IQNET Association Focus and Contribution to UN SDGs

IQNET can play a significant role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by promoting sustainability, responsible business practices, and environmental stewardship among its Members and the organizations they certify. This, in turn, contributes to a more sustainable and equitable global future. 

From IQNET activities, projects and services, support by its purpose, strategic directions, annual business plans and portfolio, a contribution to the following Goals can be identified:

Within the IQNET Association network, through the knowledge hub, IQNET training and awareness sessions (such as webinars and workshops) are available for more than 55’000 people from all levels of the Members’ organization, supporting new skills and competence but also continuing professional development actions. 

Included in the Association portfolio, IQNet Academy, the Association promotes a worldwide high-quality standard for training courses content, realization and evaluation. IQNet Academy courses are delivered by the Members in more than 20 countries, and in different languages, thus breaking down access barriers.

Through promoting its purpose, including the integrity and credibility of conformity assessment services, IQNET contributes to facilitating trade and enabling consumer trust, laying down of non-financial barriers and allowing organization to access markets that would otherwise be close.   Industry and manufacturing are the main drivers of sustained economic growth and sustainable development, conformity assessment enables consumers, suppliers, purchasers, and regulators to have confidence that products placed on the market are safe and meet the manufacturer’s claim. 

Within the network, employee care is subjected to appropriate planning, and included in IQNET Peer-Assessment Advanced Level Evaluation, aiming to pursue adequate work conditions and career (both for own as for subcontracted team members). 

Included in the Association portfolio, SR10 Management system scheme promotes the identification of the needs and expectations of the employees from certified entities regarding their work conditions. 

Through promoting its purpose, including investing in mutual-beneficial external liaison with relevant stakeholders from the global (and local) quality infrastructure and from the conformity assessment industry, IQNET aims to contribute to the consolidation, integrity and sustainability of the industry, for the benefit of people, organizations and planet. 

Within the network, focus on industry and market needs is backed up by permanent governance committees, which include the participation of stakeholders’ representatives and aim to evaluate and progress on conformity assessment industry. On the other hand, Members shall abstain from discussing service price-fixing, market sharing, division or limitation, under any concept (e.g. geographical, service portfolio, sphere of influence)*; Dispositions to limit, restrict or prevent access to conformity assessment market by competitors; Agreements, recommendations or suggestions that Members refuse to deal with certain other persons or organizations (boycott/sanction), except when complying with local, regional or international law and/or other applicable regulations (e.g. from accreditation). 

Included in the Association portfolio, cooperation with IT providers to develop innovative solutions to support Members’ organization and services is noted, as well as continuously addressing new challenges and opportunities for development of innovative products, schemes and standards.

Through promoting its purpose, notably its organizational Object, IQNET Association shall develop its activities with a view to contributing to economic development, anti-corruption, international understanding, peace, prosperity, and universal prospect for, and observance of, human rights. 

Within the network, focus on engaging with local, regional and global stakeholders, including investing in mutual-beneficial external liaisons with quality infrastructure and the conformity assessment industry (such as regulators, accreditation and standardization bodies, other conformity assessment players, scheme owners, Academia, …). 

IQNET activities and its Members’ business have a considerable environmental, economic, and societal footprint due to the wide reach of its activities and the multiple relationships that it maintains across the conformity assessment industry and, through conformity assessment services, to a wide range of economic sectors. IQNET has a direct and indirect influence and impact on several levels.  Each level of influence and impact presents an opportunity to take specific action to mitigate risks or to actively promote environmental, economic and social well-being. 

The main outcome that IQNET (and its Members) partnership opportunities present include: increase access to qualified and skilled talent (education and workforce development); increase reliability and efficiencies and improve access to markets (strengthening of the supply chain); increase access to new markets and development of new products (product as services) and improve business enabling environment, manage corruption and mitigate risk of market entry (capacity building). 

Through its active liaisons with standardization and accreditation bodies as well as with other international players, IQNET strives for facilitating trade, enhance international cooperation for the benefit and sustainability of the quality infrastructure and its stakeholders.

Most of the SDGs are indirectly supported by IQNET Association when endorsing schemes (to be supported by Members’ conformity assessment service provision.

Reference: IQNET Position Paper 206 on IQNET Focus and Contribution to UN SDGs, as approved by the General Assembly 31 May 2024, Cascais.