The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a non-governmental organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, that works to develop technical standards for products and services sold around the world. The steady rise in international trade that began in the mid-19th century and has persisted until the present day provided impetus for the global standardization of goods and services. Companies with overseas operations must know that products or services they contract for outside their home country will conform to their needs, and the only way to ensure this is for both parties in the transaction to meet a single set of standards. Thus, as economic interdependence increased among nations on all continents, the need for an authoritative international standards body became increasingly apparent. To address this need, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) was founded in 1947.

The ISO comprises national standards bodies representing...