The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by world leaders at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on 25 September 2015, is a broad and ambitious plan of action. At its core are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets with the overarching objective of leaving no one behind.

Check the World Accreditation Day 2021 brochure here: https://ilac.org/?ddownload=123742 The 2030 Agenda, articulated across 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which bring together economic, social and environmental dimensions, includes the three key pillars: people, prosperity and planet.

Accreditation, in collaboration with other quality infrastructure institutions including metrology, standardization, conformity assessment and market surveillance, provides the technical foundations that are critical to the functioning of developed and developing societies. It is an enabler for industrial development, trade competitiveness in global markets, efficient use of natural and human resources, food safety, health and environmental protection.

The positive impact of accreditation is therefore clearly aligned with the pillars of People, Prosperity and Planet, and provides policymakers, businesses and other stakeholders with the solutions to implement, measure and monitor many of the objectives and targets contained in the SDGs, and the support to achieve them.

Building prosperity (SDGs 7,8,9,10 and 11) – This pillar of the SDGs relates to industry, innovation and infrastructure, decent work and economic growth.

Accreditation creates competitive domestic markets, as well as facilitating trade for both importers and exporters through the removal of technical barriers. Economic development, a key driver of building prosperity, is linked to domestic and cross-border trade. The need to meet regulatory requirements, national standards, trading partner requirements and consumer needs can be demonstrated through reliable accredited conformity assessment.