ISO UPDATE TO THE TBT COMMITTEE

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY the International STANDARDS ORGANIZATION (ISO)

This document contains information provided by the ISO for consideration at the TBT Committee meeting of 25‑27 June 2025 under Agenda Item 7.a on Updates by Observers.

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1  Introduction

1.1.  As the world's leading developer of voluntary, consensus-based, market-relevant international standards, ISO has published over 25,000 standards covering technology, manufacturing, and societal needs. We are a global network of 174 National Standards Bodies (NSBs), with one member per country. Our standards are co-developed and adopted by up to 174 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 promote 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.

1.2.  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.

1.3.  The ISO Annual Meeting 2025 will take place from 6 to 10 October in Kigali, Rwanda, hosted by Rwanda Standards Board (RSB), ISO's member in Rwanda. Under the theme "United for Impact," the event calls on participants to harness collective strength to drive bold and lasting change. As the premier global event for the international standards community, it brings together leaders and change-makers to explore how International Standards can unlock progress, build trust, and deliver sustainable solutions to shared global challenges.

2  Sustainability

2.1.  Following the successful launch of the first-ever Standards Pavilion at COP29 in Baku, ISO, in partnership with International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), is planning to replicate this success at COP30 in Belém, Brazil. Through strategic engagement, ISO aims to highlight the value of international standards as effective tools for climate action and advocate for their meaningful inclusion in Climate COP discussions and outcomes.

2.2.  ISO is set to launch its first major international standard on biodiversity, developed by ISO/TC 331 Biodiversity, during the ISO Annual Meeting 2025. The upcoming standard, ISO 17298 – Considering biodiversity in the strategy and operations of organizations: Requirements and guidelines, is expected to have significant impact due to its broad applicability across all organizations and sectors. It will further support both public and private sector organizations in achieving the 2030 targets and 2050 goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).

2.3.  ISO will participate as an Observer in the upcoming negotiations for the Global Plastic Pollution Treaty (INC-5.2) taking place in Geneva from 5 to 14 August 2025. International standards are currently recognized in Chair's Text. ISO has international standards that address nearly every stage of the plastic life cycle, summarized at iso.org/plasticpollution.

2.4.  ISO is partnering with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to establish Sustainability Disclosure and Management Hubs (SDMHs) in six pilot low- and middle-income countries. In collaboration with the International Finanical Reporting Standards (IFRS)/ International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), Global Reporting Initiaitve (GRI), and Global Steering Group for Impact Assessment (GSG Impact), the initiative aims to strengthen local capacity on the links between international standards, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and integrated financial and sustainability reporting. Capacity-building activities, including webinars and workshops, have been successfully launched in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Peru, with plans to expand to Egypt.

3  AI and Technology

3.1.  The Global Digital Collaboration Conference will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 1 to 2 July. ISO is a co-organizer, joining nearly 40 leading intergovernmental, standards, and open-source organizations. This unique event brings together global technical communities, governments, and innovators to advance open standards, cross-border interoperability, and secure digital infrastructure for the public good. If interested, follow this link to complete your registration.

3.2.  ISO has released the ISO/IEC 42005 – AI Impact Assessments. This standard ensures that ethical, economic and environmental impacts are responsibly addressed. It enables organizations to align AI development with values such as fairness, safety, and human-centred design.

3.3.  ISO has launched its first global capacity-building initiative on AI policy and standards, aimed at fostering collaboration between National Standards Bodies (NSBs) and AI regulators across 16 countries, representing both developed and developing economies. The programme will unfold in two parts, beginning in July 2025 during the AI for Good Global Summit and continuing at the 2025 International AI Standards Summit in Seoul, the Republic of Korea in December 2025. The WTO Secretariat is invited to participate and present perspectives on technical barriers to trade (TBT) and digital trade.

3.4.  ISO and IEC, together with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), under the umbrella of the World Standards Cooperation, are jointly organizing the 2025 International AI Standards Summit, hosted by the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) from 2 to 3 December. This Summit is a direct response to the Global Digital Compact (GDC), which calls on standards bodies to collaborate in developing interoperable AI standards. The event will focus on the role of international standards and conformity assessment in enabling responsible, inclusive, and scalable AI governance, through a socio-technical approach that fosters innovation, market access, and regulatory coherence. This high-level multi-stakeholder event will include government and industry leaders, international organizations, standards development organizations (SDOs), academia, and civil society.

3.5.  We encourage WTO TBT delegates interested in how international standards can put AI to use, or wish to share their expertise, to participate. Please reach out to your National Standards Body or Committee for more information or register here: link. ISO and the WTO Secretariat are working closely to ensure digital trade and TBT perspectives are integrated into the programme.

3.6.  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.

3.7.  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 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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