GUIDE FOR U.S. DELEGATES

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American National Standards Institute25 West 43rd StreetNew York, NY 10036

Guide for U.S. Delegates

to Meetings of the

IEC and ISO

American NationalStandards Institute

Headquarters1819 L Street, NWWashington, DC 20036T: 202.293.8020F: 202.293.9287

New York Office25 West 43rd StreetNew York, NY 10036T: 212.642.4900F: 212.398.0023

E: info@ansi.orgW: www.ansi.org

Published: July 2002

2

Contents ii

Foreword: Letter from the ANSI President iii

You the Delegate 4

Who Is Involved in ISO/IEC Activities 6

How ISO/IEC Standards are Developed 9

Preparing for and Participatingin an ISO/IEC Meeting

14

Conclusion 20

More Information About . . .

ÿ� ANSI

ÿ� IEC

ÿ� ISO

ÿ� Regional Standards Bodies

21

Terms and Acronyms Used in this Publication 27

Reference Documents 29

ANSI Staff Contacts 30

Annex A: Guidelines for Determininga U.S. Voting Position

31

Note: Statistics presented throughout the Guide are current as ofDecember 31, 2001.

Contents

iii

Congratulations on your appointment as a delegate to a technical meeting of theInternational Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) or International Organizationfor Standardization (ISO). You have been chosen for your competence in a

given field and your ability to effectively present the U.S. viewpoint as part of adelegation to an international standards forum.

On behalf of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), I would like to expressour appreciation to you and the company or organization that supports your participationin international standardization activities. The United States believes that standardsdevelopment is a global effort, focused on market needs and facilitated by full and opencooperation and collaboration among industry participants worldwide. Together, we aremaking important contributions to the national economy, the elimination of non-tariffbarriers to world trade and improved safety and health for the world’s citizens.

You will be thoroughly briefed by the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG)1

responsible for determining the U.S. position on work underway within the particularIEC or ISO technical committee or subcommittee whose meeting you will be attending.You may also need an orientation on your role and responsibilities as a representative ofthe U.S. standards community on overall policy matters, especially if you’re a newlyappointed delegate.

This document contains a summary of numerous guidelines and policy statements issuedduring the past several years by ANSI and the U.S. National Committee (USNC) for theIEC. It is intended to provide you with background information about the organizationand procedures you will experience in your IEC or ISO work, as well as advice andguidance on questions such as:

Whom do you represent in international negotiations? What U.S. contributionsmay be submitted to IEC/ISO? May your delegation accept the secretariat of atechnical committee or subcommittee…or invite the technical group to meet inthe United States?

Our goal is to help public- and private-sector interests realize the vision of a single set ofinternationally recognized, technically valid standards for their sectors. Education andshared information will be critical for cooperation and future success, as will open,ongoing communications between the U.S. and its global trading partners.

Again, congratulations on your appointment. We wish you a safe and pleasant journey toyour meeting and success in your negotiations.

Dr. Mark W. Hurwitz, CAEANSI President and CEO

1 Throughout this document, the term “U.S. TAG” refers 1) to an ANSI-accredited Technical Advisory Group to an ISOtechnical committee 2) to a U.S. National Committee to the IEC (USNC) approved Technical Advisory Group to an IECtechnical committee or 3) to the Technical Advisor to a USNC-approved TAG.

You have been

chosen for your

competence in a

given field and

your ability to

effectively present

the U.S. viewpoint

as part of a

delegation to an

international

standards forum.

Foreword

4

You have been chosen as oneof the experts best able torepresent U.S. interests in the

deliberations of an IEC or ISOcommittee. You are willing to serve;your employer is willing to donate yourtime; there is an organization that iswilling to pay your expenses. You mayalso have experience on one or moredomestic standards developingcommittees.

As a newly appointed member of a U.S.delegation to a meeting of an IEC orISO Technical Committee orSubcommittee, you will be receiving anaccreditation letter from the U.S.National Committee for IEC (USNC/IEC) or from ANSI officiallyconfirming your delegate status. Asimilar acknowledgment will besubmitted to the Secretariat of therelated Technical Committee (TC) orSubcommittee (SC) and to the hostcountry where the meeting is to be held.

If you have never attended an IEC orISO meeting before, you will naturallyhave many questions about the nature ofyour responsibilities and how best tocarry them out. This booklet is intendedto answer some of those questions. It isalso intended to acquaint those whohave previously served with any recentmodifications in U.S. policies regardinginternational work.

A Representativeof the United StatesOn the IEC or ISO committee, yourepresent the American NationalStandards Institute. ANSI is the U.S.member of ISO and, through its USNC,is the U.S. member of IEC.

Because the membership of IEC andISO is comprised of national bodies

(i.e., countries), the U.S. delegation hasonly one vote. Positions on meetingagenda items are normally agreed uponbefore the international meeting throughprior meetings, letter ballots, etc. of therespective U.S. Technical AdvisoryGroup (TAG) for an IEC or ISOcommittee. Votes will either be cast vialetter ballot or by the head of thedelegation (HOD) to a particularmeeting.

The TAG is the group that has theprimary responsibility for developingU.S. positions on technical and policymatters coming before the committeeand coordinating U.S. participation inthe international committee’s work. It isthe TAG’s job to recruit delegations,arrange for their financial support,supervise the work, and determineUSNC/ANSI positions on proposedstandards. Official communicationsbetween meetings are channeledthrough the member of ISO or IEC, i.e.,ANSI or the USNC, to the appropriateU.S. TAG. As a practical matter, muchof the paperwork necessary to preparefor an international meeting is done bythe TAG’s administrator in consultationwith the TAG chairman.

Not all members of the U.S. TAG willbe able to attend the internationalmeeting, so they rely on the appointeddelegation to represent the consensusU.S. positions.

Importance of ParticipationParticipation in standards developmentactivities provides you with anopportunity to influence domestic andinternational policy, benefit from uniquenetworking opportunities and learn frominternational colleagues. It also providesa forum for the presentation of U.S.,corporate or, perhaps, personal positions

On the IEC or ISO

committee, you

represent the

American National

Standards Institute.

ANSI is the U.S.

member of ISO and,

through its USNC,

is the U.S. member

of IEC.

You the Delegate

5

and the opportunity to comment uponproposals submitted by others.

As a U.S. delegate, you will work incooperation with representatives ofstandards bodies of other countries towrite an International Standard. If youare prepared with a strong knowledge ofISO and IEC procedural requirements,your ability to effectively influence thework of the committee increasesdramatically. This becomes increasinglyimportant as U.S. businesses andorganizations more clearly recognize thestrategic importance of internationalstandards and their implications forworld trade.

The many implicit benefits ofparticipation include:

• Key contacts with industry leaders;• New business opportunities for your

organization;• Competitive intelligence (Early

involvement provides a window ontechnology implementation);

• Informal benchmarking (Under-standing where your organizationstands in the market).

To remain competitive in world trade,U.S. standards and engineering practicesmust be in line with internationalstandards, or the U.S. will facecompetitive disadvantages in exporting.

Effective global standards will also helpto eliminate excess costs, boostproductivity, satisfy consumer needsand protect the workforce and thepublic.

Ideally, the final IEC/ISO document thatyou help to produce will be acceptedand implemented in every country of theworld. However, like AmericanNational Standards, the InternationalStandards of IEC/ISO are strictlyvoluntary. They will be used byindustry, national standards bodies andgovernmental regulatory agencies onlyif they can stand on their technical meritand meet the needs of the countriesinvolved.

Even if they are not adopted out-right asnational standards, these documents arefrequently used as the basis for nationalinspection, approval and certificationsystems. From the U.S. point of view,International Standards should beequally suitable for acceptance asAmerican National Standards.

