Nexus Standards · Roadmap

First official release targeted for 2030

Roadmap to 2030

The Nexus Standards are being developed through an open, multistakeholder process towards a first official release of the full catalogue, targeted for 2030. Until then, each standard progresses from proposal to a first operational version, through deliberation in the Global Standards Council, national discussion in the National Standards Councils of the National Nexus Consortiums, and field simulations and exercises conducted by working groups and host institutions. Governments, competent authorities, standards bodies, industry, academia and communities are invited to take part.

01Overview

Summary

Roadmaptargets
  1. TargetFirst official release of the catalogue, 2030
  2. Council13 voting seats; adopts by two-thirds after a 90-day last call
  3. NationalEach National Standards Council decides in its jurisdiction
  4. StandardsNS-0 to NS-16 and 348 risk standards
  5. Current phaseFounding: calls for experts and constitution of the Council

Nexus Standards · proposed

02Timeline

Roadmap to the first official release, 2030

The programme moves from the founding of its governance bodies to the first official release of the full catalogue in 2030. Each bar shows a target window; dates are indicative and every adoption remains a decision of the Global Standards Council.

PhaseWhenWhat happensEnds when
P0 FoundingOctober 2026 to March 2027 (target)Founding calls for experts open; the Council's seats are formed; the inaugural session and the first quarterly review are held; working groups are formed (registry/participation.yaml, startUp S0 to S3).The Council is quorate and the working groups have members.
P1 Proposals and first operational versionsJanuary 2027 to June 2029 (target)Each standard moves from OPEN to a proposal with its first operational version, wave by wave, drafted in the working groups and the technical committees.Every standard of a wave has a first operational version.
P2 Deliberation, last call and national discussionJuly 2027 to December 2029 (target)Open review with a recorded disposition for every comment; a last call of 90 days for every new standard (NS-13); delegation by the Council to the National Standards Councils for national discussion.Every comment is disposed of and every delegated national discussion has returned a position or a deferral.
P3 Field simulations and exercisesSeptember 2027 to June 2030 (target)Working groups and host institutions run simulations and exercises with the first operational versions in their own context, jurisdiction and industry, and file the evidence.Each standard has field evidence from more than one jurisdiction or industry, or a recorded reason why not.
P4 Adoption decisions of the Global Standards CouncilMarch 2028 to September 2030 (target)Decisions on each standard, recorded by reference with their evidence, at the ordinary sessions of the Council.Every standard of the catalogue has a recorded decision.
P5 First official releaseOctober 2030 to December 2030 (target)The full catalogue is released with DOIs and opened for national adoption.The first official release is published.

Global Standards Council adoption decisions for every standard of the catalogue, after last call, national discussion and field evidence. Source: registry/roadmap.yaml.

03Earth observation

Population, settlement and hazards worldwide

The map is framed on the world as context for the jurisdictions in which national adoption is decided. Shown at first: population density, 2020 (Gridded Population of the World v4.11, NASA SEDAC, CIESIN, Columbia University) and night-time lights, daily (VIIRS Black Marble, VNP46A2, NASA LAADS DAAC). The layer drawer adds flood water, 3-day composite (VIIRS Global Flood Product); active fires and thermal anomalies, last day (VIIRS NOAA-20 375 m, FIRMS); and true colour (VIIRS NOAA-20 corrected reflectance). NASA products are served through NASA GIBS under NASA's open data policy, with acknowledgement; population density is GPW v4.11 by CIESIN, Columbia University, under CC BY 4.0; coastlines, boundaries and place names come from NASA GIBS reference layers (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL) and Natural Earth (public domain). Each layer shows its own observation date; full credits are given under the map.

The interactive map needs JavaScript; the layer list and sources are below.

Layers 2

People and hazards

Latest available

NASA GIBS / EOSDIS · ASTER GDEM (METI, NASA) · Blue Marble (NASA) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Natural Earth

Loading the latest NASA imagery.

