Taking place from 28 September to 2 October under the theme “Building trust in a changing world”, the week-long programme will examine how International Standards can help strengthen cooperation, enable responsible innovation and turn shared global challenges into trusted, practical solutions.
As geopolitical uncertainty, technological change, environmental pressures and shifting public expectations reshape the global landscape, trust can no longer be assumed. It must be built, demonstrated and sustained through systems that provide confidence, consistency and accountability.
ISO President Dr Khaled Soufi said the Annual Meeting would bring together diverse perspectives from across the international standards community to explore how trust can be strengthened across economies, institutions and societies.
“Trust is fundamental to how people, organizations and governments work together, yet it is being tested across many areas of public and economic life,” Dr Soufi said.
“International Standards provide shared frameworks that help turn principles into consistent practice. They enable organizations to demonstrate quality, safety, integrity and accountability, creating confidence across borders, sectors and supply chains.
“The ISO Annual Meeting provides an important opportunity to bring together global expertise, examine the forces reshaping our world and identify where standards can support more resilient, responsible and trusted systems.”
AFNOR, France’s national standards body, will host the Annual Meeting, with CEO Olivier Peyrat highlighting the significance of welcoming the global standards community to the country.
“At a time of rapid change, building trust and reinforcing collective resilience requires cooperation across institutions, industries and national borders,” Mr Peyrat said.
“France is proud to welcome the international standards community to Paris and contribute to discussions on how globally agreed standards can support innovation, strengthen competitiveness and create confidence in the systems on which people and economies depend.”
The programme is organized around three principal agenda areas: People and planet, Emerging tech and AI, and Trade and development. Together, they will explore how standards can support inclusion and resilience, enable safe and accountable technological development, and strengthen trusted markets and global supply chains.
Sessions will address issues including water resilience, nature and business, climate adaptation, women in leadership, cybersecurity, emerging artificial intelligence trends, resilient trade and digital product passports.
The programme will also include a dedicated session on the new edition of ISO 9001, examining how quality management can help organizations build trust as a strategic advantage.
ISO Secretary-General Sergio Mujica said the Annual Meeting would focus on translating global priorities into practical action through standards.
“Each year, the ISO Annual Meeting gives our community the opportunity to move beyond identifying challenges and focus on the solutions that can be developed, adopted and scaled,” Mr Mujica said.
“This year’s discussions will help shape how standards respond to some of the most consequential issues facing organizations and societies. Our task is to ensure that International Standards remain relevant, accessible and capable of delivering real value for people, organizations and economies around the world.”
Sessions will include live interpretation and captions in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish, with American Sign Language (ASL) also available. More information and livestream registration are available at www.iso.org/annualmeeting.
