ISO is an independent, non-governmental international organization with a membership of 165 national standards bodies.
Through its members, it brings together experts to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based, market relevant International Standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges.
You'll find our Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland. Learn more about our structure and how we are governed.
International Organization for Standardization
ISO Central Secretariat
Chemin de Blandonnet 8
CP 401 - 1214 Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel.: +41 22 749 01 11
Fax: +41 22 733 34 30
The ISO story began in 1946 when delegates from 25 countries met at the Institute of Civil Engineers in London...
Read more about the first 50 years of ISO (1947 - 1997) in the book:
Because 'International Organization for Standardization' would have different acronyms in different languages (IOS in English, OIN in French for Organisation internationale de normalisation), our founders decided to give it the short form ISO. ISO is derived from the Greek 'isos', meaning equal. Whatever the country, whatever the language, we are always ISO.
How many projects did we begin? Which sectors were most active? How many documents did we publish?
2020 was a year that saw us finalize the strategy that will guide us to the end of the next decade. At the same time, we adapted to unexpected challenges and are continuing to shape our organization to a fast-changing world.
