Summary Description

The ISO/IEC Information Centre is jointly operated by ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, and IEC, the International Electrotechnical Commission.

World Standards Services Network (WSSN), is a network of publicly accessible World Wide Web servers of standards organizations around the world. Through the Web sites of its members, WSSN provides information on international, regional and national standardization and related activities and services.

As it is part of the ISO/IEC Information Centre, that centre's information services provided tot the WTO Secretariat will also be covered here.

Aim & Objectives

The objective is to provide stakeholders with information about standardization, standards and related matters.
To serve as a portal to the main information given on various pages of the ISO and IEC Web sites e.g. the ISO and IEC Catalogues, provides an enquiry service for users and gives access to the Web sites of national standards organizations via WSSN, the World Standards Services Network.

The objective of WSSN is to simplify access to international, regional and national standards information available through the Web.

WSSN aims to:

• link the Web sites of members of WSSN and beyond, through links provided on the sites of WSSN members, into a comprehensive global network through which users may navigate to identify and obtain the information they need about standards and related activities;
• provide a harmonized environment for users to navigate through.

http://www.wssn.net/WSSN/aboutwssn.html

Claims & Core Values

Gateway for access to standards in a harmonized environment.

Avoid that standards are abused as a technical barrier to trade, in the sense that the WTO code of good practice¹ aims to prevent.

Participation in Interactions

What role does the organisation play in interactions (preferably as identified and listed in the interaction dictionary: www.interaction-dictionary.info )

Contracts and Constraints

What contracts have been agreed among these actors

Strategic Themes

Ensure that standards are not abused as a technical barrier to trade.

Strategic Plans

Have the actors expressed any (joint) strategic plans?

Roles & Resources

Maintain and publish annually the WTO TBT Standards Code Directory listing all standardizing bodies that have notified acceptance of the WTO TBT Code of Good Practice for the Preparation, Adoption and Application of Standards.

The Directory, which is published annually, also contains the addresses of these standardizing bodies and information related to the availability of their work programmes.

Maintain, publish a listing on:

• International standards and standardizing bodies
• Regional standards and standardizing bodies
• National standards organizations (ISO and IEC members)
• Other organizations with standards related activities (IFAN, ILAC, WTO,…)

Provide a structured index, with direct links to catalogues, technical programmes, contact information of bodies in WSSN.

ISONET Directory

ISO/IEC

Information Systems

WTO TBT Standards Code Directory 2010
http://www.standardsinfo.net/info/livelink/fetch/2000/148478/6301438/docs_wto/tbtList_20100323.pdf

Which information systems support the organisations contribution to the interactions in which in participates?

Operations

These are handled by ISO and IEC.

Monitoring & Evaluation

Not applicable

Change

These are handled by ISO and IEC, as part of ISO/IEC Information Centre (http://www.standardsinfo.net/info/livelink/fetch/2000/148478/6301438/index.html)

Issues

Not applicable

Related Bodies and Agencies

WTO

The ISO/IEC Information Centre provides technical support to the political agreements reached within the framework of WTO as described at WTO, ISO, IEC and world trade.

ISO and IEC

ISO

IEC