This website contains information on recently finalized and published projects and related documents.
- GRS Project: Gender and Salutation Code Lists
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Project launch date: scheduled 14 February 2023
Public Review performed: 17 April to 19 May 2023
Completion date: 31 July 2023
Project leader: Fernanda de Castro BoriaLink to the published code list
Project purpose:
We are often asked to fill out administrative forms or commercial forms where we must indicate gender and salutation. These are often limited (for gender for example) to male, female or other (sometimes instead of other, it is “non-binary”). This does not reflect the diversity which exists in society today. There are two factors to take into account: biological sex and the social construct of sexual identity. Some organizations maintain a binary only approach while there are some organizations which list over a hundred different options, some of which are not always well understood.The Gender-Responsive Standards work of UNECE WP.6 has been raising awareness of how gender considerations are often lacking in standards and causing a negative impact – often unintentionally – on women and girls. It has defined gender as a social construct which is not solely defined by biology. With this understanding, there are a number of minorities, notably of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community who also experience negative impacts of traditional standards.
The Team of Specialists on Gender-Responsive Standards is in a unique position to provide a place to share on this issue in light of article 16.e of its 2023 Programme of Work.
Project scope:
This project would develop a White Paper Guideline to address the different code lists linked to gender and salutations. After developing the different types of code lists that could / should exist, it will list the proposed entries with brief definitions.These code lists could then be taken into consideration by other standards bodies for integration into their own work (such as the ISO 5218 code list or the UN/EDIFACT code list 3499 in the Person Demographic Information segment). Currently, there only seems to be a single code list on biological gender, so it is expected to have a proposal for gender identity and salutations. It is possible that a proposal for a gender identity code list would be difficult to create as this is something which is still evolving, in which case, it might be proposed to identify the most common entries and advise to always allow for a free-text entry so that individual may self-define as well.
Other organizations such as UN/CEFACT, UN Free and Equal, UN Women and others would be invited to join this work.
- MARS Project: Revision of Recommendation K
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Project launch date: 2 January 2023
Public Review performed: 15 May to 16 June 2023
Completion date: 31 July 2023
Project leader: Andy HensonLink to published Recommendation K
Project purpose:
Recommendation K was written in 1998 and last revised in 2008. Since the last revision, the language no longer aligns with best practice (nor that used in the relevant documentary standards), and the document does not address tools like the OIML CS and CIPM MRA which are available specifically to facilitate regulatory cooperation and avoid trade barrier issues.This activity is explicitly listed in the Programme of Work 2023 in paragraph 10c: “Review for possible updates the Recommendation K on Metrological Assurance of Conformity Assessment and testing.”
Project scope:
Update Recommendation K with minor adjustments in order to modernize the language to align with current working methods. Update terms and references. Develop a brief guideline to demonstrate how implementers can comply with the recommended practices. - MARS Project: Revision of Recommendation M
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Project launch date: 14 August 2023
Public review performed: 17 January to 18 February 2024
Completion date: 29 February 2024
Project leader: Vera DespotovicProject purpose:
1) reflecting the reference to the updated United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection in 2015 in recommendation text; 2) considering other relevant UN and European Union documents on strengthening rules for the control of restrictive business practices and 3) introducing more assertive and action-oriented language to the recommendation text.
Recommendation M was written in 2007 and suggests to governments to explore the possibility, wherever feasible and where the national legal framework permits, to involve their market surveillance authorities in the fight against counterfeit goods – in a complementary way to existing national legal mechanisms. A conference on the topic was organized on 21 February 2023 to explore the continued pertinence of this recommendation, returns on experience and what should be included in an eventual revision. The experts confirmed the relevance of Recommendation M today and noted a few points that could beneficially be updated:Project scope:
Update Recommendation M with minor adjustments in order to align with UN General Assembly and UNCTAD updated guidance on consumer protection and other relevant UN and European Union references. Integrate a more assertive and action-oriented language.
Develop a brief guideline to demonstrate how implementers can comply with the recommended practices.
