Conformity Vocabulary Catalog

info

Please note that this content is under development and is not ready for implementation. This status message will be updated as content development progresses.

Artefacts

Are maintained at https://test.uncefact.org/vocabulary/untp/svc/0/about

Stable Releases For Implementation

Version 1.0 stable release for production implementation is due Jun 2026

Release for Pilot Testing

Version 0.6.1 release artifacts can be used for pilot testing.

• JSON-LD @context
• JSON Schema
• Sample JSON Instance
• Conformity Scheme Register (simple web page for now)

Note that the vocabulary schema depends on definitions in UNTP core vocabulary

Latest Development Version

Latest development versions are used to reflect lessons learned from pilots but should not be used for either pilot testing or production purposes.

Version History

First release.

Sample Conformity Vocabulary

Will be published by early implementers and discoverable via the scheme owner register

Overview

Web vocabularies are a means to bring consistent meaning to sustainability claims and assessments throughout transparent value chains, by ensuring that the standards used in sustainability claims and assessments are referenced as unique digital objects. Different participants will reference the same documentation in an identical, machine-recognisable, manner. Critically, this enables DPP claims to be verified against corresponding conformity credentials and also enables unrelated conformity credentials to be meaningfully compared.

To achieve these outcomes, not only must these digital objects be discoverable from a URI but the URI link itself must be version-specific and be persistent. The Digital Object Identifier Foundation provides one way for publishers to achieve these outcomes.

Currently it is not common practice for Standards Development Organisations (SDOs) to maintain their catalogue of standards as digitally referenceable objects with appropriate version control. However, where it can be established that an SDO does produce viable digital references then these will be used for the purposes of UNTP. For other cases, the UNTP will develop a template ‘referencing schema’ so that all participants can agree on the identity of such material. This is currently a work in progress.

In the case of schemes that are participating in the UNTP program, a specific mechanism has been defined for curating internally-generated standards as web vocabularies with version control. This is called the Conformity Vocabulary Catalogue.

In the context of UNTP, the term ‘standards’ may be taken to refer to the full spectrum of internally or externally published material, from those produced and published by Standards Development Organisations (SDOs) to scheme-generated documents and other procedures such as in-house test methods. The general term ‘criterion’ is used to refer to any such standard, in full or in part, enabling any level of granularity to be stipulated for describing a sustainability outcome, such as may relate to a specific section of a published standard or a detailed performance outcome within a set of broader Scheme criteria.

Conceptual Model

Diagram 1 shows how the CVC works with UNTP credentials, such as DPPs, facility records and conformity credentials, to bring unambiguous meaning to sustainability claims and assessments.

• Schemes (Grey): Schemes use various criteria to describe conformity with regulatory requirements or voluntary objectives. The CVC ensures that any scheme criterion can be unambiguously referenced as a digital object through a globally unique URI.
• DPP / DFR (green): The UNTP DPP provides a means for a manufacturer or brand owner to list sustainability claims for a given identified product. Similarly, a UNTP digital facility record (DFR) provides the same capability but for facilities such as farms, mine-sites, processing plants, or manufacturing sites. Each claim may reference compliance with the requirements of any number of SDO publications or scheme criteria, each of which should be referenced as a unique digital object.
• Conformity Credential (brown): The UNTP conformity credential provides a means for a conformity assessment body to list assessment outcomes for specific products or facilities against defined criteria. For a credential to verifiably support a claim contained in a DPP or DFR, there must be matching of the criteria referenced in the DPP/DFR and the supporting credential. Where assessments are undertaken in accordance with a scheme for which a scheme vocabulary exists, the mechanism for achieving such matching is to use the same identifier for the scheme criteria within both the DPP/DFR and the conformity credential.

Diagram 1:

The purpose of the conformity vocabulary catalogue (CVC) is to reduce the risk of misalignment between claims in DPPs and assessments described in conformity credentials and also to provide a mechanism for associating related criteria across different schemes.

