Date: 5 to 8 November 2018
Venue: Stockholm, Sweden
The 34th ISO/IEC JTC 1 Plenary Meeting was held from 5 to 8 November 2018 in Stockholm, Sweden, bringing together representatives from national standards bodies, industry leaders, government agencies, academia, and technical experts to shape the future of global Information Technology (IT) standardization. As the premier joint technical committee of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), ISO/IEC JTC 1 plays a pivotal role in developing internationally recognized standards that enable interoperability, innovation, cybersecurity, and digital transformation across industries worldwide.
Anupam Agrawal participated in the 34th ISO/IEC JTC 1 Plenary Meeting as a participant, engaging with the international standards community to discuss emerging technologies, governance frameworks, and collaborative approaches to global IT standardization. His participation reflected India’s continued contribution to international consensus-building and standards development.
The Stockholm plenary focused on strengthening international cooperation in rapidly evolving technology domains while reviewing the progress of JTC 1’s broad portfolio of standards covering artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), smart cities, software engineering, data management, and digital trust. Delegates evaluated ongoing work programmes across multiple subcommittees and identified strategic priorities for future standardization initiatives.
A landmark outcome of the meeting was the endorsement of a Joint Working Group (JWG) between ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 40 (IT Service Management and IT Governance) and ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42 (Artificial Intelligence) to develop ISO/IEC AWI 38507, an international standard providing governance guidance for the use of Artificial Intelligence within organizations. The plenary further designated SC 42 as the administrative lead for this important initiative, reinforcing its role as the global focal point for AI standardization and governance.
Beyond Artificial Intelligence, the plenary considered strategic directions for emerging technologies and promoted greater collaboration among JTC 1 subcommittees to ensure consistent, interoperable, and future-oriented international standards. Discussions also emphasized the growing importance of digital trust, cross-domain interoperability, and standards that support innovation while addressing security, privacy, and governance challenges.
Participation in the 34th ISO/IEC JTC 1 Plenary Meeting provided Anupam Agrawal with valuable opportunities to engage with international experts developing the standards that underpin today’s digital economy. Such participation contributes to strengthening global collaboration, promoting technology interoperability, and advancing the development of secure, resilient, and internationally harmonized information technology standards that support governments, industry, academia, and society.