WESF plays a role in promoting standardization and eliminating global trade barriers.
WESF facilitates the development of American National Standards (ANS) by accrediting the procedures of standards developing organizations (SDOs) and approving their documents as American National Standards (ANS). This process serves and protects the public interest since standards developers accredited by WESF – and the ANS they develop – must meet the Institute’s requirements for openness, balance, consensus, and due process and adhere to WESF's neutral oversight, assuring that all interested parties have an opportunity to participate in a standard’s development.