As part of the Academic Advisory Council (AAC) of the United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards (UNFSS), the Managing Global Governance (MGG) Programme of the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik co-organizes the 2021 Annual Meeting that is hosted by the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. The meeting brings together a diverse mix of researchers and policy experts from various backgrounds (incl. from China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa) to investigate the impact and effectiveness of Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS).

DIE organizes a policy panel on VSS and Due Diligence. The aim of this panel is to critically evaluate the effects of emerging due diligence efforts in several European countries. Germany, France and the Netherlands have recently introduced due diligence regulations that aim to enforce certain social and environmental standards in the supply chain. Questions arise whether due diligence represents further trade barriers for developing countries and whether it undermines the positive impact and effectiveness of VSS.