The new IEC Affiliate Leader takes office

Mr. Jorge Vargas, President of the Costa Rica National Electrotechnical Committee and the Legrand Group's Standardization Manager for Central America, the Caribbean, and Ecuador, has been appointed the new Leader of the IEC Affiliate Country Programme (ACP). He assumed office on 29 March 2024, and will be serving in this role till 31 December 2026.

In his role, he will be responsible to strongly encourage the adoption and use of IEC International Standards and conformity assessment services within affiliate countries. Additionally, he will lead on identifying opportunities for improvement in IEC's work relevant to affiliates, thus helping enhance the effectiveness of IEC 's projects.

Mr. Vargas brings his expertise and vast experience to the ACP. He has been presiding over the Costa Rican National Electrotechnical Committee since 2014. He has a degree in Electrical Engineering and another in Telecommunications Engineering. Furthermore, he possesses an MBA with a focus on Marketing and Consumer Behavior. He has been active in several of Costa Rica's electricity sector committees as well as represented Costa Rica in delegations for CANENA, COPANT, and other organizations. As an expert in electrical standardization, he has contributed to revising installation codes and product regulations in various countries across Central America and the Caribbean.

As Mr. Vargas steps into the role, he will become the eighth Leader of the IEC ACP. The IEC Affiliate Country Programme, with currently 75 participating countries, seeks to address the common issues helping newly industrialized and developing countries join the international standardization and conformity assessment community. Countries participating in the IEC ACP join a global community of experts and gain access to IEC International Standards free of charge in view of national adoption. As part of the ACP community, they have a better understanding of how they can use the IEC Conformity Assessment Systems to accelerate safe and quality infrastructure in their countries. Affiliate countries also get to learn from IEC Members through meetings and the mentoring programme.

The Affiliate Leader also participates in the IEC General Meeting, fostering dialogue with the IEC Management, fellow affiliate delegations, and the broader IEC community to further a better understanding of creating impact through IEC's work in affiliate countries.

The outgoing Affiliate Leader, Battsengel Gurragchaa, who had been in office 2020-2023, also conveyed her wishes to the new Leader and expressed her confidence in the continued success of the Affiliate Country Programme.