What is the ISO/IEC 17020 Conformity assessment — Requirements for the operation of various types of bodies performing inspection?

ISO 17020, entitled “Conformity assessment – Requirements for the operation of various types of bodies performing inspection”, is an internationally recognized standard for the competence of inspection bodies.
ISO/IEC 17020:2012 specifies requirements for the competence of bodies performing inspection and for the impartiality and consistency of their inspection activities.