Our global food systems are facing multiple challenges. The way food is produced, processed, packaged, distributed and consumed hinders food security and depletes natural resources. This is compounded by a volatile climate and its deleterious effects on food production.

To address these issues, we need to look at entire food systems and work towards making them more secure and sustainable. With a focus on agri-tech innovation, data, digitalization and new operational methods and systems, standards play a pivotal role in creating a circular economy for food. This session explores the role of standards through two case studies, from Kenya and Singapore, and facilitates an interactive discussion with experts.

Organized in collaboration with Singapore Standards Council, Enterprise Singapore, the British Standards Institution, UNIDO 

The events of the past two years remind us that today’s global challenges cannot be solved without coordinated and coherent action. Collaborative efforts will be crucial to ensuring the scale and speed of change necessary to deliver the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

International Standards can serve as accelerators of change to support organizations worldwide in their endeavours.

To help promote their uptake, ISO is seeking to establish effective and meaningful partnerships. A panel session will be held to explore the common challenges to collaboration and identify ways in which they can be overcome.

#collaboration #sustainability #developingcountries

How do we engage universities? What are the challenges of digitalization? Am I ready for a future pandemic? Nearly every global issue today, from climate change to governance to disaster response, can benefit from having a larger crowd of informed individuals helping to generate, vet and implement solutions.

Many of the more sensitive or otherwise complex subject matters are not being addressed in a timely manner, if at all, due to a lack of creative ideas, resources or other challenges.

This session offers a safe space for standards industry peers to examine and discuss out-of-the-box solutions to burning questions.

#collaboration #innovation #developingcountries

The world around us is changing at an unprecedented pace. In the “go faster, do more” technology culture, more and more organizations are failing due to human error, bad judgement and the inability to see the risks coming their way. Are we prepared for the future? Anticipating the challenges and opportunities our world will face tomorrow requires in-depth insight of the forces driving change on a global scale.

The ISO Foresight Trend Report identifies the most significant trends that will impact standardization as we work towards the goals and priorities of the ISO Strategy 2030. Join us in exploring the driving forces that will shape our future world.

#sustainability #innovation #developingcountries

The impact of digital technologies on trade will continue to accelerate. The Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, 3D printing and blockchain are expected to have profoundly transformative effects on global trade patterns.

They will also affect how conformity is assessed and communicated, bringing confidence to markets and supply chains the world over. While innovative digital technologies have undeniable advantages, access to them is not equal.

The digitalization of trade could exacerbate the digital divide, creating new obstacles for developing countries looking to expand into regional and global markets.

This session is an opportunity to engage in dialogue with experts on trade digitalization and understand how its evolution will impact standardization and conformity assessment, particularly in developing countries.

Leaders from the World Standards Cooperation (IEC, ISO and ITU) will come together for a candid conversation around gender issues. The standards community is doing its part to promote gender equality by bringing on board a man’s perspective.

To achieve full gender equality, men need to be in the rooms where discussions about gender are happening. Join leaders of the world’s three largest international standards organizations as they discuss how their roles help transform social norms and support women’s empowerment.

Barbershop events are an initiative by UNWomen to provide men with tools to address inequality. 

#HeForShe #diversity #sustainability #developingcountries

Despite the recent COVID pandemic, the global standards market, valued at approximately USD 1.5 billion, has been experiencing a growth of 5 percent per year.

Yet, current global economic uncertainty, the risk of stagflation in several economies and mounting tension in international trade present significant risks for sustained growth.

This session will cover the main trends, opportunities and challenges of the global standards market. A must-go-to for anyone looking to understand today’s standards market landscape. 

Standards and conformity assessment provide the tools to deliver trust and confidence about the environment in which we live. But what happens when this environment changes?

Accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, digitalization has fundamentally altered the way we live, work and relate to each other. Conformity assessment actors had to develop alternative ways of working based on AI, machine learning, remote auditing, constant data exchange and much more. In this context, how do we ensure the sector continues to meet the demands for quality and safety? Are standards still fit to deliver the level of confidence required by the market?

Looking beyond the specific circumstance of the pandemic, this session considers the digital transformation of conformity assessment and how it can be leveraged further for the benefit of all.

Organized in collaboration with IAF and ILAC.  

Climate action is a key challenge for countries around the world, made more urgent by the marked increase in the frequency and extremity of adverse climatic events. Trade and climate are inextricably linked, trade policy and activity can impact the climate, and the climate can have a significant disruptive effect on trade flows. 
 
The focus of this session is to unpack some of the major challenges that are posed by trade and climate, viewed through the lens of a range of different stakeholder groups. This will be complemented by short introductions exploring some of the critically important work that is being delivered to minimize the climatic risks associated with global trade.  

Organized in collaboration with the British Standards Institution. 

The science is clear: the need for urgent measures to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change is overwhelming. In September 2021, the ISO General Assembly defined ISO’s commitment to achieve the climate agenda by 2050 through its adoption of the London Declaration and, over the last year, ISO’s members have risen to the challenge.

This session will present the progress made so far, the plans for things to come, and convene a panel of ISO members from different regions to discuss their own specific challenges and actions.

Find out how ISO members are transforming their economies and strengthening their climate change policies as part of a commitment to climate action through standards.

Combining the circular and digital agendas should arguably contribute to a carbon-neutral future. To achieve this vision, sectors across the world need to invest in advanced technologies, in digitalization and the transition to clean energy.

However, such transitions are expensive, complex and need specific expertise. In this session, participants will examine the decisive, and almost catalytic, role of new technologies of the so-called Industry 4.0 and how they can be used to increase circularity and sustainability in the global economy.

Organized in collaboration with Ministry of Industry & Advanced Technology - Standards and Technical Regulations Sector. 

The pace of the world has changed. Just think about it. In 1947, when ISO came into existence, both access to knowledge and opportunities for collaboration were extremely limited. Today, digital platforms (such as Google, WhatsApp, TikTok and YouTube) are the main channels for disseminating information and ideas.

In this fast-paced world, will ISO still be relevant a decade from now? Join us for a stimulating debate where two opposing thought leaders share their views on ISO’s future and how to remain competitive in the years to come.

With rising awareness of the carbon footprint of travelling, consumers expect more from travel service providers. However, claims about sustainable tourism services - especially for those purchased online - can sometimes be opaque and confusing. As a result, many consumers struggle to make informed choices about a "sustainable" holiday.

After a brief presentation of the issues, participants in this session will take a hypothetical holiday to Faunifloria, an imaginary sustainable tourism location. On the journey, they will explore such service aspects as access, information, safety, performance, informed choice, environmental impact, privacy and data protection; and find out what makes a sustainable claim credible - and what tools exist to help make their sustainable holiday successful.

Through a series of thought-provoking questions, this regional workshop provides an opportunity for ISO members and RSOs of the Africa and Arab States region to meet face to face to reflect on the REP journey thus far and look toward the future. The sessions will be facilitated by the ISO Central Secretariat Regional Coordinators and ISO leadership.