The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is one of five regional commissions of the United Nations. Its major aim is to promote pan-European economic integration. UNECE includes 56 member States in Europe, North America and Asia. However, all interested United Nations member States may participate in the work of UNECE. Over 70 international professional organisations and other non-governmental organisations take part in UNECE activities.
UNECE contributes to enhancing the effectiveness of the United Nations through the regional implementation of outcomes of global United Nations Conferences and Summits. It gives focus to the United Nations global mandates in the economic field in cooperation with other global players and key stakeholders, notably the business community.
The UNECE Forest and Bioeconomy Section has led the ‘Forest for Fashion’ initiative together with various partners such as the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) since 2014, promoting wood-based fibres as sustainable material alternatives.
Through research and awareness raising activities, the Section recognizes and promotes the value of sustainably produced wood and wood-based products as environmentally friendly materials. It explores their role in advancing a circular, bio-based economy – looking at both opportunities and challenges for forest-based industries, including textile and fashion – and studies how shifts in market trends and demand for forest-based products impact forests and their sustainability.
The Section has developed various exhibits on “Forests, Fashion and the SDGs”, showcasing unique designs made from wood-based materials. On the occasion of the International Day of Forests 2024, the Section gathered experts to explore wood innovations in fashion and textiles, including man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCFs), highlighting their potential to reduce environmental impacts. The event also showcased pilot projects like wood-based geotextiles, offering sustainable alternatives to plastics in high-impact environments.
Together with actress and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Michelle Yeoh, the Section has also produced a short video on sustainable fashion called ‘Made in Forests’. Watch below!
UNECE with its Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) has a mandate to develop global standards to enhance transparency and traceability in global value chains, including in the fashion and textiles sector. Building on EU-funded project to improve traceability and transparency in the garment and footwear sector, which delivered international traceability standards, implementation guidelines, blockchain pilots and Recommendation No. 46, related policy recommendations, UNECE has provided the industry with tools to reduce the cost of due diligence, enable verifiable sustainability claims, and strengthen transparency in global fashion value chains.
During the second phase of the project, we are now supporting the drafting and adoption of UN/CEFACT REcommendation No. 49 on “Transparency at Scale – Fostering Sustainable Value Chains” and the development of the United Nations Transparency Protocol (UNTP) including a specific extension for adoption of the protocol in the textile sector. The UNTP is a decentralized and technology-neutral interoperability standard for cross-border and cross-industry exchange of trustworthy supply chain sustainability data.
Through this initiative, UNECE is helping to build a more sustainable and circular fashion industry by facilitating compliance with ESG requirements, supporting the scaling of circular business models, and strengthening consumer trust through reliable sustainability data.
