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.

UNCTAD Secretary General

Launch Summary Report

The following is a summary report from the successful launch event of the UNFSS held at the UN Palais des Nations in Geneva on March 21-22, 2013. The report provides an overview of the event and the discussions held, concluding with a consolidated and approved work plan which the UNFSS will use to focus its initial activities during the following two years. UNFSS launch summary report

UNFSS Briefing Sessions in Panama and Cameroon

Briefing Session – May 9th, City of Knowledge, Panama City, Panama The UNFSS will be holding a briefing session in Panama City on May 9th at the City of Knowledge (La Cuidad del Saber). The event will inform participants about the UNFSS and consult on their information needs, interests and concerns related to sustainability standards. The event is being co-hosted by the UNFSS and the Ministry of Commerce of Panama, with support from the National Environmental Authority of

participants

UNFSS Launch Update

UNFSS Launch Update: April 10th, 2013 The Launching Conference of the United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards was held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on March 20-21. There were over 200 participants from a wide variety of stakeholder groups (inter alia: government, private sector, standard bodies, research institutes etc.). The conclusions were quite positive, in that they confirmed the need for and interest in the UNFSS, and that the UNFSS should be a source of credible information and analysis while

UNFSS Official Launch

  The official public launch of the UNFSS will be held in Geneva on March 21st and 22nd 2013. This will be an opportunity to learn about the goals of this new forum to address the issue of Voluntary Sustainability Standards as a sustainable development tool. As well it will provide an opportunity for participants to express their opinion on priority issues the UNFSS should address and activities it should undertake. Downloads For your reference, below is the official flyer for the UNFSS,

Briefing Sessions

A key activity in establishing the UNFSS are briefing sessions which are now being organized in producer countries. The sessions are designed to present the structure and objectives of the UNFSS. But most importantly, they will focus on consulting with key stakeholders in those countries on their information needs and concerns related to VSSs and their recommendations on how the UNFSS can and should address those issues. The results of these sessions will feed directly into the UNFSS’s work plan. The

unfss update december 2012

UNFSS Update December 2012

The Forum has received strong interest, and we have continued to present the UNFSS in a number of events.  Most recently at : the International Conference on Sustainable Business and Consumption in Bonn, Nov. 27-28 (http://www.suscon.net/), UNCTAD’s Trade and Development Board Geneva, Sept. 24th (http://unctad.org/en/pages/MeetingDetails.aspx?meetingid=69), the OECD Joint Working Group on Trade and Environment Experts (Paris, Dec. 10-11th), the WTO TBT Committee (Geneva, Nov. 11-13th), and the GIZ cocoa supply chain technical board meeting in (Amsterdam, Nov. 28-29th, giz.de/themen/en/33272.htm) We are also organizing a series of

1st AP Meeting Summary

  The first in-person meeting of the Advisory Panel of the United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards (UNFSS) focused on developing recommendations on what issues related to Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) and what specific activities the UNFSS should undertake.  The meeting built on a consultation document, distributed prior to the meeting, which recommended key cluster areas of work and possible concrete tools and activities to implement.  These recommendations were the result of the UNFSS’s Steering Committee work, two UNFSS briefing sessions and bi-lateral