.16% 4.42%

7. Summary 

7.1 Participation in ISO and IEC

This report compared the U.S.A.’s past and current participation with that of other countries in the two 

international standardization organizations, ISO and IEC.

As of Dec 2012, the U.S.A. has 71 (76.3 %) P-members out of 224 TCs in ISO, and 162 (86.6%) out of 

187 TC/SCs in IEC. Figure 3 shows that the P-memberships of the U.S.A. in ISO and IEC have

increased since 1986. The ratio has been calculated by the number of TCs for ISO (1986, 1998, and 

2012) and IEC (1998). The ratio for IEC in 1986 and 2012 were calculated with the number of TCs plus 

SCs due to the data availability. 

Figure 3 U.S.A. P-Memberships in ISO and IEC Increased in 1986 to 2012

U.S.A. holds 117 (15.9 %) out of 737 ISO secretariats, ranking 2

nd behind by Germany; and 24th

(12.8 %) out of 187 IEC secretariats, ranking 4

th behind Germany, France, and Japan. Figure 4 shows 

U.S.A. secretariats had increased by 1998, but declined from 1998 to 2012. The 2012 data for ISO is 

 

55 This table is based on the SIBR Database internally available at NIST. The 2002 data is as of January 2002, and the 2012 data is 

as of July 2012. While NIST makes every effort to continuously update the SIBR Database to reflect changes to standards 

referenced in the CFR, NIST cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the SIBR Database.
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28

based on its 2011 Annual Report (Jan 2012) and for IEC is based on its 2012 Activity Report (Sep 

2012).

Figure 4 U.S.A. Secretariats Increased in 1966 to 1998, and Declined in 1998 to 2012

Also, U.S.A. holds 509 (20.2 %) out of 2,516 ISO WG convenors, ranking 1

st in the world; and 31

(16.6 %) out of 187 IEC TC/SC chairs, ranking 2

nd behind Germany. Figure 5 shows that USA’s 

convenors in ISO WGs have slightly decreased by 0.9 % while chairs in IEC TC/SCs have increased by 

3.6% during 1998-2012. The 2012 data for ISO is based on its 2011 Annual Report (Jan 2012) and for 

IEC is based on its 2012 Activity Report (Sep 2012).

Figure 5 U.S.A. Convenor in ISO Decreased and Chair in IEC Increased in 1998 to 2012

7.2 Agreement-Based Participation in ISO and IEC

In addition to ANSI and USNC, the U.S.A. participates in ISO and IEC through cooperative agreements 

negotiated by U.S.A.-domiciled standards organizations. This report includes descriptions of five

agreements by three standards developers. Table 14 presents the five agreement-based SDO entities that

jointly developed (adopted) 114 standards. In addition to these five agreements is the PAS Submitter 

procedure for JTC1, which produced 115 PASs.
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29

Table 14 Agreement-Based Participation in ISO and IEC

SDOs Agreement Type Related Standards

IEEE-ISO PSDO Agreement (2008 to present) 51 standards

IEEE-ISO Dual Logo Agreement (2002 to present) 23 standards

ASTM-ISO (TC85) Pilot Program (1999 to 2004) 25 standards

ASTM-ISO (TC261) PSDO Agreement (2011 to present) (under development)

OGC-ISO TC211 Cooperative Agreement (1998) 15 standards

114 standards

7.3 U.S.A. Standards and Regulations Aligned with ISO and IEC Standards

In 1986, there were only 15 ANS adopted from ISO, constituting only 0.2 % of 8,400 ANS56. As 

presented in Figure 6, the number of ISO or IEC standards adopted as ANS increased to150 (1.3 %) out 

of 11,500 in 1996, and then to 1,576 (15.5 %) out of 10,144 ANS as of May 2012. The adoption of ISO 

or IEC standards as ANS may be a more interactive cooperation or alignment process; such cooperation may 

result in alignment of ISO or IEC standards with the standards of US-domiciled SDOs, including 85 

API/ISO standards and 52 UL/IEC standards.

Figure 6 Adoption of ISO and IEC 1986-2012

According to the Standards Incorporated by Reference (SIBR)

57 database operated by NIST, the use of ISO 

and IEC standards in U.S.A. regulations has more than doubled during 2002 to 2012 in actual numbers and 

in its frequency. Figure 7 proves that the frequency of ISO and IEC standards incorporated in the SIBR 

database more than doubled from 1.86 % (70 out of 3,763) to 4.72 % (172 out of 9,477) and from 2.16 % 

(205 out of 9,477) to 4.42 % (419 out of 9,486) by the number of standards referenced. 

 

56 The list of the 15 ANS/ISO standards is available at Table 5 (p. 61) in the Cooke, Patrick W. (1988). See footnote 26. 

57 The SIBR Database Administration System is operated by NIST, available at http://standards.gov/sibr/query/index.cfm.
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Figure 7 Incorporation by Reference of ISO and IEC 2002-2012
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Annex 1. Membership Comparison of ISO, IEC, and UN (Dec 2012)

Membership comparison is based on the websites of ISO and IEC, both accessed on Dec 31, 2012.

 

58 ISO Membership (164 countries); Full: Full member (member body) (112) (Correspond: Correspondent member (48); Subscriber: 

Subscriber member (4); -: not a member (32).

59 IEC Membership (82 countries); Full: Full member (60); Associate: Associate member (22); -: not a member (114).

60 ISO Committee participation: P-membership + O-membership.

61 IEC Committee participation: P-membership + O-membership.

62 UN Membership: UN has 193 members in 2012, and three ISO correspondent members listed here are not UN members – Hong 

Kong, China; Macau, China; Palestine.

Country ISO58

Memb.

IEC59

Memb.

ISO60

Comm.

IEC61

Comm.

UN62

Memb.

Afghanistan Correspond - 0 - Yes

Albania Correspond Associate 4 2 Yes

Algeria Full Full 56 2 Yes

Andorra - - - - Yes

Angola Correspond - 1 - Yes

Antigua and Barbuda Subscriber - 0 - Yes

Argentina Full Full 345 21 Yes

Armenia Full - 41 - Yes

Australia Full Full 439 139 Yes

Austria Full Full 531 165 Yes

Azerbaijan Full - 10 - Yes

Bahamas - - - - Yes

Bahrain Full Associate 9 0 Yes

Bangladesh Full - 20 - Yes

Barbados Full - 34 - Yes

Belarus Full Full 163 40 Yes

Belgium Full Full 545 168 Yes

Belize - - - - Yes

Benin Correspond - 1 - Yes

Bhutan Correspond - 6 - Yes

Bolivia Correspond - 12 - Yes

Bosnia and 

Herzegovina

Full Associate 90 2 Yes

Botswana Full - 30 - Yes

Brazil Full Full 326 117 Yes

Brunei Darussalam Correspond - 5 - Yes

Bulgaria Full Full 357 148 Yes

Burkina Faso Correspond - 2 - Yes
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Burundi Correspond - 2 - Yes

