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In the global economy

ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 have become thoroughly integrated with the world economy.

ISO 9001:2000 is now firmly established as the globally accepted standard for providing assurance about the quality of goods and services in supplier-customer relations.

ISO 14001:2004 confirms its global relevance for organizations wishing to operate in an environmentally sustainable manner.

The positive roles played in globalization by ISO’s standards for quality and environmental management systems include the following:

• a unifying base for global businesses and supply chains – such as the automotive and oil and gas sectors
• a technical support for regulation – as, for example, in the medical devices sector)
• a tool for major new economic players to increase their participation in global supply chains, in export trade and in business process outsourcing;
• a tool for regional integration –  as shown by their adoption by new or potential members of the European Union
• in the rise of services in the global economy – nearly 33 % of ISO 9001:2000 certificates and 31 % of ISO 14001 (1996 and 2004 versions) certificates in 2005 went to organizations in the service sectors, and
• in the transfer of good practice – in 2005, the newcomers to ISO 9001:2000 and/or ISO 14001 certification were 13 developing countries in Africa and the Pacific, and two transition economies in Europe and West Asia.