Development of National Systems for International Standardization Activities

(a) Report on Japan's policy toward international standardization

The Divisional Council on International Affairs (Chaired by Mr. Takuma Yamamoto) of JISC had reviewed Japan's policy toward international standardization at the request of the Minister of International Trade and Industry at May 19, 1997. The Council concluded its final report and submitted it to the Minister on November 10, 1997, after a series of intensive discussions among executives of private sectors and experts on standardization.

The report stresses the following points:

The industry should take initiative in promoting Japan's international standardization, and put more human or monetary resources into the standardization activity. The role of the government is to develop the framework which facilitates the industry’s activities;
The fields, which must be given priority to in promoting international standardization activities, should be selected, and the government and industry cooperate in achieving this goal; and
The government is also required to examine its standardizing policy as inseparatable part of its industrial and technological policies.

Following this report, the industry organization made efforts to respond to the international standardization activities, such as through the establishment of "Standardization center" under Japanese Chemical Industry Association.

(b) National Committees for the ISO/IEC

To respond quickly and systematically to the international standardization activities, ISO Divisional Council and IEC Divisional Council has played the role of coordinating the consensus in Japan, since its establishment of 1961.

In addition, in order to support these international activities, JISC opened a joint-office with JETRO in Geneva, the location of the ISO/IEC Secretariat offices.

Furthermore, aiming to support JISC's activities from the private sectors, the IEC Activities Promotion Committee of Japan (IEC - APC) started in 1991 as a part of the Japanese Standards Association (JSA) with an initiative of the major electric and electronics companies.

(c) Others

To facilitate trade and investment by placing emphasis on international standards, a three year plan to align JIS with international standards was implemented in 1995. This work has targeted about 1700 JIS which were not aligned with international standards.

In order to facilitate the alignment activities over the world, JISC has devoted time and effort to the development of the consolidated and revised ISO/IEC Guides 3/21. After the deliberations of TMB Adhoc Group on this revision (chaired by JISC) since 1996, the draft ISO/IEC Guide 21 was voted in August, 1998. And the new ISO/IEC Guide was published in the beginning of 1999.

The Standards Department of Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, i.e. Secretariat of JISC, has also strengthened its international activities by creating the post of Deputy Director-General, and by raising the status of the "Office" of International Standards to the "Division" of International Standards in July 1996, with the increase of staffs. In addition, the Promotion Office for Market-Relevant International Standards was established in April 1998.