The UN Forum on Sustainability Standards (UNFSS) Intergovernmental Forum of Dialogue on Voluntary Sustainability Standards ICCO Workshop, Douala, Cameroon June 24-27, 2013 Working group guide In name of the 5 UN agencies that have formed the UNFSS I would like to thank the ICCO for this opportunity to be with all of you during this important workshop. All of the 5 agency: FAO, ITC, UNCTAD, UNEP and UNIDO are working directly on the issue of Voluntary Sust. Standards and certification programs. Therefore it is a pleasure to be here with the ICCO who has also identified the impact and importance of sustainability cert, and is constructively and proactively addressing this issue. The 5 UN agencies forming the UNFSS, as intergovernmental organizations, believe that these programs are increasingly having an impact on international trade and on sustainable development, and that governments need to take a more proactive role in addressing them. We believe that governments need to have more information about these programs, and opportunity to discuss their benefits and constraints and a mechanism to proactively engage with them. We believe that the ICCO is also taking a similar approach and so are very pleased to be participating with the ICCO and its members in this process of understanding these programs better and to examine how sustainability certification can be potentially used as important tool to promote sustainable development. 1

Objective: The UNFSS is an intergovernmental forum, coordinated by 5 UN agencies set-up to address the information, analysis and support needs of policy makers to address Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSSs). The UNFSS would like to link the results and conclusions of the ICCO workshop on sustainable cocoa certification into the focus and activities that the UNFSS undertakes. For this reason like your input on the following questions:   1. Comment on activities identified by the UNFSS so far: Decision-making tool (to support policy-makers to better understand VSSs and to be able to see if they can be used to achieve their national (development) strategies and goals. Impact Assessment: Work with existing impact assessment programs to help analyze and interpret the results to help decision-makers be better informed on the real costs, benefits and impacts of certification. Capacity Building: Work with existing programs (such as CCE and SCAN) to provide more coordination and harmonization in the content and quality of technical assistance that is provided. Harmonization and equivalence of standards: Currently building from work on harmonization of organic standards and Global Gap. Emerging initiatives: Provide support so that they are developed in a direction that truly supports sustainable development. Flagship report: Annual document. What should be the role of governments in this process? In particular members of the ICCO. How can the ICCO and its members more effectively engage with the UNFSS? In other countries we are setting up committees that communicate directly with the UNFSS to express their interests, concerns and needs

Pro-active Role of Developing Country Governments 3 3 3 3 3 3 Pro-active Role of Developing Country Governments Surveillance, Supportive and Facilitating Role Governance/ Standard-setting Facilitating Investment Devising flanking/support policies Assuring policy coherence Facilitating stakeholder dialogue Governance/Standard-setting  Transparency, Inclusiveness, legitimacy, trade restrictiveness Anti-trust Assuring coherence between mandatory & VSS Facilitating interoperability between VSS  Facilitating Investment:  In physical infrastructure In SMTQ systems & institutions Directing donor funding accordingly  Developing Flanking/Support Policy Awareness raising/ training Financial support Information instruments/ independent evaluation of VSS SME support  Assuring Policy Coherence Among gov agencies dealing with VSS Between public & priv requirements (e.g. perverse incentives) Towards donors  Facilitating Stakeholder Dialogue Facilitating and engaging in stakeholder dialogue on develop. & implement of VSS

Pro-active Role of Developing Country Governments 4 4 4 4 4 4 Pro-active Role of Developing Country Governments Surveillance, Supportive and Facilitating Role Governance/ Standard-setting Facilitating Investment Devising flanking/support policies Assuring policy coherence Facilitating stakeholder dialogue Governance/Standard-setting  Transparency, Inclusiveness, legitimacy, trade restrictiveness Anti-trust Assuring coherence between mandatory & VSS Facilitating interoperability between VSS  Facilitating Investment:  In physical infrastructure In SMTQ systems & institutions Directing donor funding accordingly  Developing Flanking/Support Policy Awareness raising/ training Financial support Information instruments/ independent evaluation of VSS SME support  Assuring Policy Coherence Among gov agencies dealing with VSS Between public & priv requirements (e.g. perverse incentives) Towards donors  Facilitating Stakeholder Dialogue Facilitating and engaging in stakeholder dialogue on develop. & implement of VSS Transparency, Inclusiveness, legitimacy, trade restrictiveness Anti-trust Assuring coherence between mandatory & VSS Facilitating interoperability between VSS 

Pro-active Role of Developing Country Governments 5 5 5 5 5 5 Pro-active Role of Developing Country Governments Surveillance, Supportive and Facilitating Role Governance/ Standard-setting Facilitating Investment Devising flanking/support policies Assuring policy coherence Facilitating stakeholder dialogue Governance/Standard-setting  Transparency, Inclusiveness, legitimacy, trade restrictiveness Anti-trust Assuring coherence between mandatory & VSS Facilitating interoperability between VSS  Facilitating Investment:  In physical infrastructure In SMTQ systems & institutions (Standards, Metrology, Testing and Quality Directing donor funding accordingly  Developing Flanking/Support Policy Awareness raising/ training Financial support Information instruments/ independent evaluation of VSS SME support  Assuring Policy Coherence Among gov agencies dealing with VSS Between public & priv requirements (e.g. perverse incentives) Towards donors  Facilitating Stakeholder Dialogue Facilitating and engaging in stakeholder dialogue on develop. & implement of VSS In physical infrastructure In SMTQ (standards, metrology, testing, quality) systems & institutions Directing donor funding accordingly  

