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The July-August 2009 issue of ISO Focus – the magazine of the International Organization for Standardization – presents concrete examples of how ISO International Standards can help to renew confidence eroded by the global financial crisis.
Contributors include John Wilson, Lead Economist in the International Trade group of the Development Research Group of the World Bank, who writes: "Global economic recovery requires urgent and quick action in all areas to remove obstacles to growth. I do believe expanded use of International Standards can bolster economic growth through trade – and work we have done at the bank demonstrates this."
ISO Treasurer Julien Pitton writes in the same issue: " Not only do organizations who implement voluntary standards benefit from enhanced efficiency, reduced costs, technological know-how and improved market access, but internationally recognized standards also constitute a proactive commitment, appreciated by customers, to promote quality, transparency and accountability, and thus help organizations to generate and restore confidence."
Under the general heading of "Renewing confidence", this issue of ISO Focus includes articles on existing ISO standards or ongoing work addressing the following issues:
- Risk management
- Personal financial planning
- Rating services
- Consumer credit scoring
- Financial services security
- Fraud countermeasures and control
- Anti-counterfeiting tools
- Customer satisfaction
- Quality management
- Conformity assessment
- Social responsibility.
ISO Secretary-General Rob Steele comments: "While ISO continues to produce the engineering standards needed to keep industry operating as efficiently and effectively as possible, this issue of ISO Focus underlines the responsiveness of the organization in developing standards to help provide answers to new challenges made acute by the current economic crisis."