Dakar, January 12, 2026 – The city of Dakar is hosting an international meeting of the ISO/PC 343 committee from January 12 to 16, 2026, dedicated to developing a management system for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Mr. El Hadji Abdourahmane Ndione, Director General of the Senegalese Association for Standardization, recalled that the SDGs cannot be limited to intentions and that their achievement requires structured approaches, common frameworks, and credible management systems.
By Cheikh Seck NDONG
In an interview, Mr. Ndione stated, « Today, the ISO committee, which is the International Organization for Standardization, the technical committee ISO PC 343, which deals with the management system for the SDGs, has met here in Dakar, at the invitation of the The Danish Standards, which defines requirements for public and private organizations regarding management systems for achieving the SDGs. »
He emphasized that the work of the ISO/PC 343 committee is both timely and strategic, responding to a growing demand for international tools capable of improving the coherence, transparency, and effectiveness of actions in favor of sustainable development worldwide. The choice of Dakar to host this meeting has strong symbolic significance, in a context where Senegal is striving to reconcile economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection.
« The Sustainable Development Goals are a universal call to action: to eradicate poverty, protect our planet, and guarantee prosperity for all. However, achieving these goals requires more than just intentions. It requires structured approaches, common frameworks, and credible management systems that enable organizations, both public and private, to integrate the SDGs into their strategies, operations, and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, » Mr. Ndione declared.
He invited the committee members to build a robust, pragmatic, and applicable SDG management system for all organizations, regardless of their size or sector. The meeting will bring together international experts, representatives of standardization bodies, and institutional partners until January 16, 2026, in Dakar.
The Director General of ASN stated that this meeting is part of the collaboration between ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, and UNDP, the United Nations Development Programme. « About a year ago, UNDP and ISO published the ISO-UNDP 53002 recommendation standard, which defined recommendations for implementing the SDGs, and today, the ISO PC 343 committee, particularly its working group 1, will finalize the ISO-UNDP 53002 certifiable standard, » he explained.
Mr. Ndione emphasized that the SDGs are the United Nations’ agenda, aiming to enable all countries to engage in a dynamic of sustainable development, eliminate poverty, create prosperity, and protect the planet by 2030. He added that ISO standards can help developing countries participate in this dynamic, not only as recipients of standards but also as contributors. « The organization of these meetings in Dakar is a symbol of the involvement of developing countries in defining standards, » he concluded.
