Fair Trade Wales and the WGC / WCVA Brexit Forum are delighted to announce the launch of Trade Justice Wales.

Trade Justice Wales is a 12 month pilot to create a network of organisations and academics with an interest in different Trade Justice areas. Stakeholders will work together across a range of ethical areas to ensure that the UK’s new trade policy and trade agreements support Welsh ambitions for a green and just recovery in line with Well-being of Future Generations goals.

Trade agreements are negotiated at the UK level by the UK Government but have practical effects in Wales and on Welsh policy. Yet there is limited capacity, skills and scope for Welsh civil society voices to influence and scrutinise UK trade policy and the resulting agreements.

This project will provide an opportunity to promote ambitious standards in trade agreements, address the knowledge and skills gap in this area with the provision of knowledge sharing and provide increased capacity and training opportunities. It will give organisations in Wales a collective voice in ensuring that trade policy is used to advance sustainable development.

If you would like to join the stakeholder mailing list for updates and meeting notifications then please register.

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Aileen Burmeister, Head of Fair Trade Wales said:

‘The Fair Trade movement in Wales has been campaigning for Trade to be fairer for farmers and workers for many years, and we have often worked in partnership with justice organisations from around the world.

We recognise that issues of Trade Justice impacts all areas of sustainability and ethics. As the UK makes its own trade deals, we look forward to working together to campaign for a fairer trade system that benefits all. We are thrilled to invite others to join our Trade Justice Wales Project.’

The team from the Wales Governance Centre which includes Professors Jo Hunt and Dan Wincott, Dr Ludivine Petetin and Charles Whitmore said:

‘The return of responsibility for negotiating external trade to the UK is a fundamental change that raises significant questions around the inclusion and involvement of stakeholders from Wales. New trade agreements are now being negotiated by the UK at pace in the context of a gap in coordinated civic society capacity and expertise.

The team in the Wales Governance Centre and Wales Council for Voluntary Action are delighted to be partnering with Fair Trade Wales to launch Trade Justice Wales. This project will seek to bring together academic and third sector expertise to increase coordinated capacity in Wales to advocate for socially responsible trade agreements.’

The first network meeting will be on Monday 31 January, register to receive the link. Trade Justice Wales is a 12 month pilot project in partnership between Fair Trade Wales and the Wales Governance Council / WCVA Brexit Forum, and is funded by a Cardiff University Innovation for All award.