Drag to move. Ctrl or ⌘ and scroll, pinch or the buttons to zoom; hover for the values under the pointer; reset returns to the region.

Where people live, night-time lights and the floods and fires public institutions answer to, framed on World.Satellite and model products as NASA publishes them, each with its own date; indicators, not assessments of any place.

Data: NASA GIBS · ASTER GDEM · Blue Marble · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Natural Earth · NASA EONETSources and licences

  • We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA's Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA's Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University. 2018. Gridded Population of the World, Version 4 (GPWv4): Population Density, Revision 11. NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). doi:10.7927/H49C6VHW. CC BY 4.0
  • VIIRS Black Marble night-time lights, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; distributed by the NASA Level-1 and Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS DAAC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • VIIRS near-real-time products (flood, land surface temperature, snow cover, corrected reflectance), NASA LANCE; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • NASA Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), VIIRS 375 m active fire product, NASA LANCE; vector tiles via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • ASTER GDEM is a product of METI and NASA (ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model V003, NASA LP DAAC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). Cite as: NASA/METI/AIST/Japan Spacesystems and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team (2019). ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model V003. doi:10.5067/ASTER/ASTGTM.003. NASA open data
  • Made with Natural Earth. Free vector and raster map data @ naturalearthdata.com. Public domain
  • © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via NASA GIBS (coastlines, boundaries, roads and place names). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). ODbL
  • Blue Marble, NASA Earth Observatory; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • Context on the globe and flat map: coastlines, boundaries, roads and place names from NASA GIBS reference layers (OpenStreetMap data, ODbL, © OpenStreetMap contributors); Blue Marble imagery as an optional base; 3D terrain and the elevation read-out from the ASTER GDEM elevation colour index (5 m to 200 m classes, exaggerated for legibility). Boundaries are drawn as published and imply no position on any territory.
  • Globe: MapLibre GL JS 6.9.1, BSD-3-Clause, © MapLibre contributors.
  • Live: NASA EONET Events are indicative, not authority warnings.
  • NASA GIBS: We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA's Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS).
  • Optional layers (3 sources in the layer list: live, forecast, observed and context) print their provider credit on the map and here when switched on; forecasts are model output and derived indices are estimates.

Layers and dates

  • Population density, 2020: Population: CIESIN, Columbia University, Gridded Population of the World v4.11 (2018), NASA SEDAC, CC BY 4.0 · static
  • Night-time lights, daily: VIIRS Black Marble (VNP46A2), NASA LAADS DAAC · 12 Oct 2026
  • Flood water, 3-day composite: VIIRS Global Flood Product, NASA LANCE · 14 Oct 2026
  • Active fires and thermal anomalies, last day: VIIRS NOAA-20 375 m (FIRMS), NASA LANCE FIRMS · 13 Oct 2026
  • True colour: VIIRS NOAA-20 corrected reflectance, NASA LANCE · 13 Oct 2026

04Definitions

Key terms

TermMeaning
First operational versionThe first complete, implementable text of a standard: every part drafted under NS-4 with registered requirements, its conformance test definitions, example records, and its crosswalks to external standards. It has a UNI and a version, stays PROPOSED, and is fit to be used in field simulations and exercises. It is not adopted and carries no claim of conformity, certification or readiness.
First official releaseThe release of the full catalogue in which every standard has been adopted by the Global Standards Council after its last call, its national discussion and its field evidence, is published with a DOI by the Secretariat as publisher of record, and is open for national adoption, adaptation or reference by each National Standards Council.
Field exerciseA simulation or exercise in which an implementing institution applies a first operational version in its own context, jurisdiction or industry and records the evidence (records, attestations and findings) as artifacts under NS-1 and NS-11. Exercise types follow the established practice of discussion-based (seminar, tabletop) and operations-based (drill, functional, full-scale) exercises, with evaluation against declared objectives.
National discussionThe consultation a National Standards Council runs in its jurisdiction on a standard the Council has delegated to it, ending in a national position (adopt as is, adopt with profile, adapt, reference only, defer or decline).
05Drafting waves

Drafting waves of the Nexus Risk Standards

The 348 Nexus Risk Standards are drafted in 4 waves, beginning with the foundations of the risk core on which the other series depend.

