A global day highlighting the role of international standards in product quality, global trade, and innovation.
Date14 October
TopicScience & Technology
Established1970
Ways to observe this day
Learn about the quality standards behind a product you use daily
Read about how standards contribute to public safety
Attend a technical event or talk related to standardization
Share a fact about how standards facilitate international trade
World Standards Day has been observed annually on October 14 since 1970, marking the anniversary of a 1946 meeting in London where delegates from 25 countries gathered to discuss establishing an international standardization body, a meeting that paved the way for the founding of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) the following year.
The day is jointly organized by three leading international standards bodies: the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). It highlights how harmonized standards ensure the quality and safety of products and services, facilitate international trade by aligning requirements across countries, and support technical innovation through shared reference frameworks.
National standards bodies and technology companies worldwide mark the day with conferences and talks on a different theme each year, often tied to contemporary challenges such as artificial intelligence, sustainability, or digital security.