2nd International Convention on Sustainable Trade and Standards (ICSTS)

SAO PAULO, 16-18 September 2019 - The United National Industrial Organization (UNIDO) participated in the 2nd International Convention on Sustainable Trade and Standards (ICSTS) which was held from 16 to 18 September 2019 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event was organized by the Brazilian Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (Inmetro), the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Firjan) and the United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards (UNFSS), of which UNIDO is a proud member together with UNCTAD, ITC, FAO and UNEP. The 2nd ICSTS aimed to advance multi-stakeholder dialogues on Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) as an avenue to improve the transparency of VSS, foster greater partnerships between trading partners towards achieving sustainable global value chains, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The conference was attended by more than 200 participants from over 15 different countries where Mr. Alessandro Amadio, the UNIDO Representative for Brazil and Venezuela led a panel discussion on “The role of industry actors in sustainable development and the global trading system”. In this discussion, industry actors shared their views on the way voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) can promote trade but, if badly managed, undermine it, particularly for SMEs and on what is implied as sustainable production and how this can boost exports.

Click here to read UNCTAD’s press release on the event.

For more information, contact Dominika Dor (d.dor [at] unido.org (d[dot]dor[at]unido[dot]org))