Transport Canada (TC), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA); Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED); Natural Resources Canada (NRCan); the Standards Council of Canada (SCC); and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) have made a number of advancements in implementing the International Standards Roadmap.
Key thematic outcomes are summarized below, followed by updates on specific initiatives.
On this page
Key Outcomes
Demonstrating leadership in the development of standards
Notable progress has been made on several key actions. Departments and agencies are advancing initiatives that promote Canadian strategic guidance in standards development to ensure input from Canadian regulators is considered, and that international standards drive the development, deployment, and adoption of Canadian innovations.
For instance, to promote Canadian leadership in the development of international standards, SCC published a National Standards Strategy in July 2022. The Strategy positions the standards system to help regulators use national and international standards as the basis for their regulations, helping the government meet international trade commitments, and supporting Canadian competitiveness and economic growth. To implement the strategy SCC is engaging with Provincial and Territorial stakeholders and Standards Development Organizations through its advisory committees. The SCC has also begun to integrate the National Standards Strategy within its own corporate plan and in an International Standardization Roadmap to guide its activities at the international level.
Additionally, to support Canada’s competitive advantage through adoption of cybersecurity standards, SCC, ISED and the Communications Security Establishment, supported the development of a cyber security National Standard of Canada in fall 2021. The standard provides criteria to reduce cyber-attacks, and better positions Canadian small and medium-sized organizations to compete globally. Effective January 1, 2023, the standard was adopted by CyberSecure Canada.
Finally, as of summer 2022, TBS has taken on an initiative from ISED in the Roadmap to advance international standardization, interoperability, and mutual support for digital credentials. This supports the President of the Treasury Board’s lead on the Government of Canada’s work to advance digital government to better serve Canadians, including the mandate letter commitment for “working towards a common and secure approach for a trusted digital identity platform to support seamless service delivery to Canadians across the country”.
Three projects were advanced as part of the initiative. First, policy experts from Canada and the European Commission developed a joint report of findings and recommendations on enabling cross-border support for digital credentials in November 2021. Second, experts from Canada and the International Association of Trusted Blockchain Applications published recommendations for advancing interoperability and mutual support for digital credentials globally in August 2022. Third, TBS partnered with SCC on the development of a National Technical Specification and prototype certification program for digital credentials and digital trust services, which was completed in May 2023. SCC is leading testing of the certification of digital credentials and digital trust services against the National Technical Specification, which is expected to be completed in January 2024. This work will inform the development of national standards and a full-scale conformity assessment program to help ensure digital credentials and digital trust services are interoperable, so they can be seamlessly used across Canada and with trading partners. This will also make it easier for individuals and organizations to know which digital credentials and digital trust services they can trust, while enabling individuals and organizations to use the trusted digital “wallet” of their choice across Canada and with trading partners. In addition, it will enable innovation and fair competition in the digital credential space.
The main goal of all three projects is to enable digital services across government and the digital economy, including collaborating with domestic and international organizations to build interoperability, trust, and recognition for each other's digital credentials and related technologies. This will, in turn, enable digital credentials to be used across Canada and with trading partners, while also supporting the competitiveness of Canadian businesses in international markets.
Alignment and best practices to support trade and economic growth
Departments and agencies are also advancing actions that promote the Canadian use of international standards, which better positions Canada to encourage other jurisdictions to use similar approaches. For instance, to facilitate the use of trusted third-party international standards, TC has proposed an amendment to the Canada Transportation Act through the second Annual Regulatory Modernization Bill (Bill S-6, An Act respecting regulatory modernization) to allow the use of interim orders to adopt international standards in the transportation sector regulatory framework when in the public interest. The amendment will help support economic recovery in the Canadian transportation sector by facilitating the interoperability between TC’s regulatory framework and international expectations and requirements, thereby reducing stakeholders’ financial and administrative burden caused by misalignment between regimes. Bill S-6 was introduced in the Senate on March 31, 2022. On June 22, 2022, it passed its first reading in the House of Commons and as of May 2023 is awaiting the second reading.
Supporting the accessibility and accuracy of standards
Departments and agencies are advancing initiatives that improve the accessibility and accuracy of standards incorporated by reference into federal regulations. For instance, to address challenges associated with outdated references in regulations which can result in technical barriers to trade, SCC developed a preliminary design concept package for a modernized digital tool. Completed in summer 2022, the design concept proposes a tool that will make use of software to identify and compile references to standards in federal, provincial, and territorial regulations to support and facilitate policy, regulatory, research and communications activities.
Novel regulatory approaches
Finally, one novel regulatory approach is being advanced through this Roadmap. To address stakeholder concerns that the lack of common standards and certification for artificial intelligence impedes innovation and competitiveness, ISED and SCC launched an accreditation pilot for artificial intelligence management systems in June 2022. This initiative, which received seed funding from the TBS CRI and full funding through Budget 2021, will provide a reliable third-party conformity assessment process for the International Organization for Standardization’s standard on artificial intelligence management systems. Next steps for this project will involve ramping up the pilot to full-scale development of the conformity assessment program based on learnings from the testing phase.
Considerations
Some initiatives in the International Standards Roadmap have experienced delays due to competing priorities.
Despite these challenges, initiatives continue to advance work that aligns standards across national and international borders to make Canada’s regulatory system more efficient, promote stronger Canadian leadership in international standards development, and improve the accuracy and accessibility of international standards for stakeholders.
