22 Nov 2017
Fairtrade Joins Global Deal
Fairtrade International has been invited to join the Global Deal – a multi-stakeholder partnership initiated by the Swedish Prime Minister, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) – aiming to enhance social dialogue for decent work and inclusive growth.
Fairtrade joins 17 governments, 22 trade unions, 12 businesses and six other global organizations who have declared their specific institutional commitments to join the Global Deal partnership. Commitments range from governments ratifying and respecting the ILO's fundamental conventions, to businesses exercising greater due diligence in seeking responsible supply chains according to international standards.
At a high-level meeting in Geneva today, Fairtrade is sharing its Global Deal commitments, including:
- to work with businesses to advance their commitments to sustainable supply chains.
- to work with small producer organizations and hired labour organizations to comply with Fairtrade standards on environmental, social and economic sustainability.
- to work with governments, civil society organizations and trade unions to realise Sustainable Development Goals 8 and 12 as per Fairtrade product-specific needs.
- to leverage the unique strength of our grassroots consumer support to drive change through greater commitment to sustainable consumption and endorsement of sustainable production of Fairtrade consumable products.
The UN Sustainable Development Goal 8 relates to the promotion of decent work and economic growth, while Goal 12 pertains to responsible consumption and production patterns.
"Fairtrade is delighted to join this global initiative which directly aligns with our vision and mission and in particular our objectives under our 2020 Changing Trade – Changing Lives strategy" said Dario Soto Abril, CEO of Fairtrade International. "Only through a multi-stakeholder approach bringing together governments, the private sector and civil society can we achieve a Global Deal which enables economic and social justice for the millions of smallholder farmers and their families."
Sofia Östmark, Swedish Ambassador and Coordinator for the Global Deal, shared, "We are very pleased that Fairtrade has joined the Global Deal partnership. The work of Fairtrade is very much in line with the objectives of the Global Deal and we look forward to working together in this multi-stakeholder partnership to jointly address the challenges in the labour market and enabling more people to benefit from globalisation."