On February 26, the 20th World Standards Cooperation (WSC) meeting was held in the form of video conference. The meeting was presided over by Shu Yinbiao, Chairman of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and Chairman of China Huaneng Group Co., Ltd. Borge Brende, Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, delivered a keynote speech as a special guest, discussing the current global epidemic situation, economic conditions, future challenges and opportunities, and discussing international standards How to promote the economic and social development of the world in the post-epidemic era. Relevant persons in charge of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) attended the meeting.

In his speech, Brende pointed out that the World Economic Forum "Davos Agenda" dialogue was held online for the first time in January this year. Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the meeting and gave a wonderful speech, together with leaders from governments, enterprises and social organizations. Calling for the rebuilding of global trust has demonstrated tremendous international influence. He said that the world is facing many borderless issues such as the new crown pneumonia epidemic and climate change. Rebuilding trust is the key to solving these urgent global issues. He pointed out that at present, populism is on the rise in some areas, but multilateralism is the fundamental and effective way to solve complex problems. The post-epidemic era is full of opportunities and challenges, and digital transformation is irreversible. Countries should vigorously popularize Internet applications and take measures to ensure network security. However, they also need to be alert that the digital process may further widen global gaps and inequalities. He also emphasized that international standards help to efficiently allocate global resources, promote global cooperation, build a fairer and more effective market environment, and promote the development of global trade.

YinbiaoShu said in his concluding speech that we are currently facing many global challenges, and the way to solve these problems is to strengthen international cooperation, maintain and practice multilateralism, and work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind. He also believes that the promotion of effective epidemic prevention measures and the gradual use of vaccines will reverse the global situation of new crown pneumonia. Shu Yinbiao said that digital transformation and energy green transformation are vital to the future world economic development, and the core of both lies in technological innovation. In the future, new technologies will continue to emerge, and international standards will certainly play a greater role. Shu Yinbiao emphasized that the three major international standardization organizations have been working closely to resolve global issues through international standards. The successful holding of the 20th World Standards Cooperation Conference will help deepen the cooperation between the International Standards Organization and the World Economic Forum and jointly promote the prosperity and development of the world economy.

WSC was established in 2001 to promote international standardization, strengthen cooperation among the three major international standardization organizations (IEC, ISO and ITU), and promote and implement standards based on international consensus and relevant conformity assessment guidelines on a global scale. IEC, ISO and ITU have cooperated under the framework of WSC to carry out World Standards Day, seminars on specific topics (health, safety, and information technology), roundtable forums, and compilation of tripartite cooperation guidelines. This meeting discussed the WSC rules of procedure and strategic planning, determined the theme of World Standards Day in 2021, analyzed the challenges faced by current international standardization work, and formulated work goals for the next few years.