1. Standards in our world
2. How standards benefit consumers
3. Ensuring that consumers have their say in standards-writing
4. What are consumers’ interests and how does ISO address them?

1.1 What are standards and how do they help?

Have you ever stopped to wonder why you can use your bank card almost anywhere in the world?
Or been thankful that the dashboard symbols in the Japanese car you have hired in Australia are the same as in your own French car at home in Norway?
Or noticed that you can watch video footage (MPEG) delivered via the Web on any of the different computers you have access to? Or noticed that your baby’s toy has no sharp edges?
Or been confident that the imported packaged food you eat is fresh and safe?

These and many other examples of convenience for consumers in everyday life show why standards, especially International Standards, are directly relevant to you.

Come visit us on www.iso.org and navigate to "The ISO Café," an area specially designed for a non-technical audience, to find out more about International Standards and how they make a difference in everyday life.

Go to The ISO Café

What are standards in this context?