Standards
Standardization
Standardization and certification are two complementary mechanisms that serve to structure professional practices. Standardization aims to standardize practices on a given topic by formalizing requirements within a universal standard. This work is conducted by independent standardization bodies in close collaboration with sectoral experts. Standardization bodies do not provide evaluation and certification services.
Once the characteristics of a framework have been finalized and established, the whole is submitted to certification bodies. Indeed, the responsibility for conformity assessments is entrusted to duly accredited certifiers, in order to carry out, within the scope of their function, certification against the established standard(s); this, in accordance with the principles set out in ISO standard 17021, which governs the requirements applicable to bodies conducting the evaluation and certification of management systems.
Certification
Certification occurs downstream of standardization and consists of verifying an entity’s compliance with the requirements specified in a standard’s specifications. This work is carried out by third-party certification bodies. The principle of certification to a given standard is a mechanism that has proven itself over time, recognized for its ability to structure and secure exchanges and their participants. The certification of management systems is a conformity assessment activity conducted by third-party certification bodies, which are required to apply specific rules.
The certification activity, carried out by independent third parties, is governed by a set of requirements, framed and imposed in particular by ISO standard 17021. This standard lists the principles relating to the competence, impartiality and consistency of certification bodies in the evaluation of management systems. The application of all these rules conditions the credibility and legitimacy of certification decisions. When conducted in accordance with this framework, certification becomes a strategic lever, ensuring certified entities: recognition, trust, a tool for differentiation and competitive advantage.
The benefits
In a global context marked by significant economic and regulatory disparity, compliance with international financial and extra-financial standards constitutes a benchmark of security and trust for all stakeholders, guiding in particular their collaboration choices. Raising compliance levels to access certifications fosters harmonization and the upward alignment of practices, enabling business development and offering a common and shared understanding of interests, which places compliance at the heart of strategic priorities. The ultimate purpose of standardization processes for the creation of standards is to provide, through certification mechanisms, concrete responses to a set of key challenges, relating in particular to:
- Regulation
To substantiate, support and consolidate compliance with regulations and compliance requirements.
Third Parties
To reassure third parties through factual elements and trust indicators.
- Risk Management
To guard against the risks of sanctions and reputational damage.
- Best Practices
To disseminate best practices in terms of performance, governance, transparency and ethics.
- Culture
To foster the embedding of a compliance culture.
- Benchmarking
To provide reliable and independent benchmarks within ecosystems.
- Competitiveness
To offer reliable and independent benchmarks within ecosystems.
- PDCA
To provide commitments for continuous improvement.
- Visibility
To enable greater attractiveness through global reach.
- Financing
To support access to financing through investment, debt and/or financial markets.
- Réglementation
Étayer, appuyer et consolider le respect des réglementations et des exigences en matière de conformité. - Tiers
Rassurer les tiers à l’aide d’éléments factuels et d’indicateurs de confiance. - Maîtrise des risques
Se prémunir contre les risques de sanctions et d’atteinte à la réputation. - Bonnes pratiques
Diffuser les bonnes pratiques en matière de performance, de gouvernance, de transparence et d’éthique. - Culture
Favorise l’ancrage d’une culture de la conformité.
- Benchmarking
Offrir des repères fiables et indépendants au sein des écosystèmes. - Compétitivité
Offrir des repères fiables et indépendants au sein des écosystèmes. - PDCA
Apporter des engagements pour une amélioration continue. - Visibilité
Permettre plus d’attractivité grâce à un rayonnement global. - Financement
Soutenir l’accès au financement par l’investissement, la dette et/ou les marchés financiers.
Reference standards
MSI 20000
Financial quality of companies and institutions.
ESG 1000
Assessment of the extra-financial governance of companies.
AML 30001
Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing.