Interaction between partners and stakeholders is one of the primary objective within the framework of the UNFSS. The UNFSS regularly holds policy discussions on sustainability standards, workshops on data collection methods, international seminars and regional briefing sessions and dialogues where the expert inputs from the VSS Academic Advisory Council during these events would significantly add value to the discussions.

AAC Meetings

The AAC meets annually and the conference brings together academicians, economists, scientists, lawyers. Academic experts present their research areas which could overall be classified under four main categories of interest to the UNFSS: sustainability standards and global governance, development in the field of VSS, impact and effectiveness of VSS, and public-private partnerships for sustainable development. Summary of previous meetings can be accessed here (https://unfss.org/aac-meeting-reports/).

Roundtables and Podcasts

Following this deliberations, UNFSS, along with its partners, organizes a series of Roundtable discussions that leverages the expertise of the AAC members. The Roundtables enable more knowledge sharing and exchange of ideas around VSS and private regulatory governance systems. Recordings of the previous roundtables are available at:

• Sustainability Standards and Environmental Concerns on 10 February 2021
• Sustainability Standards and Social Concerns on 4 May 2021
• Sustainability Standards and Economic Concerns on 17 June 2021

Jointly, UNFSS and Evidensia, produced two podcasts that features some AAC experts. The podcasts disseminate information and cover the debates surrounding trade policy and VSS.

Listen to the first Podcast here: https://www.evidensia.eco/resources/1115/trade-policy-and-vss/

Listen to the second Podcast here: https://www.evidensia.eco/resources/2006/trade-policy-and-vss-a-developingcountries-perspective/

International Convention on Trade and Standards

One of the most prominent output of the UNFSS is the ‘International Convention on Sustainable Trade and Standards (ICSTS)’, as well as the thematic dialogue series such as the one on ‘Sustainable Trade between Peru and the EU’ held in Peru between the UNFSS and the Andean Community Secretariat to support Peruvian SME exporters in implementing sustainable measures. The first international multi-stakeholder dialogue on sustainability standards can be dated back from the ‘VSS Stakeholders’ Conference’ organized in Berlin, Germany in 2016, which was followed by the ‘International Conference on Sustainable Trade and Resource Efficiency in Supply Chains’ in June 2017. This Conference was organized by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the United Nations on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in collaboration with the China Association for Standardization (CAS), which was held at the Qingdao Forum on International Standards. The event received tremendous recognition upholding the significance of Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) as a tool for sustainable development and market access. The event represents the first technical assistance training that UNFSS embarked on, as well as marking the launch of the China VSS National Platform.

In an effort to strengthen the networks between the National Platforms, the Quality Council of India (QCI), convening body of the India National Platform on Private Sustainability Standards (India PSS Platform), with the support of the UNFSS, originated the International Convention on Sustainable Trade and Standards (ICSTS). The event was the first of its kind — a multi-stakeholder convention dedicated solely to the practicalities of leveraging trade, global value chains, standards and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This was also an event that marked the first ‘Declaration of Cooperation on Sustainability Standards between the National Platforms’ signed by INMETRO, Quality Council of India and the Mexican Ministry of Economy on an agreement of 9 action points towards achieving the 2030 SDGs collectively.

In September 2019, the Brazilian National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (INMETRO), the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro (FIRJAN) and UNFSS co-organized the 2^nd ICSTS in Rio de Janeiro. The 3-day convention welcomed more than 500 participants from 20 different countries, to name a few – US, EU, ISO representatives from 10 LATAM countries, India, China, Japan, South Africa, Canada etc. which was hosted in Casa Firjan. The dynamic mix of participants from international organizations, government officials, academia, industry associations, standards-setting organizations to private companies and civil society needed perspective that looks upon issues from all sides of the value chain.

By working jointly on these events, the VSS Academic Advisory Council will be able to participate in the academic research as well as learn from the perspectives of the other stakeholders, including policy-makers, business representatives and representatives from the international organizations.