ISO CASCO 2024 Plenary

One of the strengths of many of the services offered by IIOA members is that is built on the solidest of foundations, a foundation developed by a number of the key members of the quality infrastructure.

These organisations, who all have clearly defined and separate roles, come together to ensure the trust in conformity assessment is maintained and grows. By positively developing this system, it gives assurance that all those who use and benefit from it have trust and confidence. This means that businesses, regulators, governments, consumers and a wide range of other stakeholders can rely on the conformity assessment results from assurance bodies like IIOA members.

Central to this is ISO CASCO, the ISO Committee for Conformity Assessment. CASCO has the role of developing and maintaining many vital standards which define how conformity assessment is carried out. Described as the ‘CASCO Toolbox‘, the standards include standards for how assurance bodies carry out work such as certification audits and validation and verification, key in sustainability and ESG. They also include standards which define how assurance bodies are accredited by organisations such as IAF member accreditation bodies.

As one of the ISO CASCO liaison organisations, IIOA representatives work hard at both a strategic and technical level working within CASCO.  Active CASCO committee work with IIOA representatives can be seen amongst the other IIOA representative work, here.

At the annual ISO CASCO Plenary, IIOA works with a range of other organisations, notably the ISO P members (the national standards body members of ISO), the other liaisons and the CASCO secretariat, working to address how conformity assessment can address some of the key issues facing the world, such as sustainability, digitalisation and AI.

Representing some of these organisations include Pedro Alves (IQNET Managing Director), Marcus Long (IIOA Chief Executive), Emanuele Riva (IAF Chair), Caroline Outa (CASCO Chair), Cristina Draghici (CASCO Secretary), Elias Rafoul (CASCO Vice Chair).