Message from the Director: Updates on COVID-19

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Dear Members,

Since our last update to you, the COVID-19 situation has escalated into a global pandemic, with Europe and the US some of the hardest hit areas. The implications for us as a multi-stakeholder platform, are many. Today, I am taking the opportunity to update you on how we have addressed the issues within our control.

Secretariat Operations
For the health and welfare of our staff, we have instituted a work from home recommendation. We are also complying with the local government travel advisory to defer all non-essential travel. Rest assured that these measures will have minimal disruption to the operations of the Secretariat, and we remain only an email or a teleconference call away.

Working Groups
All our Working Groups remain active and continue to make progress in their respective areas of focus despite the situation. They are taking the extra time to enhance their deliverables, and I am confident that we will have many sound proposals and resolutions to consider and approve as a Platform. I encourage you to read the updates on the News and Publications page of our website, so that you are aware of the achievements to date of our Strategy & Objectives and Smallholders Representation Working Groups.

General Assembly
The severity of this pandemic has caused inevitable delays to our 2nd General Assembly (GA). As the safety and wellbeing of our members is our utmost priority, we will not be able to hold the GA within the first half of the year as we had anticipated. Nevertheless, the Executive Committee is in ongoing discussions on plans for the GA, and, where necessary, will assist all Working Groups to finetune their proposals to ensure a smooth and productive GA.

Finally, I would like to thank each and every one of you for your continued contribution and teamwork even in these trying times. I also appreciate your understanding and patience as we decide on the best way forward for the Platform in these unprecedented times.

Our thoughts are with the natural rubber farmers and producers, and their families, whose livelihoods are being mostly impacted by COVID-19. To those whose family, friends or co-workers have been directly affected by the virus, our thoughts go out to you.

I urge you all to stay safe, stay vigilant, and stay positive.

All my support,

Stefano Savi
Director

March 26, 2020

More To Explore

News

Proposing National Strategies for Capacity Building

Following several rounds of further consultation amongst its members, the Capacity Building Working Group has finalized proposals for capacity building strategies for the four previously identified focus countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand. Within each of these proposals, the Working Group has defined key strategic approaches to best allow for immediate engagement and implementation.

Each proposal sets out the issues that have been identified as threatening the sustainable production of natural rubber, underlying causes for these issues, as well as a main objective. Within each proposal, the Working Group has suggested various strategic approaches, providing a rationale for chosen actions, and proposing impacts and resources required. While the Working Group recognizes that the issues do not represent the full list of challenges that stand in the way of national rubber production becoming sustainable, it highlights that the focus is on strategic approaches that allow for immediate engagement and implementation.

These proposals have been submitted to the Executive Committee for review and approval, while the Working Group concurrently addresses final concerns around the proposed strategy around a CO2 compensation scheme.

Looking ahead, detailed implementation plans and timelines will have to be developed upon approval of the proposed strategies. These are issues that the Working Group will be exploring in the weeks to come.

GPSNR Staff July 29, 2020

News

Maintaining Alignment in GPSNR’s Strategic Outlook

As the mid-year mark approaches, our Working Groups continue to make progress in their respective areas of focus. In spite of the setbacks brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, group calls and discussions remain as scheduled, with every intention to have deliverables ready for approval or presentation at the General Assembly 2020.

Final text for the proposed policy components and baseline reporting requirements, developed by the Policy Toolbox Working Group, have been proposed. The documents are being circulated for approval within the Working Group before being submitted to the Executive Committee. A pilot testing phase for the reporting requirements will be launched shortly after. More details on this will be released soon.

Along with the finalization of the Terms of References for the two pilot proposals, the Traceability and Transparency Working Group is also developing a budget and timeline for these pilot proposals, to be submitted to the Executive Committee for approval.

While there have been efforts between Working Groups revolving around calibration and aligning, the importance of alignment with all Working Groups is increasingly being recognized as important. Moving forward, the Strategy and Objectives Working Group will undertake a more coordinating role. This will see a Platform-wide effort to directly engage and align with the other Working Groups to better bring forward their strategies into the Theory of Change, understand their project plans and how to interact, and bring together input from all the Working Groups to support the development of Platform Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Within the Strategy and Objectives Working Group itself, work on filling out the Theory of Change continues. The Working Group is also liaising closely with consultant James Griffiths on his study on social risks following the presentation of a first draft to the Working Group for review.

GPSNR Staff May 21, 2020