Association for Supporting the SDGs for the United Nations

#SDGAction40368

Description

Intro

Operational since 2011, the Association for Supporting the SDGs for the United Nations (ASD) places special emphasis on peace in humanity and the preservation of the planet. It promotes the ‘UN SDGs’ (agreed upon by 193 nations worldwide) and Environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG, a major responsibility of corporate management) by advising enterprises, national assemblies, and government organizations through international standards of global sustainable management, eco-friendly agendas, and ESG finance.

Description

The Association for Supporting the SDGs for the United Nations (ASD), established in 2011, is an international non-governmental organization in special consultative status with the ECOSOC (United Nations Economic and Social Council) since 2015. The association cooperates with the United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD) and the United Nations Project Office on Governance (UNPOG) for the expansion and implementation of the SDGs. Nations Messenger of Peace, Malala Yousafzai agreed to collaborate with ASD in the Global initiatives to promote SDGs in March 2018. Furthermore, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development and Chief Economist, Elliot Harris stated that ASD has significantly contributed to the work of the United Nations and that he strongly endorses its activities on SDGs promotion.

Expected Impact

ASD annually (each in October and February) publishes the Sustainable Development Goal Business Index (SDGBI) and Guidelines for Reducing Plastic Waste (GRP) of approximately 2,000 major corporations. The SDGBI was developed to provide enterprises with guidelines to maintain sustainable management and get closer to SDGs goals, through the consultation process with the UN Special Advisor of the Secretary-General on Post-2015 Development Planning. Its purpose is to help them improve their global strategies in the perspective of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) criteria, environmental management, sustainable management, and social contribution. In particular, ASD selects and announces the ‘Global Sustainable Leaders 100’ & ‘ Global Sustainable Brands 100’ every July with a prize on the ‘SDGs implementing corporation’.

Implementation of the Project/Activity

Through the establishment of extensive partnerships with the UN, EU, global financial institutions, investment banks, and domestic and foreign companies, the association has successfully expanded the sustainability of its partners and members and supported their SDGs activities and ESG proliferation. For example, ASD provides the “Statement list of Recommendation : ESG Global Corporate Excellence through SDGs (SRC),” to its member organization. SRC is an extensive publication that contains global ESG standards, principles, and regulations all at once. “SRC List” is a list in which ASD recommends leading ESG companies to global financial markets and major institutional investors every July. The SRC released by ASD is delivered to global capital markets as the Statement list of Recommendation ESG Global Corporate Excellence through the SDGs. Each company in partnership with ASD can assess their current ESG activities through this self-evaluation kit to see if they meet international standards. Based on this, they can be recommended as a leading ESG company in domestic and foreign capital and investment markets.

Arrangements for Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer

The capacity building sessions include; SDGs & ESG consulting for 50 domestic, global companies and public institutions; providing the most updated news on ESG and relevant policies as an official partner with major global organization in the field of ESG finance; consulting on global carbon reduction for green energy transition and resource circulation·circular economy.

Capacity

ASD has encouraged cooperative efforts with the President of the General Assembly, member states and co-facilitators. Written statements by the ASD have officially been adopted by the UN at major UN Commissions and HLPF. Amina J. Mohammed, Special Adviser of the UN Secretary-General on Post-2015 Development Planning, recognized ASD for its contribution towards the 2030 agenda, and urged to continue implementation of the agenda through local action. Mohammed urged to share the association’s experiences and lessons with the UN HLPF and intergovernmental entities. Furthermore, Eliott Harris, UN Assistant Secretary-General & Chief Economist at UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, commended the Association for “its participation, including the submission of written statements to the Economic and Social Council and its functional Commissions.” in an official congratulatory remark. Through its active cooperation with the United Nations and its subsidiary bodies, ASD has strengthened its capacity in the promotion of the SDGs.

Coordination mechanisms

ASD aligns with the United Nations, European Union, global financial institutions, investment banks, domestic and foreign companies, the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, and government organizations, and together we come up with the strategies for best practices in achieving the SDGs.

Governed

ASD is committed to building networks on SDGs implementation among major global enterprises and governments, urging the National Assembly of the member states to promote the SDGs, the world’s largest blueprint to achieve human prosperity and global environmental protection. To encourage more stakeholders to join the SDGs effort, ASD analyzes the sustainability business index of the leading global companies and evaluates the best practices.
ASD has introduced SDGs-related initiatives to the Korea National Assembly and major corporations by participating in the United Nations’ High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) for Sustainable Development, the United Nations General Assembly, and major committees of the Economic and Social Council. It has brought sustainable, socially responsible, and environmentally friendly business models of associated corporations to the attention of the UN at such conferences. Concurrently, Korea’s sustainable management practices have been introduced to member states of the UN which have been officially adopted by the UN several times.

