Nexus Standards · Programme · Foundations

10 areas

Foundations and Governance

Every area rests on the same few commitments: a single identifier that identifies an artifact without certifying it, a public process that records written reasons for its decisions, open licences, conformance demonstrated from evidence, and closed standards that are named and linked but not reproduced. This programme sets out those commitments and the processes that maintain them. Each artifact of these areas carries a UNI (Unique Nexus Identifier).

Area indexSystemic couplings
Areas
10
2 listed in the registry
Nexus Standards
8
listed by the areas
Open standards
39
named and linked, never reproduced
Data sources
22
listed for reference
01Canvas

The process.

Canvas · the Nexus track, NS-13Process diagram · 10 operations
The Nexus development track: from an open area to an adopted standard (NS-13)An area is opened; a chartered working group drafts in public; horizontal reviews and a public last call precede the proposed stage; two independent implementations precede the candidate stage; adoption is a recorded decision of the Global Standards Council (GSC); a later edition takes its place, or a decision withdraws it. The diagram shows the process as specified; it does not report the status of any standard, proposal or record.
All operations in order (10)
  1. 01

    Open area start · Open area

    The registry lists the area and its programme page invites participation. A working group may be chartered under NS-13.

    Who
    any participant; area listed in the registry
    Decision rule
    an area is open when the registry lists it and no working group has been chartered
    Record
    programme page with a call for participation
  2. 02

    Working group step · Working group

    The charter is public and states the scope, exclusions, deliverables, meeting schedule and decision rule. Drafts, issues and comments are public.

    Who
    chairs from two organisations
    Decision rule
    consensus with recorded dissent; two co-chairs from different organisations
    Record
    public charter
  3. 03

    Community draft record · Working group

    Drafts, issues and comment dispositions are public artifacts, each with a UNI (Unique Nexus Identifier). The chairs record each objection with its disposition.

    Who
    working group editors
    Decision rule
    every normative statement gets an NS-10 clause; every draft carries a UNI
    Record
    drafts with UNIs
  4. 04

    Horizontal reviews gate · Working group

    Each review group reads the whole draft and records findings; a finding is dispositioned in writing before the public last call opens.

    Who
    five review groups
    Decision rule
    accessibility, internationalisation, privacy, security and accuracy of claims, reviewed before last call
    Record
    review findings on record
  5. 05

    Public last call gate · Public

    The draft, its crosswalk rows with source links, its clauses and its test suite are published for comment. Consensus with recorded dissent; a formal objection is answered in writing; appeals go to the Technical Management Division (technical) or the independent panel (process).

    Who
    any person, with identity recorded
    Decision rule
    at least thirty days (fourteen for errata, ninety for a new standard); each comment answered in writing
    Record
    comments and dispositions
  6. 06

    Proposed record · Public

    The standard is proposed and available for voluntary use by implementers ahead of adoption.

    Who
    working group
    Decision rule
    entered when last call has closed and every comment has a disposition
    Record
    proposed edition
  7. 07

    Two implementations gate · Implementation

    Implementers run the Apache-2.0 test suite and publish their results by reference; the working group collects the final specification agreements.

    Who
    two independent implementers
    Decision rule
    two independent implementations pass the open test suite; the results serve as implementation evidence
    Record
    test results as evidence
  8. 08

    Candidate record · Implementation

    The implementation report names the implementations, the suite version and the instant of each run.

    Who
    working group
    Decision rule
    entered when the implementation report is published
    Record
    implementation report
  9. 09

    Adopted decision · Global Standards Council

    A permanent edition with a dated edition identifier; the errata process remains open; systematic review takes place every three years.

    Who
    the Global Standards Council (GSC)
    Decision rule
    a recorded decision of the GSC after last call
    Record
    dated edition with a decision reference
  10. 10

    Later edition or withdrawal end · Global Standards Council

    The record is retained and points to its successor. Earlier editions remain unchanged.

    Who
    a later edition or a withdrawal decision
    Decision rule
    identifiers are permanent and are not reused (NS1-R3)
    Record
    record retained, supersededBy set

Fig.From an open area to an adopted edition: the actor at each step, the rule that governs it and the record it produces. Select any step to read it. Sources: NS-13: development process · Nexus Standards operating model.

02Overview

Summary

Foundations and GovernanceProgramme record
  1. Programmenexustandards.com/foundations/
  2. StatusIn preparation.
  3. Areas10 · 2 listed in the registry
  4. Nexus StandardsNS-1, NS-10, NS-11, NS-3, NS-7, NS-9, NS-0, NS-13
  5. Open standards39
  6. Data sources22
  7. Couplings36 with 6 programmes

Area profiles are proposed.

UNI
requested · allocation in progress
Status
Proposedin preparation
Last reviewed
area profile
Cite this page

Nexus Standards (2026). Foundations and Governance: a programme of the Nexus Standards. Proposed. https://nexustandards.com/foundations/. Last reviewed 17 October 2026.

Download the profile

Files include the credits and the licence statement and are generated in the browser; no data is transmitted. Downloads require JavaScript.

03Standards development

Standards development and participation

The development track is shown above; the pages below set out each stage.

Main site

Develop a standard

The development lifecycle, step by step, alongside the tracks of other standards bodies.

Area

Movement and contribution

Contribution channels, from a comment at an issuing body to a register change.

Area

Conformance programme

Conformance classes, test suites, statements and the conformance process.

Area

Standards development standards

The Nexus development track alongside the standards for standards development.

04Earth observation

Population, settlement and hazards worldwide

The map is framed on the world as context for foundations and governance. 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. Other sources of the profile, such as OpenAlex works API (literature on standards governance and openness) and RFC Editor index and RSS feed of published RFCs (process documents cited by NS-0), are listed for reference.

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

05Systemic couplings

Transmission channels to related areas and programmes

The systemic couplings recorded for this context, grouped by transmission mechanism. The bar summarises each mechanism (select one to filter); each entry names the connected area or programme and describes the mechanism.

The interactive view requires JavaScript; the sections below present the same records.

06System model and scenario simulator

System model and cascade scenario: Foundations and Governance

A system model of this programme built from the registry: 20 systems, 10 sectors, 14 controls, 22 feeds, 14 indicators. Select the components to include, choose an initiating hazard and run the scenario. Stress propagates through the hazard relations of the Nexus Hazard Standard (NHS-1), the exposure of each system, the recorded couplings and the sectors that carry the loss; adopted standards dampen transmission and live data sources support detection. All parameters are stated assumptions that the reader can adjust; results are illustrative scenario outputs for exercises and training, not forecasts or risk assessments.

Controls

  • NS-1 The UNI and the artifact catalog (grammar v0.2: domain, sector, region and environment segments)
  • NS-10 Policies and clauses (machine-readable obligations: definition, binding, evaluation and enforcement)
  • NS-11 Verification and monitoring (evidence, attestations, zero-trust conformance observation)
  • NS-3 Risk record UNIs (grammar, legacy crosswalk, allocation authority)
  • NS-7 Resolver landing pages, page meta tags, sitemap
  • NS-9 Contextual UNIs (deployments, instances, programme instances)
  • NS-0 Constitution and principles
  • NS-13 Standards development process (open proposals, review, versioning, adoption)
  • NRS-H62 Hazard family: Compound and multi-hazard events (NHS-1 sys.compound)
  • NRS-A5 Built-in licensing and rights
  • NRS-H112 Hazard family: Governance and institutional failure (NHS-1 soc.governance)
  • NRS-U18 Universe platform profile: Nexus Agency
  • NRS-H28 Hazard family: Climate-state shifts (NHS-1 eco.climate-state)
  • NRS-H65 Hazard family: Planetary boundary transgressions (NHS-1 planet.boundary)