Cambodia Correspond - 0 - Yes

Cameroon Full - 33 - Yes

Canada Full Full 361 115 Yes

Cape Verde - - - - Yes

Central African 

Republic

- - - - Yes

Chad - - - - Yes

Chile Full Full 115 2 Yes

China Full Full 706 177 Yes

Colombia Full Full 145 11 Yes

Comoros - - - - Yes

Congo, The 

Democratic Republic of 

the

Full - 16 - Yes

Congo, the Republic of 

the

Correspond - 1 - Yes

Costa Rica Full - 28 - Yes

Côte d'Ivoire Full - 51 - Yes

Croatia Full Full 184 69 Yes

Cuba Full Associate 202 5 Yes

Cyprus Full Associate 78 2 Yes

Czech Republic Full Full 595 175 Yes

Denmark Full Full 324 173 Yes

Djibouti - - - - Yes

Dominica Correspond - 0 - Yes

Dominican Republic Correspond - 1 - Yes

Ecuador Full - 93 - Yes

Egypt Full Full 291 49 Yes

El Salvador Correspond - 9 - Yes

Equatorial Guinea - - - - Yes

Eritrea Correspond - 1 - Yes

Estonia Full Associate 76 0 Yes

Ethiopia Full - 128 - Yes

Fiji Full - 10 - Yes

Finland Full Full 560 173 Yes

France Full Full 724 177 Yes

Gabon Full - 6 - Yes

Gambia Correspond - 2 - Yes

Georgia Correspond Associate 1 0 Yes

Germany Full Full 718 177 Yes

Ghana Full - 28 - Yes

Greece Full Full 196 107 Yes
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Grenada - - - - Yes

Guatemala Correspond - 0 - Yes

Guinea Correspond - 0 - Yes

Guinea-Bissau - - - - Yes

Guyana Correspond - 0 - Yes

Haiti - - - - Yes

Honduras Subscriber - 0 - Yes

Hong Kong, China 2.Corr, - 237 - -

Hungary Full Full 480 140 Yes

Iceland Full Associate 152 2 Yes

India Full Full 610 155 Yes

Indonesia Full Full 223 67 Yes

Iran, Islamic Republic 

of

Full Full 399 46 Yes

Iraq Full Full 35 7 Yes

Ireland Full Full 286 116 Yes

Israel Full Full 221 96 Yes

Italy Full Full 666 177 Yes

Jamaica Full - 101 Yes

Japan Full Full 687 176 Yes

Jordan Full Associate 22 4 Yes

Kazakhstan Full Associate 78 4 Yes

Kenya Full Associate 206 5 Yes

Kiribati - - - - Yes

Korea, Democratic 

People's Republic

Full - 95 - Yes

Korea, Republic of Full Full 711 174 Yes

Kuwait Full - 7 - Yes

Kyrgyzstan Correspond - 0 - Yes

Lao People's 

Democratic Rep.

Subscriber - 0 - Yes

Latvia Correspond Associate 3 0 Yes

Lebanon Full - 20 - Yes

Lesotho Correspond - 3 - Yes

Liberia Correspond - 0 - Yes

Libya Full Full 36 0 Yes

Liechtenstein - - - Yes

Lithuania Full Associate 61 0 Yes

Luxembourg Full Full 57 5 Yes

Macau, China Correspond - 0 - -

Madagascar Correspond - 1 - Yes

Malawi Correspond - 3 - Yes

Malaysia Full Full 265 105 Yes
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Maldives - - - - Yes

Mali Full - 11 - Yes

Malta Full Associate 40 4 Yes

Marshall Islands - - - - Yes

Mauritania Correspond - 2 - Yes

Mauritius Full - 67 - Yes

Mexico Full Full 99 90 Yes

Micronesia (Federated 

States of)

- - - - Yes

Moldova, Republic of Correspond Associate 41 3 Yes

Monaco - - - - Yes

Mongolia Full - 147 - Yes

Montenegro Correspond Associate 11 0 Yes

Morocco Full Associate 74 0 Yes

Mozambique Correspond - 2 - Yes

Myanmar Correspond - 0 - Yes

Namibia Full - 17 - Yes

Nauru - - - - Yes

Nepal Correspond - 1 - Yes

Netherlands Full Full 596 159 Yes

New Zealand Full Full 167 120 Yes

Nicaragua Correspond - 0 - Yes

Niger Correspond - 0 - Yes

Nigeria Full Associate 33 3 Yes

Norway Full Full 371 165 Yes

Oman Full Full 23 27 Yes

Pakistan Full Full 158 68 Yes

Palau - - - - Yes

Palestine Correspond - 5 - -

Panama Full - 2 - Yes

Papua New Guinea Correspond - 1 - Yes

Paraguay Correspond - 0 - Yes

Peru Full - 23 - Yes

Philippines, Republic of 

the

Full Full 118 7 Yes

Poland Full Full 643 175 Yes

Portugal Full Full 348 127 Yes

Qatar Full Full 27 1 Yes

Romania Full Full 687 162 Yes

Russian Federation Full Full 622 168 Yes

Rwanda Correspond - 4 - Yes

Saint Kitts and Nevis - - - - Yes
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35

Saint Lucia Full - 5 - Yes

Saint Vincent and the 

Grenadines

Subscriber - 0 - Yes

Samoa - - - - Yes

San Marino - - - - Yes

Sao Tome and Principe - - - - Yes

Saudi Arabia Full Full 160 19 Yes

Senegal Full - 6 - Yes

Serbia Full Full 471 152 Yes

Seychelles Correspond - 3 - Yes

Sierra Leone Correspond - 2 - Yes

Singapore Full Full 139 96 Yes

Slovakia Full Full 444 101 Yes

Slovenia Full Full 77 93 Yes

Solomon Islands - - - - Yes

Somalia - - - - Yes

South Africa Full Full 431 127 Yes

South Sudan - - - - Yes

Spain Full Full 625 176 Yes

Sri Lanka Full Associate 160 4 Yes

Sudan Full - 11 - Yes

Suriname Correspond - 0 - Yes

Swaziland Correspond - 13 - Yes

Sweden Full Full 536 176 Yes

Switzerland Full Full 540 147 Yes

Syrian Arab Republic Full - 18 - Yes

Tajikistan Correspond - 11 - Yes

Tanzania, United 

Republic of

Full - 141 - Yes

Thailand Full Full 280 79 Yes

The former Yugoslav 

Republic of Macedonia

Full Associate 10 1 Yes

Timor-Leste - - - - Yes

Togo Correspond - 1 - Yes

Tonga - - - - Yes

Trinidad and Tobago Full - 72 - Yes

Tunisia Full Associate 163 4 Yes

Turkey Full Full 365 91 Yes

Turkmenistan Correspond - 0 - Yes

Tuvalu - - - - Yes

Uganda Full - 22 - Yes

Ukraine Full Full 337 160 Yes

United Arab Emirates Full Full 20 0 Yes
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United Kingdom Full Full 726 175 Yes

Uruguay Full - 52 - Yes

USA Full Full 620 162 Yes

Uzbekistan Full - 7 - Yes

Vanuatu - - - - Yes

Venezuela (Bolivarian 

Republic of) 

- - - - Yes

Viet Nam Full Associate 73 4 Yes

Yemen Full - 5 - Yes

Zambia Correspond - 6 - Yes

Zimbabwe Full - 49 - Yes

Total 164

members

82

members

- - 193

members
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Annex 2. List of ISO and IEC Technical Committees

A2.1 List of 224 ISO Technical Committees (Dec 2012)

TC # TC’s Title Standards 

published

Work 

program

JTC 1 Information technology 2574 573

JPC 2 Joint Project Committee - Energy efficiency and 

renewable energy sources - Common terminology

0 2

TC 1 Screw threads 23 2

TC 2 Fasteners 188 7

TC 4 Rolling bearings 76 12

TC 5 Ferrous metal pipes and metallic fittings 67 2

TC 6 Paper, board and pulps 175 34

TC 8 Ships and marine technology 273 70

TC 10 Technical product documentation 144 18

TC 11 Boilers and pressure vessels 2 0

TC 12 Quantities and units 16 8

TC 14 Shafts for machinery and accessories 8 0

TC 17 Steel 316 56

TC 18 Zinc and zinc alloys - STANDBY 11 0

TC 19 Preferred numbers - STANDBY 3 0

TC 20 Aircraft and space vehicles 560 109

TC 21 Equipment for fire protection and fire fighting 98 7

TC 22 Road vehicles 745 198

TC 23 Tractors and machinery for agriculture and forestry 340 79

TC 24 Particle characterization including sieving 54 13

TC 25 Cast irons and pig irons 16 2

TC 26 Copper and copper alloys 38 0

TC 27 Solid mineral fuels 104 8

TC 28 Petroleum products and lubricants 247 24

TC 29 Small tools 418 88

TC 30 Measurement of fluid flow in closed conduits 44 7

TC 31 Tires, rims and valves 75 17

TC 33 Refractories 80 6

TC 34 Food products 796 82

TC 35 Paints and varnishes 234 37

TC 36 Cinematography 118 3

TC 37 Terminology and other language and content resources 39 16

TC 38 Textiles 356 56

TC 39 Machine tools 161 26

TC 41 Pulleys and belts (including veebelts) 81 20
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TC 42 Photography 179 22