Partners

CJ, KT, LG Electronics, SK hynix, Korean Air, Hyundai Engineering, UNIQUEST, UCC (Union Corporate Committee), The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Association for Supporting the SDGs for the UN (ASD)

Additional information

ASD is the Observer to the International Capital Market Association (ICMA)’s Green and Social Bond Principles organization. ICMA’s ESG Bond Principles must be followed in order for an entity to issue ESG bonds, and ASD evaluates the sustainability and SDGs mapping of bonds issued under these principles. Along with this, ASD has formed an Asian plastics project working group with the international ESG organization – performing R&D for ESG environmental standards in the Asia Pacific region.
Opinions and logos awarded by ASD are indicated in major corporate reports and products, symbolizing global sustainability and eco-friendliness, and are highly trusted by consumers.

SDGS & Targets

Goal 4

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

4.1

By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes

4.1.1

Proportion of children and young people (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex

4.1.2

Completion rate (primary education, lower secondary education, upper secondary education)

4.2

By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education

4.2.1

Proportion of children aged 24–59 months who are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being, by sex

4.2.2

Participation rate in organized learning (one year before the official primary entry age), by sex

4.3

By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university

4.3.1

Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, by sex

4.4

By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship

4.4.1

Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill

4.5

By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations

4.5.1

Parity indices (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected, as data become available) for all education indicators on this list that can be disaggregated

4.6

By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy

4.6.1

Proportion of population in a given age group achieving at least a fixed level of proficiency in functional (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills, by sex

4.7

By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development

4.7.1

Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education and (d) student assessment

4.a

Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all

4.a.1

Proportion of schools offering basic services, by type of service

4.b

By 2020, substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States and African countries, for enrolment in higher education, including vocational training and information and communications technology, technical, engineering and scientific programmes, in developed countries and other developing countries

4.b.1

Volume of official development assistance flows for scholarships by sector and type of study

4.c

By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States

4.c.1

Proportion of teachers with the minimum required qualifications, by education level

Goal 8

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

8.1

Sustain per capita economic growth in accordance with national circumstances and, in particular, at least 7 per cent gross domestic product growth per annum in the least developed countries

8.1.1

Annual growth rate of real GDP per capita

8.2

Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors

8.2.1

Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person

8.3

Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services

8.3.1

Proportion of informal employment in total employment, by sector and sex

8.4

Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production, with developed countries taking the lead

8.4.1

Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP

8.4.2

Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP

8.5

By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value

8.5.1

Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age and persons with disabilities

8.5.2

Unemployment rate, by sex, age and persons with disabilities

8.6

By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training

8.6.1

Proportion of youth (aged 15-24 years) not in education, employment or training

8.7

Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms

8.7.1

Proportion and number of children aged 5‑17 years engaged in child labour, by sex and age

8.8

Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment

8.8.1

Fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 workers, by sex and migrant status

8.8.2

Level of national compliance with labour rights (freedom of association and collective bargaining) based on International Labour Organization (ILO) textual sources and national legislation, by sex and migrant status

8.9

By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products

8.9.1

Tourism direct GDP as a proportion of total GDP and in growth rate

8.10

Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all

8.10.1

(a) Number of commercial bank branches per 100,000 adults and (b) number of automated teller machines (ATMs) per 100,000 adults

8.10.2

Proportion of adults (15 years and older) with an account at a bank or other financial institution or with a mobile-money-service provider

8.a

Increase Aid for Trade support for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, including through the Enhanced Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to Least Developed Countries

8.a.1

Aid for Trade commitments and disbursements

8.b

By 2020, develop and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment and implement the Global Jobs Pact of the International Labour Organization

8.b.1

Existence of a developed and operationalized national strategy for youth employment, as a distinct strategy or as part of a national employment strategy

Goal 5

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

5.1

End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere

5.1.1

Whether or not legal frameworks are in place to promote, enforce and monitor equality and non‑discrimination on the basis of sex

5.2

Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation

5.2.1

Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by form of violence and by age

5.2.2

Proportion of women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to sexual violence by persons other than an intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by age and place of occurrence

5.3

Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation

5.3.1

Proportion of women aged 20-24 years who were married or in a union before age 15 and before age 18

5.3.2

Proportion of girls and women aged 15-49 years who have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting, by age

