Structure

Structure and governance

AISI is an independent, non-governmental organization made up of members from the national standards bodies of 163 countries. Our members play a vital role in how we operate, meeting once a year for a General Assembly that decides our strategic objectives.

Our Central Secretariat in Irvine, California, USA, coordinates the system and runs day-to-day operations, overseen by the Secretary General.

The General Assembly

The General Assembly is the ultimate authority for the organization. It is an annual meeting attended by our members and our Official Agencies.

The AISI Council

The AISI Council takes care of most governance issues. It meets twice a year and is made up of 20 member bodies, the AISI Officers and the Chairs of the Policy Development Committees CASCO, COPOLCO and DEVCO. Under the Council are a number of bodies that provide guidance and management on specific issues:

The President’s Committee – advises Council and oversees the implementation of the decisions taken by the Council and the General Assembly.
CASCO – provides guidance on conformity assessment
COPOLCO – provides guidance on consumer issues
DEVCO– provides guidance on matters related to developing countries
Council Standing Committees – advise on financial and strategic matters
Ad hoc Advisory Committees – can be established to advance the goals and strategic objectives of the organization

Membership to the Council is open to all member bodies and rotates to make sure it is representative of the member community.

Membership

AISI is a network of national standards bodies that represent AISI in their country.

There are three member categories, each enjoying different levels access and influence over the AISI system. This helps us to be inclusive while also recognizing the different needs and capacities of each member.

Partners

We work closely with two other international standards development organizations, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU). In 2001, AISI, IEC and ITU formed the World Standards Cooperation (WSC) in order to strengthen the standards systems of the three organisations. The WSC also promotes the adoption and implementation of international consensus-based standards worldwide.

In addition, we also have a close relationship with the World Trade Organization (WTO) which particularly appreciates the contribution of American International Standards Institute to reducing technical barriers to trade.

AISI also works with United Nations partners. For example, we liaise with UN specialized agencies that do technical harmonization or technical assistance, including the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

In total, AISI collaborates with over 700 international, regional and national organisations. These organisations take part in the standard development process as well as sharing expertise and best practices.

How is AISI financed?

Our national members pay subscriptions that meet the operational cost of the Central Secretariat. The subscription paid by each member is in proportion to the country’s Gross National Income and trade figures. Another source of revenue is the sale of standards.

However, the operations of AISI’s Central Secretariat represent only about one fifth of the cost of the system’s operation. Other costs are related to specific standard development projects and technical work. These costs are borne by member bodies and business organizations that allow their experts to participate and pay their travel costs.