Initiative Updates
Developing a national standards strategy
- In July 2022, the Standards Council of Canada published a National Standards Strategy to provide a strategic way forward for Canadian standards development, and help focus continued collaboration and development of standards and resulting conformity assessment initiatives.
- This initiative is complete.
Advancing development of international standardization, interoperability and mutual support for digital credentials
- As of summer 2022, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s (TBS) Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) took a leadership role on an initiative to advance international standardization, interoperability, and mutual support for digital credentials, given the President of the Treasury Board’s lead on the Government of Canada’s work to advance digital government to better serve Canadians.
- Three projects were advanced as part of the initiative. First, policy experts from Canada and the European Commission developed a joint report of findings and recommendations on enabling cross-border support for digital credentials in November 2021. Second, experts from Canada and the International Association of Trusted Blockchain Applications published recommendations for advancing interoperability and mutual support for digital credentials globally in August 2022. Third, TBS partnered with the Standards Council of Canada on the development of a National Technical Specification, and a prototype certification program for digital credentials and digital trust services, which was completed in May 2023.
- Standards Council of Canada is leading testing of the certification of digital credentials and digital trust services against the National Technical Specification, which is expected to be completed in January 2024.
Creating a national cyber security standard for small and medium-sized enterprises
- In November 2021, the Chief Information Officers Strategy Council, now called the Digital Governance Council, completed baseline cyber security controls for small and medium organizations, which were published as a recognized Canadian national standard.
- On January 1, 2023, the CyberSecure Canada program aligned with all security controls of the national standard.
Develop a framework to make Canada a leader in international standards for innovation and trade in natural resources
- Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN) established an internal International Standards Secretariat in January 2021 to support departmental and other Government of Canada activities seeking to advance the competitiveness of Canadian natural resource and clean technology industries in international markets, as well as strategic engagement in the development, adoption and use of international standards. The development of the framework is scheduled to be completed by March 2025.
- To guide the framework development, NRCAN’s International Standards Secretariat will engage departmental experts and federal partners to complete a work plan and an analysis of gaps, opportunities, and issues related to international standardization, trade competitiveness, and market access.
Facilitating alignment with trusted international standards and obligations in the transportation sector
- Through the second Annual Regulatory Modernization Bill (Bill S-6, An Act respecting regulatory modernization), Transport Canada proposed an amendment to the Canada Transportation Act that would enable the Minister of Transport to make an interim order to align with a trusted international standard or to temporarily implement an international obligation in the transportation regulatory framework, while the regulatory process follows its due course.
- It is intended to reduce complexity and costs to industry caused by misalignment and benefit the Canadian public by expediting alignment with global best practices, for improved safety, security, and environmental protection outcomes.
- Bill S-6 was introduced in the Senate on March 31, 2022. On June 22, 2022, it passed its first reading in the House of Commons and as of May 2023 is awaiting the second reading.
Aligning Canada’s regulations with international standards on pet food
- This initiative was added to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) Forward Regulatory Plan and the CFIA aims to pre-publish regulatory amendments to the Health of Animals Regulations in the Canada Gazette, Part I in fall 2024.
Establishing an artificial intelligence and data governance standardization collaborative
- Following the publication of the 2021 Canadian Data Governance Standardization Collaborative Roadmap (DGSC Roadmap), and in support of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (PCAIS) and as part of the Digital Charter Implementation Act, 2022, the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) received additional funding under Budget 2021 to advance standardization strategies for both Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Governance.
- The objective of the Collaborative is to integrate both international and national issues related to AI and data governance, which will allow for the creation of 65 standardization strategies that are aligned with Canada’s public policy initiatives and enables the Canadian AI and data ecosystem to scale up internationally, enhancing Canada’s position as a global leader in AI and data regulation.
Supporting the accessibility of standards incorporated by reference in federal regulations
- The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) has undertaken engagement activities in summer 2022 and will complete a work plan in 2023 to implement this initiative. While work has delayed by one year, it is expected that final recommendations to enhance accessibility and protect the copyright of standards development organizations will be completed by fall 2023.
- SCC will explore opportunities to engage with the reconstituted Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations in 2023.
Designing a digital tool to provide regulators with up-to-date information on references to standards in federal regulations
- In June 2022, the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) completed a preliminary design concept package for a modernized digital tool that would give regulators tailored information about the status of references to standards in regulations. This project was supported by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s Centre for Regulatory Innovation.
- While this initiative is complete, SCC continues to consider opportunities to implement the digital tool.
Enhancing the accessibility of motor vehicle standards
- Transport Canada (TC) continues to make 72 technical standards for motor vehicle safety more easily readable and readily accessible for stakeholders by moving technical requirements from Canada's Motor Vehicle Safety Standards into a single document.
- This work is ongoing and will continue alongside required regulatory amendments and updates in the years to come, in keeping with TC's Forward Regulatory Plan.
Developing an accredited conformity assessment program for AI
- To advance Canadian leadership in ethical and transparent use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Standards Council of Canada (SCC) and Innovation, Science, and Economic Development, with support from the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s Centre for Regulatory Innovation, are providing opportunities for certification bodies and entities developing and using AI to test out a novel international standard for AI management systems, ISO/IEC 42001 Information technology — Artificial intelligence — Management system.
- An accreditation pilot to test the implementation of ISO/IEC 42001 has been initiated with an on-going pre-experiment phase. Interested parties can contact SCC at accreditation@scc.ca to learn more. There are opportunities to participate in the on-going pre-experiment by joining the observation committee.