Highlighting India’s Commitment to Sustainability and Global Leadership
- India Good Agricultural Practices (IndG.A.P.) scheme developed by QCI is now equivalent to GLOBAL G.A.P.
- Launch of UNIDO White Paper on Sustainable Supply Chains: Solutions for step-by-step integration of industrializing countries into sustainable value chains.
- Declared Cooperation in the Sustainability Standards Ecosystem with the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO)
New Delhi, 02/11/2023: The International Convention on Sustainable Trade and Standards (ICSTS) organized by the India National Platform on Private Sustainability Standards and hosted by the Project Analysis and Documentation Division (QCI) of Quality Council of India (QCI) in collaboration with the United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards (UNFSS) commenced with great enthusiasm on its first day in the presence of the esteemed dignitaries including Shri Jaxay Shah, Chairperson, QCI; Dr Harsha Vardhana Singh, Chair, India PSS Platform & Former DDG, World Trade Organization (WTO); Shri Rajesh Maheshwari, Secretary General, QCI; Dr Virpi Stucki, Chief, Division of Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade, UNIDO; Mr Charles Gachahi, Eco Mark Africa, CACO and COCO Coordinator (ARSO); and Mr Santiago Fernandez De Cordoba, Chief, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) VSS Program among others.
The event witnessed:
- Bilateral Agreement with African Organisation for Standardisation: This landmark agreement is set to strengthen trade relations and harmonize standards, enhancing the global trade landscape
- Benchmarking of IndG.AP. by the GLOBAL G.A.P. through the National Technical Working Group (NTWG) mechanism and creation of National Interpretation Guidelines (NIG) impacting ~12,000 farmers, thus ensuring ‘Sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwaas’. Continuing with the engagement, India has inked agreements with Brazil, Mexico and now the African Regional Standards Organisation for cooperation on VSS.
- ONDC’s Digitalization Initiative: This initiative would align with ONDC’s commitment to fostering the e-commerce revolution, making trade more accessible and efficient in the digital age, support the IEC / ISO standards about material, product properties, calculation methods, formats of declarations, ensure Confidentiality and trustworthiness, facilitate Peer-to-peer communication decentralized architecture for full data sovereignty of all partners.
- Platform for Carbon Credits: Acknowledging the global urgency to address climate change and emissions reduction. This platform provides a unique avenue for nations and organizations to mitigate their carbon footprint and support sustainable trade practices
Shri Jaxay Shah, Chairperson, QCI welcomed all the guests and underscored the critical importance of sustainability for our planet and highlighted this year’s worldwide emphasis on “Sustainability Standards for Global Sustainability Goals.” He emphasized the necessity of robust links in global value chains to advance sustainable trade.
Mr Pedro Manuel Moreno, DSG, UNCTAD highlighted the importance of SDGs for global prosperity and the key role of Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) in promoting sustainable production and trade. He recognized the challenges VSS presents to stakeholders in developing nations. UNCTAD contributes through knowledge sharing, capacity building, and policy dialogues. Mr. Moreno also praised the Quality Council of India for benchmarking IndG.A.P with GLOBAL.G.A.P, facilitating farmers’ access to global markets.
Dr Harsha Vardhana Singh, Chair India PSS Platform, Former DDG WTO complimented QCI for being the first platform out of the 10 platforms created and the pioneering services of benchmarking and inking international cooperation with Brazil, Mexico and African Standardisation Organisation shows the commitment to enhancing trade through meaningful stakeholder engagement.
Shri Rajesh Maheshwari, SG, QCI complimented the Dignitaries and spoke about the rich tradition of India for practicing sustainability which is displayed through traditional practices and various treaties in international fora.
Dr Ralf Peters, Head of Trade Analysis, Division International Trade & Commodities, UNCTAD; Mr Joseph Wozniak, Director, T4SD Programme, International Trade Centre; Dr Virpi Stucki, Chief Division of Fair Production, Sustainability Standards & Trade, UNIDO; Mr Ignacio Antequera, Director Sales & Stakeholder Relations, GLOBALG.A.P. and Dr Axel Marx, Deputy Director, Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies, University of Leuven graced the occasion with their presence and shared their perspectives on topics including global sustainability goals, compliance with due diligence regulations in global value chains, the reinforcement of these chains through Voluntary Sustainability Standards, as well as discussions on CS3D and evolving trade scenarios within the forestry sector.
