There are many Standards Bodies studying ICTs to create standards, test suites and promote interoperability events in different fields.
ITU cooperates closely with other standard development entities and international organizations. This cooperation aims at avoiding duplication and overlapping of activities, at harmonizing standards covering same topics, individuating gaps in standardization and coordinating activities. A detailed list of such entities can be found
here
Criteria to establish such cooperation are shown in the following
ITU-T A-series Recommendations:
ITU-T A.4: Communication process between ITU-T and Forums and Consortia
ITU-T A.5: Generic procedures for including references to documents of other organizations in ITU-T Recommendations
ITU-T A.6: Cooperation and exchange of information between ITU-T and national and regional standards development organizations
ITU-T also established Memoranda of Understanding with some international and regional organizations aimed at strengthening the collaboration between ITU and them.
ITU intends to cooperate with SDOs to share, through this C&I portal, their information and web sites, other existing conformity products databases, information on laboratories, availability and references to test suites for consideration.
Moreover it will possible to increase awareness of available testing facilities and test suites applicable to ITU Recommendations and/or their normative references and to fill gaps to meet the needs of labs, vendors and customers.
ISO Committee on Conformity Assessment (CASCO)
Within the ISO the CASCO committee has the function :
- To study means of assessing the conformity of products, processes, services and
management systems to appropriate standards or other technical specifications.
- To prepare international guides and International Standards relating to the
practice of testing, inspection and certification of products, processes and
services, and to the assessment of management systems, testing laboratories,
inspection bodies, certification bodies, accreditation bodies and their
operation and acceptance.
- To promote mutual recognition and acceptance of national and regional conformity
assessment systems, and the appropriate use of International Standards for
testing, inspection, certification, assessment and related purposes.
- CASCO publications on Conformity Assessment (note: it contains the publication Building Trust of ISO)
UNIDO (United Nations Industrial development Organization)
UNIDO, the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability, is implementing a number of projects in developing countries in the area of conformity assessment, particularly in testing and calibration laboratories in different fields. The scope of work covering standards, certification, metrology, testing and accreditation to date has focused mainly on ISO standards and it is recognized that this large project portfolio needs to be established also for electro-technical and telecommunications-related activities. Hence UNIDO is expanding its scope to forge systematic cooperation relationships not only with ISO but also with the ITU and the IEC. The approaches to conformity assessment and inspection activities related to ISO, IEC and ITU standards have some common principles that may help developing countries to develop or build on a common infrastructure.
ILAC ( International Laboratory
Accreditation Cooperation )
The International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) is an organization
of laboratory accreditation bodies established with the aim of removing
technical barriers to trade by promoting global confidence and acceptance of
accredited laboratory data through a Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA). The
ILAC aims to harmonise laboratory and inspection accreditation practices and to
achieve international mutual recognition of test reports. The signatory
accreditation bodies are peer-reviewed to ensure that they meet ILAC’s
competence criteria .
- ILAC promotes laboratory and inspection accreditation to industry, governments,
regulators and consumers via the ILAC Arrangement, thus facilitating acceptance
of test, inspection and calibration data accompanying goods across national
borders
IAF (International Accreditation Forum)
The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) is an international organisation of
accreditation bodies with the motto “certified once, accepted everywhere”. The
IAF has a MultiLateral recognition Arrangement (MLA) for the recognition of
certificates issued by bodies that are accredited by members of the IAF. Its
primary function is to develop a single worldwide programme of conformity
assessment which reduces risk for business and its customers by assuring them
that accredited certificates may be relied upon. Accreditation assures users of
the competence and impartiality of the body accredited.
BIPM: The International Bureau of Weghts
and Measures
BIPM provides the basis for a single, coherent system of measurements throughout
the world, traceable to the International System of Units (SI).
This task takes many forms, from direct dissemination of units (as in the case
of mass and time) to coordination through international comparisons of national
measurement standards (as in electricity and ionizing radiation).coordinates
international measurement science and capabilities. It ensures appropriate
accuracy and reliability for measurements made in different laboratories
ensuring compatibility in trade and commerce
Those entities willing to participate in the ITU C&I programme may contact
conformity@itu.int.
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