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Global Standards for the Global Information Society 34th World Standards Day - 14 October 2003

2003-09-23

34th World Standards Day

 

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

"The society that this generation is building is the Information Society, promising fundamental change in all aspects of our lives. But for its benefits to be truly equitably distributed, its reach must be global," the leaders of the three principle international standardization organizations affirm in their World Standards Day 2003 message.

The message focuses on the theme of "Global Standards for the Global Information Society" and is signed by Dr. Sei-ichi Takayanagi, President of the IEC; Mr. Oliver Smoot, President of ISO, and Mr. Yoshio Utsumi, Secretary-General of ITU.

Observing the convergence between information and communication technologies (ICTs) that is driving new products and services, as well as ways of conducting business and commerce, they point out that ICTs have a direct bearing on almost every aspect of social development - from education through healthcare, public administration, economics, finance and banking, commerce and business, international relations, and technology transfer to poverty reduction.

The three leaders state: "ICTs mostly had their origins in mature industrial societies, and now play an increasingly important role in helping developing countries and economies in transition to fulfil their potential. The challenge is how best to employ the tools of the Information Society to achieve development goals on a global scale, maximizing the benefits while minimizing obstacles and barriers.

"Key to making ICTs work for developing countries are the international standards created by the IEC, ISO and ITU. International standards simplify the use of existing and new technologies, reduce costs and complexity, open markets and foster broader access to products and services. In today's age of converging digital technologies, the three organizations are working ever more closely across the entire ICT spectrum."

A major area of concern for the leaders of three organizations is ensuring that what is often called the "Digital Divide" between the ICT "haves" and "have-nots" of the world is addressed. The potential benefits of international standards for developing economies and those in transition include significantly better opportunities for developing local industries and internal markets. Participation in the standards making processes of IEC, ISO, and ITU gives stakeholders the opportunity to shape standards according to their views and specific needs - whether in the developed or the developing world.

International standardization has the backing of governments around the world. This year sees the first phase of the UN's World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), setting out not only to address a broad range of social, economic and technical questions but also to draw up an action plan to bridge the Digital Divide. ISO, the IEC and ITU are actively involved in the preparatory process for WSIS to ensure that the critical role played by international standards in offering the best tools to support both growth of the Information Society and more equitable development is fully appreciated by the heads of state that will be attending the Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, from 10-12 December 2003.

In concluding the World Standards Day 2003 message, the leaders of IEC, ISO and ITU quote the estimate that it took 70 years to span the radio divide and 40 to overcome the television divide. They declare: "ISO, the IEC and ITU aim to ensure that international standards bring about a far swifter end to today's Digital Divide."

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) group government authorities, representatives of industry, research institutes, universities and consumers, and other experts, to reach a consensus on worldwide standards in almost all realms of human endeavour, from aircraft and space vehicles to basic units of measurement and test methods. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is an agency of the United Nations which has among its aims the extension of the benefits of new telecommunication technologies to all the world's inhabitants and facilitation of the worldwide standardization of telecommunications.