200 mayors support fair trade in post-2015 global goals for poverty eradication and sustainable development

The signees of the Fair Trade Beyond 2015 Declaration were unveiled today ahead of the United Nations’ event on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This Declaration, which has been signed amongst others by the Mayors of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Seoul (South Korea), Paris (France) and Madrid (Spain), calls on world leaders to support Fair Trade in the post-2015 global sustainable development framework that will replace the MDGs, stressing that any new global framework must also be a fair one.

 Today, in the run-up to the United Nations’ Special Event to Follow up Efforts Made Towards Achieving the MDGs, taking place on 25 September in New York, the Fair Trade movement unveiled the broad support for its campaign for a new sustainable development framework that will support Fair Trade and Trade Justice. Following the first signer, the Mayor of Poznan, Poland, 200 Mayors around the world, including those from Rio de Janeiro, Seoul, Paris, and Madrid as well as over 120 elected local authorities and 270 Civil Society Organisations have signed in the last months the Fair Trade Beyond 2015 Declaration. This declaration calls for a new global framework that creates a just, equitable and sustainable world and supports Fair Trade as a best-practice partnership for development between governments, local authorities, businesses and citizens.

In recent weeks, the results have also been handed over to various governments. When officially receiving the names of the signatories, Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs (pictured) said: “By bringing together the private sector, civil society and local authorities to empower small producers and agricultural workers, fair trade is an excellent example of the global partnership we are standing for.” He added that “the EU will continue engaging with its partners to support the uptake of fair trade and sustainable consumption and production practices”.

“We would like to thank all the signatory mayors, local leaders and civil society organisations around the world for making such a visible stand for Fair Trade," said Fair Trade Advocacy Office Executive Director Sergi Corbalán. “Fair Trade is a best practice on how poverty reduction can meet sustainable development. It would be therefore logical that the future sustainable development framework beyond 2015 promoted the uptake of Fair Trade.”

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