scope:

The formal decisions or agreement of the IEC on technical maters, prepared by technical Committees on which all the National Committees having a special interest therein are represented, express as nearly as possible, an international consensus of opinion on the subjects dealt with

They have the form of recommendations for international use and they are accepted by the National Committees in that sense

In order to promise this international unification, the IEC expresses the wish that all National Committees having as yet no national rules, when preparing such rules should use the IEC recommendations as the fundamental basis for these rules in so far as national conditions will permit

The desirability is recognized of extending international agreement on these matters through an endeavor to harmonize national standardization rules with these recommendations in so far as national conditions will permit The National Committees pledge their influence towards that end