Joint message from the ISO President and Secretary‑General

Continuity, collaboration and community

2022 tested the resilience and relevance of many organizations, and ISO was no exception.

However, we emerged from the challenges stronger and more determined than ever before. These difficult times not only underscored the effectiveness of our strategic approach, but also highlighted the essential role ISO plays in empowering and inspiring others through International Standards.

In a year marred by conflict and global upheaval in the wake of a multiyear pandemic, we continued evolving, building on the foundation of the ISO Strategy 2030. Against a backdrop of uncertainty and energy insecurity, we remained focused on dialogue, collaboration and enabling the green transition.

As the world’s leading standards organization, we recognize that keeping up with rapid change in an uncertain world presents multiple challenges. To lead with credibility and remain a catalyst for innovation and growth, we continuously strive to stay ahead of the curve. We identified the megatrends that will impact standards and highlighted specific challenges that will require International Standards in our landmark Foresight report.

In this overview of our journey through 2022, you can discover the concrete ways in which we’re meeting the future with ground-breaking initiatives that include the ISO SMART project to revolutionize the way that standards are accessed and used, streamlined digital collaboration and Net Zero Guidelines that enable measurable progress in tackling climate change.

Our success is the direct result of the hard work and dedication of the women and men who make up the ISO system. Through our 168 members, and the tens of thousands of technical experts who dedicate themselves to ISO standards, we are helping others to solve real-world problems and accelerating progress on the priorities of the 2030 Global Agenda.

We are proud to state that our Gender Action Plan is a fundamental component of our strategy, and we are actively working towards a more inclusive, balanced and representative organization. In 2022, we prioritized our commitment to greater female participation in standards and explored ways to ensure that standards themselves better reflect the needs of women. Our focus on this issue is unwavering, and we are determined to continue to foster a more equitable future.

Having embedded safe and flexible working practices across our organization, we explored new opportunities to widen the scope and scale of our work, taking our message to more diverse audiences through a hybrid digital and in-person event hosted in partnership with the ISO member for the UAE. Recognizing that solutions to today’s biggest challenges require us to think creatively, boldly and collaboratively, the re-imagined ISO Annual Meeting opened its doors to the public and we attracted a greater number of participants than ever before.

We also put standards firmly on the agenda at international events like the G20, and the UN COP27 where, for the first time, we participated at an institutional level and put standards on the frontline of climate action. The role of International Standards in solving global problems is now more widely recognized, but with many crises presenting themselves simultaneously, we will continue to engage with urgency. Big challenges remain around decarbonization of industries, energy transition and embedding sustainable practices across all aspects of daily life in ways that bring measurable improvements. ISO remains fully committed to its sustainability mission, helping others to achieve their objectives and creating a brighter future for people and planet.

We’re excited about spreading that message, together with Standards Australia, at the 2023 ISO Annual Meeting in Brisbane. Whether you’re from the ISO community or an international organization, a policymaker or academic, or part of the private sector, sign up and join us in a forward-looking dialogue around the power and potential of International Standards.

We’re proud of what we achieved in 2022. Join us as we review the ways we kept our Strategy on track and brought standards solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.

Por Ulrika Francke

President

Por Sergio Mujica

Secretary-General