Pro-active Role of Developing Country Governments 6 6 6 6 6 6 Pro-active Role of Developing Country Governments Surveillance, Supportive and Facilitating Role Governance/ Standard-setting Facilitating Investment Devising flanking /support policies Assuring policy coherence Facilitating stakeholder dialogue Governance/Standard-setting  Transparency, Inclusiveness, legitimacy, trade restrictiveness Anti-trust Assuring coherence between mandatory & VSS Facilitating interoperability between VSS  Facilitating Investment:  In physical infrastructure In SMTQ systems & institutions Directing donor funding accordingly  Developing Flanking/Support Policy Awareness raising/ training Financial support Information instruments/ independent evaluation of VSS SME support  Assuring Policy Coherence Among gov agencies dealing with VSS Between public & priv requirements (e.g. perverse incentives) Towards donors  Facilitating Stakeholder Dialogue Facilitating and engaging in stakeholder dialogue on develop. & implement of VSS Awareness raising/ training Financial support Information instruments/ independent evaluation of VSS SME support

Pro-active Role of Developing Country Governments 7 7 7 7 7 7 Pro-active Role of Developing Country Governments Surveillance, Supportive and Facilitating Role Governance/ Standard-setting Facilitating Investment Devising flanking /support policies Assuring policy coherence Facilitating stakeholder dialogue Governance/Standard-setting  Transparency, Inclusiveness, legitimacy, trade restrictiveness Anti-trust Assuring coherence between mandatory & VSS Facilitating interoperability between VSS  Facilitating Investment:  In physical infrastructure In SMTQ systems & institutions Directing donor funding accordingly  Developing Flanking/Support Policy Awareness raising/ training Financial support Information instruments/ independent evaluation of VSS SME support  Assuring Policy Coherence Among gov agencies dealing with VSS Between public & priv requirements (e.g. perverse incentives) Towards donors  Facilitating Stakeholder Dialogue Facilitating and engaging in stakeholder dialogue on develop. & implement of VSS Among government agencies dealing with VSS Between public & private requirements (e.g. perverse incentives) Towards donors

Pro-active Role of Developing Country Governments 8 8 8 8 8 8 Pro-active Role of Developing Country Governments Surveillance, Supportive and Facilitating Role Governance/ Standard-setting Facilitating Investment Devising flanking /support policies Assuring policy coherence Facilitating stakeholder dialogue Governance/Standard-setting  Transparency, Inclusiveness, legitimacy, trade restrictiveness Anti-trust Assuring coherence between mandatory & VSS Facilitating interoperability between VSS  Facilitating Investment:  In physical infrastructure In SMTQ systems & institutions Directing donor funding accordingly  Developing Flanking/Support Policy Awareness raising/ training Financial support Information instruments/ independent evaluation of VSS SME support  Assuring Policy Coherence Among gov agencies dealing with VSS Between public & priv requirements (e.g. perverse incentives) Towards donors  Facilitating Stakeholder Dialogue Facilitating and engaging in stakeholder dialogue on develop. & implement of VSS Facilitating and engaging in stakeholder dialogue on development & implementation of VSS

Preliminary Activities of UNFSS (from launch) Action areas identified 9 Preliminary Activities of UNFSS (from launch) Action areas identified Status Decision-Making tool for policy makers on VSSs Further develop draft tool; adapt/validate at producer country level. Flagship Report on VSSs Initial publication almost ready for dissemination (draft shared with ICCO). Impact Assessment working group Work with exisiting initiatives (COSA etc.), support interpretation of results for policy setting Capacity building activities Begin in pilot countries, link with exisitng initiatives (CCE, SCAN etc). Harmonization and equivalence Working group being set-up, building on existing program (GOMA-organic standards/Global Gap). Emerging standard initiative Provide information and promote their relevance and value to Sustainable Development. National and regional Committees linked to UNFSS Under development, build on briefings (China, Thailand, Panama under development) What are VSS? Focus in general is on voluntary private standards which are developed by commercial and non-commercial private bodies and typically cover health, safety, environmental, social and animal welfare issues- with many addressing economic issues as well. These are credence characteristics, attributes which can not be seen or measured on the end product- often related to production and processing methods. These are not legally mandatory, but because of their size are becoming de facto market entry requirements Most prominent in the the food and agriculture sector, but expanding to others including Carbon and water foot-printing. But also significant in Textiles and clothing, footwear, toys, timber/Timber products, natural cosmetics, liquid bio-fuels and electrical and electronic goods Also standards for energy and material/resource efficiency are are supplementing other market-based and fiscal instruments. 9