Observation

  • OpenAlex works API (literature on standards governance and openness) (listed for reference)
  • RFC Editor index and RSS feed of published RFCs (process documents cited by NS-0) (listed for reference)
  • DataCite REST API (DOI metadata for crosswalk and harvest tests) (listed for reference)
  • ROR data dump (organisation identifiers for publisher and creator fields) (listed for reference)
  • ORCID public data file (listed for reference)
  • IETF Datatracker API (document states and histories used as a process benchmark) (listed for reference)
  • W3C technical reports feed (maturity levels of W3C specifications) (listed for reference)
  • ROR data dump (organisation identifiers for liaison register rows) (listed for reference)
  • GLEIF Golden Copy LEI concatenated file (legal-entity identifiers for liaising organisations) (listed for reference)
  • SPDX license-list-data (machine-readable licence identifiers) (listed for reference)
  • Crossref REST API licence fields (licence URLs on cited works) (listed for reference)
  • OpenSSF Scorecard public results (reference model for published, machine-run evidence) (listed for reference)
  • Zenodo REST API (deposit of test-run evidence bundles with DOIs) (listed for reference)
  • NIST OSCAL content (SP 800-53 Rev. 5 catalogue in OSCAL JSON) (listed for reference)
  • NIST National Vulnerability Database APIs (open data for simulated control exercises) (listed for reference)
  • ORCID public API (contributor identifiers for attribution) (listed for reference)
  • OpenAlex works API (finding researchers already publishing in an OPEN area) (listed for reference)
  • IETF Datatracker API (listed for reference)
  • W3C technical reports feed (listed for reference)
  • GitHub releases of the nexus-standards repository (listed for reference)
  • SPDX License List JSON (listed for reference)
  • Wikidata Query Service (listed for reference)
  • Proportion of population who believe decision-making is inclusive and responsive
  • Proportion of members and voting rights of developing countries in international organizations
  • Metadata is identified by a persistent identifier
  • Metadata is accessed through standardised protocol
  • Number of countries reporting progress in multi-stakeholder development effectiveness monitoring frameworks
  • Number of countries that adopt and implement constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to information
  • Hosted build platform with signed provenance
  • Metadata complies with a community standard
  • Metadata uses FAIR-compliant vocabularies
  • Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill
  • Fixed Internet broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants (participation context)
  • Adequate implementation experience, normally two independent implementations of each feature, before Recommendation
  • Metadata includes information about the licence under which the data can be reused
  • Metadata refers to a standard reuse licence
07Area index

Areas of Foundations and Governance

10 areas, each with its tier, registry status, the Nexus Standards it lists, the open standards it references, its data sources and its couplings.

Area index · Foundations and GovernanceFrom the area profiles
  1. 01Constitution and principlesFoundationsStatusproposedNexus StandardsNS-1 · NS-10 · NS-11Open standards4Data sources2Couplings4
  2. 02The UNI and the artifact catalogFoundationsStatusproposedNexus StandardsNS-1 · NS-3 · NS-7 · NS-9Open standards6Data sources3Couplings4
  3. 03How a standard is madeFoundationsStatusproposedNexus StandardsNS-1 · NS-10 · NS-11Open standards5Data sources2Couplings4
  4. 04Governance and liaisonFoundationsStatusproposedNexus StandardsNS-9 · NS-10 · NS-11Open standards4Data sources2Couplings4
  5. 05Licensing and intellectual propertyFoundationsStatusproposedNexus StandardsNS-1 · NS-10Open standards6Data sources2Couplings4
  6. 06Conformance programmeFoundationsStatusproposedNexus StandardsNS-10 · NS-11 · NS-1Open standards5Data sources2Couplings4
  7. 07Compatibility profiles for closed standardsFoundationsStatusproposedNexus StandardsNS-10 · NS-11Open standards4Data sources2Couplings4
  8. 08Start here and contributeFoundationsStatusproposedNexus StandardsNS-1 · NS-9Open standards4Data sources2Couplings4
  9. 09Open standards developmentCross-cutting capabilitiesStatuslisted · plannedNexus StandardsNS-0 · NS-13Open standards6Data sources3Couplings3
  10. 10Naming, marks and intellectual propertyCross-cutting capabilitiesStatuslisted · plannedNexus StandardsNS-0 · NS-9 · NS-1Open standards5Data sources2Couplings3

Area index2 of 10 areas are listed in the registry; the others are proposed areas with a complete area profile.

08Applicable standards

Applicable Nexus Standards

8 Nexus Standards across 10 areas.

Applicable Nexus Standards · Nexus Standards across, areas downNexus Standards registry
27 of 80 area and standard pairs are listed, across 10 areas and 8 standards. Source: the area profiles and the index of the Nexus Standards.

Applicable Nexus StandardsA filled cell indicates that the area profile lists the Nexus Standard concerned.

09Systemic couplings

Couplings with other programmes

36 couplings link the areas of this programme with 6 other programmes, counted in both directions from the area profiles. Select a card on the diagram to trace a coupling.

