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Have your say on the identical adoption of 47 international digital standards as New Zealand Standards

Standards to define best practice for rapidly evolving digital technologies such as AI and biometric identification systems, could soon be available to New Zealanders. This is your chance to have your say on their adoption for industry use.

A major step in digital governance

Aotearoa New Zealand is taking a major step forward in digital governance by considering the identical adoption of 47 international standards as New Zealand Standards. These standards define best practice in the use and management of AI systems, and also in the areas of cyber security, biometrics, cloud computing, and risk management.

These standards have already been identically adopted in Australia, and a committee of New Zealand subject matter experts has agreed to initiate public consultation to ensure that New Zealanders have the chance to feedback and/or identify any issues with identically adopting the standards.  

This project is part of the Trans-Tasman Standards Alignment Programme, endorsed by the Minister of Small Business and Consumer Affairs in August 2024. The programme aims to align New Zealand practices with both international and trans-Tasman best practice, through committees of subject matter experts who assess the standards’ suitability for use here in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The suitability of identically adopting these standards was considered by a committee of 25 subject matter experts from 15 different organisations representing the public sector, private organisations, academia, and industry organisations all with a focus on evolving technologies.  

The committee chairperson Craig Pattison emphasises the broader significance of this work:

This isn’t just technical review work. It’s a serious act of kaitiakitanga /stewardship over the systems and standards that will define how we live, work, and protect our people and taonga in a digital and data-driven future.

Digital inclusion for disabled people

Public consultation about the identical adoption of these standards comes at a time when digital inclusion is increasingly recognised as a fundamental right, not a privilege. Disability advocates have warned that without urgent reform, digital systems risk excluding over 850,000 New Zealanders who live with disabilities — nearly 17% of the population.

One of the standards considered by the committee is the European standard EN 301 549 Accessibility requirements for ICT products and services which defines digital best practices for digital services that are accessible for everyone, including disabled people. Below is more information about this standard, which has been adopted by both Canada and Australia.

RNZ - Digital inclusion is a right, not a privilege - disability advocates(external link)

Understanding and implementing these standards should apply to all those who have a stake in developing digital systems for users. 

How these international standards could be used here

It is important to know that the identical adoption of these international standards simply means that the standards will more be accessible to New Zealanders, and cheaper to purchase. Also, New Zealanders will feel secure knowing that our committee of subject matter experts, and the general public, have considered their suitability for use in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Adoption of these standards will depend on the committee’s consideration and review of the public consultation feedback. The committee will then recommend which of the standards should be adopted in Aotearoa New Zealand.

New Zealand organisations which choose to use these standards and audit against them, and/or regulators which cite them, will have to also abide by our national laws and regulations (such as the Privacy Act) and the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, if applicable.

Have your say

Now it’s your turn to have your say. As part of the public consultation process, Standards New Zealand Te Mana Tautikanga o Aotearoa invites you to review and comment on each standard:

  • Do you agree this standard is fit for purpose for use in Aotearoa New Zealand?
  • If not, then please tell us why not.

To have your say visit our Consultation Hub. Public consultation closes on the 21 August:

 Standards New Zealand Consultation Hub(external link)