The 2023 International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Annual Meeting was held 18-22 September in Brisbane. The week-long program shaped under the theme “Meeting global needs” featured an inspiring series of panel discussions and workshops, creating a forward-looking dialogue on how standards can help address the most pressing challenges facing our planet today. JASANZ team members, Joanna Jenkins and Katherine Appleby attended the meeting.

International Standards for tackling global challenges

In the opening ceremony, ISO President Ulrika Francke set the tone for the week, stressing that, while the world was enduring uncertain times, the international standards community was committed to protecting the planet and making lives easier, better and more sustainable.

Standards Australia CEO Adrian O’Connell outlined some of the pressures the world is facing and stressed the need for the international community to come together to tackle the challenges.

“Change is the only constant,” he said. “We must continue to adapt to challenging needs and expectations… I hope we can use the week to listen, learn, question and challenge with a common purpose to meet global needs.”

Sessions with impact

The sessions, themed around global needs and challenges, explored current issues and potential roadblocks to solving them in a collaborative manner. Some stand-out sessions for the week included:

• Ready or not, here comes AI
  AI’s omnipresence necessitates a careful consideration of its benefits and risks, emphasizing the pivotal role of humans in decision-making.
• Cybersecurity: Taking a proactive approach
  In the face of surging cybercrime, prepared organizations approach cybersecurity strategically, tactically, and with robust mitigation plans.
• Hydrogen: Fuel of the future?
  Although the hurdles to hydrogen’s adoption as a clean energy source are substantial, global standards may pave the way forward.
• Building resilience in an uncertain world: As climate change intensifies, collaborative efforts, with standards at the forefront, become essential to mitigating risks and enhancing urban resilience.
• Overcoming barriers to reducing food loss and waste: Addressing food loss and waste is critical for sustainability and food security, mitigating the severe socio-economic and environmental consequences it poses.

Common themes and issues

For JASANZ Marketing and Communications Manager, Katherine Appleby, the week-long meeting provided an excellent learning opportunity.

“I have been employed with JASANZ for six months now, and there is still so much to learn,” she said.

“Attending the ISO Annual Meeting gave me an opportunity to further develop my knowledge and gain that international perspective on common global challenges. It was also a good opportunity to network with the international standards community.”

Katherine noted some common themes emerging from each session.

“In almost every session I attended, the panel highlighted the need for international collaboration, for a common global language, and for a common global measurement,” she said.

“It’s clear that standards can be part of the solution to tackling global issues like food wastage, environmental sustainability, cybersecurity and more, and this is an important message to communicate. But the international standards community need to work together more closely to make this happen.”

International Standards to provide beneficial solutions

JASANZ Technical Services Coordinator, Joanna Jenkins, had a similar experience identifying common themes and barriers voiced across the sessions.

“One of the greatest themes being that ‘Standards provide a common language’,” she said.

“The other [common theme] was probably the idea that ‘We need to make the standards development process faster’.”

For Joanna, there were clear highlights during the week-long meeting.

“The Strategy Café session was a great ‘speed dating’-like event where I attended multiple 30-minute round table discussions on the ISO strategy with standards professionals from all around the world, including topics like transforming ISO’s climate commitment to action, rethinking ISO publications and introduction to SMART standards,” she said.

“A highlight of the final day was the TED-X Sydney talk from Jess Miller, former Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney and Mike Hewson, Engineer and controversial Playground Designer on how standards have helped them implement disruptive strategies at a local government level.

“Jess has worked on the important topic of Heat in cities by developing a Trees for Cities plan to keep Sydney cool in Summer and Mike has designed playgrounds that retain an element of risk and danger for children to grow and learn, while still complying to important safety standards. They both were able to use great story telling techniques to demonstrate how standards can benefit communities in unexpected ways.”

The 2023 ISO Annual Meeting provided a vibrant exchange of knowledge and ideas aimed at meeting the varied yet interconnected global needs and challenges. The notion that “Standards provide a common language” not only emerged as a salient theme but also as an imperative for a coherent global response to the multifaceted challenges ahead. The engrossing discussions and sessions of the week highlighted the problems and fostered the start of a progressive dialogue that underscored the crucial role of international standards in navigating through the prevalent global challenges and contributing to a secure and sustainable future.