Diagram · couplings with other programmesProcess diagram
Foundations and Governance: couplings with other programmesProgrammes whose areas state a coupling into Foundations and Governance, the areas of Foundations and Governance with the highest number of couplings, and the programmes its areas couple out to, counted from the area profiles.

Fig.Programmes coupling in at the left, the areas of this programme in the centre and the programmes its areas couple out to at the right; edge labels give the number of couplings.

Coupled programmeCouplingsExample mechanism
Communities, Learning and Contribution20The liaison register defined here is rendered in the Communities, Learning and Contribution programme; an entry is listed there only after the other body's written confirmation…Governance and liaison to Liaison register and partners
Data and Evidence7The Data and Evidence programme profiles the record kinds (observation, source release, indicator, boundary) whose UNIs are minted under NS-3 by the governed data service.The UNI and the artifact catalog to Data and Evidence
Trust, Verification and Assurance5The Trust, Verification and Assurance programme covers the attestation and monitoring arrangements (evaluators, mandates, digests, INDETERMINATE results) that a declaration's…Conformance programme to Trust, Verification and Assurance
Readiness and Adoption2Open process records (proposals, dispositions, decisions) show how a programme was developed.Recognition pathway, The Global Risks Forum (GRF) to Open standards development
Governance, Security and Society1The Foundations and Governance programme explains NS-0 and the NS-13 process, on which policy readers rely when assessing a standard.For policy makers to Foundations and Governance
Open Infrastructure and Developers1Protected profiles for closed standards are exercised only on simulated data in the sandbox.Sandbox and simulated data to Compatibility profiles for closed standards
10Working groups

Proposed working group charters

10 proposed charters, one per area, each with a scope, deliverables and liaison targets. Institutions and experts are invited to charter a working group; a liaison is listed as sought until the issuing body confirms it in writing.

AreaWorking group scopeDeliverablesLiaison sought
Constitution and principlesMaintain NS-0, answer interpretation requests in writing and conduct the annual review of the principles in the light of experience on the standards track.33Research Data Alliance (RDA) FAIR-related groups (participation sought), Global Indigenous Data Alliance (GIDA) on use…
The UNI and the artifact catalogMaintain NS-1, NS-3 and NS-9, the resolver behaviour (NS-7) and the crosswalks to other persistent identifier systems.33DataCite (information exchange on metadata crosswalks sought), Research Organization Registry (ROR) community…
How a standard is madeMaintain NS-13, the charter template, the issue-tracker convention and the stage-gate checklists.33IETF process community (information exchange on consensus practice sought), W3C Process Community Group (information…
Governance and liaisonMaintain the governance document, the liaison register procedure and the conflict-of-interest rules.35W3C Community Group programme (participation sought), Research Data Alliance (working-group participation sought),…
Licensing and intellectual propertyMaintain the licence table, the OWFa and DCO procedures and the rights-holder notice route, with legal review recorded when completed.33Open Web Foundation (consultation on OWFa use sought), Creative Commons (information exchange on licence use in…
Conformance programmeMaintain the conformance model, the declaration record kind, the test-suite conventions and the register's wording.33OGC Compliance Program (information exchange on executable tests sought), OpenSSF (information exchange on attestation…
Compatibility profiles for closed standardsMaintain the profile method, synthetic example datasets, access rules and the activation procedure for each issuing body.33ISO Central Secretariat through the Standards Council of Canada (arrangement on named references sought), IEC…
Start here and contributeMaintain onboarding content, the charter template, the contributor guide and the code of conduct.32Research Data Alliance (information exchange on community onboarding sought), W3C Community Groups (information…
Open standards developmentMaintain the process standard, its charters and its horizontal reviews.33W3C Community Groups programme, Research Data Alliance, Standards Council of Canada
Naming, marks and intellectual propertyMaintain names, licences and licence status of artifacts.33Open Source Initiative, Creative Commons, Open Knowledge Foundation
11Participation

Participation and governance

  1. 01

    Charter a working group

    Select an area above, adopt its proposed charter and submit it as a public change record under NS-13; the editors decide with written reasons. Develop a standard

  2. 02

    Amend an area brief

    Propose an amendment to an area profile, citing a peer-reviewed or official source.

