Belém, Brazil, 14 November 2025 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) brought together representatives from governments, standards bodies, the private sector and development partners during COP30 to accelerate efforts to build “impact economies,” where financial and organizational decisions drive meaningful progress on sustainable development.

The session opened with remarks from Marcos Neto, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, and Sergio Mujica, Secretary-General of ISO. They emphasized that delivering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement requires stronger institutional systems that can steer investment toward long-term national priorities. The discussion was moderated by Andrew Andrea, Senior Adviser for Strategic Partnerships at ISO.

“The path to 2030 depends not only on where we invest, but on how we organize, how we align and how we deliver,” said Neto, during his remarks. “Institutional architecture matters. It shows what it means to manage for impact—not just report on it.”

The event highlighted the ImpactWorks Alliance, co-led by UNDP and ISO, included as an initiative under the Sevilla Platform for Action which launched at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4). The Alliance is being designed to bring together governments, companies and standards organizations to help shape practical approaches for embedding the SDGs into everyday decision-making.

The session also featured a briefing on the forthcoming ISO/UNDP 53001 Management System Standard, expected in mid-2026. The standard will provide organizations with a structured approach to integrating the SDGs into governance, strategy, operations and reporting. It is being developed to complement existing sustainability frameworks widely used by governments and businesses and to support delivery of the Baku to Belém Roadmap.

Speakers noted that the ImpactWorks Alliance will serve as a space for piloting, learning and collaboration as the standard advances, and highlighted how the initiative complements UNDP’s broader work to help countries align public and private capital with climate, nature and development objectives. This includes support through Integrated National Financing Frameworks (INFFs), SDG budgeting, SDG Investor Maps and voluntary sustainability standards that help governments link investment decisions with long-term development priorities.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to deepen cooperation in the year ahead. UNDP and ISO will continue working with partners to prepare for the global release of ISO/UNDP 53001 in 2026 and to support countries and organizations as they strengthen the systems needed for sustainable, inclusive and resilient development.