WaveScopeStandardsFirst operational versionsLast call from
Wave 1: Foundations of the risk coreVocabulary, method, data model, evidence, clauses and conformance: everything the other series cite.132027-Q42028-Q1
Wave 2: Anchor streams, hazards and programmeThe six anchor streams and the nexus, climate, disasters, continuity, hazard profiles, scenarios, warnings, indicators, disclosure, Universe, Reports, adoption and the National Portfolio.1112028-Q32028-Q4
Wave 3: Technology, finance, policy and developmentEvery exponential technology, finance and insurance, policy and governance, development and society, intelligence and the system profiles.2232029-Q22029-Q3
Wave 4: EngagementPublic campaigns and engagement.12029-Q22029-Q3

Every risk standard, series by series

06Proposed new work

Proposed new work items

Proposal NXS-STD-PC-000011 extends the catalogue in three parts: revisions of the foundation standards, new standards in existing series of the Nexus Risk Standards, and standards for frontier areas where no established standard yet exists. All items are proposed; designations are provisional until the Global Standards Council accepts the proposal. Targets: wave 1, first operational versions by the fourth quarter of 2027; wave 2, first operational versions by the third quarter of 2028; wave 3, first operational versions by the second quarter of 2029; last call from the third quarter of 2029.

Revisions of the foundation standards

StandardsRevisionWave
NS-10Trigger objectWave 1
NS-11Evidence registration through transparency services (IETF SCITT) and continuous verificationWave 1
NS-14Quality fields for crosswalksWave 1
NS-14, NS-9, NS-16Layered profiles, from global to municipal and orbitalWave 1
NS-1, NS-3, NS-9, NS-16Place codes for areas below and beyond national jurisdictionWave 1
NS-8Publication with Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs)Wave 1
NS-13, NS-4Versioning, maturity levels and retractionWave 1
NS-11, NS-12Cryptographic agilityWave 1
NS-12Attestations of computational runsWave 1
NS-10, NS-11Data sovereignty and consent fieldsWave 1
NS-0, NS-13Governance dossier against the WTO principles for the development of international standardsPhases P0 to P2
NS-15Vocabulary of systemic relationsWave 2
NS-3, NS-3b, NS-5Measurement, time scales and data freshnessWave 1 and 2

New standards in existing series

Provisional designationTitleWave
NRS-A13Cryptographic agility and post-quantum migrationWave 1
NRS-A14Attested computation and transparencyWave 1
NRS-A15Polyglot encodings and portable evaluatorsWave 1
NRS-A10Zero-trust profileWave 2
NRS-A11Zero-knowledge and selective-disclosure attestationsWave 2
NRS-A12Privacy-preserving risk analyticsWave 2
NRS-I8Real-time risk event and alert interchangeWave 2
NRS-C25Impact forecast and warning verificationWave 2
NRS-C26Cascade and dependency graphsWave 2
NRS-T18Digital risk twinsWave 3
NRS-T19Assurance of AI warning modelsWave 3
NRS-X13Critical entity and operational technology resilience evidenceWave 3
NRS-F10Physical-to-financial exposure recordsWave 3

Frontier standards

Frontier standards are developed in liaison with the specialist bodies of each field and under the programme's information-hazard policy.

Provisional designationTitleWave
NRS-T20Neurotechnology risk and assuranceWave 3
NRS-T21Climate intervention: governance, monitoring, reporting and verificationWave 3
NRS-X14Orbital environment, space resources and planetary defenceWave 3
NRS-X15Ocean, seabed and polar commonsWave 3
NRS-P12Converging and catastrophic risks and long-horizon accountabilityWave 3
07Field simulations and exercises

Testing the standards in operational settings

Before adoption, each first operational version is tested in practice. Working groups and host institutions, including National Working Groups, conduct discussion-based exercises (seminars and tabletop exercises) and operations-based exercises (drills, functional and full-scale exercises) in their own jurisdictions and industries, in coordination with the competent national authorities where appropriate. Findings are recorded as evidence and inform the deliberations of the Global Standards Council and of each National Standards Council.

StepWhat it involvesWhere on this site
1. ScopingThe host institution and the working group select the standard, the jurisdiction or industry, the exercise type and the objectives to be evaluated.Develop a standard
2. System modelThe systems, hazards, couplings, controls, data sources and indicators of the context are assembled into a system model.The system model and scenario simulator on each area page
3. ConductScenario injects follow the hazard cascades recorded in the Nexus Hazard Standard; participants produce the records, identifiers and attestations that the standard requires.Hazard cascades and systemic couplings on each area page
4. EvaluationAn after-action report, identified by a UNI (Unique Nexus Identifier), evaluates performance against the declared objectives and identifies gaps in the requirements.The UNI and the resolver
5. DeliberationThe report is filed on the public change record of the standard as evidence for review and last call under NS-13.NS-13: the development process

Exercise tracks

A working group plans each exercise with one or more host institutions; the host runs it in its own context and remains responsible for it. Exercises never involve live operations without the host's own authority and safeguards, and never handle personal or sensitive data without a lawful basis and the information-hazard policy.

TrackScopeHost institutions
WG-HAZHazard families and multi-hazard warning chainsOpen for registration
WG-INDIndicators and indices in national and sector statisticsOpen for registration
WG-MTHRisk methods and models against reference resultsOpen for registration
WG-ONTVocabulary and ontology in data exchange between institutionsOpen for registration
WG-DEVStandards as code: identifiers, records and conformance tests in softwareOpen for registration
WG-CNFConformance assessment and attestationsOpen for registration
WG-STRAnchor streams (water, energy, food, health, biodiversity, infrastructure) and their nexusOpen for registration
WG-POLPolicy, rights and national adoptionOpen for registration
WG-FINFinance and insuranceOpen for registration
WG-AIAI, agents and machine learning in risk workOpen for registration
WG-UNVUniverse platforms and domain packsOpen for registration
WG-ACDLearning, training and exercise designOpen for registration
WG-ACCAccessibility, plain language and translationOpen for registration
08Invitation

Invitation to participate

Comment on any draft, propose changes, join a working group, host a field exercise, or form or join a National Standards Council. Participation is free and open through the public repository and every gateway; no fee and no membership are needed to comment.

  • governments and public authorities
  • international and regional organisations
  • academia and research
  • industry and infrastructure operators
  • finance and insurance
  • civil society
  • communities and Indigenous peoples
  • implementers and developers
  • standards bodies
09Open calls

Open calls for participation

Applications are acknowledged within two working days, reviewed within ten and decided within forty-five.

CallWindowSeeks
Founding call for experts to the working groups2026-10-20 to 2026-12-15expert, editor, chair
Open nomination for the three independent expert seats of the Global Standards Council2026-10-20 to 2026-12-01council-member
Nominations of interim regional members (applies only if the transitional provision is decided)2026-11-02 to 2026-12-15council-member
Review of the wave-1 risk core outlines (C1, C2, C3, C4, C8, C10, C11)2026-11-02 to 2027-01-31contributor
Experts for the core standards of risk science: uncertainty and evidence grading, scales, structured expert judgement, tolerability, extremes and compound events, catastrophic and existential risk, ethics and equity, units and measurement (NRS-C17 to NRS-C24)2026-10-20 to 2027-01-31expert, editor, chair
Independent reviewers for the families of the hazard atlas, three from at least two regions for each family (NHS2-R19), priority families first2026-10-20 to 2027-03-31expert
Members of the interim Frontier Safety Review Panel and red-team reviewers (biosafety and biosecurity, AI safety and security, critical-infrastructure security); applications treated in confidence2026-10-20 to 2026-11-30expert
Experts in ontology, metrology, software verification and conformity assessment for the requirement register, the NHS-2 machine representation, the conformance test suites and the conformity assessment scheme2026-10-20 to 2027-01-31expert, editor
Technical review and comment on the preparatory working drafts of the programme, in forty-three technical review areas (notice NXS-STD-DC-000034)2026-10-20 to 2027-02-12contributor, expert
10Working groups

Working groups

GroupScopeDeliverables
WG-HAZ Hazard familiesDrafts the hazard family standards on the Nexus Hazard Standard NHS-1, family by family, with the hazard science community.Draft text of the wave-2 hazard family standards; NHS-1 review findings for its owners
WG-IND Indicators and indicesDrafts the indicator and composite standards on NIS-1 and reviews NIS-1 with its owners.Draft NRS-C13; NIS-1 review findings
WG-MTH Methods and modelsDrafts the method fabric standards on the Risk Master, with validation, uncertainty and VVUQ.Draft wave-1 method core; VVUQ benchmark proposals
WG-ONT Ontology and vocabularyMaintains the Nexus risk ontology, the native vocabularies in SKOS, the alignment and the harmonisation groups.Harmonisation recommendations to the Council; ontology releases
WG-DEV Standards as code and developer toolingSchemas, APIs, the agent interface, adoption kits, SDKs and reference implementations.Reference SDKs; conformance fixtures; adoption kit releases
WG-CNF Conformance and assuranceConformance levels and evidence quality levels in practice, test suites, attestation and zero-trust verification.Conformance test suites per level; attestation profile
WG-STR Anchor streams and the nexusWater, energy, food, health, biodiversity and infrastructure, and their coupling.Draft stream standards and their profiles
WG-POL Policy, rights and adoptionPolicy and regulatory standards, rights and data responsibility, national adoption and country profiles.Draft policy standards; national adoption guidance
WG-FIN Finance and insuranceFinance, insurance, disclosure and risk transfer standards.Draft finance standards; readiness dossier template
WG-AI AI, agents and machine learning in risk workAI, agent and ML lifecycle risk, AI-ready data and evaluation suites.Evaluation suites; model and data card profiles
WG-UNV Universe platforms and domain packsProfiles of the Nexus Universe platforms and applied domain packs, with their stewards.Reviewed platform and pack profiles
WG-ACD Academy and learningOne learning module per standard, learning by doing and credentials issued by GCRI Canada.Learning modules for the wave-1 core
WG-ACC Accessibility, plain language and translationPlain-language summaries, translations and accessibility of every standard and page.Plain-language summaries; translation memory; accessibility checks
11Participation

Forms of participation

RoleWhoMay
ObserverAnyoneattend open sessions; read dockets and drafts; comment in public comment windows
ContributorAnyone who accepts the contribution termssubmit every contribution type; comment on drafts at any time; offer test vectors; code and translations
Working group expertA contributor accepted into a working group through an open calldraft in a working group; take positions in the group; be nominated editor
EditorAn expert appointed by the technical committee for one standard or parthold the pen on a draft; prepare NS-13 proposals; dispose of comments with reasons
Chair or convenorElected by a committee or working group from its membersconvene; set the agenda; report to the committee or the Council
Council memberA holder of one of the thirteen voting seatsdecide for the Council under registry/governance.yaml
12Communities

