Business and industry leaders from around the world have joined technology experts in San Francisco for the 86th General Meeting of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Hosted by the U.S. National Committee (USNC) to the IEC—a committee of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)—this year’s meeting welcomes approximately 2,000 participants from more than 90 countries. Keynote speakers include Dr. Laurie E. Locascio, the U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Director of the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST).
The 2022 IEC General Meeting will focus on the importance of standardization for supporting global commerce and removing barriers to trade. International standards and conformity assessment enable businesses to access new markets and to innovate on products that can be consumed around the world.
The standardization work of the IEC also helps to protect both people and the environment. In this context, delegates will learn more about the IEC Global Impact Fund, launched earlier this year, and how it will help to solve specific environmental, social, and governance challenges using international standards and conformity assessment.
IEC President Yinbiao Shu said, “With our Global Impact Fund, we will leverage IEC international standards and conformity assessment to deal with some of the most pressing challenges facing the world. We must offer our contribution to make our world a better place for everyone.”
Delegates will examine the role that international standards and conformity assessment can play in enabling a digital and all-electric society, characterized by safe, ethical, and trustworthy technologies and universal access to affordable, clean, and sustainable energy.
The IEC Secretary-General, Philippe Metzger, said: “International standards and conformity assessment are powerful tools that can help governments and regulators to implement policies more efficiently and to reach development goals more quickly. The General Meeting is an important opportunity for building a better future, where everyone has access to clean and sustainable energy and where technologies like artificial intelligence are leveraged to improve global health and well-being.”
One of the highlights of the 2022 IEC General Meeting will be an interactive International Roundtable on the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Distinguished speakers representing a broad range of stakeholders will look at how IEC standards and conformity assessment systems are helping to meet the SDGs. They will also examine the role and responsibility of corporations in addressing the goals.
“All SDGs are impacted in some way by standards, which offer tools to help achieve the SDGs,” said Vimal Mahendru, the IEC envoy for the UN SDGs. “Understanding how IEC standards and conformity assessment help to achieve the SDGs allows all stakeholders to leverage technologies and build a better world.”
The U.S. National Committee to the IEC is hosting this year’s General Meeting from October 31 to November 4. Additional information, including registration, is available on the IEC General Meeting website.
The USNC serves as the focal point for U.S. parties who are interested in the development, promulgation, and use of globally- relevant standards for the electrotechnical industry. The Committee is also engaged in the assessment of conformance to standards, undertaking work in areas such as testing, certification, and accreditation. As the U.S. representative to the IEC and many related regional standardization bodies, the USNC serves as a conduit to the global standards-setting community for technical and policy positions arising in the U.S. and brings issues from the global arena to the U.S. for review, consideration, and response. The USNC is a totally integrated committee of ANSI.
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance both the global competitiveness of U.S. business and the U.S. quality of life by promoting and facilitating voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment systems, and safeguarding their integrity. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations.
The Institute represents and serves the diverse interests of more than 270,000 companies and organizations and 30 million professionals worldwide. ANSI is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). For more information, visit www.ansi.org.
The IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) is a global, not-for-profit membership organization that brings together 173 countries and coordinates the work of 20 000 experts globally. IEC International Standards and conformity assessment work underpins international trade in electrical and electronic goods. It facilitates electricity access and verifies the safety, performance and interoperability of electric and electronic devices and systems, including, for example, consumer devices such as mobile phones or refrigerators, office and medical equipment, information technology, electricity generation, and much more.
Conformity assessment refers to any activity that determines whether a product, system, service and sometimes people fulfil the requirements and characteristics described in a standard or specification. Such requirements can include performance, safety, efficiency, effectiveness, reliability, durability, or environmental impacts such as pollution or noise. Verification is generally done through testing and/or inspection.