ISO 20022-1:2013

Overview - ISO 20022-1:2013 (Metamodel)

ISO 20022-1:2013 defines the metamodel and high-level repository organization for the ISO 20022 universal financial industry message scheme. It specifies the modelling approach, the contents and structure of the ISO 20022 Repository, and the high-level expectations for inputs accepted by the Registration Authority and publicly available Repository outputs. The standard supports technology-independent, model-driven definitions of business processes and message sets used for electronic data interchange in financial services (and beyond). Network-dependent rules (e.g., acknowledgements, message protection) are explicitly outside its scope.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Metamodel & Type Library: Defines the meta-object structure used to describe all models stored in the Repository (MOF-based).
• Four modelling levels: Scope, Conceptual, Logical and Physical levels to separate business semantics from implementation details.
• Repository organization: Two primary areas - the DataDictionary (reusable business elements and types) and the BusinessProcessCatalogue (process models, message definitions, physical syntaxes).
• Model transformations: High-level rules for converting models between Scope → Conceptual → Logical → Physical.
• Registration and governance: High-level submission format, media and registration lifecycle requirements for items submitted to the Registration Authority.
• Repository access and outputs: Types and formats of Repository extracts intended for public access and implementation use.
• Standards grounding: Uses UML/MOF modelling constructs and targets XML (and ASN.1) as physical syntaxes; XML Schema generation and reverse-engineering are covered in companion parts.

Practical applications and users

ISO 20022-1 is used to:

• Create consistent, reusable business and message models for payments, securities, trade finance, cash management and cross-domain financial processes.
• Ensure interoperability across participants by publishing standard DataDictionary items and Message Sets in the ISO 20022 Repository.
• Guide implementers in generating XML/ASN.1 schemas from logical models and aligning existing message formats.

Primary users:

• Banks, clearing and settlement systems, payment schemes and market infrastructures
• Message designers, enterprise architects and standards teams
• Software vendors, integration specialists and ISO 20022 Registration Authority administrators

Related standards

ISO 20022 is a multipart standard. Relevant companion parts include:

• ISO 20022-2 (UML profile)
• ISO 20022-3 (Modelling)
• ISO 20022-4 (XML Schema generation)
• ISO 20022-5 (Reverse engineering)
• ISO 20022-6 (Message transport characteristics)
• ISO 20022-7 (Registration)
• ISO 20022-8 (ASN.1 generation)

Keywords: ISO 20022, metamodel, Repository, DataDictionary, BusinessProcessCatalogue, Registration Authority, financial messaging, UML, XML schema.