A standard that does find worldwideacceptance will eliminate one morebarrier to the free flow of internationaltrade.

As a U.S.

delegate, you will

work in

cooperation with

representatives

of standards

bodies of other

countries to

write an Inter-

national

Standard.

6

At one time, many peoplethought of standards as tedioustechnical documents having

little importance. But times havechanged, and today standardization hasmoved beyond product specificationsand service requirements to encompasssuch broad domestic issues as theenvironment, healthcare, safety andconsumer protection programs.Standards are essential tools helpingtoday’s businesses stay innovative,reduce costs, improve quality andmarket their products or services.Standards are the foundation forinnovation. They help break downbarriers to trade, provide industrystability and encourage commerce.Standards impact every organization’sbottom line and, like other significantactivities, should be managedappropriately.

International standards developedwithin the procedures of the IEC and theISO represent a global consensus of themember nations participating in thesebodies. The resulting documents havebeen developed and applied on avoluntary basis. And, in recent years, agrowing number of them have beenadopted or referenced by governmentalbodies.

Establishing New Work AreasAn International Standard may beginwith a proposal for new technical workwhere there is no current TechnicalCommittee. Such a proposal can comefrom almost any group within or outsideIEC/ISO. Technical Committees areestablished and dissolved by theTechnical Management Board (TMB) inISO and by the StandardizationManagement Board (SMB) of IEC.If the proposed work is related to thescope of an existing technicalcommittee, IEC’s Standardization

Management Board or ISO’s TechnicalManagement Board assigns it to thatcommittee. If no appropriate technicalcommittee exists, the IEC CentralOffice or ISO Central Secretariat willsurvey member bodies for interest. If atwo-thirds majority of the nationalbodies voting are in favor of theformation of a new technical committee,and if at least five are willing toparticipate actively in the work, creationof the committee may be authorized.

MembershipEvery national body that is registered asa Member Body of ISO or a NationalCommittee of the IEC has the right tomembership on any technical committeeor subcommittee of the organization towhich they belong. Members may thenchoose to participate either as an activeParticipating member (P-member) or asanObservermember (O-member) of thecommittee. National bodies with little orno interest in the technical work mayelect not to participate at all.

IEC and ISO work is also of interest tomany other international organizations;some of these make a direct technicalcontribution to the preparation of thestandards through participation as aliaison organization. Although severalcategories of liaison exist, Category Aliaisons make effective contributions tothe technical work by submitting papers,attending meetings and participating indiscussions. Category B liaisons arekept informed only. Category C liaisonsare used within ISO/IEC JTC1 only.Category D liaisons are organizationsthat have been approved for technicalliaison with a specific working group orproject team. Liaison representativesmay participate at meetings or be incorrespondence.

Who Is Involved in ISO/IEC Activities

Standards are

essential tools

helping today’s

businesses sta y

innovative,

reduce costs,

improve qualit y

and market

their products

or services

7

Technical Committeesand SubcommitteesNew technical committees must, duringthe formation process, decide upon theirown title, scope and organizationalstructure; the TMB must approve theserecommendations.

TCs that choose to divide their workinto specific subject areas may formSubcommittees, Working Groups(WGs), Project Teams (PTs) andMaintenance Teams (MTs) for specifictasks and ad hoc groups to studyprecisely defined problems.

National bodies that want to assumeleadership of specific technical workmay volunteer to serve as Secretariat(i.e., the chief administrative officer) ofa TC or SC. The Secretariat of a TC isallocated by the TMB, and theSecretariat of an SC is allocated by theparent TC. If more than one nationalbody offers to assume the secretariat,the ISO Technical Management Boardor IEC Standardization ManagementBoard makes the decision.

Holding the position of committeesecretariat is often a strategic decisionfor a member nation as this is theposition responsible for nominating thecommittee’s chairman.

Chairmen of Technical Committees areappointed by the TMB/SMB for aperiod of six years or a shorter period asmay be appropriate. Successiveextensions of three years each arepossible. The TC Chairman isresponsible for the overall managementof the TC, including oversight of theactivities of its SCs and WGs, andpresides over its meetings. He/she mustact as a representative of IEC/ISO andcannot serve as a delegate of his/hernational standardizing body or displayany bias. SC Chairmen are nominatedby the Secretariat of the SC andappointed by the TC.

Working Groups (WG)TCs or SCs may establish workinggroups for specific tasks which report totheir parent body through a Convenerappointed by that body.

In special cases, a joint WG may beestablished in which more than one ISOand/or IEC TC or SC is interested. Aproposal to establish a joint ISO/IECWG must be submitted to the TechnicalManagement Boards.

Working Groups are made up of arestricted number of individuallyappointed experts brought together todeal with the specific task or tasksallocated to the WG. The experts act ina personal capacity, but must benominated by a P-member or a liaisonorganization of the WG’s parent body.

When members of a U.S. TAGparticipate as members of the U.S.delegation to an ISO or IEC committee,they attend as representatives of ANSIand the United States – not the group ororganization that sponsored them.Representatives to Working Groups arerecognized as individual experts whohappen to be from the United States andwho may present U.S. or individualcontributions.

Maintenance Teams (IEC)Each IEC committee should set up bycorrespondence or during a TC/SCmeeting one or more maintenanceteams. These teams are groups ofexperts, designated by P-members of thecommittee, whose responsibility is tokeep a publication or a set ofpublications up to date.

Project LeadersFor the development of each project, aProject Leader (the WG Convener, adesignated expert or, if appropriate, theSecretary) will be appointed. It is thisindividual’s responsibility to bring the

Holding the

position of

committee

secretariat is

often a strategic

decision for a

member nation

as this is the

position

responsible for

nominating the

committee’s

chairman.

8

project to completion in the shortesttime possible.

ExpertsWhen a new ISO or IEC WG is formedor when the scope of an existing WG isexpanded to include new work, the U.S.is invited to officially appoint experts.The cognizant U.S. TAG carefullyconsiders the nature of the work andattempts to locate and appoint the mosttechnically qualified individual(s)available and able to serve. The namesof experts are submitted via the U.S.member body.

Before an individual agrees to serve as aU.S. expert, he/she should understandthat while much of the WG’s work willbe carried out by mail, internationalmeetings are held at critical points in theproject’s development. U.S. experts areexpected to independently obtainfinancial support so they can attendthese meetings and actively participatein the development of the work. Expertsare encouraged to keep the related TAGinformed so that, when the time comesfor the U.S. to formally vote on the draftstandard, a consistent and uniformposition can be taken.

Project TeamsDuring the process of approving a newwork item, P-members approving thework item are required to appointexperts able to participate in thedevelopment of the project. Theseexperts form a Project Team (PT)operating under the responsibility of theproject leader. (The project numberassigned to the project concerned shalldesignate a Project Team.) Once theproject has been finished, the projectteam is disbanded.

The cognizant

U.S. TAG carefull y

considers the

nature of the

work and

attempts to

locate and

appoint the

most technically

qualified

individual(s)

available and

able to serve.

9

The U.S. is committed to a beliefthat we all share a commonvision: Standards developmentis a global effort, focused on

market needs and facilitated by full andopen cooperation and collaborationamong industry participants worldwide.

However, the global standardizationsystem is addressing new challenges inhealth, safety, consumer issues andprotection of the environment as well asin the explosion of world trade andrapid changes in technology andcommunications. These challenges willresult in diverse standards needs, andthese needs cannot be addressed by arigid, top-down system ofstandardization. Out of necessity, theU.S. system is evolving in response tothese challenges; the ISO and IECstandardization systems mustevolve as well.

Because recent technologicaldevelopment has had a dramaticimpact on the traditionalstandards development systemand has created immediateimplications for our ongoingoperational strategy, it isimperative that we remainfocused on the future.

