ISO's portfolio of 18 500 standards include a number of management system standards such as the well-known ISO 9001 for quality management, which has been specifically developed and can be used for certification. This means that a certification body audits an organization's management system and issues a certificate that it conforms to the requirements of the standard. The national accreditation bodies that are members of the IAF "accredit" (approve) certification bodies as competent to carry out their certifications.
However, ISO 26000 is not a management system standard and specifically does not contain requirements against which an organization or its management system could be audited and certified. ISO 26000 provides guidance on what social responsibility is and how organizations can operate in a socially responsible manner.
Further, the scope of ISO 26000 makes it very clear that it is not to be used for certification, stating: "This international standard is not a management system standard. It is not intended or appropriate for certification purposes or regulatory or contractual use. Any offer to certify, or claims to be certified to ISO 26000 would be a misrepresentation of the intent and purpose and a misuse of this international standard. As this international standard does not contain requirements, any such certification would not be a demonstration of conformity with this international standard."
In a joint statement, ISO and the IAF reinforce the above position by declaring:
ISO and the IAF further declare that they have a responsibility to ensure that accredited certification is performed in a responsible manner and that standards are not used for purposes for which they have not been intended. In this regard, the IAF passed a resolution in November 2010 at its General Assembly in Shanghai, China, stating:
IAF Resolution 2010-10 - (Agenda Item 7) IAF/ISO Joint Communiqué on Certification to ISO 26000
The General Assembly, acting on the recommendation of the Technical Committee, resolved that there will not be any accredited certification to ISO 26000 (publication date 1November 2010).
ISO 26000 explicitly states that it is not intended or appropriate for certification, and any certification would be a misuse of the standard.
Therefore, Certification Bodies are strongly urged not to promote or provide certification to ISO 26000 and Accreditation Bodies and Certification Bodies are requested to report any misuse or need for certification, to the ISO Central Secretariat.
ISO develops standards but does not carry out auditing and certification to its standards, nor accreditation of the certification bodies that operate independently of ISO. ISO does not control the activities of either accreditation bodies or certification bodies and the ISO logo does not appear on certificates of conformity to ISO standards. However, ISO develops standards to encourage good practice worldwide in accreditation and certification. In this context, ISO cooperates with a number of organizations, in particular the IAF. The IAF's national accreditation body members carry out surveillance of accredited certification bodies to ensure they comply with International Standards when issuing certificates.
The IAF member code of conduct states "The IAF, through its members, has responsibility for the integrity of accredited certification and inspection activities. As such, we (IAF and its members) are committed to maintaining the trust and respect of our clients and the public at large through unquestionable integrity, honesty and ethical business conduct. IAF members have a responsibility to uphold this dedication to corporate ethics."