On 25 February 2016, UIC received a visit from a very high-level delegation from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) comprising:

– Dr Zhang Xiaogang, President of ISO,
– Olivier Peyrat, Vice-president (finance) of ISO and General Manager of AFNOR,
– Kevin McKinley, Acting Secretary General of ISO,
– Zhu Jianwei, Director of International Standardisation for the ANSTEEL group,
– Pascal Poupet (Head of International Affairs, AFNOR) and
– Pierre Feltz (Consultant, International Affairs, AFNOR).

This visit was intended to strengthen cooperation between UIC and ISO and to find ways for each of the organisations to contribute to the work of the other.

To this end, ISO is seeking to gather together the principal standardisation and professional organisations worldwide, in advance of their General Assembly to be held in Beijing, China, from 12 to 13 September 2016, just as the co-operation agreement between UIC and ISO on the subject of rail standardisation is about to be finalised.

This meeting was therefore an important element in the concluding agreement since Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, Director General of UIC, Dr. Zhang Xiaogang and Kevin McKinley agreed that a signature date should be fixed before the UIC General Meeting in July, ideally in May in Beijing at the UIC Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting.

Subsequently, UIC will attend the ISO General Meeting and ISO will be invited to that of UIC in December 2016. Together these two major stakeholders in the field of rail standardisation will be called upon to play an even more important role on the world stage in the years to come.