Strategic priorities — International alignment

For a small and geographically distant trading nation, alignment with international standards delivers significant benefits. These include improved market access, increased foreign investment, greater innovation and competition, and gains in quality, productivity, and efficiency. Promoting the domestic and regional uptake of international standards also supports businesses and regulators to align with global good practice, reducing barriers to trade and maintaining competitiveness in both domestic and export markets.

Through the active involvement of New Zealand industry experts in international standards development committees, global standards better reflect New Zealand’s needs and interests, encouraging their use by New Zealand businesses and regulators. Standards NZ must continue to engage with other national, regional and international standards bodies and prioritise our role in facilitating New Zealand experts onto international standards development committees.

Engagement in the international standards system enables Standards NZ to monitor global trends, learn from international peers, and identify emerging areas of standards development. This informs engagement with domestic stakeholders to assess national interest and value, while reinforcing New Zealand’s reputation as a credible, rules-based economy and constructive global partner. It also supports New Zealand’s position as a desirable trading partner, a leader within the Pacific region, and a connected, trusted participant in global standardisation.

Through our international connections, we pursue alignment with international good practice in standards development and the recognition and use of New Zealand standards internationally. We ensure New Zealand has a voice in the international standards community through membership in the:

• International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC): Standards NZ represents New Zealand at general assemblies and related forums and coordinates participation in international standards development committees where New Zealand industry experts help inform and shape international standards to reflect New Zealand’s needs and interests.
• Pacific Area Standards Congress (PASC) and Pacific Islands Standards Committee (PISC): Standards NZ works alongside partners such as Standards Australia, the British Standards Institute, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the PACER Plus initiative to promote Pacific interests on the global standards stage and support Pacific Island countries through providing access to standards and building capability in standardisation and conformance.
• Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC): Standards NZ’s participation in the APEC Sub-Committee on Standards and Conformance (SCSC) provides an opportunity to shape regional priorities, align economies’ standards with international ones, reduce technical barriers to trade, pursue regional cooperation and recognition and learn from regional innovations. It ensures that New Zealand’s perspective as a smaller economy is reflected in discussions on emerging issues such as AI, digital trade, food safety, climate change, energy transition and regulatory harmonisation, helping maintain a standards system that remains relevant, credible, and internationally connected.

Standards NZ supports New Zealand’s international alignment and Pacific engagement objectives through the delivery of a multi-year Pacific Islands capability-building programme, commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). The programme strengthens standardisation and quality infrastructure across Pacific Island nations by building the skills, systems and institutional capability required to develop, adopt and use standards and conformity assessment practices effectively. This work contributes to broader regional outcomes including increased trade and market access, more resilient infrastructure, improved consumer and public safety, stronger economic development and greater long-term prosperity across the Pacific.

Key activities

• Standards NZ attends and participates in ISO and IEC General Assemblies and other events in the international standards community.
• Continue to participate in and support the Pacific Islands quality infrastructure and its capability development.
• Maintain New Zealand membership in the PASC and PISC to support the development of standards that promote trade, health, and sustainable development across the Pacific.
• Encourage greater depth and diversity of New Zealand representation on international standards development committees, where New Zealand has interests in doing so.
• Encourage the proactive adoption and use of international standards, including implementing expedited adoption processes and working towards greater digital access.
• Continue to participate in and represent New Zealand’s standardisation interests at APEC.

What this will look like in 3 years:

• Standards NZ is a visible and credible participant in the international standards system, with increased participation in activities that support New Zealand’s international reputation and economic prosperity.
• The trend shows increasing numbers and proportions of New Zealand adoptions and market use of international standards.
• More New Zealand subject matter experts are engaged and participating in international standards committees, contributing effectively and influencing outcomes that matter to New Zealand’s economy, regulatory environment, consumer interests, business needs and communities.
• International standards are easily accessible to the New Zealand market and are available in digital formats and through subscription services.