TC 43 Acoustics 196 40

TC 44 Welding and allied processes 292 50

TC 45 Rubber and rubber products 434 42

TC 46 Information and documentation 113 18

TC 47 Chemistry 118 0

TC 48 Laboratory equipment 110 0

TC 51 Pallets for unit load method of materials handling 15 5

TC 52 Light gauge metal containers 13 0

TC 54 Essential oils 129 9

TC 58 Gas cylinders 91 32

TC 59 Buildings and civil engineering works 112 16

TC 60 Gears 67 8

TC 61 Plastics 625 84

TC 63 Glass containers 29 3

TC 67 Materials, equipment and offshore structures for 

petroleum, petrochemical and natural gas industries

182 74

TC 68 Financial services 48 28

TC 69 Applications of statistical methods 93 28

TC 70 Internal combustion engines 63 12

TC 71 Concrete, reinforced concrete and pre-stressed concrete 30 22

TC 72 Textile machinery and accessories 184 11

TC 74 Cement and lime 8 0

TC 76 Transfusion, infusion and injection, and blood processing 

equipment for medical and pharmaceutical use

61 5

TC 77 Products in fiber reinforced cement 7 0

TC 79 Light metals and their alloys 114 4

TC 81 Common names for pesticides and other agrochemicals 10 2

TC 82 Mining 36 0

TC 83 Sports and recreational equipment 68 8

TC 84 Devices for administration of medicinal products and 

intravascular catheters

36 13

TC 85 Nuclear energy, nuclear technologies, and radiological 

protection

175 54

TC 86 Refrigeration and air-conditioning 23 12

TC 87 Cork 46 2

TC 89 Wood-based panels 42 8

TC 91 Surface active agents 77 4

TC 92 Fire safety 115 33

TC 93 Starch (including derivatives and by-products) 26 2

TC 94 Personal safety -- Protective clothing and equipment 109 46

TC 96 Cranes 103 14

TC 98 Bases for design of structures 20 5
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TC 100 Chains and chain sprockets for power transmission and 

conveyors

17 3

TC 101 Continuous mechanical handling equipment 37 0

TC 102 Iron ore and direct reduced iron 71 21

TC 104 Freight containers 52 5

TC 105 Steel wire ropes 26 2

TC 106 Dentistry 162 40

TC 107 Metallic and other inorganic coatings 134 11

TC 108 Mechanical vibration, shock and condition monitoring 157 21

TC 109 Oil and gas burners 2 0

TC 110 Industrial trucks 54 17

TC 111 Round steel link chains, chain slings, components and 

accessories

20 3

TC 112 Vacuum technology 21 3

TC 113 Hydrometry 72 10

TC 114 Horology 32 1

TC 115 Pumps 24 3

TC 117 Fans 24 6

TC 118 Compressors and pneumatic tools, machines and 

equipment

69 15

TC 119 Powder metallurgy 74 9

TC 120 Leather 21 6

TC 121 Anesthetic and respiratory equipment 84 32

TC 122 Packaging 73 18

TC 123 Plain bearings 74 2

TC 126 Tobacco and tobacco products 68 10

TC 127 Earth-moving machinery 157 35

TC 129 Aluminum ores - STANDBY 17 0

TC 130 Graphic technology 70 21

TC 131 Fluid power systems 218 47

TC 132 Ferroalloys 31 0

TC 133 Sizing systems and designations for clothes 15 3

TC 134 Fertilizers and soil conditioners 30 5

TC 135 Non-destructive testing 71 26

TC 136 Furniture 25 2

TC 137 Footwear sizing designations and marking systems 1 1

TC 138 Plastics pipes, fittings and valves for the transport of 

fluids

309 37

TC 142 Cleaning equipment for air and other gases 8 14

TC 145 Graphical symbols 27 134

TC 146 Air quality 135 31

TC 147 Water quality 268 40

TC 148 Sewing machines 9 0
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TC 149 Cycles 16 17

TC 150 Implants for surgery 135 36

TC 153 Valves 25 10

TC 154 Processes, data elements and documents in commerce, 

industry and administration

26 2

TC 155 Nickel and nickel alloys 55 2

TC 156 Corrosion of metals and alloys 63 28

TC 157 Non-systemic contraceptives and STI barrier 

prophylactics

13 1

TC 158 Analysis of gases 23 6

TC 159 Ergonomics 119 15

TC 160 Glass in building 40 9

TC 161 Control and protective devices for gas and/or oil burners 

and appliances

10 4

TC 162 Doors and windows 21 1

TC 163 Thermal performance and energy use in the built

environment

104 26

TC 164 Mechanical testing of metals 81 37

TC 165 Timber structures 30 12

TC 166 Ceramic ware, glassware and glass ceramic ware in 

contact with food

6 0

TC 167 Steel and aluminum structures 4 0

TC 168 Prosthetics and orthotics 21 3

TC 170 Surgical instruments 6 0

TC 171 Document management applications 81 6

TC 172 Optics and photonics 290 60

TC 173 Assistive products for persons with disability 73 12

TC 174 Jewelry 17 12

TC 176 Quality management and quality assurance 22 6

TC 178 Lifts, escalators and moving walks 33 5

TC 179 Masonry - STANDBY 3 0

TC 180 Solar energy 16 6

TC 181 Safety of toys 5 8

TC 182 Geotechnics 48 17

TC 183 Copper, lead, zinc and nickel ores and concentrates 23 6

TC 184 Automation systems and integration 749 62

TC 185 Safety devices for protection against excessive pressure 14 6

TC 186 Cutlery and table and decorative metal hollow-ware 9 0

TC 188 Small craft 101 15

TC 189 Ceramic tile 26 21

TC 190 Soil quality 138 42

TC 191 Animal (mammal) traps - STANDBY 2 0

TC 192 Gas turbines 16 3
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TC 193 Natural gas 53 9

TC 194 Biological evaluation of medical devices 30 2

TC 195 Building construction machinery and equipment 31 10

TC 197 Hydrogen technologies 17 6

TC 198 Sterilization of health care products 45 17

TC 199 Safety of machinery 44 13

TC 201 Surface chemical analysis 52 19

TC 202 Microbeam analysis 19 3

TC 203 Technical energy systems 5 0

TC 204 Intelligent transport systems 139 94

TC 205 Building environment design 17 7

TC 206 Fine ceramics 60 31

TC 207 Environmental management 29 10

TC 208 Thermal turbines for industrial application (steam 

turbines, gas expansion turbines) - STANDBY

2 0

TC 209 Cleanrooms and associated controlled environments 12 7

TC 210 Quality management and corresponding general aspects 

for medical devices

18 12

TC 211 Geographic information/Geomatics 65 20

TC 212 Clinical laboratory testing and in vitro diagnostic test 

systems

25 5

TC 213 Dimensional and geometrical product specifications and 

verification

117 46

TC 214 Elevating work platforms 8 3

TC 215 Health informatics 113 55

TC 216 Footwear 69 15

TC 217 Cosmetics 21 6

TC 218 Timber 59 16

TC 219 Floor coverings 73 10

TC 220 Cryogenic vessels 20 4

TC 221 Geosynthetics 34 13

TC 222 Personal financial planning - STANDBY 1 0

TC 223 Societal security 7 6

TC 224 Service activities relating to drinking water supply 

systems and wastewater systems - Quality criteria of the 

service and performance indicators

3 1

TC 225 Market, opinion and social research 2 0

TC 226 Materials for the production of primary aluminum 113 7

TC 227 Springs 4 2

TC 228 Tourism and related services 12 14

TC 229 Nanotechnologies 33 13

TC 232 Learning services for non-formal education and training 1 1

TC 234 Fisheries and aquaculture 3 8
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TC 236 Project Committee: Project Management 1 0

