Digital Product Conformity Certificate Exchange

other

Project Details

P1114

#2207090, #2211011, #2212017, #2301020, #2304035, #2304036, #2305043

1.0

2022-06-27

2023-05-31

2023-11-30

Project Purpose

Product conformity systems and mutual recognition agreements provide global quality assurance and supply chain safety mechanisms. The increasing complexity of supply chains is adversely impacting the visibility of the product conformity assessment processes, potentially reducing trust in product claims.

Project Purpose

This project focuses on product conformity as part of a broader regulatory compliance framework to define a glide path for business-to-government (B2G) and business-to-business (B2B) transition from paper and pdf-based exchange of product conformity credentials towards a paperless future.

Product conformity systems and mutual recognition agreements provide global quality assurance and supply chain safety mechanisms. The increasing complexity of supply chains is adversely impacting the visibility of the product conformity assessment processes, potentially reducing trust in product claims.

Current product conformity and claims verification processes are vulnerable and cumbersome in an increasing digital trade environment with the electronic exchange of trade-related data. Digitalisation of accreditation and credentialing processes represent a response to this emerging problem. CASCO, the ISO International Committee on Conformity Assessments, has declared digitalisation a high priority to enhance international product conformity systems integrity. Digital validation of credentials and claims, including product certification, provides an important anchor of trust and means to establish the bona fides of the issuing authorities.

Industry has identified the risk of systems integrity failure, not limited to certificate counterfeiting or misuse, should a divergence of approaches or ‘a mosaic of incompatible systems’ emerges as Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) embrace ‘their own way’ of managing issues. A recent report by NATA, JAS-ANZ and GS1 in Australia explains ‘the mosaic’ is likely to take the form of an incompatible array of QR codes with proprietary (non-standard) syntax and semantics directing users to websites with limited, or no, validation of the credentials (competency) of the issuing authorities.

The strength and integrity of product conformity systems has significant implications for the digital trade environment.

 Linking products to certificates and consignments is gaining significant importance – especially in the context of increasing level of ESG supply chain regulations Current product conformity assurance systems struggle to provide traceability of the original conformity attestation back to the globally-recognised authority – typically the national accreditation bodies which operate under global mutual recognition agreements. Advances in supply chain traceability (not limited to blockchain, non-fungible tokens and verifiable credentials) are placing increased emphasis on ISO/IEC product identification standards, standardised semantics, and data carriers to associate physical products with claims about those products from creation, consumer interaction and the circular economy.

This White Paper aims to stocktake, align, and integrate existing UN/CEFACT bodies of knowledge with frameworks being developed by the global product conformity community, including IAF and ILAC members. It leverages and extends existing e.Cert standards and recent G2G work on Verifiable Credentials to define a practical way forward (a glide-path) for B2G and B2B exchange of product conformity certificates. 

It will also ensure existing UN/CEFACT standards (data models, messages, BRS) are integrated into envisaged digital conformity systems to ensure interoperable exchange of physical and paperless documents.

Project Scope

This

project

is

closely

linked

with

existing

UN/CEFACT

activities

of

the

PoW

2021-2022,

namely,

focus

area

C

Developing

further;

(g)

The

development

of

standards

and

recommendations

to

enhance

the

harmonisation,

exchange

and

processing

of

certificates

used

in

trade;

(h)

Work

on

a

mutual

recognition

mechanism

to

facilitate

domestic

and

cross-border

paperless

trade;

and,

(i)

Recommendations

and

standards

relevant

to

existing

UN/CEFACT

domains

such

as

Transport

and

Logistics;

Supply

Chain

Management

and

Procurement;

Agriculture,

Fisheries

and

Agrifood;

Travel

and

Tourism;

etc.

UN/CEFACT

considers

Cross-border

standardisation,

simplification

and

harmonisation

to

be

fundamental

tools

for

the

facilitation

of

international

trading

processes

forming

the

nucleus

of

UN/CEFACT

work.

The

project

complements

existing

UN/CEFACT

standards

and

recommendations

and

aims

to

overcome

existing

challenges

and

constraints

for

the

paperless

movement

of

goods

and

services.

It

recognises

the

significant

innovation

and

opportunity

that

Verified

Credentials

provides

for

Government

and

addresses

a

significant

and

widening

gap

that

exists

both

between

mature

and

less

mature

economies,

between

B2G

and

the

vast

B2B

landscape.

The

project

brings

ISO/IEC

product

identification

standards

into

focus,

aligned

with

UN/CEFACT

norms

with

a

view

to

providing

clear,

accessible

and

concise

guidance

for

government

and

industry

modernisation

of

product

international

product

conformity

systems. 

This

work

will

benefit

the

development

of

UN/CEFACT

standards

in

future

and

governments

implementing

digitised

trade

facilitation

solutions

via

ISC-PDA/eDATA

Verifiable

Credentials

for

Cross

Border

Trade

–

P1075

Project Deliverables

The project deliverables are:
     •	Deliverable 1:	Webinar to invite experts for brainstorm
     •	Deliverable 2:	White Paper on Product Conformity Certificate Exchange
     •	Deliverable 3:	Webinar to present findings 

Exit Criteria

The exit criteria will be:
     •	Exit Criteria for Deliv. 1:	Working group formation with industry lead
     •	Exit Criteria for Deliv. 2: White paper ready to publish. Internal and External comment logs demonstrating that all comments have been taken into consideration.
      •	Exit Criteria for Deliv. 3:	Publication of White Paper/Report

Project Team Membership and Required Functional Expertise

Membership is open to UN/CEFACT experts with broad knowledge in the area of: Trade Facilitation, SPS, Cross-border data harmonisation, eCerts, Verified Credentials
In addition, Heads of Delegations may invite technical experts from their constituency to participate in the work.
Experts are expected to contribute to the work based solely on their expertise and to comply with the UN/CEFACT Code of Conduct and Ethics and the policy on Intellectual Property Rights.

Geographical Focus

The geographical focus of the project is global.

Initial Contributions

°	NATA/JAS-ANS/GS1 Discussion Paper on Digitalisation of Accreditation and Product Conformance.
°	UN/CEFACT – ISC-PDA/eDATA Verifiable Credentials for Cross Border Trade – P1075

Resource Requirements

Webinar support by UNECE Secretariat .