This activity is explicitly listed in the Programme of Work 2023 in paragraph 12(a): “Review for possible updates the Recommendation M on Use of Market Surveillance Infrastructure as a Complementary Means to Protect Consumers and Users against Counterfeit Goods and plan for guidelines on implementation of this recommendation. A webinar on counterfeit products could also be planned in support of this ”
- Regulatory compliance of products with embedded artificial intelligence or other digital technologies
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Project launch date: 1 February 2023
Public Review of White Paper performed: 6 June to 10 July 2023
Completion date: 31 July 2023
Project leader: Markus KrebszLink to published project outcome
Project purpose:
In addition to WP.6 key areas of work (market surveillance, risk management, gender-responsive standards, education standards, regulatory cooperation, and standardization) and mindful of increased complexity due to digital innovations as well as a changing regulatory landscape, WP.6 is looking to develop new guidance on digital and green transformations and their relevance for quality infrastructure for trade.
This also supports the UNECE 70th Commission session (April 2023) proposed theme “Digital and green transformations for sustainable development in the ECE region.” This further supports Decision 16 of the 32nd Session of WP.6 to explore the link between quality infrastructure and the 70th session theme.
Given how quickly technical regulations for innovative products such as those using artificial intelligence become outdated, a rethink concerning current compliance models is required.This project acknowledges the need to facilitate efficient innovation and sustainable digital transition and work that addresses Artificial intelligence, machine learning and other aspects of digitalization (e.g. Internet-of-things, connected devices, neurotechnology and robotics) in technical regulation and international regulatory cooperation.
This project is covered under the WP.6 Programme of Work for 2023 under paragraphs 6 and 7.Project scope:
This project proposes to develop a “Recommendation on compliance of products with integrated artificial intelligence and other digital technologies” with guidance for effective technical regulation, regulatory impact assessment and international regulatory cooperation.
This project will concentrate on the compliance of products which integrate technologies such as artificial intelligence. For this reason, it concerns all four subgroups of WP.6 (MARS, GRM, GRS and START); it is therefore proposed to be monitored directly by the WP.6 Bureau and open to the expertise of all four subgroups. This project will not be developing how artificial intelligence and other technologies can be used by administrations in their regulatory processes.This project proposes to:
Formulate a clear definition of artificial intelligence within a product context, and considering eventual variations/deviations thereof Articulate a clear definition of software embedded into products, and considering eventual variations/deviations thereofThe project acknowledges that functional features and characteristics of embedded digital technologies pose a greater challenge with additional demands on traceability and validation in regulatory compliance.
Give consideration of the whole product life cycle in digital regulation (continuous compliance) incl. for example
- Risk management
- Standards
- Conformity assessment
- Market surveillance
- Metrology
- START Project: Revision of Recommendation L
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Project launch date: 29 January 2024
Public Review performed: April 8 to May 9, 2024
Expected completion date: 28 January 2025
Project leader: Ronald TseProject purpose:
The UNECE WP.6 Recommendation L on the International Model for Transnational Regulatory Cooperation Based on Good Regulatory Practices proposes a model to help harmonize laws and technical regulations/directives. It has an objective to establish conformity rates related to risk categories of products as well as market surveillance outcomes which can then feed back into the objectives of the laws and regulations. It might be useful to also consider the impact assessment done for the development of the laws and regulations.
Recommendation L was last updated in 2015. The text of the recommendation states in the third preamble bullet point that the scope is products. The Annex A states in the second preamble bullet point that it is applicable to systems, processes, products and services. Then the rest of the annex refers to an application only to products (product classification, product requirements, market surveillance of products…). It is not clear if the intention was to truly work on systems, processes and services as the rest of the document does not support these. This project will be to clearly broaden the scope of Recommendation L in order to include services. This will result in modification of the text and may result in two separate annexes for the format of a common regulatory arrangement (CRA): one for products and another for services.
There exists a CRA on cybersecurity (a process / service); this may be used as an example of how a CRA on services could be organized. Or this could be seen as the implication of cybersecurity for products (like medical devices). There would thus be a decision to be made if a CRA is only for products; or if it is possible to create a CRA for systems, processes and services.