The CVC has three components:

• A standard structure (schema) for scheme owners to publish their vocabularies of conformity criteria. This makes sure that the criterion URI is correct.
• A catalog of schemes that can be used as the entry point to discover scheme-specific criteria. This makes sure that the criterion URI is discoverable.
• A conformity topic taxonomy that can be used to classify criteria from different schemes. This makes sure that different criterion URI are comparable.

Requirements

ID	Requirement Statement	Solution Mapping
CVC-01	Scheme owners publish the granular scheme criteria, potentially reflecting different sustainability attributes recognised within my scheme and potentially at varying performance levels, which in such a way that each scheme criteria in a multi-level hierarchy can be unambiguously referenced by issuers of conformity credentials, facility records, and product passports	Conformity Vocabulary Schema
CVC-02	As a scheme owner, I need to manage versions of schemes to reflect changes in the criteria within a scheme so that claims and assessments can be understood within a specific version context	Conformity Vocabulary Schema
CVC-03	Scheme owners require guidance in establishing their vocabulary in accordance with the prescribed UNTP Schema.	Conformity Vocabulary Publishing Guide
CVC-04	Scheme owner tag scheme criteria with context labels such as commodity type or facility type so that a relevant assessment can be identified for a given context.	Conformity Vocabulary Schema
CVC-05	Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) are able to easily find the URI associated with any scheme criteria so that these can be correctly referenced in the assessments recorded in digital conformity credentials.	Conformity Scheme Register
CVC-06	Product suppliers or facility operators need to be able to easily find the URI associated with any scheme criteria so that I can correctly reference them in the claim lists within product passports and facility records.	Conformity Scheme Register
CVC-07	Given that there are hundreds of sustainability schemes, each with potentially hundreds of scheme criteria, consumers of digital credentials need a classification for sustainability attributes to more easily compare assessments for a given sustainability attribute across different schemes.	Conformity Criteria Topic Classification

Conformity Vocabulary Schema

The conformity vocabulary publishing guide provides scheme owners with a best practice framework that can be used to publish their schemes as a hierarchy of criteria, each with a unique identifier (URI). This is a critical activity so that issuers of product passports, conformity credentials, and facility records, can unambiguously reference a scheme criterion. In the example shown, the key reference criterion is '"id": id": "https://www.globalbattery.org/GHGRulebook/2.0/GHG_Calculation' indicating that the claim is made following GHG Calculation guidance in the GBA v2.0 rulebook.

Minimum Implementation

At a minimum, scheme owners need to specify a URL for each scheme criterion that will be referenced by a claim or assessment. Scheme owners that already publish schemes and assessment criterion as a website with stable links may register their schemes with no further action. Scheme owners without reference-able criteria URIs (or who wish to upgrade their digital publishing) should follow the guidance below.

Implementation Guidance

To publish a UNTP CVC compliant vocabulary, scheme owners will need to publish their scheme criteria as a web vocabulary alongside existing publishing formats (typically PDF documents). For some scheme owners that already operate a system to manage scheme and criteria in a structured way, this could be just a simple publishing step from existing structured data. Other may choose to implement a "scheme management system" so that criteria are managed in one place and can be published in different formats. Diagram 2 shows a conceptual implementation model for any scheme owner.

Diagram 2:

The implementation model proposes that scheme owners

• Create a lightweight system to maintain scheme versions, the granular scheme criteria within the scheme, and the classification of the criteria (using the UNTP list).
• Populate the system from existing scheme documentation, possibly with the assistance of some automation tools.
• Publish both the UNTP standard vocabulary catalogue and relevant document content from the same system.

Logical Model

This section describes the logical data model of the scheme and criteria in more detail.

