Quality Council of India (QCI), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, played host to the ‘International Convention on Sustainable Trade and Standards’ (ICSTS) in New Delhi. This two-day event was organized in partnership with the United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards (UNFSS) and marked a significant milestone in trade relations and standards harmonization.
Bilateral Agreement with African Organisation for Standardisation
During the event, a landmark bilateral Agreement was inked between QCI and the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO). This agreement is poised to bolster trade relations and promote the harmonization of standards, thereby contributing to the enhancement of the global trade landscape.
IndG.A.P. Achieves Global Recognition
One of the highlights of the ICSTS was the benchmarking of the India Good Agricultural Practices (IndG.A.P.) scheme by the GLOBAL G.A.P. This was achieved through the collaborative efforts of the National Technical Working Group (NTWG) mechanism and the development of National Interpretation Guidelines (NIG). This recognition is expected to benefit approximately 12,000 farmers in India.
Expanding Cooperation with International Partners
In line with India’s commitment to Voluntary Sustainability Standards, the nation has signed agreements with Brazil, Mexico, and now the African Regional Standards Organisation, further extending its collaboration on sustainability standards.
Embracing Digital Transformation with the ONDC Initiative
The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) initiative, focusing on digitalization, aligns with India’s efforts to revolutionize e-commerce. This initiative aims to make trade more accessible and efficient in the digital age while adhering to the highest standards of material, product properties, calculation methods, and data format declarations. It places a strong emphasis on ensuring confidentiality, trustworthiness, and data sovereignty through a decentralized architecture that fosters peer-to-peer communication.
QCI’s Role in Assessing Digital Readiness
Recognizing the pivotal role of digitalization, the ONDC initiative has selected Quality Council of India (QCI) to assess the digital readiness of entities. This assessment is aimed at helping entities understand their preparedness to seamlessly onboard on the Seller App within the ONDC Network.
Distinguished Attendees
The ICSTS event saw the presence of esteemed dignitaries, including Shri Jaxay Shah, Chairperson of QCI; Dr. Harsha Vardhana Singh, Chair of the India PSS Platform and Former DDG of the World Trade Organization (WTO); Shri Rajesh Maheshwari, Secretary General of QCI; Dr. Virpi Stucki, Chief of the Division of Fair Production, Sustainability Standards, and Trade at UNIDO; Mr. Charles Gachahi, Eco Mark Africa, CACO and COCO Coordinator at ARSO; and Mr. Santiago Fernandez De Cordoba, Chief of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) VSS Program, among other distinguished guests.
