The Unicode Standard is a universal character encoding system that allows computers to represent and manipulate text from various writing systems. It assigns a unique number, called a code point, to each character, symbol, or emoji, ensuring consistent representation across different platforms and devices. By supporting a wide range of languages and scripts, the Unicode Standard facilitates global communication and data exchange. It includes characters from languages like English, Chinese, Arabic, and many others, making it essential for software development, web design, and digital content creation.