rupalverma1

About rupalverma1

This author rupalverma1 has created 10 entries.

February 14, 2024

Enhancing Expertise: UNFSS Academic Advisory Council Welcomes New Chair and Members

In a stride towards fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and enriching sustainability discourse, the UNFSS Academic Advisory Council unveils new leadership and a distinguished addition. Committed to advancing sustainability expertise, the council welcomes fresh perspectives to drive meaningful progress. Reflecting the UNFSS’s commitment to robust research in the domain of sustainability standards and global value chains, the Academic Advisory Council (AAC) stands as a cornerstone in advancing understanding and effectiveness of sustainability standards. Comprising renowned academic experts from diverse disciplines worldwide, the AAC functions

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December 11, 2023

Shaping Tomorrow’s Trade: Insights from the 3rd ICSTS

In a groundbreaking gathering of minds, the 3rd International Convention on Sustainable Trade and Standards (ICSTS) held in New Delhi, India, set the stage for global collaboration in the realm of sustainability standards. The convention, themed “Policy Dialogue on Sustainability Standards as a Tool for Advancing Global Sustainability Goals,” witnessed a convergence of over 400 participants from diverse sectors, shaping a vision that leverages the power of Solidarity, Support, Strength, and Synergy—dubbed the 4 S’s. At the 3rd ICSTS, these four pillars

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October 26, 2023

3rd International Convention on Sustainable Trade and Standards

3rd International Convention on Sustainable Trade and Standards, November 2-3, 2023 Policy Dialogue on Sustainability Standards as a Tool for Advancing Global Sustainability Goals Organised by the India National Platform on Private Sustainability Standard, Hosted by Quality Council of India, in collaboration with United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards The 3rd ICSTS is in continuation to the line of activities of Indian platform on sustainability standards that aims to bring together experts and practitioners to discuss innovative ideas, best practices, policies and

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September 21, 2023

The EU Due Diligence Regulation on Deforestation: What Role for Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS)?

This article delves into the European Union’s new Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR) and probes the prospective role that Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) can play, potentially offering avenues for collecting information, risk evaluation, mitigation, monitoring, and assurance. The article highlights how certification processes can support enhancing supply chain transparency and mitigating supply chain vulnerabilities, ultimately aligning with the due diligence needs. Deforestation is a pressing global issue with far-reaching consequences for the environment, biodiversity, and climate change. The United Nations Food

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November 2, 2022

Sustainable Trade in a Globalized World: The time to reconcile development opportunities is now

On Wednesday, 26 October 2022, the United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards (UNFSS) held its conference on Sustainable Trade and Development Opportunities in Brussels, Belgium to call on the expertise of the Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade, Bernd Lange; Jamaica’s Ambassador-designate to Belgium and Head of Mission to the EU, Symone Betton Nayo; and ISEAL’s Director of Programmes, Kristin Komives; and moderated by Director and Professor of the Global Economics at the Robert Schuman Centre for

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May 30, 2022

Triple Vulnerabilities: The Role of Sustainable Trade and Value Chains

In a world grappling with converging disruptions: effects of the pandemic, supply chain strains, and climate change; the conflict in Ukraine further risks pushing the world into a global crisis. UNCTAD’s analysis indicates a worsening outlook for the world’s economy, underpinned by rising food, fuel and fertilizer prices, heightened financial volatility, sustainable development divestment, complex global supply chain reconfigurations and mounting trade costs. “Soaring food and fuel prices will affect the most vulnerable in developing countries, putting

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UNFSS National Platforms
May 25, 2022

Local Solutions for Global Challenges: The Role of UNFSS National Platforms’ Network in maximising benefits of Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS)

Everyday life has been struck by climate change effects, deepening poverty and hunger, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the crisis in Ukraine. As a result, the world is witnessing accelerating existing vulnerabilities and widening inequalities. The value of multilateralism and trade cannot be undermined in providing a sustainable recovery path, especially for the most vulnerable groups. In light of the above, the UNFSS National Platform and Initiative Cooperation Network (NPICN) met on 24th May

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May 12, 2022

No Poverty among Smallholder Farmers: Can access to Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS)-compliant markets help?

Ever since the adoption of the 2015 Sustainable Development Agenda, the global development community has worked towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, set forth by the United Nations. However, progress has been cut short, or even worse, reversed, due to multiple external shocks, like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine-Russia crisis. This has further alarmed the world on issues like extreme poverty, food insecurity, and an ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor. Despite multiple

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February 15, 2022

Voluntary Sustainability Standards for People, Planet, and Prosperity: Focus on G20

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed systemic fragilities across the globe. The pandemic has not only been a global health crisis but also has severely impacted the global economy and financial markets. The pandemic has affected people’s livelihoods, health and disrupted food systems. Significant reductions in income, rise in unemployment, and disruption in services have been common aftermath, especially in the developing countries. Fig.1 International trade plunged as the virus spread (Source:

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January 12, 2022

The Circular Economy: Can Voluntary Sustainability Standards play a role in bidding adieu to the ‘take, make, waste’ model?

The last three decades have witnessed a worsening of the world’s environmental problems. The global use of natural resources has more than tripled since 1970 and continues to grow, pushing climate stability and ecosystems worldwide to the limits of their resilience. This reflects a pertinent need to shift towards sustainable consumption and production pathways. But how can we achieve that? A circular economy might provide some solutions. While there is no singular definition of a circular economy, it most

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