G/TBT/GEN/360  
 
13 September  2023 
(23-6075) Page: 1/1 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
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 
21-23 June 2023 under Agenda Item 5 (Update by Observers).1 
 
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1. ISO would like to thank the WTO TBT for the opportunity to provide an update on ISO 
activities. ISO attended the Second International Negotiating Committee (INC -2) to develop an 
international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, which took place in Paris from 29 May 
to 2 June 2023. ISO's written submissions to the INC are available on the INC-1 and INC-2 websites. 
ISO also continues to participate in the WTO Dialogue on Plastic Pollution and has published research 
into how standards can help tackle plastic pollution, available at: iso.org/plasticpollution . 
 
2. ISO is actively preparing its participation in UNFCCC COP28 and attended the Bonn Climate 
Conference in June 2023. The ISO National Climate Champions Network has been meeting on a 
monthly basis since February 2023, bringing together ISO Members to help standards meet global 
needs around climate action.  
 
3. The ISO Standards and Public Policy Toolkit will be launched at the ISO Annual Meeting in 
September 2023. It was developed to support collaboration between policymakers, regulators and 
national standards bodies in using international standards (including conformity assessment 
standards) in preparing, adopting and applying policy and technical re gulations.  
 
Over the next year, the ISO Standards and Public Policy toolkit will be supplemented by policy briefs 
that ISO members can use in their engagement with policymakers and regulators in key sectors to 
highlight the benefits of using standards, how  standards are being used in this area in combination 
with other policy levers, the key standards for the sector, and how to get involved in the standards 
development process to make sure that future standards meet their policy and regulatory needs.  
 
4. The I SO Annual Meeting 2023 will take place on 18 -22 September in Brisbane. It offers a 
unique opportunity  to engage in timely discussion on emerging trends and challenges  related 
to International Standards and their role in achieving the global sustainable dev elopment 
agenda .  The week -long programme  is shaped under the theme "Meeting global needs " and 
features an inspiring series of virtual, hybrid and in -person  sessions and workshops. Open to 
anyone  with an interest in standardization and eager to engage in forward -looking dialogue , the 
ISO Annual Meeting provides a platform for participants to hear and share insights with global 
stakeholders  - from the ISO community, civil society, international org anizations and the private 
sector, as well as policy makers, academics and young professionals.   
 
Register now on annualmeeting.iso.org  to participate in virtual sessions exploring how standards 
can help address the most pressing challenges facing our planet today.   
 
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1 In original language only.