UK and ASEAN celebrate co-operation on international standards

London: UK and ASEAN standards bodies met on Wednesday to renew their commitment to using international standards to boost trade opportunities between the UK and the region.

ASEAN-UK trade is worth £45.3 billion – a huge increase of 23.5% since September 2022. ASEAN and the UK have agreed to work together to open markets and facilitate the smooth flow of goods and services to ensure trade continues to increase. The UK has been working with ASEAN to adopt and implement international standards across ASEAN.

The United Kingdom and the ASEAN Consultative Committee for Standards and Quality (ACCSQ) held the 2nd Annual Dialogue Meeting on Standards and Conformance, marking another significant milestone in a growing partnership.

This year, the UK is closely working with ACCSQ and Indonesia’s Badan Standardisasi Nasional (BSN) to deliver by the end of the year one of Indonesia’s Priority Economic Deliverables (PED) as ASEAN chair for 2023 – Developing a roadmap for harmonising standards to support the SDGs. This work, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and delivered by British Standards Institution (BSI), represents the next phase of UK-ASEAN cooperation on international standards adoption.

This meeting also highlighted the various cooperation initiatives delivered by BSI in collaboration with ASEAN member states. It provided a platform for BSI and ASEAN to reflect upon their successful collaboration in the field of standards and conformance over the past year. BSI has been actively engaged in supporting ASEAN member states in their pursuit of harmonised standards, enhancing trade facilitation, and promoting consumer safety across the region. Through the sharing of best practice, technical expertise, and capacity-building initiatives, BSI continues to play an important role in advancing international standards adoption within ASEAN.

The UK-ACCSQ Dialogue Meeting concluded with a renewed commitment from the UK, BSI and ASEAN to deepen their partnership and explore new avenues for cooperation. The exchange of knowledge, technical expertise, and best practice will continue to be the cornerstone of future collaboration, enabling both sides to promote economic growth, innovation, and consumer protection in the ASEAN region.

“This is an exciting time for the ASEAN-UK relationship, as we work in partnership to deliver our agreed objectives, including to open markets and facilitate the smooth flow of goods and services. The great work that BSI have done with ASEAN will support the adoption of international standards, which can in turn accelerate the adoption of new technologies, build consumer trust, support businesses, and create unhindered and competitive trade opportunities domestically and internationally.”

Scott Steedman, BSI Director-General, Standards, said: “BSI is proud to partner with the UK government to support the adoption and harmonisation of international standards across the ASEAN region. We have been working closely with ASEAN member states to help them gain a deeper understanding of how standards can play a vital role in boosting trade opportunities and promoting consumer safety.

“We look forward to the continued collaboration, developing activities and identifying new areas of cooperation for a strong ASEAN-UK standards partnership, with a focus on accelerating progress on sustainability and supporting the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).”