UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Orga : New publication on experience in Market Surveillance of ISO 9001 released to facilitate sustainable trade

VIENNA, 17 January 2017 - A new publication titled 'Good practices: Experience in the Market Surveillance of ISO 9001 quality management systems' was released today by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

The report presents the lessons learnt and good practices in applying Market Surveillance methodology to monitor the effectiveness of ISO 9001 certification in manufacturing enterprises and evaluate the performance of respective certification and accreditation bodies.

The report concludes that Market Surveillance visits to certified organizations can be used by accreditation bodies or other stakeholders to supplement traditional accreditation methodologies such as office assessments and witness audits; investigate complaints; and identify trends in the strengths and weaknesses of the implemented quality management systems in particular regions or sectors.

'The proper use of ISO 9001-based quality management systems assists developing countries in promoting sustainable trade, thereby helping them achieve inclusive and sustainable industrial development and the 2030 development agenda,' said LI Yong, Director General of UNIDO.

The methodology of Market Surveillance was developed by UNIDO, the International Standards Organization (ISO) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) as part of a project which studied the implementation of ISO 9001 in 12 South and South-East Asian countries. A comprehensive report titled, 'ISO 9001 - Its relevance and Impact in Asian Developing Economies' was published in 2012 based on the project results. The methodology was then applied and validated in China (2015) and subsequently in Brazil (2016).

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