Implementation of any newsteps or options in thetraditional ISO/IEC systemmust meet the need for fastertime-to-market for newstandards and improved accessto information. Yet the systemmust continue to facilitatecollaboration and cooperation,maintain flexibility and a focuson the needs of the end-userand ensure openness and

fairness in a non-discriminatoryenvironment.

Collectively, we must also remainfocused on the concept of “globalmarket relevance” and on thedevelopment of the most effective andefficient standards-setting processpossible. The U.S. will continue toprovide leadership in moving ISO andIEC toward a flexible sector-basedstructure and management and in furtherstreamlining their processes andoperations.

A Typical Six-Stage ProcessStandards developed within the ISO andIEC arenas are normally created using asix-stage consensus-building process.

How ISO/IEC Standards Are Developed

P R O P O S A L(N P )

P R E P A R A T O R Y(W D )

C O M M IT T E E(C D )

E N Q U I R Y(D I S o r C D V )

A P P R O V A L(F D IS )

P U B L IC A T I O N(F D IS )

1

2

3

4

5

6

P R O P O S A L(N P )

P R E P A R A T O R Y(W D )

C O M M IT T E E(C D )

E N Q U I R Y(D I S o r C D V )

A P P R O V A L(F D IS )

P U B L IC A T I O N(F D IS )

1

2

3

4

5

6

ISO/IEC Standards Development Process

(For more information, see the "ISO/IEC Directives Part 1: 2001”)

Standards

development is a

global effort,

focused on market

needs and

facilitated by full

and open

cooperation and

collaboration

among industry

participants

worldwide.

10

Projects are managed throughout thismulti-stage process through the useof target dates. Target datescorrespond to the shortestdevelopment time possible forprogression through the processwhile noting specific requirementsfor industrial sectors. Requests forsignificant extensions to proposedtarget dates must be requestedthrough the Technical ManagementBoard.

Preparatory StageA TC or SC may introduce into itswork program, by simple majorityvote of its P-members, preliminarywork items (PWI) that are not yetsufficiently mature for processing tofurther stages.

The next step (which some mightconsider the first “official” stage inthe process) is to confirm that anInternational Standard is needed.Approval of a proposal for new work(NP) is determined by vote of theparticipating members (countries) ofthe relevant committee.

Proposal Stage (Stage 1)A New Work Item Proposal may be

submitted by any number of sourceson the Form NP template in IEC andForm 4 in ISO, which are specificallydesigned for this purpose. A newwork item proposal must also beaccompanied by a Working Draft or,at a minimum, an outline of theproposed document.ÿ

A decision to add the item to theprogram of work can be taken eitherby correspondence or at a meeting. InISO, approval by a simple majority ofthe P-members is required, plus acommitment to participate actively byat least five P-members approving thework item. In IEC, acceptancerequires a commitment by at least

25% of the P-members, but at leastfour P-members. The inclusion of theproject in the program of workconcludes Stage 1.

All U.S. proposals for the initiationof new work items must beannounced in ANSI’s weeklypublication, Standards Action, forreview and comment. Generally, thisannouncement is completed beforethe U.S. proposal is submitted, unlessthe TAG authorizes otherwise. Suchproposals shall be based onappropriate American NationalStandards, when they exist.

Increasingly, in the InformationTechnology area, standards are beingwritten directly as internationalstandards without having first beenapproved as national standards. Inthe absence of American NationalStandards, other appropriatestandards may be proposed. In theabsence of both, proposals may bebased on a rationale or a standardunder development.

Preparatory Stage (Stage 2)This stage covers the preparation of aworking draft (WD) in conformitywith the ISO/IEC Directives. In manyinstances, responsibility for thepreparation of a working draft isdelegated to a group of expertsknown as the Working Group. Insome cases the convener of the WGalso serves as the project leader. Inother cases the convener helps tomonitor the work program, but aproject leader is assignedresponsibility for working with thetext.

Successive working drafts may beconsidered until the group is satisfiedthat it has developed the besttechnical solution to the problembeing addressed. At this stage, the

Projects are

managed

throughout this

multi-stage process

through the use of

target dates.

Target dates

correspond to the

shortest possible

development time

possible for

progression through

the process while

noting specific

requirements for

industrial sectors.

11

draft is forwarded to the WG’s parentcommittee for the consensus-buildingphase and is registered with the ISOCentral Secretariat or IEC CentralOffice (Office of the Chief ExecutiveOfficer (CEO)).

Texts must reach the stage of WDwithin six months of approval of thenew work item.

Committee Stage (Stage 3)The Committee Stage is the stage atwhich comments from nationalbodies are taken into consideration.It’s very important that Stages 2 and3 be used to resolve any technicalissues. Once a text is approved forprogression to Draft InternationalStandard (DIS) ballot, there shouldbe very few, if any, technicalcomments. National bodies shall,therefore, carefully study the texts ofCommittee Drafts (CDs) and submitall pertinent comments, particularlytechnical comments, at this stage.

Delegates to international meetingsshould be fully briefed on U.S.national positions. The decision tocirculate an enquiry draft is taken onthe basis of the consensus principle.

Projects must reach the stage of(final) CD within eighteen months ofthe date of approval of the new workitem. The Committee Stage endswhen a CD is accepted for circulationas an enquiry draft and is registeredby the Office of the CEO.

Enquiry Stage (Stage 4)During the Enquiry Stage, theenquiry draft (DIS in ISO, CommitteeDraft for Vote (CDV) in IEC) iscirculated by the Office of the CEOto all national bodies for vote.

Affirmative votes may beaccompanied by editorial or minortechnical comments, but negative

votes must be accompanied by astatement of the technical reasons forthe disapproval.

National Bodies may indicate that theacceptance of specified technicalmodifications will change their votefrom negative to affirmative, butNational Bodies should not cast anaffirmative vote that is conditional onthe acceptance of modifications.

The DIS/CDV is approved as anInternational Standard if a two-thirdsmajority of the P-members of theTC/SC are in favor and not more thanone-quarter of the total number ofvotes cast are negative.

If the approval criteria are not met,the text is returned to the originatingTC/SC for further study, and arevised document will again becirculated for voting and comment asa Draft International Standard.

This stage ends with the registration,by the Office of the CEO, of the textfor circulation as a Final DraftInternational Standard.

Approval Stage (Stage 5)Following approval of a DIS/CDV, arevised text is prepared,incorporating comments submittedduring the enquiry ballot. Except incases where a Stage 4 ballot wasunanimously approved with nocomments, in which case thedocument may proceed directly topublication, a Final DraftInternational Standard (FDIS) isagain circulated by the appropriateCentral Secretariat to all memberbodies for a two-month ballot.

This is a simple YES-NO vote. If anational body votes yes, it shall notsubmit any comments. A statementof the technical reasons for the

. . .National Bodies

should not cast an

affirmative vote

that is conditional

on the acceptance

of modifications.

12

negative ballot must accompany anegative vote.

The FDIS is approved for publicationas an International Standard if a two-thirds majority of the P-members ofthe TC/SC are in favor and not morethan one-quarter of the total numberof votes cast are negative.

If the FDIS is not approved, thedocument is referred back to the TCor SC concerned for reconsiderationin light of the technical reasonssubmitted.

The stage of FDIS shall be reachedby no later than the third anniversaryof the date of approval of the newwork item proposal.

The approval stage ends with thecirculation of the voting reportstating that the FDIS has beenapproved for publication as anInternational Standard.

Publication Stage (Stage 6)Within two months the Office of theCEO will correct any typographicalerrors indicated by the Secretariat ofthe TC or SC and print and distributethe International Standard. This stageends with the publication of theInternational Standard.

Other InformationDelegates should also be aware that:

ÿ� A standard is a living document andaccordingly requires maintenance.The group that produced thestandard generally provides this.Maintenance can consist of revisingthe document to include new ordifferent materials based upontechnology changes, expandedscope or corrections.

