ISO is a network of the national standards institutes of 157 countries, on the basis of one member per country, with a central secretariat in Geneva,  Switzerland that co-ordinates the system. ISO is a non governmental organization: its members are not, as is the case in the United Nations System, Delegation of national Governments. Nevertheless, ISO occupies a special position between the public and private sectors. This is because, on the one hand structure of their countries are mandated by their government. On the other hand, other members have their roots uniquely in the private sector, having been setup by national partnership of industry associations. Therefore, ISO is able to act as bridging organizations in which a consensus can be reached on solutions that meet both the requirements of business and the broader needs of society, such as the needs of stak