Without international standards, there would be far less international trade, far less global prosperity, far fewer markets for exporters and far less variety for consumers.

International trade is a catalyst for economic development and poverty reduction. It creates jobs and prosperity, particularly in developing countries. The application of ISO standards reduces technical barriers to trade and increases trade opportunities for developing countries.

Recognizing the role of standards in achieving developmental objectives and enabling trade is a prerequisite for enhancing the uptake of ISO standards. Our projects support the use of ISO standards in developing countries. By implementing standards across the public and private sectors, these countries can capitalize on the opportunities of international trade, thus contributing to their economic growth.

We partner with...
 

World Trade Organization (WTO) to ensure that governments and businesses benefit from the application of the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT)

Some 75 % of national standards bodies (NSBs) in developing countries act as national enquiry points for the TBT Agreement. Specific joint ISO/WTO training progammes are in place to ensure these NSBs carry out their role effectively so that the public and private sectors of their countries’ economies benefit from the transparency provisions of the TBT Agreement.

International Trade Centre (ITC) to engage with the private sector, as well as trade support institutions and sector associations, in supporting the uptake of ISO standards for export success

Reaching out to the private sector, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises, through joint ISO/ITC capacity building projects creates bridges with NSBs and encourages enterprises to benefit from the application of ISO standards.