In addition, standards must bereviewed at a minimum of every

five years. At that time they can becontinued, changed orrecommended for elimination.

Any modification, revision,amendment or other change isgenerally considered to be newwork and requires that the processbegin again.

Within IEC, the program formaintenance of publications shall beincluded in the committee’sStrategic Policy Statement (SPS)and will be subject to approval bythe Standardization ManagementBoard. The SPS shall include themaintenance cycle for each of itspublications (typically between twoand 12 years, maximum of threeyears for a Technical Specification).

If the periodic review results in arecommendation that a standard bewithdrawn, an official ballot will beconducted to ensure that allinterested parties concur with theproposal for withdrawal. If thatvote is affirmative, the standard canbe “taken off the books.” Thedesignation for a withdrawnstandard is normally not re-used.

ÿ� If a document with a certain degreeof maturity is available at the startof a standardization project, forexample a standard developed byanother organization, it is possibleto omit certain stages. This iscalled the “fast-track procedure”and is used frequently in fields offast-moving technologies. Also, amechanism is in place to recognizeexisting standards published by arecognized standardizing body.

ÿ� Allowance is made in the IEC/ISODirectives for technical reports thatcan be published under certainclearly defined circumstances.

A standard is

a living document

and requires

maintenance.

The group that

produced the

standard generall y

provides this.

13

ÿ� Three additional deliverablesprovide IEC and ISO committeeswith an opportunity to takeadvantage of standardization workdeveloped in external bodies.However, even upon publication,the documents are not called“standards.”

Publicly Available Specifications(PAS) and Technical Specifications(TS) are developed within an ISO orIEC committee structure, butrequire a lower level of consensusthan do traditional InternationalStandards carrying the ISO or IEClogos. Neither PAS nor TS have thesame status as InternationalStandards and should not beregarded as such. However,committees have the option tocontinue work on PAS or TS;subsequent revisions may proceedthrough the normal standardsdevelopment process into a fullconsensus-based InternationalStandard.

An Industry Technical Agreement(ITA) is developed with the input ofmarket players who negotiate in aworkshop setting the contents of theparticular normative document. TheITA enables a more rapid responseto requirements for standardizationin areas where ISO and IEC do nothave existing technical structures orexperts. The ITA essentially movesa normative document into themarketplace relatively quickly withthe opportunity that it will soonestablish itself as a de factostandard; the option then exists oftransforming it into a fullInternational Standard at a laterstage.

ÿ� IEC has approved a procedure forthe inclusion, where appropriate, ofstatements on conditions existing incertain countries, called “In Some

Countries” clauses. The USNC hasan implementation mechanism withwhich U.S. delegates to IECmeetings should be familiar.

ÿ� The USNC initiative called “GlobalRelevance” of IEC Standards isanother area that is extremelyimportant in maximizing the use ofIEC standards globally. The U.S.rationale for this topic is as follows:when conditions of essential andpermanent nature involvinginfrastructure and climate that affectlarge regions of the world are notrecognized in the IEC standard, thestandard has limited value to themarketplace and to the enhancementof world trade.

Three additional

deliverables

provide IEC and

ISO committees

with an

opportunity to

take advantage

of standardization

work developed in

external bodies.

14

The IEC/ISO committee meetingyou are about to attend may bea new one. During the first

meeting a newly formed committee willdecide on the scope of its work and layout a work program. On the other hand,the committee may already be well intothe task of writing InternationalStandards. In that case, your delegationmay be submitting a proposal for astandard or voting at the meeting on onealready submitted by some otherdelegation or prepared by thecommittee.

In all cases, you will be operating in amulticultural workplace with the goal ofopening doors for a global economy.

Preparing for the MeetingYour first task is to bring yourself up todate on the past work and presentactivities of your IEC/ISO committee.As a delegate, you will have access tothe agenda and supporting documentsvia your Technical Advisory Group. InUSNC/IEC, a delegate can obtain accessrights to download draft documentsdirectly from the IEC Server(www.iec.ch). It is important that youhave copies in your hands early enoughto familiarize yourself with theircontents, formulate your positions andseek help where needed.

Because of the expense of conductingan international meeting, most of thework of IEC/ISO technical committees,subcommittees and working groups iscarried out via correspondence. YourTAG may have been meeting regularlyto keep up with this business. Shortlybefore the international meeting, theTAG may meet to establish U.S.positions on agenda items.

If, as is normally the case, there is morethan one delegate to an IEC/ISO

committee meeting, one individual isdesignated as the head of the delegation(HOD). He/she will be the delegation’sprincipal spokesperson at theinternational meeting and will beresponsible for casting the official U.S.vote on issues coming before thecommittee.

Before you leave for the IEC/ISOmeeting, the HOD may call a meeting ofthe delegation to go over housekeeping-type arrangements and to reviewpositions with the delegates. Because ofyour technical expertise and yourfamiliarity with the needs and attitudesof your industry or organization in thisfield, you should be able to make avaluable contribution to these positionsby attending the TAG meeting andparticipating fully in the discussionthere.

If an IEC/ISO committee or subgroupmeeting has been called, it is probablethat one or more proposals for DraftInternational Standards are nearing thevoting stage. The TAG must determine– and the delegation must know – theU.S. position on each issue and whatlatitude for concession exists.

If there is an approved AmericanNational Standard in the field in which aDraft International Standard isproposed, the TAG will support thoseprovisions of the draft that arecompatible with it. If there is noAmerican National Standard, the TAGmay support a draft that is in basicconformance with American practice.(See Annex A – Guidelines forDetermining a U.S. Voting Position.)

In an effort to have an InternationalStandard that will be acceptable to U.S.industry, a TAG may considerproposing a U.S. draft either as a New

Preparing for and Participating in an IEC/ISO Meeting

In all cases,

you will be

operating in a

multicultural

workplace with the

goal of opening

doors for a global

economy.

15

Work Item or as a contribution to aproposal initiated by another country.

Participating in the MeetingAt the IEC/ISO committee meeting,your delegation will have anopportunity to defend its contributionsor comment on other proposals whenthe appropriate item on the agenda isbeing considered. The HOD is theofficial spokesperson, but he/she mayfeel that another delegate is technicallybetter informed or for some other reasonbetter qualified to speak on a particularpoint. In that case, he/she may, afterasking for the privilege of speaking,designate the individual.

Whoever speaks must speak for theentire delegation. Any differences thatmay exist among the members of thedelegation must be settled before anydelegate rises to speak at a committeemeeting. Ordinarily this is done inprivate conference over meals or afterhours; differences should not be aired infront of delegates from other countries,nor should any delegate act toundermine and disassociate himself/herself from the officially approvedU.S. position.

If an issue arises during a meeting onwhich the U.S. position is not absolutelyclear – perhaps one that was not on themeeting agenda – the HOD may requesta recess for consultation. If thedelegation is not sure what position totake, it is acceptable for the HOD tostate that the U.S. needs more time inwhich to formulate its opinion and torecommend that a recess be called orthat the issue be deferred to a futuremeeting or handled by correspondence.

Delegates from other countries areaccredited by the IEC/ISO memberbodies in those countries and, like you,are experts in their field. They shouldalways be shown the respect due to

official representatives of any standardsorganization.

Your responsibility at the meeting is topress for adoption of U.S. viewpoints onproposed International Standards. Youshould not argue, or even imply, thatother countries should accept our viewssimply because they have been in effectin the United States for many years,because we make more of the itemunder discussion than any other country,because we were the first in the field orhave the most experience or because theU.S. is the most technologicallyadvanced country in the world. Suchexpressions, in addition to being rudeand provincial, are more likely to irritatethan to convince.