5.4

Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate

5.4.1

Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work, by sex, age and location

5.5

Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life

5.5.1

Proportion of seats held by women in (a) national parliaments and (b) local governments

5.5.2

Proportion of women in managerial positions

5.6

Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences

5.6.1

Proportion of women aged 15-49 years who make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive health care

5.6.2

Number of countries with laws and regulations that guarantee full and equal access to women and men aged 15 years and older to sexual and reproductive health care, information and education

5.a

Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws

5.a.1

(a) Proportion of total agricultural population with ownership or secure rights over agricultural land, by sex; and (b) share of women among owners or rights-bearers of agricultural land, by type of tenure

5.a.2

Proportion of countries where the legal framework (including customary law) guarantees women’s equal rights to land ownership and/or control

5.b

Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women

5.b.1

Proportion of individuals who own a mobile telephone, by sex

5.c

Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels

5.c.1

Proportion of countries with systems to track and make public allocations for gender equality and women’s empowerment

Goal 17

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

17.1

Strengthen domestic resource mobilization, including through international support to developing countries, to improve domestic capacity for tax and other revenue collection

17.1.1

Total government revenue as a proportion of GDP, by source

17.1.2

Proportion of domestic budget funded by domestic taxes

17.2

Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments, including the commitment by many developed countries to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of ODA/GNI to developing countries and 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries; ODA providers are encouraged to consider setting a target to provide at least 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries

17.2.1

Net official development assistance, total and to least developed countries, as a proportion of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee donors’ gross national income (GNI)

17.3

Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources

17.3.1

Additional financial resources mobilized for developing countries from multiple sources

17.3.2

Volume of remittances (in United States dollars) as a proportion of total GDP

17.4

Assist developing countries in attaining long-term debt sustainability through coordinated policies aimed at fostering debt financing, debt relief and debt restructuring, as appropriate, and address the external debt of highly indebted poor countries to reduce debt distress

17.4.1

Debt service as a proportion of exports of goods and services

17.5

Adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for least developed countries

17.5.1

Number of countries that adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for developing countries, including the least developed countries

17.6

Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism

17.6.1

Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, by speed

17.7

Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed

17.7.1

Total amount of funding for developing countries to promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies

17.8

Fully operationalize the technology bank and science, technology and innovation capacity-building mechanism for least developed countries by 2017 and enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology

17.8.1

Proportion of individuals using the Internet

17.9

Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all the Sustainable Development Goals, including through North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation

17.9.1

Dollar value of financial and technical assistance (including through North-South, South‑South and triangular cooperation) committed to developing countries

17.10

Promote a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization, including through the conclusion of negotiations under its Doha Development Agenda

17.10.1

Worldwide weighted tariff-average

17.11

Significantly increase the exports of developing countries, in particular with a view to doubling the least developed countries’ share of global exports by 2020

17.11.1

Developing countries’ and least developed countries’ share of global exports

17.12

Realize timely implementation of duty-free and quota-free market access on a lasting basis for all least developed countries, consistent with World Trade Organization decisions, including by ensuring that preferential rules of origin applicable to imports from least developed countries are transparent and simple, and contribute to facilitating market access

17.12.1

Weighted average tariffs faced by developing countries, least developed countries and small island developing States

17.13

Enhance global macroeconomic stability, including through policy coordination and policy coherence

17.13.1

Macroeconomic Dashboard

17.14

Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development

17.14.1

Number of countries with mechanisms in place to enhance policy coherence of sustainable development

17.15

Respect each country’s policy space and leadership to establish and implement policies for poverty eradication and sustainable development

17.15.1

Extent of use of country-owned results frameworks and planning tools by providers of development cooperation

17.16

Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in all countries, in particular developing countries

17.16.1

Number of countries reporting progress in multi-stakeholder development effectiveness monitoring frameworks that support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals

17.17

Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships

17.17.1

Amount in United States dollars committed to public-private partnerships for infrastructure

17.18

By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries, including for least developed countries and small island developing States, to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts

17.18.1

Statistical capacity indicators

17.18.2

Number of countries that have national statistical legislation that complies with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics

17.18.3

Number of countries with a national statistical plan that is fully funded and under implementation, by source of funding

17.19

By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement gross domestic product, and support statistical capacity-building in developing countries

17.19.1

Dollar value of all resources made available to strengthen statistical capacity in developing countries

17.19.2

Proportion of countries that (a) have conducted at least one population and housing census in the last 10 years; and (b) have achieved 100 per cent birth registration and 80 per cent death registration

SDG 14 targets covered