TC 238 Solid biofuels 0 28

TC 240 Project Committee: Product recall 0 1

TC 241 Road traffic safety management systems 1 0

TC 242 Energy Management 1 5

TC 243 Project Committee: Consumer product safety 0 1

TC 244 Industrial furnaces and associated processing equipment 5 4

TC 245 Project Committee: Cross-border trade of second-hand 

goods

0 1

TC 247 Fraud countermeasures and controls 1 3

TC 248 Project committee: Sustainability criteria for bioenergy 0 1

TC 249 Traditional Chinese medicine 0 2

TC 250 Project committee: Sustainability in event management 1 0

TC 251 Project committee: Asset management 0 3

TC 252 Project committee: Natural gas fuelling stations for 

vehicles

0 2

TC 253 Project committee: Treated wastewater re-use for 

irrigation

0 5

TC 254 Safety of amusement rides and amusement devices 0 3

TC 255 Biogas 0 0

TC 256 Pigments, dyestuffs and extenders 84 0

TC 257 General technical rules for determination of energy 

savings in renovation projects, industrial enterprises and 

regions

0 4

TC 258 Project, program and portfolio management 0 1

TC 259 Project committee: Outsourcing 0 1

TC 260 Human resource management 0 2

TC 261 Additive manufacturing 0 7

TC 262 Risk management 2 1

TC 263 Coalbed methane (CBM) 0 0

TC 264 Fireworks 0 0

TC 265 Carbon dioxide capture, transportation, and geological 

storage

0 0

TC 266 Biomimetics 0 3

TC 267 Facilities management 0 2

TC 268 Sustainable development in communities 0 2

TC 269 Railway applications 0 0

TC 270 Plastic and rubber machines 0 0

PC 271 Compliance programs 0 1

PC 272 Forensic sciences 0 1

PC 273 Customer contact centers 0 0

TC 274 Light and lighting 0 0
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A2.2 List of 97 IEC Technical Committees (Dec 2012)

TC # TC’s Title P- & OMembersStandards 

published

Work 

program

ISO/IEC 

JTC 1

Information technology 0 498 0

ISO/IEC 

JPC 2

Energy efficiency and renewable energy 

sources - Common international terminology

40 0 2

TC 1 Terminology 38 110 8

TC 2 Rotating machinery 45 63 9

TC 3 Information structures, documentation and 

graphical symbols

31 44 13

TC 4 Hydraulic turbines 34 32 3

TC 5 Steam turbines 26 7 0

TC 7 Overhead electrical conductors 37 30 5

TC 8 Systems aspects for electrical energy supply 44 7 4

TC 9 Electrical equipment and systems for railways 39 84 39

TC 10 Fluids for electrotechnical applications 40 53 4

TC 11 Overhead lines 38 16 1

TC 13 Electrical energy measurement, tariff- and load 

control

47 53 16

TC 14 Power transformers 47 45 9

TC 15 Solid electrical insulating materials 39 219 15

TC 17 Switchgear and controlgear 49 0 0

TC 18 Electrical installations of ships and of mobile 

and fixed offshore units

30 42 13

TC 20 Electric cables 53 209 15

TC 21 Secondary cells and batteries 42 43 9

TC 22 Power electronic systems and equipment 38 10 2

TC 23 Electrical accessories 52 5 2

TC 25 Quantities and units 27 38 10

TC 26 Electric welding 29 19 9

TC 27 Industrial electroheating and electromagnetic 

processing

27 31 10

TC 28 Insulation co-ordination 38 10 1

TC 29 Electroacoustics 36 63 10

TC 31 Equipment for explosive atmospheres 46 41 17

TC 32 Fuses 43 2 0

TC 33 Power capacitors and their applications 36 25 10

TC 34 Lamps and related equipment 48 3 1

TC 35 Primary cells and batteries 38 8 1

TC 36 Insulators 45 11 2

TC 37 Surge arresters 43 14 3
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TC 38 Instrument transformers 44 10 9

TC 40 Capacitors and resistors for electronic 

equipment

30 198 19

TC 42 High-voltage and high-current test techniques 40 14 6

TC 44 Safety of machinery - Electrotechnical aspects 34 25 8

TC 45 Nuclear instrumentation 33 37 2

TC 46 Cables, wires, waveguides, R.F. connectors, 

R.F. and microwave passive components and 

accessories

39 37 13

TC 47 Semiconductor devices 31 87 13

TC 48 Electromechanical components and mechanical 

structures for electronic equipment

33 0 0

TC 49 Piezoelectric, dielectric and electrostatic 

devices and associated materials for frequency 

control, selection and detection

25 82 12

TC 51 Magnetic components and ferrite materials 25 83 1

TC 55 Winding wires 34 141 21

TC 56 Dependability 36 64 10

TC 57 Power systems management and associated 

information exchange

44 119 40

TC 59 Performance of household and similar 

electrical appliances

43 25 3

TC 61 Safety of household and similar electrical 

appliances

53 187 8

TC 62 Electrical equipment in medical practice 44 4 0

TC 64 Electrical installations and protection against 

electric shock

50 74 9

TC 65 Industrial-process measurement, control and 

automation

40 15 13

TC 66 Safety of measuring, control and laboratory 

equipment

35 21 10

TC 68 Magnetic alloys and steels 28 42 5

TC 69 Electric road vehicles and electric industrial 

trucks

39 8 20

TC 70 Degrees of protection provided by enclosures 37 5 1

TC 72 Automatic electrical controls 33 28 3

TC 73 Short-circuit currents 35 19 2

TC 76 Optical radiation safety and laser equipment 37 29 7

TC 77 Electromagnetic compatibility 50 15 1

TC 78 Live working 40 68 10

TC 79 Alarm and electronic security systems 37 40 17

TC 80 Maritime navigation and radio communication

equipment and systems

33 49 9

TC 81 Lightning protection 47 15 4

TC 82 Solar photovoltaic energy systems 48 64 38

TC 85 Measuring equipment for electrical and 36 62 21
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45

electromagnetic quantities

TC 86 Fiber optics 42 20 6

TC 87 Ultrasonics 34 40 9

TC 88 Wind turbines 38 25 13

TC 89 Fire hazard testing 36 48 17

TC 90 Superconductivity 25 15 6

TC 91 Electronics assembly technology 32 180 36

TC 94 All-or-nothing electrical relays 31 19 6

TC 95 Measuring relays and protection equipment 33 24 6

TC 96 Transformers, reactors, power supply units, 

and combinations thereof

31 23 3

TC 97 Electrical installations for lighting and 

beaconing of aerodromes

24 5 1

TC 99 System engineering and erection of electrical 

power installations in systems with nominal 

voltages above 1 kV a.c. and 1,5 kV d.c., 

particularly concerning safety aspects

30 2 2

TC 100 Audio, video and multimedia systems and 

equipment

44 439 65

TC 101 Electrostatics 32 23 7

TC 103 Transmitting equipment for radio 

communication

29 41 5

TC 104 Environmental conditions, classification and 

methods of test

27 118 9

TC 105 Fuel cell technologies 31 13 7

TC 106 Methods for the assessment of electric, 

magnetic and electromagnetic fields associated 

with human exposure

34 15 9

TC 107 Process management for avionics 19 17 12

TC 108 Safety of electronic equipment within the field 

of audio/video, information technology and 

communication technology

41 31 3

TC 109 Insulation co-ordination for low-voltage 

equipment

33 10 1

TC 110 Electronic display devices 26 103 28

TC 111 Environmental standardization for electrical 

and electronic products and systems

33 7 13

TC 112 Evaluation and qualification of electrical 

insulating materials and systems

30 68 9

TC 113 Nanotechnology standardization for electrical 

and electronic products and systems

32 4 17

TC 114 Marine energy - Wave, tidal and other water 

current converters

22 2 9

TC 115 High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) 

transmission for DC voltages above 100 kV

23 0 2

TC 116 Safety of motor-operated electric tools 45 83 6

TC 117 Solar thermal electric plants 22 0 0
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PC 118 Smart grid user interface 25 0 0