Technical discussions should be won bypresenting strong arguments based upontechnical merit and knowledge of theprocedures under which the committeeoperates.

Other countries do have respect for U.S.technical competence and productiveknow-how. The best way to winacceptance of your point of view is topresent it on its technical merits.

Networking is another important tactic.Not only should U.S. delegatesparticipate actively and fully in theformal meetings of an internationalgroup, but it is beneficial to participatein the informal gatherings and socialevents that are scheduled. It is notuncommon to hear that manyagreements at an international meetingare first formed in a social setting andthen finalized across the conferencetable.

You, and anyone who might accompanyyou, should get to know the delegatesfrom the other countries and establishrelationships that will not only bepersonally rewarding but provide anopportunity for other delegates to get to

The HOD (Head of

Delegation) is the

official spokes-

person, but he/she

may feel that

another delegate is

technically better

informed or for

some other reason

better qualified to

speak on a

particular point.

Whoever speaks

must speak for the

entire delegation.

16

know you and your thinking on relatedtechnical subjects.

These allies are extremely important.If there are several issues where theU.S. has a strong opinion, having an allywith similar views present a proposal tothe international group gives the U.S.the opportunity to agree with someoneelse, rather than raising every issueourselves.

Also, it should go without saying that interms of dress and deportment, a U.S.delegate should never do anything thatmight reflect adversely on him/herself,ANSI, the USNC or the U.S.

Official LanguagesDifferences in language should poserelatively minor problems for U.S.delegates.

While the official languages of IEC/ISOare English, French and Russian, manyof the meetings you will attend will beconducted in English or in English andFrench with interpretation beingprovided consecutively or concurrently.Delegates from the Russian Federationaccept responsibility for interpretationand translation from and into Russianand therefore make their presentation ineither French or English.

Interpretation sequentially from Englishinto French and vice-versa is sometimesprovided at TC/SC meetings. While itslows down discussion, some suggestthat it helps ensure understanding andacceptance, and it also allows a momentfor the HOD to solicit opinions fromothers in the delegation beforeproceeding. If interpretation is to beused, you should accept it and, whenspeaking, plan your thoughts such thatyou have appropriate pauses forinterpretation.

Please keep in mind that English is noteveryone’s native language and that youwill need to speak slowly and conciselywhen presenting or clarifying yourpoints. Confusion is often inevitablewhen verbal and non-verbal communi-cation passes across boundaries,languages, nationalities and cultures.

A few basic communication skills willbe valuable:

• Hearing is not the same as listening.Listening requires skill andpatience. Comprehensive listeningis listening to understand a message.Critical listening is listening tocomprehend and then evaluating themessage.

• Pay attention to all communicationcues. Rephrase or paraphrase, inyour own words, the essence of themessage you have heard from otherdelegates.

• Limit your own talking. Be concise.Don't use unnecessary words. Bepatient. Concentrate. Use feedbackto clarify and elaborate. Avoidjumping to conclusions.

• Establish a rapport. Try to stay “intune” with each other.

• Don’t assume that because a personhas heard you, he has also agreedwith you.

Extending Invitations forMeetings in the U.S.Suppose that after attending severalmeetings of your technical committee orsubcommittee in other countries, youdecide it’s time the group should meetin the United States. You may believethat a meeting on your home groundwill promote understanding of yourdelegation’s proposals. Also, you’veenjoyed the other countries’ hospitality,and you’d like to return it. May you oryour delegation issue an invitation?

Please keep in mind

that English is not

everyone’s native

language and that

you will need to

speak slowly and

concisely when

presenting or

clarifying your

points.

Confusion is often

inevitable when

verbal and non-

verbal communi-

cation passes

across boundaries,

languages,

nationalities and

cultures.

17

The answer is yes, provided that theUSNC or ANSI have given prior writtenauthorization, with concurrence by theTAG and its Administrator. Even if youhave this authorization, the actualformal invitation must be issued by theUSNC or ANSI. You may extend atentative invitation to be subsequentlyconfirmed. It must be understood,however, that all meetings must becoordinated with the IEC Central Officeand ISO TC/SC Secretariat.

The reasons for this policy are practicaland procedural. As the U.S. memberbody of IEC/ISO, the USNC and ANSIare the official hosts for technicalcommittee and subcommittee meetingsheld in the U.S. and are solelyresponsible to IEC/ISO for the effectiveand efficient conduct of these meetings.TAGs or other organizations that wanttechnical meetings to be held in the U.S.are expected to pay the administrativeand meeting costs incurred in carryingout responsibilities for IEC/ISOmeetings, unless these costs areassumed by the secretariat of theIEC/ISO committee. Before aninvitation to a meeting is issued, theUSNC or ANSI must be satisfied that allfinancial and administrativearrangements are adequately supported.

Invitations are issued in one of twoways, depending on the USNC’s orANSI’s status in the international work.If the U.S. holds the secretariat of thetechnical group, it clears the date andlocation of the proposed meeting withthe IEC Central Office or ISO CentralSecretariat, which then issues the formalnotice of the meeting. If the U.S. doesnot hold the secretariat but is a P-member of the technical group, itextends the invitation to the secretariat,which clears it with the IEC CentralOffice or ISO Central Secretariat.

Accepting SecretariatsDuring organizational planningmeetings of IEC/ISO technicalcommittees that you may attend,delegations are often asked to volunteerto accept the secretariat of the technicalcommittee itself or of its subcommitteesor working groups on behalf of themember bodies they represent. Mayyour delegation accept a secretariat onbehalf of the USNC or ANSI? Theanswer is yes, provided that you make itcompletely clear to the internationalforum that your acceptance isprovisional and subject to officialacceptance or rejection by the USNC orANSI at a later date.

Administration of a technical committeesecretariat is a weighty responsibilityrequiring:

ÿ� Extensive managerial experience incoordinating and expediting workprograms;

ÿ� Financial commitments;ÿ� Strict neutrality;ÿ� Mechanism for maintaining close

liaison with other IEC/ISO technicalcommittees, national bodies ofIEC/ISO, other internationalorganizations, governmental bodiesand regional organizations;

ÿ� Maximum electronic communica-tions capability;

ÿ� Resources for efficiently handlingcountless details;

ÿ� Adherence to the joint IEC/ISO orJTC1 Directives on meetings,minutes, documents and reports.

Member bodies holding technicalcommittee secretariats are totallyresponsible to the IEC/ISO Councils fortheir effective operation. Subcommitteesecretariats, also administered by IECnational committees/ ISO memberbodies, are responsible for themanagement and internal coordinationof their programs and are accountable to

As the U.S.

member body of

IEC/ISO, the USNC

and ANSI are the

official hosts for

technical

committee and

subcommittee

meetings held in

the U.S. and are

solely responsible

to IEC/ISO for the

effective and

efficient conduct

of these meetings.

18

the technical committee for efficientoperation.

The USNC and ANSI, therefore, willaccept a secretariat only when they aresatisfied that the necessary professionaland financial resources are availablefrom the industry or industriesconcerned and that these resources willbe committed to the USNC or ANSI ona long-term basis to support theendeavors.

In the past, ANSI has at times delegatedsecretariats to its organizationalmembers because the work programs ofthose organizations were directlyapplicable to those of certain ISOtechnical committees. To satisfygrowing ISO demands and to forestallreassignment of secretariats by ISO toother member bodies able to administerthem in-house, ANSI’s guidingprinciple is that delegation shall bemade to an external organizationwherever reasonably possible.Currently, all IEC Secretariats held bythe USNC are delegated.

ANSI firmly supports the decentraliza-tion of standards development. Alltechnical functions, national andinternational, should be assigned toorganizations willing and capable ofassuming this responsibility. Whereinternational secretariats are concerned,however, the USNC and ANSI mustassume responsibility for theiradministration in order to satisfy itsobligations to IEC/ISO. Of course, closeliaison with TAGs developing U.S.positions on International Standards willbe maintained at all times.

