The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a global federation of national standards bodies from over 160 countries that develops and promotes international standards across various sectors. ISO follows a six-stage process for creating standards and provides certification to assure compliance with these standards, enhancing quality and consistency across industries. ISO standards, such as ISO 9001 for quality management and ISO 14001 for environmental management, serve as guidelines to improve organizational performance and meet regulatory and customer requirements.