Certification and Partnerships The Privatization of Global Governance

Certification  A process of establishing a set of rules, principles, guidelines, reporting, monitoring mechanism against which processes are products are compared and certified –First-party certification: –Second party certification: –Third party certification

ISO1400 series  Established by the International Standardization Organization (ISO) and business entities  Implemented through business associations  Establishes standards for environmental management (EMS) within enterprises such as waste minimization, eco efficiency, etc.  Members encouraged to apply standard to the entire chain of production

Equal Exchange  Fair trade certification of the Fair Trade Labeling Organization International (FLO)  Organic certification  Shade grown coffee  “Good Coffee, Good Business”

 538 forest management companies certified (116 US and Canada)  Cover 42,783,216 hectares in 60 countries  Product with FSC logo –In Home Depot, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Kinko’s

Why do we see increasing number of international certification schemes?

Public-Private Partnerships  Rules, norms, and practices agreed and implemented collaboratively by state and non-state actors: –Focus on narrowly defined policy issues –Legally non-binding –Do not seek universal participation –Combine resources of different partners (states, advocacy organizations, private companies, and IOs)

Partnership Examples  ARPA  Johannesburg Type II outcomes  World Commission on Dams  Global Compact  Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations  GEF Small Grants Program  Partnership for Article 10 on Access to Information

Incentives to demand and supply partnerships  Political demand –Governance gaps –Transnational NGOs –Transnational business  Political supply –Strong states: project power and interests –Weak states: leverage resources, but cautious –IGO secretariats: resources, deflect pressure

Geographic Patterns of Johannesburg Partnerships