The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is one of the seven member agencies of the United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards (UNFSS). UNECE supports sustainable development and economic cooperation through the development of international norms, standards, best practices and policy recommendations across a wide range of sectors, including trade, environment, transport, energy, statistics and digitalization.
In the area of sustainability standards and sustainable value chains, UNECE contributes through its work on regulatory cooperation, trade facilitation, quality infrastructure, traceability and sustainable food systems. Its activities help governments, businesses and stakeholders improve transparency, resilience and sustainability in global supply chains while supporting progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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UNECE’s Work Relevant to Sustainability Standards
Sustainable Food Systems
UNECE contributes to global and regional efforts to transform food systems into more sustainable, resilient and inclusive systems. Through its analytical work and policy recommendations, UNECE supports actions that improve food security, sustainability and economic opportunities across agricultural value chains.
Trade Facilitation and Regulatory Cooperation
UNECE develops internationally recognized recommendations, standards and good practices that facilitate trade while promoting sustainability and transparency. These tools support businesses and governments in addressing sustainability requirements increasingly demanded by international markets.
Standards and Quality Infrastructure
Through its normative work, UNECE promotes internationally harmonized standards, traceability systems, conformity assessment approaches and regulatory cooperation, which are critical enablers for the effective implementation of sustainability standards and responsible business practices.
Selected UNECE Initiatives
UNECE is developing the United Nations Transparency Protocol (UNTP) to support the interoperable exchange of sustainability information across value chains. The protocol enables voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) and certification schemes to make sustainability requirements and conformity information digitally verifiable and reusable, including through digitally verifiable conformity credentials. This can help advance the adoption of sustainability standards and make trusted sustainability information more easily shared and reused across supply chains and regulatory contexts, improving transparency, traceability and efficiency in sustainability reporting and compliance.
More information: https://untp.unece.org/
Prepared in the context of the UN Food Systems Summit 2021, this publication identifies pathways and game-changing actions to create healthier, more sustainable, resilient and inclusive food systems. The report highlights regional priorities and practical recommendations that support progress towards the SDGs.
More information: https://unece.org/trade/publications/transforming-food-systems
UNECE is a member of the regional coalition on Sustainable Food Systems for Europe and Central Asia. The coalition promotes coordinated support among UN agencies to strengthen food systems through policy dialogue, capacity development, knowledge sharing and technical assistance.
More information: https://unece.org/issue-based-coalition-sustainable-food-systems
UNECE promotes transparency and sustainability in global value chains through its work on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) traceability. Through multi-stakeholder platforms and international standards development, UNECE supports businesses and policymakers in improving the reliability, interoperability and transparency of sustainability-related data across supply chains. This work helps facilitate compliance with emerging sustainability requirements and enhances the effectiveness and uptake of sustainability standards by improving the accessibility and credibility of sustainability information.
More information: https://unece.org/trade/uncefact/ToSTraceability
