Validation" and "verification" are conformity assessment operations which involve confirming the reliability of information resulting from declarations made by third parties.
Even though the declarations or commitments made are not always credible or followed up by action, the new standard NF EN ISO/IEC 17029 "Conformity assessment - General principles and requirements for validation and verification bodies" is the perfect tool for checking that the objectives stated by companies are not only achievable but also achieved in practice.