Hosted by Standards Australia, the meeting was attended by more than 4,000 participants from over 140 countries.
Speakers at the event included the futurist and visionary Chris Riddell and current ISO president Ulrika Francke, who said that mutual respect and cooperation were “the driving forces” of standards creation.
The five-day event featured discussions on the transformative impact of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), metaverse and convergence-related issues.
With cybersecurity highlighted as being of particular concern, experts spoke about the evolving threat landscape and the importance of robust cybersecurity standards to protect critical infrastructure, data and individuals.
Participants also spoke about the increasing urgency for AI standards in shaping the technological ecosystem.
As attendees discussed international trade, anti-corruption and sustainability, an overarching theme became the critical role of standards in policy to build a more trustworthy global landscape.
“Unless you have that trust, you have more uncertainty,” said Erik Wijkström from the World Trade Organization. “Trade always suffers when there is uncertainty.”
The next ISO annual meeting with take place in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, from 9-13 September 2024.