ANSI staff responsible for ISOtechnical committee or subcommitteesecretariats also work closely withcommittees and organizations develop-ing national standards to ensure theiracceptance internationally and to avoidduplication of technical effort. Your

U.S. TAG has an important role to playin this function. It provides advice andcounsel to assist the TC/SC Secretariat,or in some areas a Project Editor, inpreparing the technical content ofCommittee Drafts and DraftInternational Standards.

Reporting on MeetingsTo gain management and governmentsupport for international standardiza-tion, it’s important to communicate theresults of meetings to industry, thepublic and the USNC and ANSI throughregular reports. These are usually of twotypes – announcements to thenewspapers and trade, technical andprofessional journals, and privatecommunications to your TechnicalAdvisory Group and to USNC/ANSI.What’s your responsibility for thesereports?

Suppose you’ve participated in a highlysuccessful meeting of an IEC/ISOtechnical committee. Several draftssignificant to your industry have beenapproved; the committee has set targetdates for completion of several others;study of a new item of work has beenplanned. You think theseaccomplishments deserve publicity.Who should get in touch with the press?

The convening of press conferences andissuance of press releases in the courseof an international technical committeemeeting are the responsibility of thecommittee secretariat. A U.S. delegationmust not hold a conference of its own orissue statements for publication on itsown behalf.

If, after the meeting, your delegationbelieves a U.S. press release on thesignificance of the meeting’saccomplishments is warranted, the HODor his/her designee should consult, assoon as possible, with the GeneralSecretary of the USNC/IEC or the

ANSI firml y

supports the

decentralization

of standards

development.

All technical

functions, national

and international,

should be assigned

to organizations

willing and capable

of assuming this

responsibility.

19

responsible ANSI staff member andANSI’s Director of Communicationsand Public Relations. He/she shouldprovide ANSI with a statement of theresults of the meeting plus any writtenreport that may have been prepared. TheInstitute will issue a brief release basedon the statement of results, on thedelegates’ written report and on advicefrom the HOD.

The news release will give credit to thedelegates for their participation in themeeting and to their companies andorganizations for support ofinternational standardization. Newsreleases not coordinated by ANSI,particularly if they are not consistentwith the expressed U.S. position, mayseriously damage the effectiveness ofU.S. participation.

Where reports to the TAG and theUSNC and ANSI are concerned, it is theresponsibility of the HOD to prepare acomprehensive account of the meeting.The report should summarizeaccomplishments and emphasize accordwith, or variance from, U.S. opinionsand practices and the potential effect onU.S. interests. It should record theextent of U.S. participation in thedeliberations and its effectiveness andmay include criticism of or comment onthe conduct of the meeting, participationby other countries and the value of theactivity. Copies of this report may be ofinterest to other entities.

To obtain a copy of the Head ofDelegation Report Template go tohttp://www.ansi.org/public/library/intl_act/default.htm.

News releases not

coordinated by

ANSI, particularly

if they are not

consistent with the

expressed U.S.

position, may

seriously damage

the effectiveness

of U.S.

participation.

20

Knowledge gives you theadvantage. Almost everystandards-setting body has

specific guidelines for governingthemselves that are spelled out in theirpolicy and procedures manuals.Individual committees may also providedetailed statements of their specificprograms, objectives and procedures.

The object of the rules and proceduresis to achieve, through orderly and legalprocedures, a consensus of theparticipants and to produce validstandards that will be used because oftheir technical and economic merit.Organizational rules and procedures areconstantly being updated, so it isimperative that one is working with thelatest revision.

Knowledge and understanding of theprocedures is probably one of the mostvaluable tools an expert can have whenworking in the standards developmentarena. Not understanding these policiesand procedures could jeopardize yourcompany and/or its representativeslegally, place your strategy in jeopardyor give the competition an unearnedadvantage.

Through an understanding of therequirements, it is possible toeffectively engage in discussionsregarding requirements for the stages ofthe development process. When youknow what steps have to happen, itmakes it easier to identify possibleshortcuts. Knowledge also allows youto react to others who may try tomanipulate the process through aninvalid use of the procedures.

Your participation as a knowledgeableexpert is key if U.S. interests are tosuccessfully influence the contents ofinternational standards and to ensure theglobal relevance of the standardsproduced.

ANSI and the USNC hope that thisdocument has been helpful in answeringa few of the questions you may haveregarding processes and procedures thatyou may experience as a delegate to theIEC or ISO. We strive to offer you theinformation and services you require tobe informed and equipped with theknowledge necessary to succeed in yourchosen field.

Please call upon us whenever necessary!ÿ

Conclusion

Knowledge and

understanding of

the procedures is

probably one of the

most valuable tools

an expert can have

when working

in the standards

development arena.

21

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has served in its capacity asadministrator and coordinator of the United States private sector voluntarystandardization system since it was founded in 1918. Created by five engineeringsocieties and three government agencies, the Institute remains a private, nonprofitmembership organization supported by a diverse constituency of private and publicsector organizations.

Throughout its history, the ANSI Federation has maintained as its primary goal theenhancement of global competitiveness of U.S. business and the American quality of lifeby promoting and facilitating voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessmentsystems and promoting their integrity. The Institute represents the interests of its nearly1,000 company, organization, government agency, institutional and internationalmembers through its office in New York City and its headquarters in Washington, D.C.

With the help of its federated membership, the Institute provides management,leadership, coordination, and financial and administrative support for effective U.S.participation in international standardization. As the official U.S. member of theInternational Organization for Standardization (ISO) and to the InternationalElectrotechnical Commission (IEC) through the USNC2, ANSI is responsible for settingpolicy for participation in these forums. It also pays the total dues for U.S. membershipto both IEC and ISO.

In addition to membership in IEC and ISO, ANSI helps to govern both organizations byserving on their respective governance bodies. Further, the U.S. helps to direct the workof 30 ISO Technical Committees, 106 Subcommittees and more than 471 working groupsby serving as Secretariat (e.g., the chief administrative officer of a technical committee);the U.S. participates as a member in the work of most of the other 2,196 such groups.The U.S. serves as Secretariat of 12 IEC Technical Committees and 17 Subcommitteesand is actively involved in most of its other 178 TCs and SCs. The U.S. also serves asSecretariat of ISO/IEC Joint Technical Committee 1 (JTC1), the joint committee onInformation Technology, and several of its Subcommittees.

2 In 1976, the USNC was formally incorporated into ANSI, and it now functions as a standing committee within theInstitute.

More information about . . .

22

International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)

Founded in 1906, the IEC now comprises more than 50 national electrotechnicalcommittees that collectively represent some 85% of the world’s population and 95% ofthe world’s electrical generating capacity. The work of the IEC is done through some200 technical committees and subcommittees and about 700 working groups, eachdeveloping standards on the safety, performance, construction and installation ofelectrical equipment and services for specific, well-defined product sectors. More than4,000 international electrotechnical standards, in English and French, are listed in theIEC catalogue of publications.

One of the fundamental goals of the IEC is to bring into use a coherent and common setof electrotechnical standards worldwide. The benefits are two-fold: adoption of IECstandards by manufacturers removes barriers to international trade in electrical andelectronic equipment, and specification of IEC standards by users ensures that they havea common and valid base for examining and comparing competing products. A measureof the success in meeting this goal is the fact that more than 100 countries nowvoluntarily adopt IEC standards as the basis of their national rules and standards. Manyhave adopted them without change.

The IEC does not, of course, work independently of other international bodies. While theIEC concentrates on standards in the electrical and electronic fields, including someareas of telecommunications, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) isconcerned with technical standards covering a diverse range of other subjects. The twoorganizations work closely together, in particular in a joint committee developinginternational standards in the information technology field.

