There is current call open for experts in conformity assessment to assist in the development of the United Nations Transparency Protocol (UNTP) which is a UN work program focussed on product sustainability data in support of global trade. The point of contact for the new UNTP Conformity group is NATA’s Brett Hyland, a longtime contributor to the UNTP program. The group will focus on digital access to conformity assessment data relating to products and facilities, building on a 2024 UN-sponsored inter-governmental standard for digital conformity certificate exchange, for which Brett was also the project lead.
Brett explains that “the maturity of UNTP development now warrants the establishment of distinct specialist groups to handle diverse areas such as product/facility data, conformity data, technology standards, adoption and implementation”.
For conformity assessment bodies, such as testing laboratories, this development is worth noting as it reflects the recent emergence of the voluntary digital product passport. The digital product passport (DPP) concept first appeared in European regulations, requiring regulated products to have a defined set of sustainability data accessible from a QR code on that product. In contrast to regulated DPPs, voluntary DPPs have no associated legal enforcement framework to drive honesty and so self-declarations are insufficient for credibility.
Instead, data accessed in voluntary DPPs derives credibility from links to reliable conformity assessments. Voluntary DPPs are coming into their own due to powerful new drivers requiring exchange of trustworthy sustainability data from one business to another, such as for carbon accounting and corporate environmental disclosures.
Brett hopes that strong involvement from the conformity assessment community will drive outcomes in this space that are fit for purpose and are respectful of the critical role played by conformity assessment bodies in global trade.
To contribute to this work, the application form to register as a UN/CEFACT expert can be accessed here.
