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 26‑28 March 2025
under Agenda Item 7.a on Updates by Observers.
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1 INTRODUCTION
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 24000 standards covering technology, manufacturing, and societal
needs. We are a global network of 173 National Standards Bodies (NSBs), with
one member per country. Our standards are co-developed and adopted by up to 173
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.
1.1 WTO 10th Triennial Review and ISO/IEC Guide
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1.4. During the WTO _10th
Triennial Review in November 2024, the TBT Committee
requested the WTO Secretariat to explore with ISO and IEC the possibility
of making the 'ISO/IEC Guide 2:1991' referred to in Annex 1 of the TBT
Agreement available on the WTO website, and any relevant updates to such guide. The
direct links to ISO/IEC Guide 2:1991 and its updates (ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004 and
ISO/IEC 17000:2020) are already freely available and the direct links have been
shared with the WTO for publication on its website.
1.2 Strengthening Regulatory Cooperation in Africa through
capacity building
1.5. Within the framework of the ISO
Action Plan for Developing Countries, ISO, in collaboration with the African
Union Commission (AUC), the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
Secretariat, and the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), is committed
to strengthening regulatory cooperation in Africa through international
standards. As part of this effort, we are supporting the implementation of the
African Technical Regulatory Framework (ACTReF) and the National Technical
Regulatory Frameworks (NaTReFs) through a dedicated capacity-building
programme.
1.3 Conformity Assessment and Capacity Building
1.6. An eLearning course on the
fundamentals of conformity assessment and the CASCO toolbox is under
development, which aims to develop a basic understanding of the CASCO
toolbox and the role of conformity assessment in facilitating trade, improving
product safety and protecting consumers. The course will be made available
to ISO members via the ISO Digital Learning Platform in September 2025.
1.4 Child Protection and International
Standards
1.7. ISO launched the International
Workshop Agreement (IWA) 49 on Child-friendly multidisciplinary and interagency
response services for children who are victims of violence — Requirements and
recommendations. The document establishes international requirements and
recommendations for multidisciplinary and interagency (MDIA) services that
support children who have experienced violence. It provides a consistent global
baseline to ensure child-friendly, trauma-informed, and effective responses.
1.5 Climate
1.8. ISO commissioned research to understand how ISO standards can support
the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework under the
Convention on Biological Diversity. The study identified 549 relevant ISO
standards across 94 technical committees. The findings show how ISO standards
can support global policy objectives. More information is available on iso.org/biodiversity.
1.9. In February 2025, ISO participated in the WTO Dialogue on Plastics
Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade (DPP) Pre-Plenary
meeting. The presentation emphasized how ISO standards facilitate
the adoption of non-plastic substitutes and alternatives while proposing
potential next steps for further collaboration.
1.10. ISO remains actively
engaged in implementing the Steel Standards Principles. It has played a key role in
workshops organized by the WTO and facilitated dialogues to support signatories
in leveraging ISO tools for implementation. Technical experts from
ISO/TC17/SC21 (focused on environmental aspects related to climate change in the
iron and steel industry) have contributed to discussions on the Steel Standard.
Additionally, ISO has supported the development of the 2025 objectives for the
Steel Standards Principles, which were launched at COP29.
1.6 AI
1.11. With the increasing incorporation of
artificial intelligence (AI) into traded goods and services, it is becoming
clear that a mechanism for certifying such products is needed, and that
conformity assessment procedures must evolve to meet these emerging requirements.
In response, ISO/CASCO and ISO/JTC 1/SC 42 (Artificial Intelligence) have begun
jointly developing ISO/IEC 42007, Information
technology — Artificial intelligence — High-level framework and guidance for
the development of conformity assessment schemes for AI systems.
The aim of this standard is to address a gap in standardization on how new
conformity assessment and certification schemes could be structured, developed
and implemented to cover AI systems, by providing guidance for schemes which
assess AI systems' conformity with specified requirements and by building on
existing relevant management system standards.
1.12. ISO will host the International AI Standards Summit 2025
in Seoul, Republic of Korea, from 2-3 December. The International AI Standards
Summit is a direct response from World Standards Cooperation (consist of IEC,
ISO and ITU) to the recommendations on AI governance and international
standards, from the report "Governing AI for Humanity" issued by UN
High-level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence. The Summit envisions to
promote collaboration and consistency of approaches to address global
challenges related to AI governance through International Standards, including
a socio-technical dimension.
2 CONCLUSION
2.1. 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.
2.2. 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 Section to support initiatives on TBT across sectors.
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