Setting the standard for innovation

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming industries, economies and societies. In 2024, ISO led the way in ensuring that AI development remains ethical, transparent and beneficial to all.  

ISO/IEC 42001, the first global standard on AI management systems, continued to be an essential tool for businesses, providing them with a structured approach to responsible AI implementation.  

ISO also reinforced its commitment to AI governance through global collaborations, including partnerships with the United Nations and participation in a number of major international AI events, such as the World Economic Forum in Davos and the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva. In addition, responsible AI for all was one of the main focus themes at the ISO Annual Meeting in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.

Standards driving global action

Addressing climate change and sustainability challenges requires coordinated global efforts, and ISO played a pivotal role in 2024.  

In line with its climate commitment, as set out in the London Declaration, ISO embeds key climate considerations into all new and updated standards, ensuring a lasting impact on industries and governments.  

The first standards from ISO’s technical committee on the circular economy helped organizations maximize their contribution to sustainable development, while ISO 20121 raised the bar for sustainable event management, underpinning the efforts of the Paris 2024 Olympics.  

ISO’s leadership at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, where it co-hosted the first-ever Standards Pavilion with IEC and ULSE, alongside eight other standards organizations, demonstrated how standards play a crucial role in turning climate commitments into measurable actions. 

Strengthening global wellbeing

The intersection of health, safety and innovation is crucial for societal resilience. In 2024, ISO addressed emerging health challenges by integrating climate risk into public health discussions and developing new standards to enhance wellbeing.  

Two new standards, ISO/IEEE 11073-10700 and ISO/IEEE 11073-10701, are already recognized by international regulators as crucial for establishing the safe, effective and secure use of interoperable device technology that will ultimately impact the quality of patient care around the world. 

As populations across the planet get older, ISO addressed the issue of healthy ageing via ISO 25554, which provides guidelines to establish, implement, evaluate and continuously improve wellbeing at community and individual levels.

Building a secure digital future

As digital transformation accelerates, global concerns increasingly focus on cybersecurity and quantum technologies – areas in which ISO technical committees are deeply engaged. 

In January 2024, ISO and IEC established a new joint technical committee to develop quantum technology standards, ensuring secure communications and advanced computing solutions.  

Recognizing the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), ISO released a practical guide on implementing the landmark standard on information security management systems, ISO/IEC 27001, strengthening cyber resilience in businesses.

Partnering for success

The ISO Annual Meeting, the premier event for the global standards community, took place in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, in September. Under the theme of “breaking boundaries”, participants from across sectors and regions explored the crucial role of International Standards in addressing emerging trends and global challenges.  

ISO partnered with the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) to launch the world’s first international guidelines for contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. With the 2030 deadline for achieving the goals fast approaching, the guidelines provide organizations with a unified approach to managing their impact on sustainable development.  

ISO launched its ESG implementation principles at COP29, intended to establish a high-level international structure and core principles for implementing environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices within the culture of an organization. The principles contain input from over 1 900 industry experts across 128 countries.