The African Green Economy & Sustainability Institute (AGESI) has congratulated the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Social Value International (SVI) on the global launch of ISO/UNDP 53001—Management Systems for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This landmark standard represents a transformative step toward embedding sustainable development into organisational governance, decision-making, and performance systems worldwide, according to a statement by the institute.
Speaking on behalf of AGESI, Dr Eugene Itua, Executive Director, SDG Impact Standards Accredited Practitioner, and Accredited Trainer on Natural Capital for Business Decision-Making, described the launch as “a defining moment for global sustainability practice, and a major breakthrough for institutions seeking credible, structured, and measurable pathways for SDG alignment”.
Itua is also an accredited trainer on the UNDP SDG Impact Standards, working through and global partners to support organisations in integrating ecosystem service valuation, natural capital thinking, and impact-aligned decision frameworks into engineering design, investment appraisal, and operational management.
His dual accreditation positions him uniquely at the intersection of SDG governance, impact assurance, and nature-positive infrastructure planning, reinforcing AGESI’s commitment to advancing world-class sustainability practice across Africa.
A new era for SDG-aligned governance
ISO/UNDP 53001 is the first international management system standard dedicated to the SDGs. It provides organisations with a structured, auditable framework for integrating sustainable development into strategy, governance, operations, and performance measurement. AGESI recognises this as a critical advancement for governments, development finance institutions, private sector actors, and civil society organisations across Africa.
AGESI commends SVI’s leadership
AGESI extends special commendation to Social Value International (SVI) for its technical contributions to developing ISO/UNDP 53001. As a Category A liaison organisation to ISO, SVI ensured that the standard reflects global best practice in stakeholder engagement, impact measurement, and social value principles.
AGESI notes with appreciation that the Principles of Social Value, particularly Involve Stakeholders, are embedded within the new standard—reinforcing the importance of inclusive, equitable, and accountable decision-making.
“SVI’s leadership has been instrumental in shaping a standard that places people, communities, and real-world outcomes at the centre of sustainability governance. AGESI applauds this contribution and looks forward to deepening collaboration across Africa,” said Itua.
Strengthening Africa’s SDG implementation architecture
AGESI views ISO/UNDP 53001 as a powerful enabler for African institutions seeking to strengthen SDG governance, ESG and impact assurance, climate-aligned infrastructure development, stakeholder engagement, transparency and accountability, and investment readiness for sustainability-linked finance.
AGESI is committed to supporting governments, DFIs, and private sector organisations across Africa in adopting and operationalising the new standard.
AGESI’s contribution: FIPRE™ and FIPREG™
AGESI also announces that its proprietary frameworks—FIPRE™ (Function, Impact, Prosperity, Resilience, Equity) and FIPREG™ (Governance Architecture)—will be positioned as technical and governance implementation systems that help organisations meet ISO/UNDP 53001 requirements, particularly in the infrastructure and public investment sectors.
These frameworks provide integrated SDG assessment tools, governance structures aligned with ISO requirements, monitoring and reporting systems, decision filters and lifecycle management tools. AGESI will release a full implementation guide and practitioner training pathway in the coming weeks.
Invitation to the global CPD session
AGESI encourages African practitioners, policymakers, and institutions to attend the upcoming SDG Impact Standards CPD Session hosted by SVI and UNDP on October 15, featuring Ben Carpenter, CEO of Social Value International. This session will provide an accessible introduction to ISO/UNDP 53001 and explore its implications for organisations worldwide.
AGESI is a continental knowledge and governance institution dedicated to advancing sustainable development, natural capital stewardship, ESG integration, and climate-aligned policy systems across Africa. AGESI works with governments, DFIs, private sector partners, and civil society to strengthen institutional capacity and accelerate Africa’s transition to a resilient, inclusive, and nature-positive future.
