The APEC Connectivity Blueprint sets out APEC economies’ commitment to strengthening regional connectivity, including institutional connectivity.
This commitment is translated into the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040, which further states the goal of promoting “seamless connectivity, resilient supply chains and responsible business conduct”. Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS), covering areas such as environmental protection, social responsibility, food safety and climate change, have become an influential instrument in facilitating trade and market access and shaping supply chains. However, the rise of sustainability requirements that are increasingly mandatory and public sector-driven is creating new interactions among standards and conformance initiatives developed by public, private and international actors.
Against this backdrop, and building on two previous APEC projects on VSS (SCSC 06 2019A and SCSC 203 2023A), this workshop examines how VSS can contribute to APEC institutional connectivity and what key aspects need to be addressed to enable interoperability and support greater harmonization and alignment
The event is organized by China Standardization Association (CAS) in collaboration with UN Trade and Development. The workshop including group discussions is complemented by a survey and background report. The final report will follow.
Objectives
The workshop aims to:
- Review the emergence of sustainability requirements and implications for APEC Connectivity.
- Explore the role of sustainability standards and conformance initiatives including VSS in responding to sustainability requirements.
- Analyze operational considerations for connectivity and interoperability.
- Identify gaps and opportunities through discussion on how to strengthen APEC Connectivity including trade facilitation, supply chain connectivity, regulatory cooperation and coherence.
Participants
The conference is exclusive to the registered participants from 21 APEC member economies.