Model Documentation

The key ideas in the logical model of a published conformity vocabulary are

• A conformity scheme has a unique ID, a version, validity period, an owner, and contains a structured hierarchy of conformity criteria.
• The conformity scheme may define performance levels against which criteria can be categorised. It may also define an allowed set of tags which can be assigned to criteria for the purposes of filtering or sorting.
• A conformity scheme may reference any regulations that it is designed to support.
• Each scheme criterion has a unique ID (a URI) which is the key reference for any claims or assessments of product or facilities made in product passports or conformity credentials.
• Each criterion must be classified according to the applicable UNTP Conformity Topic Classification.
• A scheme criterion may specify a threshold value as a numeric (eg 300Mpa tensile strength) or a score (eg "B") which an assessed product or facility much achieve in order to be considered conformant.
• A scheme criterion may be classified according to formal classification schemes (eg applicable industry sector or commodity type).
• Scheme criterion may list sub-criterion that specify more granular conformity requirements.
• A given scheme criterion ID may be re-used by multiple Scheme ID (for example a Scheme version increments but most of the conformity criteria don't change from one version to the next).

Sample Scheme Vocabulary

The JSON snippet below shows an example of a Scheme and criteria as a UNTP compliant digital vocabulary. Such data structures should be simple to generate from a scheme management system. An HTML rendering template can present the same data as a human browsable website where there is a dedicated web page for each criteria ID (eg https://sample-scheme.org/ESGStandard/S11) that represents the detailed information about that criteria.

