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A Common Ground for the TSPN: The Draft Network Charter

Steering Committee developed Draft Charter for the TSPN and encourages members to provide comments by July 31, 2009

The TSPN  Steering Committee met in advance of the  TSPN Conference on “Assessing Costs, Benefits and Impacts of Compliance with Forestry, Agriculture and Food Related Standards” to develop a draft version of the TSPN Charter. The Charter encompasses the Network's mission and objectives as well as the formal procedures of membership and organizational issues, such as roles and governance structure, meetings and Secretariat and Steering Committee roles and responsibilities.

Highlights of the Charter include the TSPN 's mission statement as well as the Network's core objectives. The mission statement of the TSPN is as follows: "Improve the effectiveness of initiatives that support developing country capacity and participation in the development and implementation of trade-related social, environmental, and food safety standards. We achieve this by means of policy research, knowledge management and exchange, and the dissemination of capacity building best practices. In doing so, the Network seeks to foster more sustainable, competitive, and equitable participation of developing countries in global value chains." The TSPN objectives are:

• Improve the effectiveness of technical assistance and related measures to strengthen developing country capacities by drawing lessons from implementation experiences and identifying ‘good and innovative practices’;
• Translate those findings into strategic and practical guidelines;
• Encourage the development of public private partnerships for developing countries to effectively respond to trade related standards;
• Assist developing country stakeholders to make informed decisions in relation to trade related standards and regulations;
• Undertake joint research and development of assessment tools;
• Provide a platform for knowledge management and exchange; and
• Develop and deepen collaboration among members in various analytical and field activities.

Comments, recommendations or suggestions on the TSPN Draft Charter are most welcome and shall be sent to the TSPN Secretariat. The Draft Charter will be finalized in early summer 2009. The first deadline for comments expired on June 30, 2009. The Draft Charter is now in the second round for comments, which ends July 31, 2009. 

Please click the following link to review the  TSPN Draft Charter:

TSPN Draft Charter [pdf, 364 KB]

by Johanna Zimmermann