TC 119 Printed Electronics 18 0 0

TC 120 Electrical Energy Storage (EES) Systems 20 0 0

CISPR International special committee on radio 

interference

40 0 0
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A2.3 List of Subcommittees in ISO/IEC JTC 1 and JPC 1 (Dec 2012)63,

64

Committee Description Secretariat Chairman Publication

s

JTC 1 Information technology ANSI USA 498

- SC 2 Coded character sets JISC Japan 35

 - SC 6 Telecommunications and information 

exchange between systems

KATS Korea 346

 - SC 7 Software engineering SCC Canada 150

 - SC 17 Cards and personal identification BSI UK 105

 - SC 22 Programming languages, their environments 

and system software interfaces

ANSI USA 85

 - SC 23 Optical disk cartridges for information 

interchange

JISC Japan 107

 - SC 24 Computer graphics and image processing BSI Korea 75

- SC 25 Interconnection of information technology 

equipment

DIN Germany 255

 - SC 27 IT security techniques DIN Germany 128

 - SC 28 Office equipment JISC Japan 31

 - SC 29 Coding of audio, picture, multimedia and 

hypermedia information

JISC Japan 487

 - SC 31 Automatic identification and data capture 

techniques

ANSI USA 101

 - SC 32 Data management services ANSI USA 61

 - SC 34 Document description and processing 

languages

JISC Korea 59

 - SC 35 User interfaces AFNOR France 59

 - SC 36 Information technology for learning, 

education and training

KATS USA 28

 - SC 37 Biometrics ANSI USA 75

 - SC 38 Distributed Application Platforms and 

Services (DAPS)

ANSI USA 5

 - SC 39 Sustainability for and by Information 

Technology

ANSI USA 0

 

63 More information about JTC 1 is available at http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards_development/list_of_iso_

technical committees/iso_technical_committee.htm?commid=45020

64 More information about JTC 2 (JPC 2) is available at http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards_development/

list_of_iso_technical_committees/iso_technical_committee.htm?commid=585141
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JTC 2

(JPC2)

Energy efficiency and renewable energy 

sources - Common international 

terminology

AFNOR France 0

Annex 3. List of U.S.A. Secretariats in ISO and IEC

A3.1 List of 121 ISO TC/SCs Whose Secretariat is the U.S.A. (Dec 2012)

65

JTC 1 - Information technology 

JTC 1/SC 22 - Programming languages, their environments and system software interfaces 

JTC 1/SC 31 - Automatic identification and data capture techniques 

JTC 1/SC 32 - Data management and interchange 

JTC 1/SC 37 - Biometrics 

JTC 1/SC 38 - Distributed application platforms and services 

JTC 1/SC 39 - Sustainability for and by Information Technology 

TC 4/SC 6 - Insert bearings 

TC 4/SC 9 - Tapered roller bearings 

TC 4/SC 11 - Linear motion rolling bearings 

TC 5/SC 10 - Metallic flanges and their joints 

TC 8/SC 1 - Lifesaving and fire protection 

TC 8/SC 2 - Marine environment protection 

TC 8/SC 3 - Piping and machinery 

TC 10/SC 1 - Basic conventions 

TC 11 - Boilers and pressure vessels 

TC 17/SC 11 - Steel castings 

TC 17/SC 12 - Continuous mill flat rolled products 

TC 18/SC 3Stand by - Zinc metal 

TC 20 - Aircraft and space vehicles 

TC 20/SC 13 - Space data and information transfer systems 

TC 20/SC 14 - Space systems and operations 

TC 20/SC 15 - Airframe bearings 

TC 21/SC 5 - Fixed firefighting systems using water 

TC 22/SC 10 - Impact test procedures 

TC 22/SC 11 - Safety glazing materials 

TC 22/SC 13 - Ergonomics applicable to road vehicles 

TC 22/SC 19 - Wheels 

TC 23/SC 2 - Common tests 

TC 23/SC 13 - Powered lawn and garden equipment 

TC 23/SC 14 - Operator controls, operator symbols and other displays, operator manuals 

TC 28 - Petroleum products and lubricants 

TC 28/SC 2 - Measurement of petroleum and related products 

 

65 Source: http://www.iso.org/iso/home/about/iso_members/iso_member_participation_tc.htm?member_id=2188. ISO Annual 

Report 2011 indicates that the number of U.S.A. Secretariats is 117 as of Dec 31, 2011. However, ISO website provides more 

recent data for secretariats. As of Dec 31, 2012, the U.S.A. held 121 secretariats as listed here. 
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TC 28/SC 7 - Liquid Biofuels 

TC 31 - Tires, rims and valves 

TC 31/SC 8 - Aircraft tires and rims 

TC 34/SC 16 - Horizontal methods for molecular biomarker analysis 

TC 36 - Cinematography 

TC 39/SC 2 - Test conditions for metal cutting machine tools 

TC 41/SC 4 - Synchronous belt drives 

TC 42 - Photography 

TC 43/SC 3 - Underwater acoustics 

TC 44/SC 3 - Welding consumables 

TC 46/SC 9 - Identification and description 

TC 58/SC 4 - Operational requirements for gas cylinders 

TC 60 - Gears 

TC 67/SC 4 - Drilling and production equipment 

TC 68 - Financial services 

TC 69/SC 1 - Terminology and symbols 

TC 69/SC 4 - Applications of statistical methods in process management

TC 71 - Concrete, reinforced concrete and pre-stressed concrete 

TC 71/SC 4 - Performance requirements for structural concrete 

TC 79/SC 9 - Symbolization 

TC 85/SC 6 - Reactor technology 

TC 86 - Refrigeration and air-conditioning 

TC 86/SC 1 - Safety and environmental requirements for refrigerating systems 

TC 86/SC 2 - Terms and definitions 

TC 86/SC 3 - Testing and rating of factory-made refrigeration systems 

TC 86/SC 6 - Testing and rating of air-conditioners and heat pumps 

TC 86/SC 7 - Testing and rating of commercial refrigerated display cabinets 

TC 86/SC 8 - Refrigerants and refrigeration lubricants 

TC 92/SC 2 - Fire containment 

TC 92/SC 3 - Fire threat to people and environment 

TC 94/SC 1 - Head protection 

TC 96/SC 6 - Mobile cranes 

TC 96/SC 8 - Jib cranes 

TC 104 - Freight containers 

TC 106/SC 2 - Prosthodontic materials 

TC 106/SC 8 - Dental implants 

TC 108 - Mechanical vibration, shock and condition monitoring 

TC 108/SC 5 - Condition monitoring and diagnostics of machine systems 

TC 113/SC 5 - Instruments, equipment and data management 

TC 113/SC 8 - Ground water 

TC 115/SC 3 - Installation and special application 

TC 119/SC 5 - Specifications for powder metallurgical materials 

TC 121 - Anesthetic and respiratory equipment 
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50

