IIW History 1990-2015

International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), had already stressed in their World Standards Day message that ‘…survival itself is at stake’. In stressing the importance of their words the two Presidents signalled what the future was likely to be with respect to standards and their involvement in changing minds and opinions. ‘Let us not forget that it is technology which in the long run will give our children and their offspring a world fit to live in … this technology is the heart of the world standardisation effort.’ 7 IIW, inescapably, was destined to be part of that effort also. This theme was later to be reflected in the expected challenges of the 1990s when trying to bring about environmentally sustainable growth in an economical and equitable way. It was something that IIW had to be cognisant of, more so since other authorities, such as the Union of International Technical Associations (UITA), were also applying pressure by suggesting the adoption of a more environmentally friendly approach to their policies. 8 IIW was to take on such issues and garner a more serious attitude to social responsibility in the new millennium. In considerationof this, the relationshipwith ISOandother international organisations was of extreme significance, particularly since IIWhad become an international standardising body approved by ISO to develop standards in the field of welding and related processes in 1986. There were ominous signs that this relationship was starting to wear thin in the early 1990s due to the fact that IIW did not fully appreciate the significance and value of the approval it had received from ISO, or adhere fully to ISO practices and documentation. 9 Additionally, it had no effective working system in place to assist the standardisation process. The warning messages received from ISO on IIW’s performance appeared to have gone unheeded at this time despite the possibility of IIW losing its status with ISO. 10 There was much to do therefore, in the 1990s, to improve the relationship with ISO and other standards authorities such as the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). Actions to improve these relationships were of great urgency and signified more than anything the dichotomy that IIW now faced. It was producing work of great importance from among its Commissions, however inertia in decision-making was impacting on its relationships, both within and without the Institute, as an effective welding organisation. One of the problems was the lack of standards writing knowledge within IIW and the difficulty in complying with the exact ISO format. The IIW Scientific and Technical Secretariat provided by the French Institut de Soudure and others within IIW worked to resolve these issues and the Scientific and Technical Secretary, Mr Michel Bramat, was to report later that, as far as relations between IIW, ISO and CEN were concerned, procedures to harmonise the working programmes of these three organisations were now under development. 11

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