GPSNR’s new Policy Framework drives members commitment to sustainable rubber production and sourcing

A 22-23 January stakeholder workshop in Singapore saw Founding Members of the GPSNR and other stakeholders, align on a multi-stakeholder governance structure that includes a greater share of voting weight for civil society members. “This is a significant development,” said Stefano Savi, GPSNR Director “the model aligned on last week in Singapore comes out of a November 2018 workshop in Geneva – it’s a product of the dedication of all stakeholders to the shared goal of sustainable natural rubber – we’ve seen compromise from all parties, there’s a spirit of cooperation and inclusivity that shows there’s real commitment to make this work.”

The proposed governance structure will be put forward for adoption at the platform’s inaugural General Assembly (GA) planned for 21 March 2019, Singapore, scheduled in conjunction with the World Rubber Summit. Whilst multiple stakeholders have provided valuable input to the development of the platform thus far, governance roles and rights-to-vote are reserved for platform members only.

The platform includes the enrollment of smallholder members amongst its priorities. Despite the challenges associated with recruiting smallholder representatives, the more than 50 GPSNR stakeholders present at the workshop agreed that this critically important stakeholder group should be part of the GPSNR decision making structure. A dedicated working group will be established to coordinate actions to identify and secure adequate smallholder representation.

The workshop also confirmed the need for targeted member-recruitment to bolster the inclusion of rubber processors, NGOs specialized in social aspects relevant to rubber production, as well as non-tire manufacturing rubber makers.

“Agreement on platform governance is excellent progress and means the platform can better focus on the work ahead. We’re all aware of the critical challenges that remain, but there’s a feeling that, together, we can meet those challenges” said Savi, speaking at the close of the two-day workshop.

The appointed Country Champions have been in contact with the smallholders to ensure a good understanding of GPSNR through familiarization with the Statutes and Code of Conduct. These socialization efforts were carried out by means of teleconferencing, some taking place with the aid of interpreters. To complement these preliminary engagement sessions, the Working Group is creating a customised programme for the smallholders prior to this year’s General Assembly. It is important for the smallholders to meet face-to-face and have the chance to get to know each other, considering that some of them have never stepped foot outside their own country. As they will have to decide who will represent them in the Executive Committee if the new ‘Smallholder Producers’ membership category is approved, interaction with each other is imperative for them to make informed decisions.  

The sub-Group specially formed to focus on this issue has proposed a first draft of the programme, which was discussed at the recent Working Group meeting. At the moment, the programme includes sessions for the smallholders to learn more about each other, about GPSNR and the impact of their votes. They will also guide the smallholders in identifying their priorities and needs, and include sharing from GPSNR members in the other categories, so that smallholders can better understand how they can be effective members and work with others at both Working Group and Executive Committee levels. Aside from these proposed sessions, a half-day field trip is also being considered as a socio-cultural component. 

Looking towards the future, the Working Group is having ongoing discussions on how best to integrate smallholders into the various Working Groups. The language barrier has been identified as a key issue to address in order to achieve full inclusivity of smallholders. .