LPG, QMS & EMS News and Resources

ISO Annual Meeting Opening Ceremony**********The opening ceremony of the ISO Annual Meeting 2026 was held in Paris on Monday, September 28, 2026. The theme of the annual meeting was "Building trust in a changing world." As host, the French standardization organization AFNOR is organizing the event in its centenary year. A replay of the ceremony is available on the ISO website.The ISO Annual Meeting Opening Ceremony was not just a formal welcome. In ISO's words, it was a moment of alignment, reflection, and looking forward. The session language was English; interpreters and captions were available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish. Journalist Sheuli Ghosh moderated the program. The official speaker list includes three keynote addresses. Sergio Mujica (ISO Secretary General) and Olivier Pera (AFNOR CEO/Director-General) already spoke at the morning press conference; the evening's stage featured primarily speaker-level messages.ISO President Dr. Khaled Soufi welcomed the global standards community to Paris and clarified the theme of the week: trust is no longer assumed automatically—it must be built, proven, and maintained over time. His sentiment also emphasized that trust is ISO's core asset and the organization's contribution to the world. AFNOR President Guy Mougy welcomed on behalf of the host organization. His message was that trust grows when countries bring their knowledge and ambition to a common table. Eleonore Caroa, Minister Delegate for Francophonie, International Partnerships, and French Nationals Abroad, France, emphasized multilateral cooperation. She quoted: "Multilateralism is more needed than ever." In French, she said that some of ISO's emblematic standards are answers to global challenges that concern everyone.The ceremony featured a "celebration of collaboration between cultures across borders," featuring theatrical and dance performances. Anastasia Vilanova's choreography and the artists' performances were superb. Contemporary dance, a powerful response to a changing world. The evening began with this, and Murmuration concluded. The 27 dancers moved in unison, and the audience was also involved in the performance, so that the entire hall moved as one unit.The ISO/UNDP 53001 standard had been launched before this event. This was a memorable centenary event for AFNOR.Regards,Keshav Ram Singhal 

Launch of the ISO/UNDP 53001:2026 Standard**********ISO/UNDP 53001:2026 was officially launched on the first day of the ISO Annual Meeting, which began in Paris on September 28, 2026. It is the world's first international management system standard aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The ISO Annual Meeting 2026 is being hosted by AFNOR, France's national standards body, from September 28 to October 2. The theme is Building trust in a changing world.The launch of the standard was a joint event between ISO and UNDP. The standard was presented at a morning press conference. On stage were Dr. Khaled Soufi (ISO President), Sergio Mujica (ISO Secretary-General), Marcos Neto, and Olivier Pera (AFNOR CEO). Mujica said that the SDGs have provided a shared global vision for a decade; now organizations want to translate that vision into concrete action. Marcos Neto, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of UNDP's Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, said that the 2030 Agenda will only advance if organizations incorporate ambition into everyday decision-making and governance.What is the Standard?ISO/UNDP 53001:2026 — Management systems for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — Requirements — is a requirements-based management system standard, similar to ISO 9001 or ISO 14001. Organizations can develop and implement systems in accordance with it; third-party certification of compliance will also be possible.ObjectiveOrganizations should not limit the SDGs to mere declaration or reporting, but rather incorporate them into strategy, management systems, and daily operations, and measure progress. The standard is for every type of organization—company, government, educational institution, civil society—regardless of size or sector. Organizations can focus on the most relevant SDGs according to their context and stakeholders.Expectations from the Organization- Analysis of the organizational context and dialogue with stakeholders- Identifying, assessing, and prioritizing actual and potential positive and negative impacts on the SDGs- Meaningful SDG objectives and targets- Data on impacts and evaluating progress- Managing interrelationships, synergies, and trade-offs among goals- Continual improvement through PDCA cyclesThe standard does not treat each SDG as a separate project; it provides an integrated approach. It also provides for its relevance to post-2030 global goals.DevelopmentThe standard was developed by ISO/PC 343 (Sustainable development goals management); the secretariat was with Danish Standards. The UNDP SDG Impact Standards for Enterprises were the foundation. The standard bears the dual ISO/UNDP logo. The guiding ISO/UNDP PAS 53002 was released in 2024, followed by the full international standard ISO/UNDP 53001:2026. ISO/UNDP 53002 is being developed to guide implementation. The standard is approximately 36 pages long and is available on the ISO website.The launch of ISO/UNDP 53001:2026 is an effort to move the SDGs from a declaration to a management system, so that contributions can be measured, accountability can be demonstrated, and improvement can be sustained.Regards,Keshav Ram Singhal

ISO 9001:2026 Standard — Standard Alignment**********A key change in ISO 9001:2026 is alignment of its content with Annex SL and TMB Resolution 16/2025. The basic framework remains that of ISO 9001:2015 — ten clauses, the process approach, PDCA and risk-based thinking. New requirements have been added within this framework. TMB Resolution 16/2025 is a policy clarification of the ISO Technical Management Board. It determines how tightly Management System Standards (MSS) must follow Annex SL / Harmonized Structure (HS). It was adopted at the 92nd meeting of the TMB in Salvador, Brazil, on 19–20 March 2025. Title: Management of deviations on Management Systems Standards (MSS) – Policy clarification.Simply put, Annex SL is a common framework for all management system standards — uniform clause numbers, clause titles, core text and core definitions — so that ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and similar standards can be implemented together more easily. TMB Resolution 16/2025 states -- Clause and subclause titles cannot be changed; nor can their order.- Core HS terms and definitions must be used unchanged.- Exception: the entry for “risk” may be modified in accordance with TMB Resolution 33/2024.- Discipline-specific points may be added through additional notes, subordinate definitions or subordinate clauses (Annex SL, Appendix 3).- Deviations beyond titles and core definitions may occur; they must be recorded in a deviation report. ISO/CS may advise but cannot reject them; the final decision rests with the relevant committee.- The HS version current at project registration applies to that revision or amendment. When a new edition is produced, the HS then current applies in full.ISO/JTCG guide for standards writers: Understanding Annex SL and applying TMB resolution 16/2025 “Alignment with Annex SL and TMB Resolution 16/2025” in the Global ACI document means that ISO 9001:2026 does not depart from HS clause titles and core definitions. Quality culture, ethical behaviour, and the separate treatment of risks and opportunities have been added within this framework.This TMB resolution does not create new requirements for certified organizations. ISO 9001:2026 does contain new requirements, such as a quality culture, but they are added to the same ten-clause framework. The practical message for organizations is that the underlying framework of ISO 9001:2026 remains that of ISO 9001:2015, so an integrated management system is not broken.Regards,Keshav Ram SinghalGlossaryTMB = Technical Management BoardMSS = Management System StandardHS = Harmonized StructureJTCG = Joint Technical Coordination Group on MSSISO/CS = ISO Central Secretariat 

NCQM Annual Day Function**********The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the National Centre for Quality Management (NCQM) was held in Mumbai today, 26 September 2026, along with the Annual Day Function. Dr. Santosh B. Rane, Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sardar Patel College of Engineering, Mumbai, was the Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker at the function. Dr. Rane delivered his keynote address on “Human-Robot Collaboration in Industry 5.0-Enabled Manufacturing.”NCQM Annual Day Function – proceedings in progressFrom Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0 - Dr. Santosh B. Rane explained the distinction between Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0. While Industry 4.0 places considerable emphasis on Automation, IoT, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Smart Machines, Industry 5.0 gives greater importance to Human-centricity, Sustainability and Resilience.Dr. Santosh B. Rane delivering his Keynote AddressHuman + Robot = Collaboration - While discussing Industry 5.0, Dr. Rane highlighted an important concept: Human + Robot = Collaboration — not Competition. The objective should not be to replace human beings with robots, but to enable robots to work collaboratively with humans.He explained that human capabilities such as Creativity, Judgement, Flexibility and Problem-solving can be combined with the capabilities of robots such as Precision, Strength, Speed and Consistency. Such complementary capabilities can help achieve better outcomes in manufacturing.Dr. Santosh B. Rane with NCQM office-bearers and membersCollaborative Robots – Cobots - Dr. Rane also discussed Collaborative Robots (Cobots). Cobots are designed to work safely alongside human workers in shared workspaces. They can be used for a variety of applications such as Assembly, Inspection and Material Handling.Role of AI and Smart Technologies - He highlighted the role of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Machine Vision and Sensors in Human-Robot Collaboration. According to Dr. Rane, future robots will increasingly move beyond simply following pre-programmed instructions. With the help of AI and other smart technologies, they can become more adaptive and respond more effectively to changing situations while working alongside humans.People, Safety, Ethics and Trust - Industry 5.0 is not merely about technology. People and their capabilities remain central to its successful implementation. Dr. Rane emphasized the importance of skill development, training, employee wellbeing and change management. He also discussed Safety, Ethics and Trust in Human-Robot Collaboration. When humans and robots operate in the same workspace, aspects such as Collision Avoidance, Risk Assessment and Functional Safety become particularly important. He aptly stated: “Trust is earned through safe, ethical and reliable collaboration.”Process and Workflow Redesign - Another important point highlighted by Dr. Rane was that simply installing robots does not make an organization Industry 5.0-ready. Human and robot capabilities and responsibilities need to be considered while redesigning processes and workflows. Instead of merely adding technology to an existing process, organizations may need to redesign the workflow so that the complementary capabilities of humans and machines can be effectively utilized.A Challenge for India - In response to a question, Dr. Santosh B. Rane observed that large industries in India have adopted Industry 4.0, but moving from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0 remains a significant challenge. This transition requires attention not only to technology, but also to people, skills, processes, safety and organizational readiness.SummaryIn summary, the fundamental idea of Industry 5.0 can be expressed as “Technology for Humans.” It seeks to combine the capabilities of intelligent machines with human skills, creativity and judgement to develop manufacturing that is more quality-oriented, safe, sustainable and resilient.I found the keynote address particularly useful because it provided an opportunity to understand Industry 5.0 by bringing together the four important dimensions of Technology, People, Process and Quality. The Chief Guest was welcomed and introduced by Shri Santosh Khadagade, President, NCQM. I participated in the programme online and had the opportunity to listen to Dr. Rane's keynote address.Regards,Keshav Ram SinghalAbout National Centre for Quality Management (NCQM) - Readers interested in learning more about the National Centre for Quality Management (NCQM) may visit its official website. Information about the organization, its activities and membership can be obtained there. The Membership Brochure is also available on the website.

4 Lakh Visitors – Thank You!********** Our blog has crossed the milestone of 4 lakh visitors! This journey has been possible because of the interest, encouragement and support of our readers.Through this blog, we will continue our efforts to share knowledge and promote awareness about Quality, Management Systems, People, Processes, Sustainability and continual improvement.4 Lakh Visitors is not the destination—it is another milestone in our journey of Learning, Sharing and Growing Together.Thank you for being a part of this journey.Regards, Keshav Ram Singhal