Global Progress through Technology, Standards, and Policy
We are committed to building bridges between the worlds of technology, standards and policy making. We do this by participating in policy fora, making contributions to the global dialogue on critical issues and engaging with global leaders to help promote innovation, enable the creation and expansion of international markets and protect health and public safety.
Enhancing Standardization through Global Collaboration
We collaborate with various bodies and organizations from around the world to help improve understanding of standardization at the intersection of policy and regulation, increase coordination on standards issues and strengthen the use of impactful consensus-based standards and identify opportunities to advance our respective and collective missions.
Programs
Standards Adoption
Voluntary technical standards have a significant role in international exchange of products and services. They are used for safety and reliability, to support technical regulations, to ensure interoperability, to grow markets, to address fast-moving and converging technologies, and more.
Events
STI Forum: Scalable Digital Infrastructure: Community Networks, Local Language AI, and Standards-Based Innovation – The Path to SDG Implementation
05 May 2026 | 08:00-10:00 EST | Hybrid – In-Person and Online
Reliable digital infrastructure is essential to achieving the 2030 Agenda, yet many communities remain underserved due to cost, limited capacity, and a lack of locally relevant services. This session will highlight practical, scalable pathways that combine community-led infrastructure, local-language AI, and standards-based innovation to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) implementation.
STI Forum: Infrastructure for a Sustainable Future: From Innovation to Practical Implementation
06 May 2026 | 13:15-14:45 EST | Hybrid – In-Person and Online
The session will examine how resilient infrastructure can be strengthened through shared approaches for safety, performance, and cybersecurity-by-design. This focus directly advances the Sustainable Development Goal 9 (SDG9)’s call for infrastructure that is both robust and future-ready, capable of resisting climate pressures, evolving cyber threats, and rapidly shifting demand profiles.
Designing Responsibly: Age-Appropriate Standards in the Digital Era
17 December 2025 | 9 am to 11 am ET | Hybrid – In-Person and Online
Children today are not just digital users – they are digital citizens shaped by technology ecosystems that influence their education, socialization, health and identity. The rapid evolution of AI-driven platforms, immersive environments, and connected devices raises urgent questions of governance, safety, data ethics, and participation.
IEEE Official Virtual Side Event at the UN High Level Policy Forum (HLPF)
22 July 2025 | Virtual
This workshop, “Innovations for Sustainable Oceans – Importance of Sensing Technology for Understanding the Condition of the Ocean”, will explore the cutting edge of ocean sensing technologies and how these innovations are helping deliver on SDG 14 targets to address a healthy and thriving ocean.
View the IEEE Official Virtual Side Event at the UN High Level Policy Forum On-Demand
World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 High-Level Event 2025
7-11 July 2025 | Hybrid
Technology and Policy to Inform and Accelerate a Sustainable Ocean
10 June 2025 | Virtual
EuroDIG 2025
12-14 May 2025 | Strasbourg, France
Delivering the Future: Sustainable Maritime
6 May 2025 | Virtual
This United Nations STI Forum Side Event will focus on sustainable maritime and address technology’s role and impact in delivering innovative approaches and solutions to address climate change, mitigate its impacts, and support the UN’s sustainable development goals, in particular SDG13 (Climate Action) and SDG17 (Global Partnerships).
World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly
15-24 October 2024 | Hybrid
Fifth Global Standards Symposium
14 October 2024 | Hybrid
Science Summit at the United Nations General Assembly 79 (UNGA79)
11 & 16 September 2024 | Virtual
EuroDIG 2024
17-19 June 2024 | Vilnius, Lithuania
The Summit will address issues that are important in helping to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). IEEE will make High-Level Policy Statements, hold a workshop on “AI for Energy Innovation and Sustainability” and host a Knowledge Cafe around “Knowledge Sharing for Sustainable Development”.
2024 UN STI Forum
9-10 May 2024 | Virtual
The theme for this year’s STI Forum is: “Science, technology and innovation for reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions”. IEEE will be hosting a virtual session called “Powering Progress: Sustainable and Renewable Energy Solutions”. This session will address sustainable energy and the role that technology has in delivering innovative approaches and solutions to address climate change, mitigate its impacts and to support the SDGs.
World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 Forum High Level Event 2024
27-31 May 2024 | Geneva, Switzerland
The Summit will address issues that are important in helping to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). IEEE will make High-Level Policy Statements, hold a workshop on “AI for Energy Innovation and Sustainability” and host a Knowledge Cafe around “Knowledge Sharing for Sustainable Development”.
World Radiocommunication Congress (WRC)
20 November - 15 December 2023 | Dubai, UAE
2023 Science Summit at the United Nations General Assembly
19 September 2023 | Virtual
The Summit will examine what enabling policy, regulatory and financial environments are needed to implement and sustain the science mechanisms required to support genuinely global scientific collaborations across continents, nations and themes. IEEE is hosting a virtual session called “Opportunities: Renewable Oceans and Sustainable Maritime Industry Initiatives”.
UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF)
12 July 2023 | Webinar
Resources
A collection of resources and information curated for government officials, policymakers, and regulators, covering standardization topics, including policy briefs, statements and contributions.
- Ethical Considerations of Autonomous Intelligent Systems (AIS) (PDF)
- IEEE Standards Development Principles (PDF)
- IEEE Adherence to the World Trade Organization Principles for International Standardization (PDF)
- Policies Accepting Global, Market-driven Standards Should be Embraced in International Trade Discussions and Regulatory Environments (PDF)
- IEEE Standards Association Statement of Intention – Our Role in Addressing Ethical Considerations of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems (A/IS) (PDF)
- Intelligent Spectrum Allocation and Management (PDF)
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- Communique of the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) on Generative Artificial Intelligence Applications 19 June 2023 (PDF)
- IEEE SA Universal Policy Communications on the Market Driven Standards Paradigm 27 September 2021 (PDF)
- IEEE Standards Association Board of Governors Resolution Endorsing the work of The IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems (The Global Initiative) (PDF)
- IEEE in the Global Standards Development Landscape (PDF)
A policy brief that provides an overview of IEEE in the global standards development landscape. - Why Countries Adopt IEEE Standards (PDF)
A policy brief that explains the value of adopting IEEE standards by countries and how the IEEE Adoption Program works. - IEEE’s Global Standardization Model (PDF)
A policy brief that illustrates IEEE’s global standardization model and how it develops standards. - IEEE Standards Development Process Basics Infographic (PDF)
An infographic that portrays the guiding principles for standards development at IEEE. - Emerging Technology, Standards and Sustainability (PDF)
- IEEE GET Program
A subsidized program that provides free access to a select collection of IEEE. - IEEE Reading Room
Providing read-only access to IEEE standards incorporated by reference in legislation. - Beyond Standards Blog
Providing insights, sharing information and exchanging opinions on standards and their use and impact. - All IEEE SA events
A comprehensive calendar of all IEEE SA events.