Message from the IEC Secretary-General & CEO

Home » Reports » ANNUAL REPORT 2025 » Message from the IEC Secretary-General & CEO

Message from the IEC Secretary-General & CEO

Dear Friends and Colleagues,
2025 was a pivotal year for the IEC. The increasing demands of digital transformation required bold decisions and substantial investments. Among the highlights was the launch of a Single Delivery Unit (SDU) in partnership with ISO to accelerate the delivery of smart content. Hard work, dedication and the support of all our stakeholders helped the IEC to achieve the highest income in its history. This helped to mitigate the impact of record expenditure, driven by major investments notably in IT and digital transformation. These are investments that I firmly believe are essential to our future.

I am also pleased to report that we have put in place new revenue measures and delivered meaningful reform of our funding mechanisms. This has been possible thanks to strong leadership and the willingness of all IEC Members to act in solidarity to support financial stability and to enable the continued relevance of the organization in a digital world. It is a milestone for the IEC and its Members, which fundamentally strengthens the financial foundation on which the future of the IEC will be built.

We achieved these results against the backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty, trade tariffs and spending cuts that affected many international organizations. I would like to emphasize that we do not take this stability for granted and we remain deeply committed to using the resources at the disposal of the organization in the most efficient and transformational way possible.

Focus on people

This approach is underlying our investment in people, technology and state-of-the-art processes to respond to the demands of today, while laying the foundation for a stronger, more resilient organization for tomorrow.

In 2025, we also completed the analysis phase of our review of the IEC brand, which is designed to reflect how important the contributions of the IEC are for a better tomorrow. I would like to highlight the scale and depth of stakeholder engagement in the context of this project. Our team consulted over 3 000 voices across Members, governing bodies, the broader IEC community, external partners and the public. It included in-depth stakeholder interviews, dedicated Member surveys and large-scale online research.

The consultation was rigorous, inclusive and extensive. For an organization like the IEC, whose authority and reach depend on the trust and engagement of a diverse international community, a compelling and coherent brand will further transform technical credibility into genuine influence. Strengthening the brand will ensure that the vital role of the IEC is not just understood, but valued and sought out by the Members, partners and stakeholders it exists to serve.

Future-proofing the IEC

Our achievements were not only about strengthening and future proofing the IEC. There were many other priorities and highlights, especially strengthening our inclusivity and expanding our membership in developing and emerging regions. Our Regional Centre in Africa celebrated its first 10 years with a VIP stakeholder event in Kenya. Government ministers and industry leaders came to our General Meeting in New Delhi, which attracted a higher level of attention than usual, including by the media. Last but certainly not least, we are likely to remember 2025 as the year of the International AI Standards Summit, in Seoul.

There, together with our closest partner organizations ISO and ITU, we identified solutions for some of the most pressing challenges of our times. The event attracted over 300 participants from 65 countries, spanning leaders and senior experts from government, industry, academia and civil society. The defining moment was the Seoul Statement, a joint commitment to advance AI standards that are inclusive, safe, sustainable and recognize the importance and universality of human rights. The joint statement emphasizes the importance of using international standards to build trustworthy AI, bridge digital divides and prevent regulatory fragmentation.

This report highlights not only continued progress amid global tensions but also results that have exceeded even our most optimistic forecasts. On behalf of the entire IEC, I want to thank all of you for your continued support. It is your engagement and commitment that ensures our standards and conformity assessment systems can contribute to shaping a better tomorrow.

Yours sincerely,