Expert communities

CommunityWhoContributes
Science, technology, engineering and mathematicsHazard, climate, hydrology, geoscience, epidemiology, ecology, statistics and data scientists; research institutionsMethods, models, validation, uncertainty, indicators, hazard definitions and test vectors
Developers and engineersSoftware, data, ML, platform, OT and infrastructure engineers; open-source maintainersStandards as code, schemas, APIs, SDKs, conformance suites, reference implementations and interoperability tests
Policy makers and regulatorsMinistries, agencies, regulators, legislators, multilateral and regional bodiesPolicy and regulatory requirements, national profiles, adoption, rights and public-interest review
Finance, insurance and investmentBanks, insurers, asset owners and managers, development finance, supervisorsFinance and insurance standards, disclosure, stress testing, risk transfer and readiness dossiers
Risk, resilience and humanitarian practitionersDisaster risk, civil protection, utilities, infrastructure operators, humanitarian and development practitionersField requirements, warning and anticipatory action, continuity and recovery practice, worked examples
Communities, Indigenous peoples and local knowledge holdersCommunity organisations, Indigenous and local knowledge holders, civil societyRights, consent, local knowledge, accessibility and public-interest review
Students, early-career professionals and educatorsAcademy learners, universities, trainersLearning modules, worked examples, translations, plain-language summaries, reviews of drafts as part of learning by doing
Standards bodies and liaisonsNational, regional and international standards organisations and their committeesLiaison, crosswalks at arm's length, alignment and national adoption
14Across the network

Taking part across the network

GCRI Canada, The Global Risks Forum (GRF), The Global Risks Alliance (GRA) and Risk Academy work on the work set out in the roadmap in distinct roles (research and evidence; governance, policy and convening; capital, finance and markets; education and training). Each entry states why it corresponds and the step it offers; each institution sets its own terms of participation.

Capital, finance and markets

The Global Risks Alliance (GRA)

Industry programmes in which financial institutions build a shared understanding of systemic risk.

Development Finance NexusWorks on country programme readiness, where adoption milestones meet the preparation of public investment.Join this programme globalriskalliance.comAll programmes of The Global Risks Alliance
15Questions

Questions and answers.

When will the first official release take place?
The first official release of the full catalogue is targeted for 2030, once the Global Standards Council has taken its adoption decisions after last call, national discussion and field evidence. All dates are targets.
Can the standards be used before the first official release?
Yes. First operational versions are complete, implementable texts with requirements, conformance tests, example records and crosswalks. They may be used in pilots, field simulations and exercises under the open licences, as proposed standards.
How does a country take part?
Through its National Nexus Consortium, whose National Standards Council is formed under national law by national host and anchor institutions, with a liaison to the competent public authorities. The National Standards Council decides on adoption, adaptation or reference in its jurisdiction; the Global Standards Council has no veto over national decisions.
Who can join a working group?
Any expert who accepts the contribution terms may apply through the open calls; National Working Groups are formed within each National Nexus Consortium.
NRNexus Reports gateway · GW-STD

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Nexus Reports is the Consortium's quarterly publication. What you know about this subject can become evidence, a case or a correction in the next edition, credited to you and published under CC BY 4.0 where it is your own work.

Nexus Standards
Nexus Standards

Participate in the development of the standards

Respond to an open call, join a working group or a national discussion, host a field exercise, or comment on a draft. All contributions are recorded on the public change record under NS-13.

Status and use. The Nexus Standards are proposed standards developed through an open process under NS-13 and published for voluntary use; they do not constitute certification, accreditation or regulatory approval, and adoption remains a decision of the Global Standards Council and, in each country, of its National Standards Council. A UNI (Unique Nexus Identifier) identifies an artifact; it does not certify it. Names of standards bodies and their standards belong to their stewards and are used only to identify the documents; no text of an external standard is reproduced here. Nexus Standards is not affiliated with, endorsed by or certified by any standards body named here.

Licences: CC BY 4.0 for standards text, registries, schemas and data; Apache-2.0 for reference code. External standards are cited by name, number and link under their own licences. Third-party data, libraries and fonts keep their own licences: see Third-party notices.