ISO UPDATE TO the TBT committee

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE international organization for standardization
(ISO)

This document contains information provided by ISO at the TBT Committee meeting of 5‑8 November 2024 under Agenda Item 6 (Update by Observers).

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1.1.  ISO would like to thank the WTO TBT for the opportunity to provide an update on ISO activities.

1.2.  As the world's leading developer of voluntary, consensus-based, market-relevant International Standards, ISO has published over 24,000 standards covering technology, manufacturing, and societal needs. We are a global network of 172 National Standards Bodies, NSBs, with one member per country. Our standards are co-developed and adopted by up to 172 NSBs, ensuring that ISO standards are used everywhere to make lives, easier, safer and better. By using ISO standards, WTO members can align national regulations with international norms, lower trade barriers, facilitate trade, and promoting regulatory cooperation. ISO Members represent ISO at the national level. ISO members are often the WTO TBT National Enquiry Points. We encourage WTO TBT Delegates to connect with ISO Members in their respective countries for issues related to technical barriers to trade.

1.3.  To meet the evolving demands of the global marketplace, ISO has established rapid response mechanisms to address emerging issues, including digital transformation, sustainability, and supply chain resilience. This adaptability helps to ensure that ISO standards continue to address modern challenges, thus supporting WTO members in achieving their trade objectives while ensuring compliance with international best practices.

1.4.  Together with other partners, ISO will participate in COP 29 Climate Conference with a co‑owned Standards Pavilion. The Standards Pavilion is 100 square meters in size and will be located in the Blue Zone of COP29. The Standards Pavilion will host more than 50 sessions, including panels, soapbox discussions, workshops, and boardroom meetings. ISO welcomes WTO delegates to participate in Standards Pavilion.

1.5.  In 2024 ISO continues engaging in the implementation of Steel Standards Principles. ISO has actively contributed to the workshops arranged by WTO. Technical experts from ISO/TC17/SC21 (Environment related to climate change in the iron and steel industry) have been involved in the dialogue on the Steel Standard. ISO aims to announce a statement, including objectives for Steel Standard Principles for 2025, at the COP29.

1.6.  During ISO Annual Meeting in September, ISO and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) unveiled the world's first international guidelines to help businesses and organizations expedite their contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The new guidelines aim to take organizations from SDG alignment to SDG action. As the global community races to meet the SDG targets by 2030, ISO offers this practical tool publicly available for global organizations to make meaningful contributions.

1.7.  Together with International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and International Telecom Union (ITU), World Standards Cooperation (WSC) established the International AI Standards Summit, a joint initiative that aims to tackle challenges related to artificial intelligence, with a focus on developing and maintaining standards that promote safety, transparency, and inclusivity in AI. The initiative follows the adoption of the Global Digital Compact by world leaders and the report from UN High-level Advisory Board on AI in September 2024 and is a direct response to a call to action by the United Nations to advance AI governance through international standards. The 2024 edition took place in October 2024 in India hosted by ITU. The 2025 International AI Standards Summit will take place on 2-3 December 2025, in Seoul, hosted by ISO Member, the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS).

1.8.  World Standards Cooperation (WSC) set up a multistakeholder standards collaboration for AI and multimedia authenticity in May 2024, in view of the rapid developments and use of AI and generative AI technology, and the resultant rise of deepfakes. The standards collaboration is open to international, regional and national standards organizations, governments, tech companies, industry initiatives on AI watermarking, multimedia authenticity and deepfake detection and other relevant organizations involved in this space. WTO delegates are welcomed to contact ISO if interested in the standards collaboration.

1.9.  ISO continues advancing its Public Policy Programme through regional workshops and capacity building. In June 2024, ISO successfully delivered its first regional workshop on ISO standards and public policy in Pretoria from 10-12 June 2024. The workshop convened 10 national delegations from Africa, including senior representatives from NSBs, Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Environmental, alongside representatives from the WTO, the AUC, AfCFTA, and ARSO. The workshop served as a key platform to help delegations develop a national action plan for enhanced collaboration, in line with Good Regulatory Practices and the WTO TBT Agreement, underpinned by international standards. ISO published two new documents to support members engage more effectively with policymakers and regulators: ISO Policy Brief: A primer on public policy – maximizing your NSB's engagement with policymakers and ISO Policy Brief: Combatting plastic pollution with international standards.

1.10.  ISO collaborates closely with the WTO TBT Division to provide capacity-building support to National Standards Bodies/WTO TBT NEPs. For example, ISO participated in the WTO TBT regional workshops in Saudi Arabia and in Brazil in October 2024.

1.11.  ISO contributed to WTO's Public Forum this year. In September 2024, ISO organized a session at the WTO Public Forum titled "International standards for better trade", in collaboration with National Standards Bodies from the UK and Kenya, BSI and KEBS, and with speakers from the WTO and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). The session explored the intersection of standards, trade and public policy from a TBT perspective. The discussion highlighted the mutually reinforcing relationship between the WTO and the international standardization system in facilitating inclusive trade, building trust and enabling international regulatory cooperation.

1.12.  We encourage WTO TBT Committee delegates to consider ISO standards as trusted tools for regulatory harmonization. By adopting ISO standards in national technical regulations, member economies can enhance compatibility, improve market access, and support regulatory coherence on an international scale.

1.13.  ISO remains committed to collaborating with the WTO TBT Committee and its delegates to promote fair, open, and resilient trade. We are confident that by leveraging the ISO system and its standards, WTO members can strengthen regulatory cooperation, reduce technical barriers, and foster an inclusive and sustainable trade. ISO will continue to organize regional workshops with a focus on the WTO TBT Agreement and looks forward to collaborating with the WTO TBT Division to support initiatives on TBT across sectors.

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