ISO participates in WEF efforts to offer global solutions to global challenges - 12 February, 2012.
The growing awareness
that ISO International Standards can make practical contributions to tackling
many of the challenges facing the international community has led to ISO being
invited to participate in two of the "global agenda councils" set up
by the World Economic Forum (WEF), organizer of the annual meeting
in Davos, Switzerland, of leaders from business, government and civil society.
Each council serves as an
informal advisory group to the WEF and, through the forum, to the international
community. The councils unite experts, including business and government
leaders, in an on-going, comprehensive and shared creative process to monitor
and address global, regional and industry challenges.
ISO, developer of more than
19 000 voluntary International Standards for just about every sector of
technology and business activity, has been invited to participate on WEF
councils working on the following issues:
- Benchmarking
progress – specifically contributing to the debate on the future of the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) beyond 2015 by proposing a blueprint
for the next generation of MDGs
- New platforms for
global cooperation, problem solving and governance.
ISO Secretary-General Rob
Steele attended meetings with public and private sector leaders at the 2012 WEF
Forum in Davos in January of the groups addressing these issues.
"One of the primary
focuses at this Davos meeting was 'global risk', " he said. "TheGlobal
risks report 2012 was presented, highlighting areas where escalating
risk in financial markets, consequence of climate change, societal revolution,
and unintended consequences of technology have increased likelihood of
instability. What is significant is the number of these areas where ISO has and
is developing standards and some where we need to ask questions as to how we
could do more – cyber-attacks being one."
He pointed out that ISO
standards support the UN Millennium Goals, such as for ensuring food and water
for the world's population. Other standards already existing or under
development address areas such risk management, corporate governance,
information security, road traffic safety, supply chain security, climate
change, health and safety, consumer issues and societal responsibility – all
pressing issues on the global agenda.
"At international
meetings like the Davos forum, there is broad discussion on what the
global challenges are," said the ISO Secretary-General. "ISO's
expertise is in developing specific requirements, metrics and guidance to provide
global solutions to such challenges and this why I'm excited at the prospect of
ISO contributing to the work of the WEF global agenda councils."
Source: www.iso.org
February 12, 2012.