TC 121/SC 2 - Airways and related equipment 

TC 121/SC 3 - Lung ventilators and related equipment 

TC 121/SC 4 - Terminology and semantics 

TC 121/SC 6 - Medical gas systems 

TC 127 - Earth-moving machinery 

TC 127/SC 2 - Safety, ergonomics and general requirements 

TC 131 - Fluid power systems 

TC 131/SC 4 - Connectors and similar products and components 

TC 131/SC 9 - Installations and systems 

TC 145/SC 3 - Graphical symbols for use on equipment 

TC 146/SC 2 - Workplace atmospheres 

TC 146/SC 3 - Ambient atmospheres 

TC 146/SC 5 - Meteorology 

TC 150/SC 2 - Cardiovascular implants and extracorporeal systems 

TC 150/SC 5 - Osteosynthesis and spinal devices 

TC 150/SC 6 - Active implants 

TC 160/SC 2 - Use considerations 

TC 164/SC 4 - Toughness testing -- Fracture 

TC 164/SC 5 - Fatigue testing 

TC 171 - Document management applications 

TC 171/SC 2 - Application issues 

TC 180/SC 4 - Systems - Thermal performance, reliability and durability 

TC 184/SC 4 - Industrial data 

TC 184/SC 5 - Interoperability, integration, and architectures for enterprise systems and automation

applications 

TC 185 - Safety devices for protection against excessive pressure 

TC 189 - Ceramic tile 

TC 192 - Gas turbines 

TC 193/SC 3 - Upstream area 

TC 198 - Sterilization of health care products 

TC 201/SC 1 - Terminology 

TC 201/SC 2 - General procedures 

TC 202/SC 1 - Terminology 

TC 204 - Intelligent transport systems 

TC 205 - Building environment design 

TC 207/SC 4 - Environmental performance evaluation 

TC 209 - Cleanrooms and associated controlled environments 

TC 210 - Quality management and corresponding general aspects for medical devices 

TC 212 - Clinical laboratory testing and in vitro diagnostic test systems 

TC 214 - Elevating work platforms 

TC 215 - Health informatics 

TC 236 - Project Committee: Project Management 

TC 242 - Energy Management 
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51

TC 247 - Fraud countermeasures and controls 

TC 258 - Project, program and portfolio management 

TC 260 - Human resource management
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A3.2. List of 24 IEC TC/SCs Whose Secretariat is the U.S.A. (Dec 2012)

66 

TC 15 - Solid electrical insulating materials

TC 22/SC 22G - Adjustable speed electric drive systems incorporating semiconductor power converters

TC 37 - Surge arresters

TC 37/SC 37A - Low-voltage surge protective devices

TC 37/SC 37B - Specific components for surge arresters and surge protective devices

TC 46 - Cables, wires, waveguides, R.F. connectors, R.F. and microwave passive components and 

accessories

TC 48 - Electromechanical components and mechanical structures for electronic equipment

TC 48/SC 48B - Connectors

TC 55 - Winding wires

TC 61 - Safety of household and similar electrical appliances

TC 61/SC 61D - Appliances for air-conditioning for household and similar purposes

TC 62/SC 62A - Common aspects of electrical equipment used in medical practice

TC 62/SC 62D - Electromedical equipment

TC 65/SC 65B - Measurement and control devices

TC 65/SC 65E - Devices and integration in enterprise systems

TC 72 - Automatic electrical controls

TC 76 - Optical radiation safety and laser equipment

TC 82 - Solar photovoltaic energy systems

TC 86 - Fiber optics

TC 86/SC 86C - Fiber optic systems and active devices

TC 100/TA 2 - Color measurement and management

TC 108 - Safety of electronic equipment within the field of audio/video, information 

technology and communication technology

TC 116 - Safety of motor-operated electric tools

CISPR/CIS/A - Radio-interference measurements and statistical methods

 

66 Source: http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:34:0::::FSP_ORG_ID,FSP_LANG_ID:1046,25. Both IEC Activity Report and 

Annual Report (Oct 5, 2012) and IEC website (Dec 31, 2012) indicates that the number of U.S. Secretariats is 24 as listed here. 
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Annex 4. ISO and IEC Standards Development Stages67

This annex refers to ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1: Procedures for the technical work. An International 

Standard is the result of an agreement between the member bodies of ISO or national committees of IEC. It 

may be used as such, or may be implemented through incorporation of national standards in different 

countries. International standards are developed by ISO or IEC technical committees (TC) and 

subcommittees (SC) by a six-step process.

A4.1 Proposal Stage 

The first step in the development of an international standard is to confirm that a particular international 

standard is needed. A new work item proposal (NP) is submitted for vote by the members of the relevant TC 

or SC to determine the inclusion of the work item in the program of work.

The proposal is accepted if a majority of the P-members of the TC/SC votes in favor and if at least five Pmembers declare their commitment to participate actively in the project. At this stage a project leader 

responsible for the work item is normally appointed. 

A4.2 Preparatory Stage 

Usually, a working group of experts, the chairman (convener) of which is the project leader, is set up by the 

TC/SC for the preparation of a working draft. Successive working drafts may be considered until the 

working group is satisfied that it has developed the best technical solution to the problem being addressed. 

At this stage, the draft is forwarded to the working group's parent committee for the consensus-building 

phase.

A4.3 Committee Stage 

As soon as a first committee draft is available, it is registered by ISO Central Secretariat. It is distributed for 

comment and, if required, voting, by the P-members of the TC/SC. Successive committee drafts may be

considered until consensus is reached on the technical content. Once consensus has been attained, the text is 

finalized for submission as a draft international standard (DIS).

A4.4 Enquiry Stage 

The DIS is circulated to all ISO member bodies by ISO Central Secretariat for voting and comments within 

a period of five months. It is approved for submission as a final draft international standard (FDIS) if a twothirds majority of the P-members of the TC/SC are in favor and not more than one-quarter of the total 

number of votes cast are negative. If the approval criteria are not met, the text is returned to the originating 

 

67 More details of ISO and IEC standards development procedures and relevant rules can be found at the website: 

http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards_development/resources-for-technical-work/iso_iec_directives_and_iso_supplement.htm
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TC/SC for further study and a revised document will again be circulated for voting and comment as a DIS.

A4.5 Approval Stage 

The final draft international standard (FDIS) is circulated to all ISO member bodies by the ISO Central 

Secretariat for a final Yes/No vote within a period of two months. If technical comments are received during 

this period, they are no longer considered at this stage, but registered for consideration during a future 

revision of the international standard. The text is approved as an international standard if a two-thirds 

majority of the P-members of the TC/SC is in favor and not more than one-quarter of the total number of 

votes cast are negative. If these approval criteria are not met, the standard is referred back to the originating 

TC/SC for reconsideration in light of the technical reasons submitted in support of the negative votes 

received.

A4.6 Publication Stage 

Once a final draft international standard has been approved, only minor editorial changes, if necessary, are 

introduced into the final text. The final text is sent to the ISO Central Secretariat, who publishes the 

international standard.

A4.7 Review of International Standards (Confirmation, Revision, Withdrawal) 

All international standards are reviewed at least every five years by all ISO member bodies. A majority of 

the P-members of the TC/SC decides whether an international standard should be confirmed, revised, or 

withdrawn.

