To the Civil Affairs Departments (Bureaus) of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government; to the Civil Affairs Bureaus of all cities separately listed in the national plan; to the Civil Affairs Bureau of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps; to all departments (bureaus) and directly affiliated units; and to all specialized technical committees for civil affairs standardization:

In order to implement the “Opinions of the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the State Administration for Market Regulation on Comprehensively Advancing Standardization in the New Era of Civil Affairs” and to accelerate the development of national and industry standards in the civil affairs sector, the following matters regarding the submission of proposals for the initiation of 2023 national and industry standards in the civil affairs field are hereby notified:

I. Eligibility Requirements

Those who meet any of the following conditions may apply for the approval of a civil affairs standard project for 2023:

(1) Those falling within the purview of civil affairs functions, for which draft standards have already been developed but have not yet been included in the national or industry standard project initiation process;

(2) Proposing to recommend the conversion of locally implemented standards and group standards into national standards or industry standards;

(3) Standards that are outdated and proposed for revision or repeal.

Proposed projects shall not duplicate or overlap with national standards or industry standards that have already been published or approved. For tasks that are repetitive or redundant, prioritize those involving the revision of standards with longer validity periods.

II. Application Materials

To apply for the approval of a standard project, the following materials (including electronic versions) shall be submitted in triplicate:

(1) The draft standard (or the revised draft standard) and its explanatory notes;

(2) Proposal for the Establishment of a Standard (shall bear the official seal of the relevant department or bureau of the Ministry of Civil Affairs; see Annex 2);

(3) For applications to initiate the development of a national standard, please submit the required application materials, including the standard system table and preliminary research documents, in accordance with the Guidelines for Initiating National Standards.

(4) Where local standards or group standards are proposed for conversion into national or industry standards, a separate statement on the implementation of the local or group standards, together with the opinion of the local administrative authority for standardization or the relevant group, shall be attached.

III. Application Procedures

In 2023, the approval of civil affairs standards will be conducted through open solicitation, voluntary submission, departmental review, and centralized evaluation.

(1) The civil affairs departments (bureaus) of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government, as well as the civil affairs bureaus of cities separately listed in the national plan and the Civil Affairs Bureau of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, are responsible for organizing the solicitation, selection, and submission of projects within their respective jurisdictions. Submitting entities shall, in accordance with the requirements set forth in the “2023 Guidelines for the Initiation of Civil Affairs Standards” (hereinafter referred to as the “Guidelines”; see Annex 1), identify the key tasks and priority projects aligned with the relevant framework of the civil affairs standards system, conduct research and investigations to support standard‑initiation proposals, and formulate scientifically sound initiation requests. Prior to formal submission, they must consult with the relevant divisions and bureaus of the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the ministry‑affiliated standardization technical committees (hereinafter referred to as the “Standardization Committees”) as specified in the Guidelines, and submit their proposals to the designated divisions, bureaus, and committees no later than March 6.

(2) The relevant departments and bureaus of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, as well as the respective technical committees, serve as the business guidance bodies for the initiation of civil‑affairs standards. For project proposals under the purview of a technical committee, that committee, in conjunction with the standards framework and the “Guidelines,” shall conduct the preliminary review of the project’s feasibility and legality; the responsible department or bureau, taking into account operational needs, the preliminary review findings, and the “Guidelines,” shall then review the project and solicit input from relevant departments and bureaus. For project proposals not falling under the jurisdiction of any technical committee, the responsible department or bureau shall undertake the review.

(3) By March 27, all relevant departments and bureaus of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, together with the standardization committees, shall submit their project initiation application materials in a unified manner to the Department of Policies and Regulations of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The Department of Policies and Regulations will organize a review of standard‑initiation proposals; those national standards that pass the review will, following the prescribed procedures, be submitted—under the name of the Ministry of Civil Affairs—to the National Standardization Administration for approval of project initiation. Similarly, industry standards that pass the review will, after undergoing the required approval process, be included in the Ministry of Civil Affairs’ annual plan for the development and revision of standards.

The standardization committees of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, along with relevant departments, bureaus, and directly affiliated units, shall, based on the implementation status of existing standards and in conjunction with the standard‑development application process, submit proposals for revising or abolishing current national and industry standards in the civil affairs sector, while clearly defining specific tasks and timelines.

Attachment: 1. 2023 Guidelines for the Approval of Civil Affairs Standards Projects

　　　2. Proposal for the Initiation of a Civil Affairs Standard Project

General Office of the Ministry of Civil Affairs

January 29, 2023