Accreditation:
Supporting the Implementation of theSustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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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 ofleaving no one behind.

The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a blueprint for a better world. Thisambitious plan to enhance prosperity, eradicate poverty and protect the planet is recognized globally as
essential for a sustainable world. It requires consensus, collaboration and innovation from all parts of society,including local and national governments, business, industry and individuals.
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, tradecompetitiveness in global markets, efficient use of natural and human resources, food safety, health andenvironmental protection.
The positive impact of accreditation is therefore clearly aligned with the pillars of People, Prosperity andPlanet, 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.

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MEETING THE
NEEDS OF PEOPLE
This group of SDGs is centered on improving wellbeing. Thesegoals focus on addressing hunger, reducing inequalities, andproviding access to good health. Accreditation supports theneeds of people as it verifies that products are safe, and quality
expectations are met. Accredited measurement ensures that
consumers are protected, while health and social care systems
are delivered by competent professionals.

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Accreditation
createscompetitivedomestic
markets, and facilitates
trade for both importers andexporters through the removal oftechnical barriers.
Conformity assessment ensures foodis fit and safe for consumption and helps
achieve sustainable agriculture and food production.
This in turn, contributes to eradicating hunger and securing
adequate nutrition and clean water for all people, allowing people to live
healthy lives and improve their social and economic well-being. As the ILAC
and IAF mutual recognition arrangements facilitate trade, they contribute toeconomic development.
By using gender-sensitive standards and favoring technicalcomptence, conformity assessment has a positive impact on genderequality and on the economic empowerment of women.
Lastly, using accredited conformity assessment helps
prevent unsafe, unhealthy or environmentally
harmful products from entering themarketplace.

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Case Study: CNAS medical laboratory accreditation supports good health and wellbeing
Medical laboratories play an important role in the evaluation of human health status
and the correct diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of diseases. The quality and 		technical level of medical laboratories are directly related to the health and well-beingof the public.
China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS) issued
its first medical laboratory accreditation certificate in August 2005. By the end ofDecember 2020, CNAS had accredited 453 medical laboratories. Accreditation
has been recognized by medical laboratories in China as an important
tool to improve quality and technical ability. In December 2007, CNAS
became a signatory to the mutual recognition agreements of the AsiaPacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC) and the ILAC on medicallaboratory accreditation. CNAS Accreditation will continue tomake greater contributions to the construction of a healthy
China.

Case Study: GhaNAS, NiNAS andSOAC accreditation supports publichealth systems in West Africa
Accreditation supports public health in West Africa,
especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. TheCommunity of West African States (ECOWAS) has a regional
standardization mechanism called the ECOWAS Standardsand Harmonization Model (ECOSHAM). The latter allowed theadoption of two regional standards, for the benefit of all memberstates, relating to hand sanitizers and barrier masks for use by thegeneral public. The ECOWAS accreditation mechanism is based on
the Ghanaian accreditation body (GhaNAS), the Nigerian accreditationbody (NiNAS) and the West African Accreditation System (SOAC) which
covers eight member states. The three bodies are taking over in orderto accredit the product certification services of the member states forcertification schemes based on the two validated standards.

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BUILDING
PROSPERITYThis theme of the SDGs relates to industry, innovation andinfrastructure, decent work and economic growth.
PROSPERITY

Accreditation creates competitive domestic markets, as well as
facilitating trade for both importers and exporters through theremoval of technical barriers.
Economic development, a key driver of building prosperity, islinked 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.

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7SDG7 Accredited conformity assessment services underpin effective policies and programmes by whichcountries can implement the energy transition required to achieve SDG 7. Exceptional efforts need to be
pursued to address these challenges and to achieve SDG 7. Solving the energy conundrum is probably
humanity’s hardest challenge, along with climate change, where accreditation is making a difference.
SDG 8 calls for structural transformation and economic growth by increasing the capacity of local industries
for value addition, economic diversification, and export promotion, as well as for the creation of decent jobs inindustry and industry-related services.
The ILAC and IAF mutual recognition arrangements aim to facilitate international trade, which is an essential
component of a country’s path to prosperity.
Accredited conformity assessment services in this regard cover a multitude of services, including product life
cycle assessments based on objective and internationally recognized criteria, inspection and certification of
the design and operation of environmentally benign technologies and services, and the audit of health andsafety management systems.

Prosperity in the context of the SDGs seeks to ensure that all human beings can enjoy
prosperous and fulfilling lives, and that economic, social and technological progressoccurs in harmony with nature.
Scaling Up Nutrition (2015)
Case Study: Italian Study identifies the benefits of accredited H&S
management systems
A study carried out by Accredia, the Italian Accreditation Body, INAIL, a public
insurer, and AICQ, the Italian Quality Institute, has identified that companies
with accredited certification of their health and safety management system
experience reduced severity and frequency of workplace accidents.
In order to increase adoption of accredited certification, the insurer is able toprovide lower premiums due to the lower risk. This scheme protects the healthand wellbeing of the worker.