A4.8 Fast-Track Procedure 

If a document with a certain degree of maturity is available at the start of a standardization project, for 

example a standard developed by another organization, it is possible to omit certain stages. In the so-called 

"fast-track procedure,” a document is submitted directly for approval as a draft international standard (DIS) 

to ISO member bodies (stage 4) or, if the document has been developed by an international standardizing 

body recognized by ISO Council, as a final draft international standard (FDIS, stage 5), without passing 

through the previous stages.
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A4.9. ISO and IEC standards development codes68

 

68 http://www.iso.org/iso/stage_codes.pdf (used with permission from ISO)
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Annex 5. U.S.A. Laws Concerning NIST’s Role in Standardization

A5.1 Trade Agreements Act of 197969

[Sec. 2532.] Federal standards-related activities

No Federal agency may engage in any standards-related activity that creates unnecessary obstacles to the 

foreign commerce of the United States, including, but not limited to, standards-related activities that 

violate any of the following requirements: 

(1) Nondiscriminatory treatment: Each Federal agency shall ensure, in applying standards-related 

activities with respect to any imported product, that such product is treated no less favorably than are 

like domestic or imported products, including, but not limited to, when applying tests or test methods, no 

less favorable treatment with respect to (A) the acceptance of the product for testing in comparable 

situations; (B) the administration of the tests incomparable situations; (C) the fees charged for tests; (D) 

the release of test results to the exporter, importer, or agents; (E) the siting of testing facilities and the 

selection of samples for testing; and (F) the treatment of confidential information pertaining to the 

product. 

(2) Use of international standards: (A) In general, except as provided in subparagraph (B) (ii), each 

Federal agency, in developing standards, shall take into consideration international standards and shall, 

if appropriate, base the standards on international standards. (B)Application of requirement. For 

purposes of this paragraph, the following apply: (i) International standards not appropriate. The reasons 

for which the basing of a standard on an international standard may not be appropriate include, but are 

not limited to, the following: (I) National security requirements. (II)The prevention of deceptive 

practices. (III) The protection of human health or safety, animal or plant life or health, or the 

environment. (IV) Fundamental climatic or other geographical factors. (V) Fundamental technological 

problems.(ii) Regional standards In developing standards, a Federal agency may, but is not required to, 

take into consideration any international standard promulgated by an international standards

organization the membership of which is described in section 2571(6)(A)(ii) [1] of this title. (3) 

Performance criteria Each Federal agency shall, if appropriate, develop standards based on performance 

criteria, such as those relating to the intended use of a product and the level of performance that the 

product must achieve under defined conditions, rather than on design criteria, such as those relating to 

the physical form of the product or the types of material of which the product is made.

[Sec. 2543.] Representation of United States interests before international standards

organizations

(a) Oversight and consultation: The Secretary concerned shall - (1) inform, consult, and coordinate 

with, the Trade Representative with respect to international standards-related activities identified under 

paragraph (2); (2) keep adequately informed regarding international standards-related activities and 

identify those that may substantially affect the commerce of the United States; and (3) carry out such 

 

69 Source: gsi.nist.gov/global/docs/TradeAgreementsAct1979.pdf
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functions as are required under subsections (b) and (c) of this section.

(b) Representation of United States interests by private persons: (1) Definitions, For purposes of this 

subsection - (A) Organization member, The term "organization member" means the private person who 

holds membership in a private international standards organization. (B) Private international standards

organization, The term "private international standards organization" means any international standards

organization before which the interests of the United States are represented by a private person who is 

officially recognized by that organization for such purpose. (2) In general, Except as otherwise provided 

for in this subsection, the representation of United States interests before any private international 

standards organization shall be carried out by the organization member. (3) Inadequate representation 

If the Secretary concerned, after inquiry instituted on his own motion or at the request of any private 

person, Federal agency, or State agency having an interest therein, has reason to believe that the 

participation by the organization member in the proceedings of a private international standards

organization will not result in the adequate representation of United States interests that are, or may be, 

affected by the activities of such organization (particularly with regard to the potential impact of any 

such activity on the international trade of the United States), the Secretary concerned shall immediately 

notify the organization member concerned. During any such inquiry, the Secretary concerned may solicit 

and consider the advice of the appropriate representatives referred to in section 2547 of this title. (4) 

Action by organization member, If within the 90-day period after the date on which notification is 

received under paragraph (3) (or such shorter period as the Secretary concerned determines to be 

necessary in extraordinary circumstances), the organization member demonstrates to the Secretary 

concerned its willingness and ability to represent adequately United States interests before the private 

international standards organization, the Secretary concerned shall take no further action under this 

subsection. (5) Action by Secretary concerned, If - (A) within the appropriate period referred to in 

paragraph (4), the organization member does not respond to the Secretary concerned with respect to the 

notification, or does respond but does not demonstrate to the Secretary concerned the requisite 

willingness and ability to represent adequately United States interests; or (B) there is no organization 

member of the private international standards organization; the Secretary concerned shall make 

appropriate arrangements to provide for the adequate representation of United States interests. In cases 

where subparagraph (A) applies, such provision shall be made by the Secretary concerned through the 

appropriate organization member if the private international standards organization involved requires 

representation by that member.

(c) Representation of United States interests by Federal agencies: With respect to any international 

standards organization before which the interests of the United States are represented by one or more 

Federal agencies that are officially recognized by that organization for such purpose, the Secretary 

concerned shall - (1) encourage cooperation among interested Federal agencies with a view toward 

facilitating the development of a uniform position with respect to the technical activities with which the 

organization is concerned; (2) encourage such Federal agencies to seek information from, and to 

cooperate with, the affected domestic interests when undertaking such representation; and (3) not 

preempt the responsibilities of any Federal agency that has jurisdiction with respect to the activities 

undertaken by such organization, unless requested to do so by such agency.
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A5.2 The National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA) of 199570

The National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA) directs Federal agencies with respect to 

their use of private sector standards and conformity assessment practices. The Act's objective is for Federal 

agencies to adopt private sector standards, wherever possible, in lieu of creating proprietary, non-consensus 

standards.

The Act directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to bring together Federal 

agencies, as well as State and local governments, to achieve greater reliance on voluntary standards and 

decreased dependence on in-house standards. Progress toward accomplishing NTTAA aims is summarized 

in annual reports prepared by NIST, in collaboration with the Interagency Committee on Standards Policy 

(ICSP).

A5.3 OMB Circular No. A-11971

OMB Circular A-119 establishes policies on Federal use and development of voluntary consensus 

standards and on conformity assessment activities. Pub. L. 104-113, the "National Technology Transfer 

and Advancement Act of 1995," codified existing policies in A-119, established reporting requirements, 

and authorized the National Institute of Standards and Technology to coordinate conformity assessment 

activities of the agencies. OMB is issuing this revision of the Circular in order to make the terminology 

of the Circular consistent with the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995, to issue 

guidance to the agencies on making their reports to OMB, to direct the Secretary of Commerce to issue 

policy guidance for conformity assessment, and to make changes for clarity.

This Circular establishes policies to improve the internal management of the Executive Branch. 

Consistent with Section 12(d) of P.L. 104-113, the "National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act 

of 1995" (hereinafter "the Act"), this Circular directs agencies to use voluntary consensus standards in 

lieu of government-unique standards except where inconsistent with law or otherwise impractical. It also 

provides guidance for agencies participating in voluntary consensus standards bodies and describes 

procedures for satisfying the reporting requirements in the Act. The policies in this Circular are intended 

to reduce to a minimum the reliance by agencies on government-unique standards. These policies do not 

create the bases for discrimination in agency procurement or regulatory activities among standards 

developed in the private sector, whether or not they are developed by voluntary consensus standards 

bodies. Consistent with Section 12(b) of the Act, this Circular directs the Secretary of Commerce to 

issue guidance to the agencies in order to coordinate conformity assessment activities. This Circular 

replaces OMB Circular No. A-119, dated October 20, 1993.

