New Zealand establishes international information technology review group

Issue 20 – September 2010

The New Zealand JTC 1 'Information Technology' international review group is currently being established. The group will provide New Zealand's input into the ISO/IEC JTC 1 committee. This input will include:

• determining which subjects in JTC 1's remit are of interest to the review group
• establishing a New Zealand position on items for commenting and balloting
• providing advice to New Zealand on new items of interest and where possible identifying interested parties to participate and resource these activities.

ISO publishes technical report about nanomaterials

Issue 20 – September 2010

From new medical applications, to the latest gadgets and consumer products, innovative nanotechnology is pushing the boundaries of what we believed possible. For this technology to develop we need a clear understanding and a logical classification of nanomaterials.

To address this issue ISO has published the technical report Nanotechnologies – Methodology for the classification and categorization of nanomaterials ISO/TR 11360:2010. The technical report offers a comprehensive methodology for classifying nanomaterials.

Accessibility – international workshop

Issue 20 – September 2010

Difficulty trying to access products, services, environments, and facilities is an issue for any of us – let alone the millions of people around the world living with disabilities. An international World Standards Cooperation (WSC) workshop will be held on 3 and 4 November 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland, to review and examine the Standards needed to help the development of accessible solutions around the world. The workshop will be followed by a special meeting for Standards developers (but also open to other stakeholders) on 5 November 2010.

The workshop is the latest initiative organised by the three partner organisations of the WSC: International Electrotechnical Commission, International Telecommunication Union, and International Organization for Standardization, which are also raising awareness of accessibility in this year's World Standards Day, celebrated each year on 14 October.

Addressing the role of risk – ISO/CASCO workshop

Issue 20 – September 2010

The ISO committee on conformity assessment (CASCO) will hold a workshop in Paris on 17 November 2010 on risk-based approaches to designing conformity assessment strategies. The workshop will address areas that play an important part in conformity assessment, including the insurance, finance, and legal sectors.

Risk can never be eliminated, but the development of appropriate conformity assessment strategies can help to reduce risk to acceptable levels. The workshop will determine if ISO/CASCO has a role to play in the design and risks of conformity assessment strategies. The workshop, open to ISO/CASCO members and guests, will be accessible through the internet to a limited number of participants.

For more information visit the ISO CASCO website. (www.iso.org/casco2010)

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