hi,

What 'international standardization' means,
When the large majority of products or services in a 
particular business or industry sector conform to 
International Standards, a state of industry-wide 
standardization can be said to exist. This is achieved 
through consensus agreements between national delegations 
representing all the economic stakeholders concerned - 
suppliers, users, government regulators and other interest 
groups, such as consumers. They agree on specifications and 
criteria to be applied consistently in the classification 
of materials, in the manufacture and supply of products, in 
testing and analysis, in terminology and in the provision 
of services. In this way, International Standards provide a 
reference framework, or a common technological language, 
between suppliers and their customers - which facilitates 
trade and the transfer of technology.

How ISO standards benefit society
For businesses, the widespread adoption of International 
Standards means that suppliers can base the development of 
their products and services on specifications that have 
wide acceptance in their sectors. This, in turn, means that 
businesses using International Standards are increasingly 
free to compete on many more markets around the world.
For customers, the worldwide compatibility of technology 
which is achieved when products and services are based on 
International Standards brings them an increasingly wide 
choice of offers, and they also benefit from the effects of 
competition among suppliers.
For governments, International Standards provide the 
technological and scientific bases underpinning health, 
safety and environmental legislation.
For trade officials negotiating the emergence of regional 
and global markets, International Standards create "a level 
playing field" for all competitors on those markets. The 
existence of divergent national or regional standards can 
create technical barriers to trade, even when there is 
political agreement to do away with restrictive import 
quotas and the like. International Standards are the 
technical means by which political trade agreements can be 
put into practice.
For developing countries, International Standards that 
represent an international consensus on the state of the 
art constitute an important source of technological know-
how. By defining the characteristics that products and 
services will be expected to meet on export markets, 
International Standards give developing countries a basis 
for making the right decisions when investing their scarce 
resources and thus avoid squandering them.
For consumers, conformity of products and services to 
International Standards provides assurance about their 
quality, safety and reliability.
For everyone, International Standards can contribute to the 
quality of life in general by ensuring that the transport, 
machinery and tools we use are safe.
For the planet we inhabit, International Standards on air, 
water and soil quality, and on emissions of gases and 
radiation, can contribute to efforts to preserve the 
environment. 


bye....