Close relations are also maintained with the International Telecommunication Union(ITU), the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) andmany other organizations that produce standards, codes of practice and rules for specificdisciplines.

The IEC enjoys close links with other bodies in nonelectrotechnical areas, as well.Among these are close liaison relationships with the World Health Organization, theInternational Labor Office, the International Organization of Legal Metrology and theInternational Atomic Energy Agency.

23

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

Following a meeting in London in 1946, delegates from 25 countries decided to create anew international organization “the object of which would be to facilitate theinternational coordination and unification of industrial standards.” The new organization,known as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), began to functionofficially on 23 February 1947.

Note – Because the name of the International Organization for Standardization wouldhave different abbreviations in different languages (IOS in English, OIN in French), itwas decided to use a word derived from the Greek isos, meaning “equal”. Therefore,the short form of the Organization’s name is always ISO.

The object of ISO is to promote the development of standardization and related activitiesin the world with a view to facilitating international exchange of goods and services, andto developing cooperation in the spheres of intellectual, scientific, technological andeconomic activity. The organization’s scope covers standardization in all fields exceptelectrical and electronic engineering standards, which are the responsibility of theInternational Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

As a worldwide federation of national standards bodies, ISO’s membership comprisesmore than 140 member nations. Amember bodyof ISO is the national body “mostrepresentative of standardization in its country;” it follows that only one such body foreach country is accepted for membership of ISO. Member bodies are entitled toparticipate and exercise full voting rights on any technical committee of ISO, are eligiblefor leadership positions and have seats at meetings of the organization (known as the“General Assembly”).

By January 2002, the number of member bodies was 93. More than 70% of thesemember bodies are governmental institutions or organizations incorporated by publiclaw. The remainder has close links with the public administration in their own countries.ISO encourages the participation of developing nations and those with developingnational standardization systems through itsCorrespondentandSubscribermembers.

Both directly and through its member bodies, ISO brings together the interests ofproducers, users (including consumers), governments and the scientific community in thepreparation of International Standards. Standards-setting activities are carried outthrough 2,885 technical bodies known as Technical Committees (TC), Subcommittees(SC) and Working Groups (WG). As of January 1, 2002, there were 186 technicalcommittees, 552 subcommittees, 2124 working groups and 23 ad hoc study groups.More than 30,000 experts from all parts of the world participate each year in the ISOtechnical work which, to date, has resulted in the publication of 13,544 ISO standards.

24

Regional Standards Organizations

The dynamics set in motion by the European Commission (EC) ’92 effort, begun manyyears ago in Europe, have as an objective a combined European market place. The EU,many argue, is one of the most important and largest markets in the world. What is notcommonly understood is that the entire premise of EC’92 is based upon standards, whichinclude a common European currency, safety standards for all products entering andleaving Europe, environmental standards, a common passport, standards for financialtransactions and others too numerous to mention.

CEN has adopted a standardization strategy called the New Approach in which itemphasizes free movement of goods as a cornerstone of the single market. The NewApproach maintains that the mechanisms to achieve this aim are based on prevention ofnew barriers to trade, mutual recognition and technical harmonization. More details onthe New Approach can be found at http://www.newapproach.org.

The emergence of the combined Europe has given impetus to other regional standardsmarking organizations in the world. Each regional organization's fundamental objectiveis to establish, develop and protect the market of its particular area.

Standards Bodies of the European UnionOf key importance to the U.S. is the fact that the European Commission has deferred thetask of standards development within the European Union to three organizations, which,in turn, often look to ISO and IEC for standards that already exist or that can bedeveloped in time to meet European requirements.

The European private sector standards organizations, the European Committee forStandardization (CEN) and the European Committee for ElectrotechnicalStandardization (CENELEC), have recognized ANSI and the USNC as their primaryliaison in the United States.

CEN, CENELEC and the third organization, ETSI, the European TelecommunicationsStandards Institute, constitute a European forum for standardization that organizesparticipation of all parties concerned in the development and standardization programs.These parties include national government authorities, the Commission of EuropeanCommunities, the European Free Trade Association, public bodies, manufacturers, tradeunions, users and consumers. These parties come together in 1,500 technical groups toprepare European standards.

For more detailed information about these European organizations, please see ANSI’spublication entitled “American Access to the European Standardization Bodies,”available on the Institute’s website at http://www.ansi.org.

CENEstablished in 1961, CEN is based in Brussels, Belgium. CEN is composed of the ISOmembers of the 15 EU, 2 EU candidate, and 3 EFTA (European Free Trade Association)countries and harmonizes all areas of technical standardization other thanelectrotechnical and telecommunications. The scope of standards development work ofCEN, the European Committee for Standardization, parallels that of ISO, only as aregional organization.

25

CENELECEstablished in 1973, CENELEC is also based in Brussels, Belgium. CENELEC iscomposed of 19 National Electrotechnical Committees (NECs) of EU and EFTAcountries and is responsible for European standardization and conformity assessment inelectrical, electronic and allied fields. The scope of standards development work ofCENELEC, the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standards, parallels that ofIEC, only as a regional organization.

ETSIThe European Telecommunication Standards Institute was established in 1988 - based inSophia Antipolis, France. Composed of over 900 European- and non-European-basedmanufacturers and telecommunications service companies, ETSI is organized to settelecom standards for the whole of Europe and to accelerate the process of technicalharmonization.

ANSI has guest member status and exchanges documentation with ETSI. Some ofANSI’s members in the telecommunications area also have guest member status,participate actively and keep ANSI informed. U.S. companies with operations inEurope directly participate in the technical work.

U.S. link to CEN and CENELECThe U.S. can provide input to the activities of CEN and CENELEC through a number ofmechanisms. ANSI can provide comments on CEN and CENELEC draft standards andwill receive a disposition of comments provided. In addition, IEC and CENELEC andISO and CEN have signed the Dresden and Vienna Agreements, respectively. Theseagreements allow for specific delegated representatives of IEC and ISO to attendworking meetings of CENELEC and CEN. In a number of instances, U.S. entities havebeen delegated as representatives of IEC or ISO. Finally both IEC and CENELEC andISO and CEN have formed joint management supervisory groups, of which the Presidentof the USNC and the ANSI Vice President of International Policy, respectively, aremembers. These groups meet as needed to propose revisions to the Dresden and ViennaAgreements and to resolve any conflicts in work programs.

Vienna AgreementThe Vienna Agreement is an understanding on technical cooperation between ISO andCEN. The agreement went into effect in June 1991, replacing the Lisbon Agreement of1987. With an aim of providing coordination and harmonization of standards of themember bodies of both ISO and CEN, the goal is to ensure the equivalence, wheneverpossible, of ISO and European Standards.

The Vienna Agreement provides for mutual representation between CEN and ISOTechnical Committees, common planning of work, adoption of ISO standards by CEN orEuropean standards by ISO, and the parallel processing and approval of projectsdeveloped in ISO and CEN.

Dresden AgreementThe Dresden Agreement is an agreement on technical cooperation between IEC andCENELEC. This agreement went into effect in September 1996, superseding theLugano Agreement of 1991.

26

Similar to the Vienna Agreement, this document establishes a mechanism for exchangeof general information and mutual representation on activities of general interestbetween IEC and CENELEC. However, the Dresden Agreement gives IEC the “Right ofFirst Refusal” for work proposed within CENELEC.

Other Regional ParticipationANSI also participates in a number of regional standards organizations and activities.There is benefit in participating because the forums can be used to elicit support for U.S.positions within IEC and ISO, especially on issues of common interest. Theseorganizations serve as strategic counterbalance to the European regional activities.Among these forums are PASC and COPANT.

