ASIATODAY.ID, WASHINGTON — A worldwide surge in international standards—from food safety labels to the technical rules behind 5G networks—is quietly reshaping the global economic system and widening the gap between advanced economies and developing countries.
A new World Bank report warns that this rapid proliferation of standards disproportionately benefits wealthy nations and multinational corporations, while leaving many developing countries struggling to keep up.
The findings are presented in the World Development Report 2025: Standards for Development, the first comprehensive study assessing how global standards function as the new backbone of economic development. According to the report, standards now play a role as essential as ports, highways, and power grids.
One striking example: the standardized shipping container generated more growth in global trade than all trade agreements combined over the past 60 years.
Yet, in the 21st century, standards have increasingly become tools in trade disputes. Non-tariff measures—such as pesticide limits and labeling rules—now affect 90% of global trade, up from just 15% in the late 1990s.
Developing Countries Are “Not at the Table”
“Standards are both central and unsung today,” said Indermit Gill, Chief Economist of the World Bank Group and Senior Vice President for Development Economics on December 11, 2025.
“When countries adapt, align, and author standards, they become powerful drivers of growth and poverty reduction. This report is a call for developing nations to make standards a core part of their development strategies.”
Yet many developing countries remain absent from the global standard-setting process. The report highlights that most do not have the technical expertise or resources needed to participate effectively. On average, developing countries are represented in less than one-third of ISO’s technical committees.
Meanwhile, the world’s appetite for standards has skyrocketed. Of the 20,000 standards issued by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) over the past seven decades, more than half were created after 2000. In 2024 alone, global standard-setting bodies released over 7,000 new standards.
“International standards are no longer invisible infrastructure—they are critical enablers of sustainable, inclusive development,” said Sergio Mujica, Secretary-General of ISO, which surveyed 173 national standards bodies for the report.
A Three-Stage Strategy: Adapt, Align, Author
The World Bank recommends a three-part strategy for developing economies seeking to turn standards into engines of growth:
1. Adapt
Countries at early development stages should adjust global standards to local realities instead of copying stringent international standards blindly.
2. Align
As capacity grows, countries should harmonize local rules with international standards to reduce duplication, cut export barriers, and enhance global market competitiveness.
3. Author
Wealthier developing nations should begin shaping and authoring global standards to ensure their national priorities influence the international rulebook.
Japan offers a historical success story. After World War II, Japanese goods were associated with poor quality. Through the Japanese Standards Association and the widespread adoption of Total Quality Management, Japan reinvented itself as a global symbol of manufacturing excellence.
“Standards are not just technical rules—they are the foundation of innovation and global competitiveness,” said Xavier Giné, Director of the 2025 World Development Report.
“Countries that treat standards as a development strategy—not an afterthought—are the ones that have climbed the ladder of prosperity.” (AT Network)
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