This paper argues that the Reference-Model for Open Distributed Processing (RM-ODP) is a suitable basis for developing new standards pertaining to domain architectures, common business facilities, and common objects. However, the RM-ODP is difficult to understand, and there appears to be several divergent interpretations of it. This paper proposes and discusses an interpretation of information modelling that is both fully consistent with the ODP foundations, and compatible with some of the best practice in object-oriented software engineering.