ISO Standardization Structure

ISO technical sub-committee 5 of ISO’s technical committee (TC) 37 is the sub-committee responsible for the development of translation, interpreting and related technology standards, chaired by the ATC’s standards expert Chris Cox.

At national level, in the UK the ATC’s standards commenting group provides the ATC’s input as a member of the BSI technical committee TS/1 which, in turn, is the UK’s national mirror committee providing UK input to ISO/TC 37/SC 5 projects.

Each of the currently 28 participating countries will have a similar mirror committee to TS/1, some more active than others but all with the same rights of participation.

In the ISO SC 5, working groups (WGs) are formed of interested representatives of the national mirror committees to perform the work necessary to take a project from new work item proposal (NWIP) through all stages of its development to final publication as an international standard. Currently there is one WG for translation, one for interpreting, one for facilities and technical equipment used in interpreting, as well as a terminology coordination group. There are also plans for a potential new working group for translation-related technology.

Apart from national mirror committees from countries involved in ISO work which are eligible to vote during the various stages of standard development, there are also a growing number of liaison bodies, such as GALA, EUATC and WIPO, who can comment on standards under development, but who do not have a vote in the process.

Overseeing all the technical work of ISO committees with respect particularly to the committees operating within the requirements of the ISO directives is the ISO Technical Management Board (ISO/TMB).