 

70 For more information: http://www.nist.gov/standardsgov/nttaa.cfm

71 Source: http://www.nist.gov/standardsgov/omba119.cfm
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Annex 6. MOU between ANSI and NIST72

A6.1 - 1.0 Purpose 

1.1 The underlying purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is to enhance and strengthen 

the national voluntary consensus standards system of the United States and to support continued U.S.A.

competitiveness, economic growth, health, safety, and protection of the environment. 

1.2 The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the Department of Commerce and the 

American National Standards Institute (ANSI) agree on the need for a unified national approach to

develop the best possible national and international standards, as reflected by the U.S.A. National 

Standards Strategy adopted by ANSI on August 31, 2000. This approach requires the best technical 

efforts of the United States in standards to ensure that our needs and interests are considered as national 

and international standards are developed, so that our international competitiveness is strengthened. 

1.3 ANSI and NIST agree on the need for better communication within and between the private sector 

and Federal Government on voluntary standards and conformity assessment. There is a need to ensure 

the timely flow of relevant information about developments that affect those interests, and for improved 

liaison to facilitate decision-making and implement actions on standards and conformity assessment at 

the national and international levels. It is also critical that affected U.S.A. Government agencies are 

encouraged to contribute to the development and implementation of national and international voluntary 

standards. 

This MOU is intended to facilitate and strengthen the recognition of ANSI as the representative of 

U.S.A. interests at the international level by all participants, improve domestic communication and 

coordination among both private and public sector parties in the United States on voluntary standards 

issues, and increase the effectiveness of U.S.A. Government agency participation in the national and 

international voluntary standards-setting process. It is also intended to facilitate the implementation by 

both parties of the National Standards Strategy. 

A6.2 - 2.0 Agreement 

2.1 ANSI is the recognized U.S.A. member body to the International Organization for Standardization 

(ISO), and, through the U.S.A. National Committee, to the International Electrotechnical Commission 

(IEC). It is also the U.S.A. member body to the Pacific Area Standards Congress (PASC), the Pan 

American Standards Commission (COPANT), and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF). As the 

U.S.A. representative to these bodies, ANSI shall participate in the related policy-making groups and 

committees of ISO, IEC, PASC, COPANT, and IAF, and shall convene delegations and appoint 

technical groups of a broad spectrum of experts to represent the United States voluntary standards 

community in the deliberations of relevant Boards, ad hoc groups, individual Technical Committees, and 

Working Groups of these organizations. 

2.2 ANSI and NIST agree to provide a communications conduit between the voluntary, private sector, 

and government standards and conformity assessment interests. They will work together to ensure the 

 

72 Source: http://gsi.nist.gov/global/docs/ANSINISTMOU2000.pdf
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flow of relevant information about developments that affect those interests, and provide a liaison service 

to facilitate decision-making and implementation of needed actions at the national and international 

levels. 

A6.3 - 3.0 ANSI Responsibilities

3.1 ANSI is responsible for ensuring that U.S.A. interests are represented at all policy and technical 

levels within ISO and IEC. It must convene accountable and competent delegations to develop and 

present U.S.A. positions for all ISO and IEC committees for which the United States holds Technical 

Advisory Groups, including ISO and IEC Council and ISO General Assembly committees. It will 

encourage strong and effective participation by appropriate U.S.A. stakeholders in all relevant 

committees, subcommittees, and working groups. ANSI will facilitate the building of consensus on 

standards issues and provide information about international standardization activities. ANSI is 

responsible for ensuring that the various U.S.A.-based Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs) are 

informed about ISO and IEC activities and given every opportunity to participate. ANSI shall take into 

account the positions of all affected interests and shall work with them to develop and promote a single, 

coordinated U.S.A. position in all activities of the international, non-treaty organizations referenced in 

2.1. 

3.2 This MOU recognizes the desirability of direct cooperation among ANSI, SDOs, and any given 

Federal agency. Cooperation among domestic entities responsible for standards is essential to ensure the 

international competitiveness and effective representation of U.S.A. interests in private international 

standards organizations. The intent of this MOU is to recognize ANSI as the focal point for the 

exchange of information and development of representative U.S.A. positions for consideration at the 

international, non-treaty voluntary organizations referenced in 2.1. 

3.3 ANSI accredits SDOs to develop and publish American National Standards in accordance with the 

principles of openness, balance of interests, due process, and consensus. ANSI works through its 

accredited standards development process to avoid duplication and overlap in proposed standards. ANSI 

is further responsible for approving proposed standards as American National Standards, and thereby 

meeting the obligations of the World Trade Organization Code of Good Practice. 

3.4 ANSI accredits Management Systems Registrars and Product Certification Organizations in 

accordance with the relevant ISO Committee on Conformity Assessment guides and standards.

3.5 ANSI implements the National Standards Strategy through consultation with SDOs, industry, 

consumers, and government agencies. 

A6.4 - 4.0 NIST Responsibilities 

4.1 NIST’s role, under the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (Public Law 

[P.L.] 104-113) and as delegated by the Secretary of Commerce in the Office of Management and Budget 

Circular A-119 and the Trade Agreements Act of 1979 (P.L. 96-39), is to coordinate Federal activities in 

voluntary standards and to ensure adequate representation of U.S.A. interests in all relevant international 

standards organizations. NIST coordinates standards activities with responsible government agencies to 

use voluntary standards to the extent practicable, to participate appropriately in their development, and 

to ensure that they meet Federal agency needs. This MOU recognizes the responsibilities of individual 
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agencies and does not preempt the responsibility of any Federal agency or take away any authority from 

any Federal agency to pursue its legislated regulatory programs. 

4.2 NIST develops and implements means for facilitating, coordinating, and communicating information 

on voluntary standards activities among government agencies. NIST ensures that Federal agencies are 

aware of and support ANSI activities within ISO, IEC, or other private sector, international non-treaty 

standards and conformity assessment bodies such as COPANT, PASC, and the IAF. Finally, NIST will 

encourage agencies to use ANSI accredited SDOs to the extent feasible. 

4.3 NIST facilitates information exchange between Federal agencies and the private sector on voluntary 

standards activities, using electronic means of communication to the extent feasible. It works with 

ANSI, Federal agencies, and the private sector to ensure that U.S.A. interests can participate 

appropriately in international standards activities to enhance U.S.A. international competitiveness. NIST 

provides technical experts to participate in the standards development process, both nationally and 

internationally, and encourages appropriate participation by other Federal agencies. 

4.4 NIST recognizes accreditation programs for U.S.A. private sector conformity assessment activities in 

accordance with the National Voluntary Conformity Assessment System Evaluation Program (15 CFR 

Part 286). For laboratory accreditation programs, NIST accepts those laboratory accreditation bodies 

found competent by the National Cooperation for Laboratory Accreditation (NACLA) recognition 

process in accordance with the terms of the NIST-NACLA MOU, signed July 13, 2000. 

A6.5 - 5.0 Strategies 

5.1 NIST and ANSI will work on appropriate strategies for the success of the short- and long-term

national goals for standards and conformity assessment, outlined in this MOU. 

5.2 ANSI will support implementation of the National Standards Strategy and will meet U.S.A.

obligations in ISO, IEC, COPANT, and PASC. 

A6.6 - 6.0 Other Agreements 

This MOU does not take precedence over any other MOUs that ANSI may have with individual Federal 

agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or that NIST may have with other 

private sector bodies. 

A6.7 - 7.0 Annual Meeting 

The Director of NIST, ANSI’s Chairman of the Board, and ANSI’s President and Chief Executive 

Officer agree that they and other appropriate representatives from their organizations shall meet annually 

to review this MOU and its implementation. 

A6.8 - 8.0 Termination 

Either party may terminate this agreement with written notice to the other party.