Certificate: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)
A certificate (French: certificat) is the document issued by a certification body after a favourable decision. For ISO 53001 it names the certified organisation, the scope, the standard and its edition, and the validity dates, within the limit of a three-year cycle.
Updated: · edition covered: ISO/UNDP 53001:2026
In an ISO/UNDP 53001 audit
The certificate attests a management system, not the quality of a product nor a quantified SDG performance. Its use is governed by rules the auditor checks during surveillance audits: wording on the website, in sales proposals and on documents. Communication suggesting that products are certified, or extending to sites outside the scope, is a nonconformity.
A certificate can be suspended or withdrawn, and its status is confirmed with the body that issued it. The certificate and logo use page sets out the rules; the ISO/UNDP 53001 standard defines what is being certified.
Reading a certificate correctly
Before relying on a certificate, a buyer or partner checks four points: the exact legal entity named, the wording of the scope, the edition of the standard and the expiry date. A certificate held by one subsidiary says nothing about the rest of its group. Gardiant Certification has committed to issuing no ISO/UNDP 53001 certificate before it obtains its accreditation; the rules on certificate use will apply from the first one issued.
See also
- Scope of certification: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)The scope of certification (French: *périmètre de certification*) describes what an ISO 53001 certificate covers: activities, sites, entities and, where relevant, exclusions.
- Suspension: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)Suspension (French: *suspension*) is the temporary invalidation of an ISO 53001 certificate, decided by the certification body.
- Withdrawal: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)Withdrawal (French: *retrait*) is the permanent cancellation of an ISO 53001 certificate by the certification body.
- Certification cycle: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)The certification cycle (French: *cycle de certification*) is the three-year period covered by an ISO 53001 certificate.