The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) officially launched ISO/UNDP 53001:2026 – Management systems for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – Requirements on 28 September 2026 during the ISO Annual Meeting in Paris.
The standard is the first International Standard providing a management system for organisations to manage their contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ISO/UNDP 53001 provides a structured framework to help organisations integrate the SDGs into their strategy, governance, operations and decision-making.
From Commitment to Action
Many organisations have already demonstrated their commitment to the SDGs through various targets, policies, programmes and reporting practices. The challenge is how to translate these commitments into practices that are embedded in the way organisations operate and make decisions.
ISO/UNDP 53001 is designed to help organisations:
- identify and assess relevant impacts;
- engage interested parties;
- establish meaningful SDG objectives;
- integrate these objectives into organisational processes;
- collect data and evaluate progress; and
- support continual improvement.
Through this approach, contributions to the SDGs are not treated simply as commitments or additional initiatives, but are integrated into an organisation's management systems and decision-making processes.
What Does This Mean for Social Value?
The launch of ISO/UNDP 53001 is also relevant to the Social Value community.
Social Value International (SVI) is a Category A liaison organisation to ISO and has provided technical contributions to the development of ISO/UNDP 53001. The development of the standard also builds on SVI's partnership with UNDP on the SDG Impact Standards since 2020.
Importantly, the Principles of Social Value are referenced in ISO/UNDP 53001.
One of these is:
Principle 1 — Involve Stakeholders
This principle emphasises the importance of involving people and organisations affected by an activity in understanding change, identifying what matters, and informing decision-making.
This approach is closely connected to ISO/UNDP 53001, which places emphasis on engaging interested parties and understanding the impacts associated with an organisation's activities.
This development is therefore relevant to those working across Social Value, impact measurement, sustainability, the SDGs, and impact-informed decision-making.
What Does It Mean for Organisations?
ISO/UNDP 53001 is intended for a wide range of organisations, including businesses, governments, educational institutions, civil society organisations and others. Its approach enables organisations to determine which SDGs are relevant to their purpose, context and stakeholders.
For organisations already applying the Principles of Social Value or the SDG Impact Standards, SVI explains that ISO/UNDP 53001 can provide a requirements-based pathway to build on and further develop existing practices.
For organisations that are new to sustainability management, the standard provides a structured framework to begin identifying priorities, integrating them into decision-making, and demonstrating progress over time.
Learn More About ISO/UNDP 53001
Want to understand more about what the new standard means for your organisation?
Social Value International will be hosting an introductory session:
From SDG Ambition to Action: Introducing ISO/UNDP 53001
📅 Thursday, 15 October 2026
🕐 11.00–12.00 BST / 17.00–18.00 WIB
or
🕐 17.00–18.00 BST / 23.00–00.00 WIB
Two sessions with the same content. Choose the session that best suits your time zone.
🔗 Registration:
References
For more information about ISO/UNDP 53001, visit: