Updates from the Working Groups (Members Version)

What does it take to revive the Natural Rubber economy? Could the Natural Rubber 2.0 be the ultimate game changer for the new NR economy? These were some of the difficult questions discussed at the 15th Global Rubber Conference.

Hosted in Hainan, China from 12-14 December, with a theme on ‘Natural Rubber 2.0: The Game Changer’, the conference represented a very exciting event and opportunity for networking and knowledge sharing for Natural Rubber professionals in Asia, and in the rubber industry globally.

GPSNR Director Stefano Savi participated in the conference as a speaker and panel discussion member, to share updates with the industry participants about the progress of the Platform and its working groups. “Sustainability should not be seen as a threat by producers, but an opportunity to place natural Rubber as a leader in the global commodities landscape, best placed to deliver on the UN SDGs and the 2030 agenda.” said Stefano during his remarks, adding that “GPSNR is here to support smallholders in this journey, and ensure that the cost of this sustainable shift will not be borne by farmers, but supported by the industry through the Global Platform.”

Amidst the current backdrop of the fourth industrial revolution, the conference was a good opportunity to discuss the convergence of artificial intelligence and data technology as new solutions to address innovation gaps and current low demand for NR across the globe. It is obvious that from drones to satellite images and sensor technology, the natural rubber industry is poised for a radical change. So, what role will sustainability play in this desired and required industry shift? Will the natural rubber industry take advantage of this opportunity to improve its practices, maximise its positive impact, and reposition itself as a leader in innova

Assurance Model Task Force: As we approach the General Assembly in 2024 where the Assurance Model will be put up for voting, the taskforce is meeting regularly to discuss comments and incorporate comments from the second public consultation which is currently ongoing. This consultation focusses on feedback on Assessment Checklist, Assurance Protocol and Remediation Protocol, and will be accepting comments till 27 September 2024.  You can access the documents here and provide feedback here. 

Smallholders Representation and Capacity Building (SCB) Working Group: To operationalise projects with the funds collected from the Shared Investment Mechanism, the working group is setting up a project management subgroup to help in reviewing and monitoring projects under the SIM. The TOR is available here, and interested members should email cheewei@gpsrn.org by 11 October 2024. 

Additionally, Smallholders from all GPSNR member countries have nominated representatives for two positions following internal discussions within their countries: the Shared Investment Panel and the Project Management Subgroup. The final international voting is anticipated to conclude by the end of September 2024.

Shared Responsibility Working Group: The nominations for voting seats for the Shared Investment Panel are now open. Five voting seats will be allocated to manufacturers, while four voting seats will be reserved for non-manufacturers. To ensure equitable representation, each eligible member category will nominate one member to take up a voting seat.  All GPSNR member categories are currenting discussing this internally and will choose a nominee by October 2024. Please reach out to your EC representative for more details if you are not already in the discussions. 

Please note that nominees should ideally not submit capacity-building proposals this year, as they would need to recuse themselves from voting. If a category is unable to reach an agreement on a nominee, all seats will be opened for self-nominations from any member, regardless of category. In this case, the Executive Committee will vote to decide the final allocation of seats, which may result in multiple seats being held by members of the same category.