  3. 03

    Propose a data source

    Propose a source with its provider, licence and delivery path for licence review.

  4. 04

    National participation

    Each participating country takes part through its National Nexus Consortium (NNC). The National Standards Council (NSC) decides adoption, adaptation or reference in its jurisdiction, and National Working Groups (NWGs) draft national inputs and run field exercises. Competent national authorities are engaged through official channels.

  5. 05

    Contribute at the issuing body

    Contributions to an external standard are made through the issuing body's own channels; outcomes are reflected here as register changes. Movement and contribution

12Readiness

Evidence, recognition and capital pathways

What each institution of the ecosystem draws from these areas: GCRI Canada, as Secretariat, for evidence; The Global Risks Forum (GRF) for recognition; and The Global Risks Alliance (GRA) for capital.

Evidence pathway

GCRI Canada

Constitution and principles · GCRI Canada decides under its own evidence rules whether a record built to NS-0 is admissible as evidence; adherence to the principles is an input to that decision, not an approval.

The UNI and the artifact catalog · GCRI Canada decides under its own rules which identified records it accepts as evidence; a resolvable UNI makes a record traceable but is not an acceptance.

How a standard is made · GCRI Canada decides under its own rules whether a standard at a given stage may be cited in its evidence work; a stage is a process fact, not an approval.

7 further areas set out what this pathway draws on; each area brief gives its own statement.

Read the evidence pathway

Recognition pathway

The Global Risks Forum (GRF)

Constitution and principles · The Global Risks Forum (GRF) decides recognition under its own programme rules; citing NS-0 makes a contribution's openness and accuracy commitments legible to that process and implies no recognition.

The UNI and the artifact catalog · The Global Risks Forum (GRF) may use UNIs to reference contributions in its own processes and decides recognition independently of whether a record carries one.

How a standard is made · The Global Risks Forum (GRF) decides under its own rules whether to convene dialogue on a draft; reaching the Proposed or Adopted stage implies no recognition by it.

7 further areas set out what this pathway draws on; each area brief gives its own statement.

Read the recognition pathway

Capital pathway

The Global Risks Alliance (GRA)

Constitution and principles · The Global Risks Alliance (GRA) decides capital readiness under its own criteria; NS-0 only makes the evidential basis of an artifact readable by its reviewers.

The UNI and the artifact catalog · The Global Risks Alliance (GRA) decides capital readiness under its own criteria; UNIs only let its reviewers trace an evidence chain to source records.

How a standard is made · The Global Risks Alliance (GRA) determines whether an adopted standard is relevant to its capital readiness criteria; the standards track confers no status on its members.

7 further areas set out what this pathway draws on; each area brief gives its own statement.

Read the capital pathway

Each institution determines under its own rules what it accepts as evidence; a pathway reading is neither an approval nor investment advice.

13Data sources

Data sources

22 data sources named by the areas, each with provider, licence, delivery path and register status.

Data sources

Data sources are listed for reference; live data is displayed once licence review is complete.

Live
0
on completion of licence review
Listed in the data register
0
licence terms recorded
Proposed for the register
22
licence terms to be recorded
Delivery
1 governed service · 1 plugin · 5 browser · 14 snapshot · 1 listed for reference
proposed paths in order of preference: governed data service, plugin, direct browser read, build-time snapshot; sources whose terms do not permit reuse are listed for reference only
14Indicators

Indicators

14 indicators named by the areas, each with its framework and code.

RDA FAIR Data Maturity ModelRDA-A1-04MMetadata is accessed through standardised protocolRDA FAIR Data Maturity ModelRDA-F1-01MMetadata is identified by a persistent identifierRDA FAIR Data Maturity ModelRDA-I2-01MMetadata uses FAIR-compliant vocabulariesRDA FAIR Data Maturity ModelRDA-R1.1-01MMetadata includes information about the licence under which the data can be reusedRDA FAIR Data Maturity ModelRDA-R1.1-02MMetadata refers to a standard reuse licenceRDA FAIR Data Maturity ModelRDA-R1.3-01MMetadata complies with a community standardSDG17.6.1Fixed Internet broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants (participation context)SDG global indicator framework4.4.1Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skillSDG global indicator framework16.7.2Proportion of population who believe decision-making is inclusive and responsiveSDG global indicator framework16.8.1Proportion of members and voting rights of developing countries in international organizationsSDG global indicator framework16.10.2Number of countries that adopt and implement constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to informationSDG global indicator framework17.16.1Number of countries reporting progress in multi-stakeholder development effectiveness monitoring frameworksSLSA v1.0 levelsBuild L2Hosted build platform with signed provenanceW3C Process DocumentImplementation experienceAdequate implementation experience, normally two independent implementations of each feature, before Recommendation

Indicator names and codes are given as published by their stewards.