{
  "@context": {
    "untp-svc": "https://test.uncefact.org/vocabulary/untp/svc/working/",
    "untp-core": "https://test.uncefact.org/vocabulary/untp/core/0/",
    "xsd": "http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#"
  },
  "@id": "https://sample-scheme.org/ESGStandard/v4.0",
  "@type": "untp-svc:ConformitySchemeVocabulary",
  "name": "Sample ESG Standard",
  "description": "The Sample ESG Standard provides a framework for assessing and enhancing environmental, social, and governance performance across supply chains, ensuring compliance with best practices through validated assessments.",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "validFrom": "2025-01-01",
  "owner": {
    "@id": "https://sample-scheme.org",
    "@type": "untp-core:Party",
    "registeredId": "SAMPLE-987654321",
    "idScheme": "https://www.example.org/registry",
    "registrationCountry": "US",
    "organisationWebsite": "https://www.sample-scheme.org"
  },
  "trustMark": "Sample ESG Certified",
  "conformityCriterion": [
    {
      "@id": "https://sample-scheme.org/ESGStandard/S1",
      "@type": "untp-svc:ConformityCriterion",
      "name": "Forced labour",
      "description": "Organizations shall ensure that all labor is voluntary, prohibiting any form of coerced or involuntary work, and shall not impose restrictions on employees' freedom of movement within or outside work premises.",
      "conformityTopic": "social.labour",
      "status": "active",
      "subCriterion": [
        {
          "@id": "https://sample-scheme.org/ESGStandard/S1.1",
          "@type": "untp-svc:ConformityCriterion",
          "name":"Voluntary agreements",
          "description": "Employment must be based on voluntary agreements, allowing employees to terminate their contracts with reasonable notice not exceeding one month.",
          "conformityTopic": "social.labour",
          "status": "active"
        },
        {
          "@id": "https://sample-scheme.org/ESGStandard/S1.2",
          "@type": "untp-svc:ConformityCriterion",
          "name":"Unrestricted access",
          "description": "Employees shall have unrestricted access to essential facilities such as restrooms and drinking water during working hours.",
          "conformityTopic": "social.labour",
          "status": "active"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "@id": "https://sample-scheme.org/ESGStandard/S2",
      "@type": "untp-svc:ConformityCriterion",
      "name":"Workplace safety",
      "description": "Organizations shall identify and mitigate workplace hazards to ensure a safe working environment, providing necessary protective equipment to employees at no cost.",
      "conformityTopic": "social.safety",
      "status": "active"
    },
    {
      "@id": "https://sample-scheme.org/ESGStandard/E1",
      "@type": "untp-svc:ConformityCriterion",
      "name":"Environmental permits",
      "description": "Organizations shall secure and maintain all necessary environmental permits and adhere to reporting obligations to minimize environmental impact.",
      "conformityTopic": "environment.waste",
      "status": "active"
    },
    {
      "@id": "https://sample-scheme.org/ESGStandard/G1",
      "@type": "untp-svc:ConformityCriterion",
      "name":"Ethical governance",
      "description": "Organizations shall maintain high ethical standards, prohibiting bribery, corruption, or any unethical advantages in business dealings.",
      "conformityTopic": "governance.ethics",
      "status": "active"
    },
    {
      "@id": "https://sample-scheme.org/ESGStandard/G2",
      "@type": "untp-svc:ConformityCriterion",
      "description": "Organizations shall implement due diligence processes to ensure responsible sourcing of critical raw materials, aligning with international guidelines.",
      "name":"Supply chain due diligence",
      "conformityTopic": "governance.compliance",
      "status": "active",
      "thresholdValue": {
        "metricName": "Percentage of Critical Materials with Due Diligence",
        "metricValue": {
          "value": 75,
          "unit": "P1"  // UNECE code for percentage
        }
      }
    }
  ],
  "regulatoryAlignment": [
    {
      "@id": "https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO::P12100_ILO_CODE:C029",
      "@type": "untp-core:Regulation",
      "jurisdictionCountry": "UN",
      "administeredBy": {
        "@id": "https://www.ilo.org",
        "@type": "untp-core:Party",
        "registeredId": "ILO-UN",
        "idScheme": "https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-system"
      },
      "effectiveDate": "1932-05-01"
    },
    {
      "@id": "https://www.oecd.org/daf/inv/mne/OECD-Due-Diligence-Guidance-Minerals",
      "@type": "untp-core:Regulation",
      "jurisdictionCountry": "OECD",
      "administeredBy": {
        "@id": "https://www.oecd.org",
        "@type": "untp-core:Party",
        "registeredId": "OECD-INT",
        "idScheme": "https://www.oecd.org/about/"
      },
      "effectiveDate": "2011-05-25"
    }
  ],
  "performanceLevelCodes": [
    {
      "@type": "untp-svc:performanceLevelCodes",
      "name": "Critical",
      "rank": 1,
      "description": "Indicates a severe non-conformance requiring immediate action and follow-up assessment."
    },
    {
      "@type": "untp-svc:performanceLevelCodes",
      "name": "Significant",
      "rank": 2,
      "description": "Indicates a notable non-conformance requiring corrective measures within a defined period."
    },
    {
      "@type": "untp-svc:performanceLevelCodes",
      "name": "Minor",
      "rank": 3,
      "description": "Indicates a less critical non-conformance requiring improvement but not urgent action."
    }
  ],
  "tagCodes": [
    {
      "@type": "untp-svc:tagCodes",
      "name": "Manufacturing",
      "description": "Criteria applicable to manufacturing industries."
    },
    {
      "@type": "untp-svc:tagCodes",
      "name": "SupplyChain",
      "description": "Criteria targeting supply chain stakeholders."
    }
  ]
}

Conformity Scheme Register

The conformity scheme register is essentially a catalogue of schemes that are registered with UNTP by scheme owners. The register will evolve from a simple list to a rich criteria search capability as UNTP matures.

• The first (current) version is the current Scheme Owners registration page.
• The next version will add a structured data version of register and include more meta-data about each scheme and links to each scheme's published vocabulary catalogue. Essentially a navigable and searchable version of registered schemes and their detailed criterion. When schemes are published by scheme owners in a structured way and scheme criteria are classified by conformity topic, the register will support cross-scheme queries such as "show me all criterion in the water conservation category"
• Future versions may include capabilities to define relationships between schemes and their criteria such as mutual recognition.