Each year on 14 October, the members of the IEC, ISO and ITU celebrate World Standards Day, which is a means of paying tribute to the collaborative efforts of thousands of experts worldwide who develop the voluntary technical agreements that are published as International Standards.

World Standards Day is about our shared vision for a better world. The presidents of IEC, ISO and ITU published a message that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which project to address social imbalances, develop a sustainable economy, and slow the rate of climate change, are highly ambitious. To reach them will require the cooperation of many public and private partners, and the use of all available tools, including international standards and conformity assessment.

The intense battle against a persistent global pandemic revealed the absolute necessity of addressing the SDGs in an inclusive way, to strengthen our societies, making them more resilient and more equitable. Today, we are asking you to join us on a mission that affirms the importance of the SDGs to build back better. In this pursuit, standards are more relevant than ever.

The entire standards’ system is built on collaboration. It is testament to the power of cooperation and the belief that we are stronger than the sum of our parts. By working together, we are empowering people with real-world solutions to face sustainability challenges head-on.

It is in this spirit that we are engaging in a multi-year World Standards Day journey that showcases the many ways in which international standards contribute to the success of the SDGs.

We stand united to work together to accelerate the 2030 Agenda, with standards for the SDGs, and our ‘Shared vision for a better world’.