Founded in 1947, the IEC is the world’s first non-governmental international electrotechnical standards organization. The IEC’s mission is to promote the international harmonization of electrotechnical standards, foster international cooperation in standardization and related areas within the fields of electrical and electronic engineering, and enhance mutual understanding among nations. To achieve this mission, the IEC publishes a variety of materials, including international standards.
--The creation of every standard involves scientific management and rigorous review
--To be approved as an international standard, a standard must be recognized by 189 countries, more than 600 industrial organizations, and numerous manufacturers
--It takes at least two years for an international standard to progress from the submission of a draft to its approval as a standard, followed by 3–5 years of continuous maintenance and refinement.
Below is an overview of the processes involved in drafting and publishing an IEC standard:
1. Preliminary stage (PWI) – Proposal stage
This stage is used to formulate proposals for new work items and to draft preliminary drafts
2. Proposal stage (NP) – Preparatory stage
This is the stage for conducting a survey of interest and forming a working group.
3. Preparatory Stage (Working Draft (WD))
This is the stage during which the working group drafts the standard
4. Committee stage
(Committee draft for comments (CD))—Technical Committee stage
This is the stage during which the TC or SC discusses the draft.
The Committee Draft (CD) is submitted to all IEC members—both those actively participating in IEC work and those holding only observer status—for comments and approval
5. Enquiry stage
(Committee Draft for Vote (CDV))—Enquiry stage
The Committee Draft for Vote (CDV) is submitted to all National Committees for a 12-week voting period. The CDV of an international standard is considered adopted under the following conditions:
A two-thirds majority of P members vote in favor, and the total number of “no” votes cast by all National Committees (NCs) does not exceed 25% of the total votes.
Or, it is amended based on comments
6. Final approval stage (Final Draft International Standard (FDIS))—Final approval stage
The FDIS is sent to all National Committees (NCs) for a 6-week voting period. If two-thirds of P members agree and less than 25% of all submitted votes are in opposition, the FDIS is approved.
7. Publication Stage
Once the FDIS is approved, the Central Secretariat must correct any errors identified by the TC/SC Secretariat within 6 weeks, and then print and distribute the international standard
Every publication of a standard involves a tug-of-war and strategic maneuvering among member countries and regions
It is only natural that the creation of an IEC standard recognized by the majority of member countries is such a rigorous and arduous process