Australian to advise world on standards

An Australian has been elected president of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), as it becomes increasingly involved in major global issues like climate change, security and social responsibility.

Dr Alan Morrison, who has been involved with standards development for 36 years and is deputy chairman of Standards Australia, will take up his position as ISO president from the beginning of 2009.

The ISO has 157 national members, is headquartered in Geneva and is charged with setting the International Standards that are often adopted as regulations or referred to in legislation around the world. There are 193 technical committees responsible for the development and maintenance of 16,500 standards.

The ISO is considered one of the world’s most powerful non-government organisations, with strong links into the United Nations, international governments and major corporations.

“The biggest challenge facing the ISO is maintaining and strengthening its engagement with the international community as important decisions are made particularly regarding climate change and security,” Morrison said.

“Over the past decade, the development of international standards has played an increasingly important part in the global response to these issues.”

The ISO has been responsible for developing international standards that are now globally accepted as world best practice in areas such as financial management, environmental protection and economic development.

“My role as president and the role for the ISO is to ensure that the right standards are developed at the right time to address these and other emerging concerns,” he said.

Morrison is a company director and a professional engineer who has had a long career in business management and public administration, including deputy chairman and managing director of ACTEW Energy, principal policy advisor to the Australian government and founding controller of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.