The ISO Secretary-General, Mr. Alan Bryden, has informed Council, at its meeting on 13-14 March 2008, that he is at the disposal of the Organization to initiate the process for his succession, so that a new Secretary-General might be in place during the first quarter of 2009 in order to support and monitor the preparation of the next ISO Strategic Plan.

Council has indeed decided that the next ISO Strategic Plan should cover the period 2011-2015 inclusively and be preceded in 2009 by the consultation of the ISO members and governance, as well as of key international and regional partners and stakeholders.This Strategic Plan would then be developed by Council, finalized at its March 2010 meeting and submitted for approval by the General Assembly in September 2010.

Mr. Bryden is committed to exercise his duties fully until a successor is effectively in a position to take over and to facilitate this succession to the best of his ability. Council thanked Mr. Bryden for his contribution to the development and sustainability of ISO since his taking of office on 1 March 2003 and for his readiness to enable a smooth transition.

Council has consequently decided to initiate the succession process and approved aprocedure for the recruitment of a new Secretary-General see Annex1, Annex2.