The workshop took place to bring together network members of the German Institute of Development and Sustainability’s (IDOS) ‘Managing Global Governance’ (MGG) programme. Since 2015, the collaboration between scholars and practitioners has led to the establishment of national platforms or contact groups on voluntary or private sustainability standards in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico and South Africa. In addition, the network has collaborated with the United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards (UNFSS) through joint publications and conferences.

The workshop constituted the first opportunity to connect network members in person since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Its main objective was to develop concrete steps for further collaboration after the achievement of the goal of establishing national platforms and contact groups in the above-mentioned countries. In light of the closing of the BMZ-funding for the network’s activities, network members were looking for alternative channels to continue collaboration.