1. 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

2. 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

3. Pro-active Role of Developing Country Governments3 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

4. Pro-active Role of Developing Country Governments4 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 

5. Pro-active Role of Developing Country Governments5 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  

6. Pro-active Role of Developing Country Governments6 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

7. Pro-active Role of Developing Country Governments7 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

8. Pro-active Role of Developing Country Governments8 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

9. Preliminary Activities of UNFSS (from launch) Action areas identified9
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