GPSNR Working Groups Update: June 2022

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Here are all their updates from the last month:

Strategy and Objectives Working Group

For the strategy and objectives working group, the development of the assurance model will be on priority for the next few months. To this end, they have finalised the draft terms of reference for an Assurance Model taskforce, which will be presented to the Executive Committee in their next meeting. Once approved, recruitment will begin extensively. The risk subgroup is also finalizing a document to be shared with the Executive Committee for their feedback.

Smallholder Representation Working Group

The group has submitted a resolution ahead of the July 22 General Assembly to restructure smallholder membership within GPSNR to enhance active participation. You can take a look at it in the GA Booklet here. In the next few months, they will begin planning smallholder workshops in Malaysia while also working on the smallholder policy equivalent. In case you missed it, they have also published an RFP recently to pilot agroforestry workshops for smallholders. Find it here. Preparations for a workshop for smallholders in Malaysia have also begun, which would be held in Q3 of 2022.

Policy Toolbox Working Group

In the last month, the group has finalised two major resolutions presented to the July General Assembly – one on the implementation guidance and the other on the disclosure requirements for year one reporting. Take a look here. Additionally, they have also finalised the guidance and templates for reporting for manufacturers and end users. If you are an end user or manufacturer who has not yet received the guidance and/or the templates, please write to the secretariat at info@gpsnr.org

For the next couple of months, the working group will be busy with finalising the operational guidance for the compliance panel and will continue conversations on the transparent reporting roadmap for years 2 and 3.

Capacity Building Working Group

After the kick-off of the GAPs coaching project in Indonesia with SNV and Koltiva, the group is  busy in the development of GPSNR’s knowledge sharing platform, which includes smallholder interviews, compiling and assessing responses of member surveys and holding focus group discussions. At the same time, they are working on advancing Capacity Building plans for Indonesia, Thailand and Côte d’Ivoire. 

They have also published two key RFPs for capacity building projects in Indonesia: one on disease fighting and the other on the provision of certified planting materials.

Shared Responsibility Working Group

The Shared Responsibility working group has prepared the Shared Responsibility framework resolution ahead of the GA, which you can read here

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GPSNR Working Groups Update: August 2021

It’s been a month of progress! Here are the updates from each working group:

Strategy and Objectives Working Group

While the working group did not meet this month, they are focussed on finalising the Theory of Change and organising a workshop for the same in September. The group will also continue to work on refining the platform’s external partnerships approval process. 

Smallholder Representation Working Group

After a successful onboarding workshop for Indonesian smallholders, the group is welcoming new smallholder members at GPSNR. They are also planning  similar workshops for smallholders in Srilanka and Cambodia in September. Workshops in India, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana are also being kept in view and will be scheduled as soon as the COVID-19 situation allows.

At the same time, the smallholders will meet to discuss GPSNR’s agroforestry position next month (in tandem with the Capacity Building Working Group). 

Policy Toolbox Working Group

This working group has received draft documents from consultants on three significant aspects of the GPSNR assurance model: the Implementation Guidance, the Reporting Requirements and the Compliance Panel Guidance. 

They are currently focussed on finalising the reporting requirements. For this, they need members to send in their feedback by 30th August. If you haven’t yet done so, please take a look at the form here. This will make it possible for us to vote on the Reporting Requirements by the General Assembly in December 2021. 

The group is also busy revising and finalising the Implementation Guidance, which will be voted on at the General Assembly in early 2021. 

Capacity Building Working Group

The group has completed an initial review of documents on agroforestry, and will now initiate a task force to develop a position on agroforestry. If you are interested in being part of the task force, please contact Aidan and Si Yuan at aidan@gpsnr.org and yeo.siyuan@gpsnr.org respectively. 

They are also starting a national capacity building subgroup in Thailand after Michelin pledged funding for key projects in the country. Should you be interested in joining this subgroup, you can also write to Aidan and Si Yuan! 

Traceability and Transparency Working Group

This working group is currently finalising the definition and acceptable levels of traceability for GPSNR and developing data collection and reporting standards together with the Policy Toolbox working group.

Shared Responsibility Working Group

As a step forward on the discussion about the long term financial model, the group has discussed the preliminary concept of a rubber trust fund. It is now seeking inputs to refine and further develop the foundations of thel model.

News

Strategy and Objectives Working Group Update – February 2020

The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Equity sub-Working Group are now finalized. The group is currently recruiting members to start work on developing a shared definition of equity and  assessing the current level of equity (or lack thereof) across the natural rubber supply chain, with the help of studies on Living Wage and Living Income, which will then inform recommendations on what can be done to promote equity along the supply chain. Members should ideally belong to the Strategy & Objectives Working Group. Any other GPSNR members who are keen to participate and possess relevant expertise may indicate, for consideration, their interest by sending an email to GPSNR Impact and Assurance Manager, Kobrat Sawasdivorn (kobrat@gpsnr.org) for consideration by the Chairs of the group, James Laimos and Martin Hollands.

Following a review of the proposals received, consultancy group James Griffiths & Associates Sàrl has been selected to commence the study on Human Rights and Labour Rights’ risk mapping in the global natural rubber value chain. The study aims to improve GPSNR’s understanding of the social risks across key natural rubber production and processing countries, to propose risk mitigation strategies for each region, and to identify relevant social sector stakeholder groups that can contribute through active membership in GPSNR. A survey has been designed for Strategy & Objectives Working Group members to set the scope of the study by defining geographic coverage, identifying current perceived social risks, and contributing key perspectives and reference materials.

‘Policy Toolbox’ Working Group

The drafters held a two-day physical meeting in Singapore over 13 and 14 February to finetune the policy components and baseline reporting requirements, with input from GPSNR members representing the processing and tire-making segments of the industry. The productive session saw open sharing from all participants, which provided insights into the processes and considerations of each sector and informed the discussion on the details of the policy components. The meeting participants also examined the assurance model and how it interfaces with policy development, as well as the support systems necessary to collect and share data securely. The meeting also saw the creation of a roadmap which lays out revised timelines and a work plan for the Working Group in its second year. Moving forward, these documents will be shared with the rest of the Policy Toolbox Working Group before being presented to the larger Strategy & Objectives Group.

‘Capacity Building’ Working Group

Members have started approaching the previously identified stakeholders in various rubber-producing countries to better understand the different challenges faced in promoting sustainability in natural rubber production, capacity building activities that have been conducted, and the degree of success (or lack thereof) of such activities, as well as how they can be improved upon. The Working Group has already received some responses from stakeholders in Brazil, Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand. Aggregated data from these interviews will then be presented to the Executive Committee. The insights gleaned from these interviews will go towards the development of a capacity building action plan, which will undergo several rounds of consultation with members, smallholders, donors and potential local partners.

‘Traceability and Transparency’ Working Group

The Working Group has developed Request for Proposals for two pilots. One pilot for a project that employs satellite mapping tools and a second pilot for a comparison study of three traceability tools.

The project aims to enhance and improve current High Conservation Value (HCV) and High Carbon Stock (HCS) mapping in areas where rubber is predominantly produced. The focus will be on a combination of tools that use remote sensing, satellite imagery and machine learning to map areas of potential deforestation and other identified risks. The Working Group will liaise with the Policy Toolbox Working Group to ensure alignment with GPSNR’s member requirements, which are currently being developed.

The three traceability tools that the comparison study will focus on are: supply chain tracking, supply chain mapping and artificial intelligence (satellite and remote sensing). The study will assess each tool’s methodology for identifying origin and collecting information, with the aim to make a suitable recommendation based on the Working Group’s specified criteria.

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