The International Fair Trade Charter: One Year On
Updated: Oct 15, 2019
The 25th September marks one year since the International Fair Trade Charter was launched. Over the last 12 months the Charter has been recognised by over 450 organisations and networks, translated into 6 languages and continues to be shared worldwide. Below you will find a few updates on relevant news since the launch of the Charter from across the global Fair Trade movement.
No Climate Justice Without Trade Justice
On the 29th November 2018, The International Fair Trade Movement called on the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to introduce transparent, fair and binding mechanisms for trade justice in order to achieve climate justice in their negotiations at COP24.
Building Fairer Economies: One Year of the International Fair Trade Charter
Guest article by the International Cooperative Alliance on the occasion of the first anniversary of the International Fair Trade Charter.
Fair Trade International Symposium announces hosts for 2020 and 2020 editions
The host for Fair Trade International Symposium in 2020 will be ECOSUR (San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico). This will be the first time that the FTIS will take place in the Global South, which opens great possibilities for more involvement of Fair Trade producer organisations. The symposium will take place in the week of 8 June.
Fair Trade movement and UNCTAD Join Forces
The United Nations conference on trade and development (UNCTAD) and the Fair Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO), a joint initiative of the World Fair Trade Organization and Fairtrade International, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 19 October 2018 in Madrid.
WFTO Review 2019: How Fair Trade is Helping Achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals
In May 2018, WFTO-Europe released a publication laying out some Fair Trade practices and ways of doing business that illustrate how Fair Trade in general is contributing to achieving the SDG's in the way they do business. The publication aims to raise awareness on alternative trading models and their contribution to the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Fairtrade Conference Aims for Decent Incomes and a Sustainable Future
The Fairtrade conference Changing Trade, Changing Lives explored trends in sustainability, supply chains and human rights, and assessed progress towards achieving decent incomes for the 1.6 million Fairtrade farmers and workers around the world. Leading brands including Nestlé, Mars Wrigley, Lidl, Coop, Fyffes and Barry Callebaut took part in the event.
New Steering Group for the International Fair Trade Towns Campaign
New members of the Steering Committee were elected according to the new Terms of Reference for the International Fair Trade Town Steering Committee, approved on 18 October 2018.
WFTO Release Two Reports on Gender Equality in the Workplace
For Women's Day 2019, WFTO released two reports about gender equity and women’s rights in the workplace. It makes concrete recommendations to governments on best practice regarding regulations that promote gender equity.