unfss

About UNFSS

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.

April 21, 2026

Upcoming International Conference on Voluntary and Mandatory Sustainable Value Chains Governance 

An interdisciplinary conference on Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) will take place in Leuven, Belgium, on the 27th and 28th of October 2026. The conference will provide a space for researchers and experts to reflect on the changing role of VSS, with particular attention to new challenges, adaptation and future pathways. The conference comes at a time when the global sustainability governance landscape is evolving rapidly. Recent UNFSS discussions have highlighted how voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) are increasingly interacting with new regulatory

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April 20, 2026

Welcoming New Members to the UNFSS Community

UNFSS Welcomes New Members, Strengthening Global Expertise on Sustainable Standards The United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards (UNFSS) has expanded its global network with the addition of new institutional and academic members, reinforcing its role as a leading intergovernmental platform on Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS). The latest developments include the accession of the International Labour Organization (ILO) to the UNFSS Steering Committee and the appointment of new experts to its Academic Advisory Council (AAC). ILO Joins UNFSS Steering Committee, Reinforcing Social Sustainability The

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November 30, 2023

The future of sustainable trade: VSS and due diligence regulations

This article builds upon the discussions that were held at the UNFSS Academic Advisory Council annual meeting 2023, 12 October 2023, European University Institute (EUI). Due diligence regulatory initiatives have been proliferating recently around the globe, aiming to advance the sustainability agenda through global value chains governance. Due diligence is an on-going, proactive and reactive process through which companies need to identify and address actual or potential risks in order to prevent or mitigate risks of contributing to adverse impacts associated

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November 30, 2022

Navigating Voluntary Sustainability Standards from the lens of SWOT Framework

“The deadly impacts of climate change are here and now. Loss and damage can no longer be swept under the rug. It is a moral imperative. It is a fundamental question of international solidarity – and climate justice.” – Antonio Guterres, UN secretary general at the COP27 in Sharm-el- Sheikh. In his statement, UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres said that the growing number of catastrophic events causing enormous suffering around the world had no warning or means of preparation; and calls

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September 22, 2022

The Tools of Trade: Exploring challenges and opportunities of Voluntary Sustainability Standards in the forthcoming UNFSS 5th Flagship Report

The recently approved UNCTAD XV Bridgetown Covenant recalls that “today, many Sustainable Development Goals are behind schedule, and, despite remarkable efforts and progress, many people and places have not managed to enjoy the benefits of progress. The tools of trade, investment, technology, and finance can do more to change this reality and foster a more inclusive, sustainable, equitable and resilient world.” Voluntary Sustainability Standards are one such tools of trade that leverage sustainability criteria as a means

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April 7, 2022

Africa prepares to mainstream Voluntary Sustainability Standards: Launch of the African Continental platform on Voluntary Sustainability Standards

On 6th April 2022, the African Organisation for standardization (ARSO), in collaboration with UNFSS, launched the African Continental platform on Voluntary Sustainability Standards. The platform will promote the development and implementation of sustainability standards, assist Small and Mid-size Enterprises (SMEs) in their implementation, and encourage the establishment of national platforms in ARSO member countries. The launch was conducted virtually and discussed the importance of an established multi-stakeholder platform for collectively assessing VSS’s impact on Africa’s sustained trade growth and sustainable development.

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March 16, 2022

Empowering Women is Smart Economics and Pathway Towards the SDGs

Improving gender equality has many positive impacts on individuals and also on society at large. Empowering women in the economy and closing gender gaps are key to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. When more women work, economies grow! Empowering women to become full economic citizens has grown importance in the work of the United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards (UNFSS). The underlying point of reference as Mr. Santiago Fernandez de Cordoba, Senior Economist andUNFSS Coordinator, UNCTAD prescribed as a

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December 23, 2021

UNFSS 2021 Activity Highlights

Another eventful year has come to an end. None of the successes we achieved during the year happened by chance. The UNFSS Secretariat thank you for all your support for making things happen, despite a difficult year due to the pandemic. As we look forward to welcoming 2022 with you, allow us to take this opportunity to highlight some of our key activities in 2021. Academic Advisory Council (AAC) Annual Meeting In November 2021, the UNFSS co-organized the Academic Advisory Council (AAC)

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timelapse photo of train
December 15, 2021

Podcast feature: Voluntary sustainability standards and trade in developing countries 

Globalization has brought profound changes to international trade over the last 50 years. Value chains are now spread around the globe and are becoming more complex. Today, about US $8 trillion worth of world trade goes through Global Value Chains (GVCs), accounting for nearly 70% of the total share of global trade. According to UNCTAD’s research, majority of the developing countries are increasingly participating in GVCs. As a result, the developing-country share in global value-added trade increased from 20%

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December 7, 2021

Standards and Poverty Reduction: What role do Voluntary Sustainability Standards play? 

03rd December 2021, Geneva – The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) launched the report- IISD’s SSI Review: Standards and Poverty Reduction. The report was launched in a joint UNCTAD-IISD webinar, held as a part of IISD Trade + Sustainability Hub, 2021. The report examines the potential of voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) operating in the agriculture sector to reduce poverty, which includes a chapter that UNCTAD and IISD wrote jointly on Understanding Smallholder Farmer Access to VSS-compliant Markets.  It is estimated that 80% of the

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