As China prepares for the 2008 Olympic Games, it is instructive to reflect on the parallels between sport and standardization. We soon perceive that rules are vitally important to both.
Naturally, it goes without saying that rules are absolutely necessary for sport. In fact, without rules and respect of the rules by sports associations, players, referees and spectators, there is no sport, but a free-for-all. When the rules are changed, it affects the strategy of the players and can favour some competitors over others, thus influencing who will win. Therefore, it is important to participate in developing the rules. Rules for sports are regularly adjusted in the light of experience and/or technology. The process involves the participation of all major actors in a global framework allowing for international competitions, with procedures at the level of the sports associations and the International Olympic Committee as the keystone.
Although voluntary, International Standards, of the type produced by ISO, can become market requirements and so they too can be seen as “rules of the game”, when it comes to international trade and the dissemination of technology and good business practices. Increasingly, if a product or service does not meet International Standards for aspects such as safety, quality, environmental impact or inter-operability, then it will suffer from restricted access to global markets.
Like sport, standardization has firmly entered the era of globalization and there is a clear advantage for those who participate in international standardization when the "rules" are being agreed upon on the basis of the consensus between the interested parties: public authorities, industry, civil society and the academic world. ISO offers the leading platform for the development of globally relevant International Standards in an open and transparent way.
The active participation in ISO of the Standardization Administration of China (SAC) illustrates how well China understands the importance of being at the table when the standards that facilitate globalization in a positive way are developed.
On behalf of the worldwide ISO family, which now comprises the national standards bodies of 157 countries, I would like to thank SAC for its contributions to ISO and to wish a successful 2008 Olympics Games to the gracious Chinese hosts.
ISO主席哈坎·莫尔比先生致辞
在中国举办2008年奥运会之际，思考一下体育与标准化的关系不无益处。我们很快就会发现规则对二者而言都是至关重要。
不言而喻，规则对体育不可或缺。事实上，如果没有规则，如果体育协会、运动员、裁判员和观众不遵守规则，就没有体育，体育就成了人人都能参加的运动。体育规则的改变会影响运动员的参赛策略，会对一些运动员有利而对另一些运动员不利，从而影响谁将获胜。因而，参与制定规则很重要。体育规则经常根据经验和（或）技术进行调整。考虑到竞赛是国际性的，所以这个过程应由全球所有优秀运动员参与，将以体育协会和国际奥林匹克委员会规定的程序作为其基础。
虽然ISO制定的国际标准是自愿性的，但它一旦被运用于国际贸易、技术交流和良好的商业行为，便成为市场要求，因此，国际标准也可以被看作是“游戏规则”。而且，如果产品或服务不能满足国际标准在安全、质量、环境影响或互操作性等方面的要求，就会因无法进入国际市场而蒙受损失。
像体育一样，标准化已经坚定地步入了全球化时代，当公共权力机构、工业界、民间团体和学术界等各利益相关方在协商一致的基础上认可这些“规则”时，国际标准化的参与者就能得到明显的优势。ISO为公开透明地制定全球相关的国际标准提供了重要的平台。
中国国家标准化管理委员会（SAC）积极参与ISO的活动，显示了中国充分认识到参与制定积极促进全球化标准的重要意义。
我谨代表由全球157个国家的标准化机构组成的ISO大家庭，向中国国家标准化管理委员会对ISO所作的贡献表示感谢！并祝愿热情的中国东道主成功举办2008年奥运会！
|