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SDG 9 promotes socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable economic development by enhancing
infrastructure, industry and innovation. Conformity assessment services continually endorse newtechnologies and support economic and industrial growth, build trade capacities in industries, and ensure that
all countries can benefit from international trade and technological progress.
SDG 10 calls for more opportunities for all women and men, as well as across social groups, by building
resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation.
SDG 11 calls for effective development of cities and metropolitan areas that are considered as powerhousesof economic growth. Accredited conformity assessment services support levelling up living standards andreducing global carbon emissions, inadequate and overburdened infrastructure and services related to rapidurbanization.

Case Study: Accredited certification
used in Spanish Tax incentives law for
Research, Development and Innovation inscience.
The Spanish corporate tax law offers applicants thepossibility of providing the Tax Administration withreasoned reports about the fulfillment of R&D&i activities
in order to obtain tax deductions. These reports need
to be supported by a technical qualification report issued
by a certification body accredited by Entidad Nacionalde Accreditacion (ENAC), in order to provide substantial
guarantees of credibility.
Case Study : Accreditation used by New Zealand government to assess Building Consent Authorities
The Department of Building and Housing published standards and criteria for accrediting Building ConsentAuthorities under the Building (Accreditation of Building Consent Authorities) Regulations 2006. InternationalAccreditation New Zealand (IANZ) undertakes the assessments of Building Consent Authorities against thesestandards and criteria for registration by the Department of Building and Housing.
The aim is to ensure that buildings are built and maintained so they can be used safely. It requires thatbuildings are designed, constructed and able to be used in ways that promote sustainable development, andthat the people protect those that live and work in them.

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PLANET

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9PROTECTING
THE PLANETThis pillar of the SDGs addresses the protection of thenatural world. Trade and consumerism have an impact on theenvironment, through the use of limited natural resources,pollution, and waste. This is impacting the climate, thesustainability of scarce natural resources, and pollution of air,land and oceans.
Accreditation underpins environmental performance byreducing contamination & greenhouse gases and controlling
waste & pollution.

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The impact of human activity on the planet has reached dangerous levels, threatening the sustainabilityand management of natural resources and the protection of the biosphere. The UN SDGs aim to adopt anintegrated approach to economic development, in which environmental sustainability is a key priority.
Under the umbrella of the ILAC and IAF Mutual Recognition Arrangements, accreditation and accredited
conformity assessment services provide an essential contribution to the implementation of policies andactions aiming to protect the planet.

While substantial progress has been made in increasing access to clean drinking
water and sanitation, billions of people—mostly in rural areas—still lack thesebasic services. Accredited water testing, water management systems certificationand other conformity assessment services give national and local regulatory
authorities, public or private operators of water and wastewater services,industries, households and other stakeholders the technical means for effectively
managing water resources. This helps to improve water quality by reducing
pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals andmaterials.
Case study: The India government mandates the use of accredited
laboratories to ensure the availability of clean drinking water in rural areas
In most of the development blocks in India, drinking water is affected by various
harmful elements. In fact, a large number of rural areas are affected by heavy
metals in water such as arsenic, fluoride and iron. Polluted water isn’t just dirty—
it’s deadly.
To ensure safe drinking water for all citizens, the Ministry of Jal Shakti has notified all its testing laboratories atthe district level to obtain accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABL)
to ensure technical competence and compliance to the international standard ISO/IEC 17025:2017.

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Worldwide consumption and production — a driving force of the global economy — rests on the use of thenatural environment and resources in a way that continues to have destructive impacts on the planet. In
accordance with agreed international frameworks, quality infrastructure, and especially accreditation,
helps achieve environmentally sound chemical and waste management. Thissignificantly reduces their release into the air, water and soil, minimizing theiradverse impacts on human health and the environment.
Case study: Accreditation supporting the safe recycling of ships in Europe
The EU Ship Recycling Regulation states that Independent Verifiers shouldbe accredited as Inspection Bodies to ISO/IEC 17020. The objective of theRegulation is to reduce the negative impacts linked to the recycling of ships flying
the flag of Member States of the Union. The use of competent organisations tocarry out the verification provides confidence to the regulator that the work is
being carried out effectively.
We live in a time where there is continuous deterioration of coastal waters
owing to pollution, and ocean acidification is having an adverse effect on the functioning of ecosystems
and biodiversity. This is also negatively impacting small scale fisheries. Accredited testing, inspection andcertification has formed an essential part in the numerous voluntary fisheries and aquaculture standards
published over the last 20 years along with schemes, and international agreements reached.

Climate change mitigation and adaptation depend on the transformation of economic activities tobecome “climate friendly”, or “carbon neutral”. Using accredited tests, measurements and verificationand validation services strengthens the global response to the threat of climate change by playing acentral role in energy efficiency programmes, energy generation from renewable sources and public
policies such as carbon pricing, financing for low carbon development projects, and by incentivizing
the promotion of low-carbon solutions and carbon emission reduction schemes like ICAO CORSIA.

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Accreditation:Supporting the Implementation of the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

publicsectorassurance.org

THE ILAC SECRETARIAT

THE IAF SECRETARIAT
Phone: +1 (613) 454 8159
Email: iaf@iaf.nu
Website: www.iaf.nu

Phone: +612 9736 8374
Email: ilac@nata.com.au
Website: www.ilac.org
business-benefits.org@IAF_Global@ILAC_Official

www.ILAC.org

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international-accreditation-forum-inc

IAFandILAC

www.IAF.nu

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