AENOR adopts a national standard proposed by the Chair's Director

CTN 178 sets up a task force to develop a standard on human rights.

Monday, June 1, 2015

One year ago Dr Lluïsa Marsal set up a task force to define indicators measuring how human rights are safeguarded in cities. The rationale behind this work is that the indicators used to design a city take into account its social dimension. As readers may know, smart cities standards are being developed in Spain and worldwide. Following ISO's lead, which established the ISO Technical Committee 268 on Sustainable Development in Cities and Communities, AENOR set up the Comité de Estandarización de Ciudades Inteligentes (CTN 178) in late 2011. Dr Marsal is a member of both ISO/TC 268 and CTN 178 since their inception. Dr Marsal, worried about city standards only focusing on technological issues, initiated standardisation works putting the spotlight on citizens in order to safeguard their rights and improve their citizenship. These works have already resulted in the definition of indicators measuring rights defined in the United Cities and Local Governments' European Charter for the Safeguarding of Human Rights in the City.

These indicators were presented to AENOR and will be presented to ISO next June. AENOR have shown interest in turning them into a standard, the first social standard in the history of normalization, and in acknowledging citizens' rights in smart cities. Likewise, ISO are also interested in developing an international standard based on a short version of the Spanish norm. These pioneering works, initiated and promoted in Catalonia, are a unique chance for social standardisation and have been internationally accredited.

The development of the standard has just begun. The proposal to develop the standard was adopted in Madrid on 8 May the title and code being PNE 178203 Norma Española en Derechos de Ciudadanía. The agreement was ratified by the meeting held by CTN 178 on 12 May.