PASC: Pacific Area Standards CongressCreated in 1973 by Pacific Rim nations, PASC has brought the national standards bodiesof the Pacific Rim closer to agreement on common goals and objectives. PASC is not astandards developing body, but it does works actively with the Asian Pacific EconomicCooperation (APEC) on standards related matters.

COPANT: Pan American Standards CommissionCOPANT was created in the 1940s to coordinate South America, parts of CentralAmerica and several Caribbean Islands. In contrast to PASC, COPANT does developstandards. U.S. membership helps to promote trade and investment with these otherregions of the world.

Members of COPANT voted recently to use international standards in lieu of theorganization’s own standards wherever possible. Therefore, regional TAGs are beingorganized by COPANT to ensure a presence in ISO TCs of high interest (e.g., TC 207 onEnvironmental Management Systems).

27

AG Advisory Group

AIF ANSI International Forum

AM (or AMD) Amendment

ANSI American National Standards Institute

APEC Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

ARSO African Regional Organization for Standardization

CA IEC Committee of Action

CANENA Council for Harmonization of Electrotechnical Standardizationof the Nations of the Americas

CD Committee Draft

CDV Committee Draft for Vote (IEC)

CEN European Committee for Standardization

CENELEC European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization

COPANT Pan American Standards Commission

CS Central Secretariat

DAM Draft Amendment

DIS Draft International Standard

DTR Draft Technical Report

EC European Commission

EN European Standard

ENV European Prestandard

EOTC European Organization for Testing and Certification

ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute

EU European Union

FDIS Final Draft International Standard

FTAA Free Trade Area of the Americas

GA ISO General Assembly

HD Harmonization Document

HOD Head of the Delegation

IC ANSI International Committee

IEC International Electrotechnical Commission

IS International Standard

ISO International Organization for Standardization

ITU International Telecommunications Union

Terms and Acronyms Used in this Publication

28

JCG Joint ISO/CEN Coordinating Group

JTC Joint Technical Committee

MT Maintenance Teams

NATSF North American Trilateral Standardization Forum

NP New Work Item Proposal

O-Member Observer Member

P-Member Participating Member

PASC Pacific Area Standards Congress

PDAM Proposed Draft Amendment

PrEN Preliminary European Standard

PT Project Team

PWI Preliminary Work Item

SC Subcommittee

SI International System of Units – Le Systéme International d’Unites

SMB IEC Standardization Management Board

TA Technical Advisor

TAG Technical Advisory Group

TC Technical Committee

TC Technical Committee

TMB ISO Technical Management Board

TR Technical Report

TSP Proposal for a New Field of ISO Technical Activity

US/TAG U.S. Technical Advisory Group

USNC U.S. National Committee for IEC

VA Vienna Agreement

WD Working Draft

WG Working Group

29

IEC/ISO Directives – Part 1Procedures for the technical work.(Fourth Edition 2001)

IEC/ISO Directives – Part 2Rules for the structure and drafting on International Standards(Fourth Edition 2001)

IEC Supplement—Procedures Specific to IEC(First Edition 2001)

ISO Supplement—Procedures Specific to ISO(First Edition 2001)

ANSI Procedures for U.S. Participation in the International StandardsActivities of the ISO(January 2002)

Annex B: Criteria for the Development and Coordination of U.S.Positions in the International Standardization Activities ofthe ISO and IEC

USNC Statutes and Rules of Procedure(April 2000)

ISO/IEC JTC 1 Directives(Fourth Edition 1998)

Reference Documents

30

Mary BowersProgram Manager, International Policy,Regional & Bilateral ProgramsAmerican National Standards Institute1819 L Street, NWWashington, DC 20036T: 202.331.3607F: 202.293.9287E: mbowers@ansi.org

Henrietta ScullyProgram Manager, Standards FacilitationAmerican National Standards Institute25 West 43rd StreetNew York, NY 10036T: 212.642.4946F: 212.730.1346E: hscully@ansi.org

Steve CornishProgram Director International PolicyAmerican National Standards Institute25 West 43rd StreetNew York, NY 10036T: 212.642.4969F: 212.730.1346E: scornish@ansi.org

Kevin SullivanAssistant Secretary, USNC/IECAmerican National Standards Institute25 West 43rd StreetNew York, NY 10036T: 212.642.4963F: 212.730.1346E: ksulliva@ansi.org

Gary KushnierVice President-International PolicyAmerican National Standards Institute1819 L Street, NWWashington, DC 20036T: 202.331.3604F: 202.293.9287E: gkushnie@ansi.org

Joseph TretlerBusiness Director, Standards FacilitationAmerican National Standards Institute25 West 43rd StreetNew York, NY 10036T: 212.642.4977F: 212.730.1346E: jtretler@ansi.org

Lisa RajchelDirector, International SecretariatsAmerican National Standards Institute25 West 43rd StreetNew York, NY 10036T: 212.642.4932F: 212.840.2298E: lrajchel@ansi.org

Charles T. ZegersGeneral Secretary, USNC/IECAmerican National Standards Institute25 West 43rd StreetNew York, NY 10036T: 212.642.4965F: 212.730.1346E: czegers@ansi.org

Frances SchrotterSenior Vice PresidentAmerican National Standards Institute25 West 43rd StreetNew York, NY 10036T: 212.642.4934F: 212.398-0023E: fschrott@ansi.org

Contacts

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Excerpt from ANSI Criteria for the Development and Coordination ofU.S. Positions in the International Standardization Activities of ISO and IEC

6 Guidelines for Determining a U.S. Voting Position

The development of a U.S. position with regard to voting on international documents is a matter ofgreat complexity. Firm rules for casting affirmative votes, negative votes, or abstentions would bepresumptuous and unworkable in many cases. On the other hand, efforts should be made to achieveconsistency in the perceived conduct of the United States as a participant in international, non-treaty standards development. Toward that end, guidelines for determining a voting position areincluded herein in order to provide direction toward a consistent voting policy. These guidelinescannot cover all of the factors which must be considered in determining the U.S. vote. They do,however, represent generally accepted principles that should be applied to normal situations.

6.1 If there is an existing U.S. national standard (i.e. an American National Standard or, in theabsence of an American National Standard, another standard generally accepted within theUnited States) and1) If the national standard can be considered equivalent to the requirements in the

international document, vote affirmative.2) If the international document includes different, additional, or more stringent

requirements than are in the national standard and the U.S. consensus indicates that suchrequirements are:a) acceptable and should be considered for inclusion in the national standard, vote

affirmative, orb) not acceptable, vote negative.

3) If the national standard includes different, additional, or more stringent requirements thanare in the international document and the U.S. consensus indicates that the U.S.requirements:a) should be modified in accordance with the international document, vote affirmative,

orb) must be maintained, vote negative, orc) must be maintained, but the proposed document is considered to represent the best

agreement which can be reached at the present time from an international point ofview, vote Abstain with a statement that the U.S. cannot modify its national standardsfor stated reasons.

6.2 If no national standard exists and1) If U.S. consensus establishes that the international document is:

a) technically acceptable and could be used as a basis for the development of a nationalstandard, vote affirmative, or

b) not technically acceptable, vote negative.2) If the international document is of little or no interest to the U.S., abstain.3) If the international document unnecessarily creates a barrier to domestic or international

trade or impedes innovation or technical progress, vote negative.6.3 Regardless of whether or not a national standard exists, if no U.S. consensus has been

established, abstain.6.4 The U.S. vote, if negative, must be accompanied by reasons and supporting information such

as technical data and logical argument. Also, any known exceptions and/or additions that willbe required to conform with U.S. safety practices or regulations shall be noted.

6.5 Exceptions. Exceptions to the above stated voting guidelines should be carefully considered.

Annex A

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GUIDE FOR U.S. DELEGATES2002