15Sources

Sources

28 references from peer-reviewed and official publications cited in the area profiles, most recent first within each type.

  1. peer-reviewedThe CARE Principles for Indigenous Data GovernanceData Science Journal · 2020
  2. peer-reviewedThe FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardshipScientific Data · 2016
  3. peer-reviewedA Quick Guide to Software Licensing for the Scientist-ProgrammerPLOS Computational Biology · 2012
  4. peer-reviewedStandard setting committees: consensus governance for shared technology platformsAmerican Economic Review · 2012
  5. peer-reviewedThe New Global Rulers: The Privatization of Regulation in the World EconomyPrinceton University Press · 2011
  6. peer-reviewedThe Emergence of Governance in an Open Source CommunityAcademy of Management Journal · 2007
  7. peer-reviewedMotivation, Governance, and the Viability of Hybrid Forms in Open Source Software DevelopmentManagement Science · 2006
  8. peer-reviewedCoase's Penguin, or, Linux and The Nature of the FirmYale Law Journal · 2002
  9. peer-reviewedCompatibility, Standardization, and Network Effects: Some Policy ImplicationsOxford Review of Economic Policy · 2002
  10. peer-reviewedThe economics of compatibility standards: an introduction to recent researchEconomics of Innovation and New Technology · 1990
  11. officialW3C Patent PolicyW3C · 2025
  12. officialW3C Process DocumentW3C · 2025
  13. officialNIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0NIST · 2024
  14. officialOGC Technical Committee Policies and ProceduresOpen Geospatial Consortium · 2023
  15. officialFAIR Data Maturity Model: specification and guidelinesResearch Data Alliance · 2020
  16. officialMaking the rules: the governance of standard development organisations and their policies on intellectual property rightsEuropean Commission Joint Research Centre · 2019
12 more references
  1. officialThe Open Source DefinitionOpen Source Initiative · 2007
  2. standardSLSA specification v1.1OpenSSF · 2025
  3. standardDataCite Metadata Schema 4.5DataCite · 2024
  4. standardCRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy), ANSI/NISO Z39.104-2022NISO · 2022
  5. standardRFC 8141: Uniform Resource Names (URNs)IETF / RFC Editor · 2017
  6. standardOpen Definition 2.1Open Knowledge Foundation · 2015
  7. standardRFC 7282: On Consensus and Humming in the IETFIETF / RFC Editor · 2014
  8. standardRFC 6852: Affirmation of the Modern Paradigm for StandardsIETF / RFC Editor · 2013
  9. standardRFC 5378: Rights Contributors Provide to the IETF Trust (BCP 78)IETF / RFC Editor · 2008
  10. standardQA Framework: Specification GuidelinesW3C · 2005
  11. standardRFC 4052: IAB Processes for Management of IETF Liaison RelationshipsIETF / RFC Editor · 2005
  12. standardRFC 2026: The Internet Standards Process, Revision 3IETF / RFC Editor · 1996
16Across the network

Programmes, tracks and courses for this programme

GCRI Canada, The Global Risks Forum (GRF), The Global Risks Alliance (GRA) and Risk Academy work on the subject of this programme 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.

Research and evidence

GCRI Canada

Research programmes that produce the observations, models and assessments these records describe.

Nexus RegistryKeeps public records of programmes, evidence, publication status and corrections, the practice that the identifier and change-record commitments formalise.Apply to this programme Nexus ReportsPublishes versioned, sourced and reviewed reports with an editorial and correction policy, a working model of open, recorded publication.Apply to this programme therisk.globalAll programmes of GCRI Canada

Governance, policy and convening

The Global Risks Forum (GRF)

Tracks that convene public authorities, researchers and institutions on the governance of shared risks.