Annex A may also benefit from some update for a more precise statement of the requirements for the specified elements. For example, Regulatory Scope and Product Groups should be identified based on international standards; the statement of conformity should more specifically contain forms and schemes for confirming conformity, which are considered to provide the necessary level of evidence, determined on the basis of an analysis of the risks specific to a particular product. The main objective is to promote harmonization between countries; this important point may need to be spelled out more clearly.
There has also been a variation in terms used: common regulatory arrangement (CRA), common regulatory framework and common regulatory objective (CRO) (the latter two are not defined in the Recommendation L). This revision would also aim to clarify this point and propose a harmonization of the terms used.
Annex B provides a process which countries could use to notify their adoption of a CRA and a registry maintained by the UNECE secretariat. These provisions have never been applied. The project will aim to check with existing CRAs if such a registry would be doable and if the process in Annex B could be applied. Annex B would be modified accordingly, or abandoned altogether if deemed that it is not doable (also taking into consideration capacity of the WP.6 secretariat to maintain such a registry).
Project scope:
Revision of the text of Recommendation L in order to broaden the scope to include services. This will include a revision of Annex A and potential splitting Annex A into two separate annexes: a model CRA for products (basically the current text) and a separate model CRA for services, processes and systems.
This project will also review Recommendation L Annex B to check if it is doable; this research may result either in the deletion of this annex or updating it to a process which would be achievable.
- The WP.6 Bureau Project on Regulatory compliance of products with embedded artificial intelligence or other digital technologies
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Project launch date: 6 December 2023
Public Review performed: April 12 to May 13, 2024Expected completion date: 30 June 2024
Project leader: Markus KrebszProject purpose:
In addition to WP.6 key areas of work (market surveillance, risk management, gender-responsive standards, education standards, regulatory cooperation, and standardization) and mindful of increased complexity of product regulation due to digital innovations as well as a quickly changing regulatory landscape, WP.6 is looking to develop new guidance on digital product regulation focussed on regulatory compliance of products with embedded artificial intelligence or other digital technologies(Such work will regard parameters related to technological innovation and sustainable green transition as part of national quality infrastructure and will address Artificial intelligence, machine learning and other aspects of digitalization [e.g. Internet-of-things, connected devices, neurotechnology and robotics] in technical regulation and international regulatory cooperation).
This project also supports the UNECE 70th Commission session (April 2023) proposed theme “Digital and green transformations for sustainable development in the ECE region.” This further supports Decision 16 of the 32nd Session of WP.6 to explore the link between quality infrastructure and the 70th session theme.
Given how quickly technical regulation for innovative products with embedded digital technologies, such as those using artificial intelligence, evolves, and given the multiple regulatory concerns that need to be addressed in digital product regulation, a rethink concerning current compliance models is required.
This project is covered under the WP.6 Programme of Work for 2024 under paragraphs 6 and 7.
This project builds upon the paper on “The regulatory compliance of products with embedded artificial intelligence or other digital technologies.”
Project scope:
This project proposes to develop a Common Regulatory Arrangement as described in Recommendation L. It will further develop annexes to the CRA which may address how the CRA could be applied on a sectoral or product-level basis.
This project will concentrate on the compliance of products which integrate technologies such as artificial intelligence. For this reason, it concerns all four subgroups of WP.6 (MARS, GRM, GRS and START); it is therefore proposed to be monitored directly by the WP.6 Bureau and open to the expertise of all four subgroups.
This project will not be developing how artificial intelligence and other technologies can be used by administrations in their regulatory processes. It will not deal with specific ethical concerns of AI as such but may address societal concerns that are, or will be, addressed in the regulation of industrial products (incl. (but not limited to) technical regulation, standards, requirements on conformity assessment and market surveillance).
This project will also develop a Declaration (similar to the Declaration on Gender-Responsive Standards) which will target the TBT contact point ministries as signatories and encouraging the harmonization of regulations of products with artificial intelligence or other digital technologies.