ISO/IEC 9973:2013

Overview

ISO/IEC 9973:2013 defines the procedures for preparing, maintaining and publishing the International Register of Items used by standards in the domains of computer graphics, image processing and environmental data representation. The standard specifies how classes of items (for example, graphical concepts, data structures, spatial/environmental concepts and profiles) are listed, how unique register identifiers are assigned, and how proposals for adding, modifying or deprecating items are handled. Importantly, registration provides identification and discoverability of items across related standards; it is not itself a standardization of item semantics.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope of registration: covers classes of items that standards explicitly identify for inclusion in the register (graphical items, data structures, environmental concepts, profiles).
• Registration authority: an appointed organization maintains the International Register of Items, distributes guidance and processes approved submissions in accordance with ISO/IEC Directives.
• Sponsoring authorities: authorized organizations (ISO/IEC technical committees/subcommittees, P/O-members of JTC 1, and Category A/B/C liaisons) prepare and submit proposals.
• Registration process: proposals submitted by sponsoring authorities are evaluated by the subcommittee secretariat, relevant working group or rapporteur; approved items are assigned permanent, unique and unambiguous identifiers.
• Item lifecycle: procedures for addition, modification/clarification, conversion of registered items to standardized items, and deprecation (retaining deprecated items in the register but marked accordingly).
• Supporting materials: Annex A specifies submission information; Annex B provides example proposal forms; Annex C gives language-binding guidelines; Annex D provides encoding guidelines.
• Notification and governance: roles and responsibilities for dissemination, approval bodies and notification recipients are defined to ensure transparency across ISO/IEC bodies.

Practical applications

• Ensures consistent identifiers for reusable concepts and data structures across multiple computer graphics and environmental data standards.
• Facilitates interoperability between implementations by allowing systems to reference a common, registered item identifier rather than ad hoc names.
• Helps standards editors and implementers manage evolution: adding new items, clarifying definitions, and deprecating obsolete entries while preserving historical records.
• Supports documentation, data exchange formats, GIS/environmental modeling tools, rendering engines and profile registries that require stable, discoverable identifiers.

Who should use this standard

• ISO/IEC JTC 1 technical committees and subcommittees (especially SC 24) and their convenors, editors and working groups.
• National bodies and sponsoring authorities preparing item proposals.
• Registration authorities responsible for maintaining item registries.
• Standards authors, implementers and integrators working on computer graphics, image processing, spatial/environmental data exchange and related profiles.

Related standards

• ISO/IEC Directives (referenced for registration authority appointment and registry governance)
• Any International Standard that explicitly includes registration provisions to be managed under ISO/IEC 9973:2013.