Introduction
UNECE encourages and empowers policy-makers to use international standards to develop and implement regulations in different sectors.
Using standards in technical regulations promotes international regulatory coherence; helps companies, communities and organizations move toward a more resilient and sustainable model of production and consumption; and help conserve Planet Earth’s precious resources.
In focus
WP.6 has updated the Standards 4 SDGs portal. The database has grown from 1,500 standards mapped to five SDGs (2021) to more than 21,000 standards of all major international standards development organizations mapped to all SDGs. The portal also features a collection of forty two case studies demonstrating how standards have helped to achieve specific SDGs. There are also fourteen commentaries from leading standards authorities to highlight the important role of standards in the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.
- Key deliverables
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Symbol & Title
Issued date
ENG
FRA
RUS
ECE/CTCS/WP.6/2022/6
Recommendation T on Standards and Regulations for Sustainable Development2022
ECE/TRADE/C/WP.6/2006/5
Recommendation J on Definitions2006
Recommendation H on Presentation of UNECE Recommended Standards and Harmonized Technical regulations
1988
ECE/TRADE/C/WP.6/2013/5
Recommendation D on Reference to Standards2013
Recommendation C on International Harmonization of Standards and Technical Regulations
1995
Recommendation B on Coordination of Technical Regulations and Standardization
1996
Recommendation A on Further Developments in International Cooperation on Technical Harmonization and Standardization Policies
1970
- Impact
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Standards are very much a part of our everyday life. The blueprints of products we buy and use are developed in close reference to standards and technical regulations. When designs are developed into manufactured goods, firms cooperate with competent bodies that check conformity of their merchandise with relevant requirements. And finally, when products are on the market or are used as equipment at the workplace, specialized authorities monitor to protect consumers, workers and employees from the hazards of non-compliant products. More technically, standards are “documents, established by consensus and approved by a recognized body, that provide ‘rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results’ ”. Technical regulations are set by competent authorities, and define criteria for the design, content, operation, and disposal of products. While technical regulations must be complied with, compliance with standards is voluntary.
UNECE encourages rule makers to base their regulations on international standards. These provide a common denominator to the norms that apply on different markets, and reduce the need to customize and retest the products whenever they cross a national border. In order to avoid standards becoming a barrier to international trade, national regulators must work together to specify which international standards constitute the common denominator, and how compliance with the standards should be assessed.
- Events
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none coming up soon