Industry leaders and technology experts descend on San Francisco for annual IEC General Meeting

San Francisco, 28th October 2022 - Business and industry leaders from around the world are joining technology experts in San Francisco for the 86th annual IEC General Meeting (GM). This year, around 2'000 participants representing more than 90 countries are taking part. Keynote speakers will include Laurie E. Locascio, the US Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology.

The 2022 IEC GM officially begins on Monday 31 October. It will focus on the importance of standardization for supporting global commerce and removing barriers to trade. International standards and conformity assessment enable businesses in the US, for example, to access new markets and to innovate on products that can be consumed around the world.

The standardization work of the IEC also helps to protect both people and the environment. In this context, delegates will learn more about the IEC Global Impact Fund, launched earlier this year, and how it will help to solve specific environmental, social and governance challenges using international standards and conformity assessment.

IEC President Yinbiao Shu said, With our Global Impact Fund, we will leverage IEC International Standards and conformity assessment to deal with some of the most pressing challenges facing the world. We must offer our contribution to make our world a better place for everyone.

Delegates will examine the role that international standards and conformity assessment can play in enabling a digital and all-electric society, characterized by safe, ethical and trustworthy technologies and universal access to affordable, clean and sustainable energy.

The IEC Secretary-General, Philippe Metzger, said: International standards and conformity assessment are powerful tools that can help governments and regulators to implement policies more efficiently and to reach development goals more quickly. The General Meeting is an important appointment for building a better future, where everyone has access to clean and sustainable energy and where technologies like artificial intelligence are leveraged to improve global health and well-being.

One of the highlights of the 2022 IEC GM will be an interactive International Roundtable on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Distinguished speakers representing a broad range of stakeholders will look at how IEC Standards and Conformity Assessment Systems are helping to meet the SDGs. They will also examine the role and responsibility of corporations in addressing the goals.

All SDGs are impacted in some way by standards, which offer tools to help achieve the SDGs, said Vimal Mahendru, the IEC envoy for the UN SDGs. Understanding how IEC Standards and conformity assessment help to achieve the SDGs allows all stakeholders to leverage technologies and build a better world.

The IEC National Committee of the United States General Meeting is hosting this year's GM, from 31 October to 4 November. Information, including registration, is available on the IEC General Meeting website.

About the IEC

The IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) is a global, not-for-profit membership organization that brings together 173 countries and coordinates the work of 20 000 experts globally. IEC International Standards and conformity assessment work underpins international trade in electrical and electronic goods. It facilitates electricity access and verifies the safety, performance and interoperability of electric and electronic devices and systems, including, for example, consumer devices such as mobile phones or refrigerators, office and medical equipment, information technology, electricity generation, and much more.

Conformity assessment refers to any activity that determines whether a product, system, service and sometimes people fulfil the requirements and characteristics described in a standard or specification. Such requirements can include performance, safety, efficiency, effectiveness, reliability, durability, or environmental impacts such as pollution or noise. Verification is generally done through testing and/or inspection.

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