Launch of the Brazilian Voluntary Sustainability Standards National Platform, supported by UNFSS, May 31, 2017

On May 31 and June 1 2017, Brazil will launch its National VSS platform in Brazilia and Sao Paulo. This initiative is led by theNational Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (Inmetro) and supported by UNFSS, a joint initiative of five UN Agencies (FAO, ITC, UNCTAD, UNEP and UNIDO).

The two days discussions first in the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) in Brazilia and then in the Federation of Industries of State of São Paulo (FIESP) in São Paolo will established a multi-stakeholder platforms for collectively assess VSS’ impact upon their sustained trade growth and sustainable development. Participants at the events will come from government agencies, the private sector and non-governmental organizations.

Inmetro was created by law to support Brazilian enterprises to increase their productivity and the quality of goods and services. Its major task is to improve the quality of life of the ordinary citizen as well as to seek the competitiveness of
the economy through metrology and quality.
This event is also jointly organized with the German Development Institut/ Deutsches Institute für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) and the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV).

Inmetro8

The United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards (UNFSS) is a joint initiative of 5 UN Agencies (FAO, ITC, UNCTAD, UN Environment and UNIDO) that seeks to address these challenges. It is a demand-driven forum for intergovernmental actors to communicate among each other and engage with key target groups (producers, traders, consumers, standard-setters, certification-bodies, trade diplomats, relevant NGOs and researchers) to address their information needs and influence concerned stakeholders. It aims to provide impartial information, analysis, and discussions on VSS and their potential contribution to facilitate market access, strengthen public goods and achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Most importantly, the UNFSS focuses on potential trade or development obstacles VSS may create, with particular emphasis on their impact on SMEs and less developed countries.

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