Presentation on the High Conservation Value Approach

The 2nd General Assembly (GA) of the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) will be convened on 23 September 2020. Given the exceptional circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 crisis, the decision has been made to hold the GA virtually.

In making this decision, the GPSNR Executive Committee (EC) considered the importance of the issues that require a vote from GPSNR members, the impacts and consequences of a further postponement of the GA, as well as the current global situation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The EC felt that a GA held online would meet both criteria of ensuring the safety and comfort of GPSNR members while moving forward the effort of the Working Groups in achieving the Platform’s strategic outcomes.

The GA will take place online, with the voting process also conducted electronically. In lieu of face-to-face member engagements, a series of webinars will be organized to prepare members for the GA.

All members are reminded to submit to the Secretariat their proposed resolutions and/ or nominations for election to the Executive Committee no later than 1 August 2020.

What an interesting month has passed us by! As we step closer to the General Assembly of 2021, here’s what the working groups have on their plate:

Strategy and Objectives Working Group

After conducting 2 sessions of the Theory of Change (ToC) Workshop this month, the Strategy and Objectives working group will soon finalise the ToC document and potentially identify new strategies for GPSNR.

Smallholder Representation Working Group

After two successful smallholder onboarding workshops for smallholders from Indonesia and Cambodia, the working group is formally incorporating new smallholders from the two countries as GPSNR members. The group is also conducting onboarding workshops for India at the end of September and Sri Lanka and Thailand in October. 

At the same time, they are developing workshops to onboard more smallholders from Vietnam, Thailand, Ivory Coast, and Ghana and organizing the third Smallholders International Call next month. 

Policy Toolbox Working Group

As the General Assembly of 2021 comes closer, the group is continuing to develop the Implementation Guidance, Reporting Requirements and Compliance Panel Guidance. 

Capacity Building Working Group

As they develop key deliverables and milestones for Thailand National Subgroup and the Agroforestry Task Force, the Capacity Building Working Group is also busy with the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), a system to monitor impacts of capacity building activities and implementation plans for Ivory Coast and Indonesia.

Traceability and Transparency Working Group

This working group has developed a Traceability Benchmark to support member uptake of traceability and provided draft input and received feedback for Implementation Guidance on traceability. They are now working on finalising the draft and conducting member consultations on the Benchmark. 

Shared Responsibility Working Group

The group is currently exploring and discussing detailed  solutions to identified root causes for each focus area of shared responsibility. It is also drafting activities and a framework for Shared Responsibility for integration into other processes such as the Implementation Guidance.