NATIONAL PLATFORM AND INITIATIVE COOPERATION NETWORK

Preamble

The National Platform and Initiative Cooperation Network (hereinafter known as NPIC Network) derives in recognition of the joint ‘Declaration of Cooperation on Sustainability Standards Ecosystem between the National Platforms’ (hereinafter known as the 2018 Convention Declaration), duly signed by Dr. Manish Pande on behalf of Quality Council of India, Dr. Rogerio De Oliveira Correa on behalf of the Brazilian National Institute on Metrology, Quality and Technology, and Ms. Sofia Pacheco Nino de Rivera on behalf of the Ministerio de Economia Mexico, under the witness of Mr. Bonapas Onguglo on behalf of UNCTAD, Santiago Fernandez de Cordoba on behalf of UNFSS, Mr. Joseph Wozniak on behalf of ITC and Mr. Rene Van Berkel on behalf of UNIDO on the 18^th of September 2018 in New Delhi

The National Platform-led declaration is a call for collaboration among National Platforms and National Initiatives across the globe to drive knowledge-exchange in the governance of sustainability standards systems.

National-led Area of Work

National Platforms/Initiative can freely tap on the NPIC network to collaborate and/or gather inputs on areas of work that are mutually beneficial to all participating parties. Participation is voluntary and should be free of any charges. A clear strategic work-plan is strongly encouraged to be produced and shared by the convening party as an underlying document in agreement with all participating parties.

Reflecting upon points 7, 8 and 9 of the 2018 Convention Declaration, UNFSS expresses the same reiteration on the core principle of ‘transparency’ in order to strengthen the understanding and efforts of each National Platforms/ Initiatives.

Strategies to foster collaboration shall be specified in the work-plan of the anticipated area of work and/or activity.

NPIC Network Ongoing Activties

Composition and Roles

The network committee consists of representatives of the National Platforms/ Initiatives. As of today, the network is comprised of the following institutions:

• • African Regional Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO)
  • Andean Community Secretariat (CAN)
  • Badan Standardidasi Nasional Indonesia (BSN)
  • Brazilian National Institute on Metrology, Quality and Technology (INMETRO)
  • Caribbean Community Regional Organization for Standardisation and Quality (CROSQ)
  • China Association for Standardization (CAS)
  • Colombian Institute of Technical Standards and Certification (ICONTEC)
  • Standards Malaysia (JSM)
  • Direccion General de Normas, Ministerio de Economia Mexico (DGN)
  • Quality Council of India (QCI)
  • South African Bureau of Standards (SABS)
  • Department of Trade Promotion, Ministry of Trade Vietnam (Vietrade)

Each National Platform/Initiative will nominate one or more representatives to the NPIC Network. These representatives shall take the responsibility as the focal point of this network to act on behalf of their respective institutions.  The United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards (UNFSS) Secretariat shall take the roles of facilitator and observer of the activities among the National Platforms/ Initiatives – ensuring fair representation and mediation among the NPIC network members as all activities shall be led full-fledged by the National Platforms/ Initiatives.

Chair

The Chair will present him/herself in the leadership role of the network. The network will be chaired by the National Platforms/ Initiative on a rolling basis with a term period of 1 year. The delegation of the Chair shall be selected based on voting among the National Platforms/Initiatives themselves.

The role of the Chair includes:

• • Call/authorize scheduled meeting as needed
  • Trimester National Platforms/ Initiative Webinars: UNFSS will still set the agenda for the National Platform/ Initiative Trimester Webinars and the Chair will orchestrate the agenda items
  • Recognize members to facilitate orderly debate
  • Organize voting mechanisms for the next Chair once they reach the final month of their Chair term period
  • Declare meeting adjournment

NPIC Network Chair Delegation

• July 2020 to June 2021: Chair – Dr. Manish Pande, Quality Council of India

Join the NPIC Network

National Platform: UNFSS provides capacity and knowledge-gain support namely for emerging and developing countries through developing a multi-stakeholder platform for Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS). Visit Platform Activities to find out more about what we do on the ground.

National Initiatives: The national initiatives are created and shared by stakeholders under each country’s designated coordinating body. National initiatives are the initiation phase leading to the establishment of the National Platform. This is typically the case when the coordinating body has yet to receive the full mandate from the ministerial body as an official institution for all sustainability standards matter.

Note: They are both structured in a transparent, inclusive and demand-driven manner.

Contact Liaisons:
Santiago Fernàndez de Còrdoba
Ruby Lambert