The 48th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Area Standards Congress (PASC) was held in Singapore from 11 to 13 June 2026, bringing together standards organisations, international and regional partners, government representatives and standards leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region.
Hosted by Enterprise Singapore, the meeting formed part of a wider programme that included the Asia-Pacific Cooperation Forum (APCF) Mid-Year Meeting, joint PASC–APCF workshops, the Singapore Standards & Conformance Summit, working group meetings and bilateral discussions.
The programme provided a valuable platform for members to exchange knowledge, strengthen regional relationships and consider how standards and conformity assessment can respond to rapidly changing economic, technological and environmental priorities.
The meeting opened with a joint PASC–APCF workshop featuring a presentation on the World Bank’s World Development Report 2025: Standards for Development. The session examined how standards can support development strategies by enabling innovation, reducing trade costs and helping economies manage technological, financial and environmental risks.
This was followed by workshops exploring standardisation in the green economy, climate action and emerging areas of technology. Speakers and participants considered how international standards can support decarbonisation, sustainable finance, digital infrastructure and the development and deployment of new technologies.
The emerging-areas workshop included perspectives from ISO, IEC, ITU and national standards bodies. Topics included artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, smart infrastructure, cybersecurity and the need for standards systems to remain responsive as technologies and markets evolve.
A further series of joint workshops examined the digitalisation of standards and standards-development processes. Members discussed digital tools and services, including machine-readable standards, artificial intelligence and new approaches to developing, publishing and accessing standards.
The programme also considered the changing business models of standards organisations. Discussions covered value-adding services, subscription models, the incorporation of standards into regulation and ways to make standards more accessible and useful to industry, government and other stakeholders.
These conversations reflected a shared recognition that standards organisations must continue to evolve. Digital delivery and new service models offer opportunities to improve access, support implementation and better meet the needs of users, while maintaining the integrity and sustainability of the standards system.
The Singapore Standards & Conformance Summit was held alongside the PASC and APCF meetings. It examined the contribution of standards and conformity assessment to innovation, digital transformation and resilient and sustainable markets.
The Summit included discussions on trusted standards as enablers of digital growth and transformation. It also formed part of Singapore’s commemoration of 60 years of standardisation and 40 years of accreditation, providing an opportunity to recognise the contribution of regional and international partners to the standards and conformance ecosystem.
A keynote presentation by Microsoft Vice President and Chief AI Officer Natasha Crampton explored the development of agentic artificial intelligence. The presentation considered both the opportunities created by increasingly autonomous AI systems and the governance challenges associated with systems that can plan, act, learn and adapt with limited human intervention.
A central focus of the PASC Annual Meeting was implementation of the PASC Strategic Plan 2026–2030.
Working groups considered practical actions to deliver the plan’s priorities. Areas identified for further work included strengthening PASC’s external communications, enhancing member capacity, increasing cooperation on technical matters, tracking progress against the Strategic Plan and understanding the challenges members face when implementing digital solutions.
The meeting highlighted the importance of collaboration between PASC working groups and of ensuring that initiatives are translated into clear, coordinated actions. Working group convenors were asked to consolidate members’ contributions for inclusion in the PASC Action Plan.
Capacity building remained a particular priority. Members recognised that standards bodies across the region operate in different economic and institutional contexts and have varying levels of resources, expertise and access to international standardisation activities. Cooperation with ISO, IEC and other partners was identified as an important way to broaden participation and support members in developing their national standards and quality-infrastructure capabilities.
The meeting included updates and perspectives from international standards organisations and regional partners. Discussions reinforced the importance of coordinating Asia-Pacific participation in ISO, IEC and ITU activities and ensuring the region’s diverse perspectives are reflected in international standards development.
The PASC Executive Committee also considered opportunities to strengthen cooperation with the World Bank following the presentation on standards for development. Members discussed continued collaboration with the Pacific Islands Standards Committee and shared information on standards and conformance activities taking place through APEC.
PASC and APCF members subsequently reflected on the joint workshops covering the World Bank report, the green economy, emerging technologies, AI, digitalisation and standards-body business models. Members were invited to identify recommendations and follow-up actions that could be progressed through the respective regional forums.
The Singapore meeting demonstrated the breadth of issues now being addressed by the Asia-Pacific standards community. Standards have an increasingly important role in enabling trustworthy digital transformation, supporting climate action, facilitating trade, strengthening resilience and turning innovation into practical and scalable outcomes.
The PASC Executive Committee confirmed that the next PASC Annual Meeting will be held in Wuhan, China, from 19 to 21 May 2027.
PASC expressed its appreciation to Enterprise Singapore and the Singapore Standards Council for hosting the meeting and supporting a productive programme of regional dialogue, technical exchange and relationship building.
Through continued cooperation, PASC members are helping ensure that Asia-Pacific perspectives contribute meaningfully to international standardisation and that standards remain effective tools for economic, societal and environmental progress.