Governance NexusCompares authority, oversight and anti-capture arrangements in institutions, the questions that the standards process answers for its own decisions.Join this track Research NexusConvenes research on research integrity and the science-policy interface, the basis of evidence over assertion.Join this track globalriskforum.comAll tracks of The Global Risks Forum

Capital, finance and markets

The Global Risks Alliance (GRA)

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

Financial Regulation NexusCompares regulatory and supervisory frameworks, the context in which supervised institutions read voluntary standards.Join this programme globalriskalliance.comAll programmes of The Global Risks Alliance

Education and training

Risk Academy

Courses and disciplines that teach the knowledge and methods practitioners need to apply these standards.

Science Policy 101RAF-103 · Introductory · 19.5 learning hoursBringing evidence on risk to decision makers honestly, clearly and usefullyTake this course Policy and GovernanceRAN-307 · Intermediate · 21.5 learning hoursHow institutions, laws and people decide about risk, and how to tell whether policy worksTake this course Clausecraft and LicensingRAT-202 · Intermediate · 20 learning hoursLicences, attribution, data-sharing agreements and risk-transfer clauses for risk tools, at a methods levelTake this course All courses and disciplinesListed in the education and training section of this page
17Education and training

Risk Academy courses and disciplines

4 courses and 6 disciplines of Risk Academy (risksacademy.com) that teach the knowledge and methods of this programme. Each course lists its level, stream and learning hours.

Courses

Course RAF-103 · Governance and policyScience Policy 101Bringing evidence on risk to decision makers honestly, clearly and usefullyIntroductory · Foundation stream · 19.5 learning hoursTake this course · risksacademy.comCourse RAN-307 · Governance and policyPolicy and GovernanceHow institutions, laws and people decide about risk, and how to tell whether policy worksIntermediate · Nexus stream · 21.5 learning hoursTake this course · risksacademy.comCourse RAT-202 · Governance and policyClausecraft and LicensingLicences, attribution, data-sharing agreements and risk-transfer clauses for risk tools, at a methods levelIntermediate · Technical stream · 20 learning hoursTake this course · risksacademy.comCourse RAT-204 · Technology and digitalTechnology and DataManaging risk data, AI, digital infrastructure and technology risk responsiblyIntermediate · Technical stream · 19 learning hoursTake this course · risksacademy.com

Disciplines

Discipline · Risk scienceRisk information standards and interoperabilityGovernance and Policy faculty: due process, openness and legitimacy in standard-settingrisksacademy.comDiscipline · Governance and policyRisk governance and institutionsGovernance and Policy faculty: multi-stakeholder governance and liaisonrisksacademy.comDiscipline · Governance and policyResearch, evidence and the science-policy interfacerisksacademy.comDiscipline · Governance and policyContracts, intellectual property and licensingGovernance and Policy faculty: intellectual property in open standardsrisksacademy.comDiscipline · Risk scienceUncertainty and decision makingRisk Science faculty: evidence, claims and uncertainty in risk analysisrisksacademy.comDiscipline · Systems and nexusSystemic, compound and cascading riskSystems and Nexus faculty: reading coupled risks as one evidence chainrisksacademy.com

The correspondence between courses, disciplines and the Nexus Standards is maintained with Risk Academy and is subject to its academic review.

18Questions

Questions and answers.

What is the status of Foundations and Governance?
The programme is in preparation. Its areas and couplings are published so that they can be read and commented on; programme pages are added as they are prepared.
What is the basis of the area briefs?
Each area brief draws on an area profile prepared as a briefing to a working group and sourced to official and peer-reviewed references. The Nexus Standards registry remains the authoritative record.
How are data sources presented?
Each data source is listed with its provider, licence, delivery path and register status, and links to the provider's own publication.
NRNexus Reports gateway · GW-STD

Contribute to Nexus Reports from this page.

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

Never send personal data, sensitive infrastructure detail or anything you have no right to share. A contribution is reviewed before use; sending it confers no authorship or editorial rights, and sponsorship never buys a finding.

Across the Consortium

The same subject across the Consortium.

Nexus Standards

Contribute to Foundations and Governance

Institutions and experts are invited to charter a working group, amend an area brief or propose a data source. National participation is organised through each country's National Nexus Consortium (NNC) and its National Working Groups (NWGs); competent national authorities are engaged through official channels.

Propose a change All twenty programmes

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.

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