UNTP Meeting Archive

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Please note that this content is under development and is not ready for implementation. This status message will be updated as content development progresses.

In August 2025, the UNTP project team completed it's split into four working groups and a steering group. This page contains UNTP and Recommendation 49 team meeting minutes since the project started in November 2023 until the split into separate working groups in August 2025.

Previous Meetings

Meeting	Summary	Recording	Transcript
2025-07-24	The UNTP coordination meeting on 24 July 2025 focused on resolving calendar and GitLab access issues, progressing textile and copper extensions, aligning supply chain and conformity efforts, and onboarding new contributors.	video	transcript
2025-07-10	The 10 July 2025 UNTP Steering Group meeting addressed the adoption of Recommendation 49, the migration to UN-hosted GitLab, the formation of an extenders governance framework, working group progress, and challenges in confidentiality, mass balance accounting, and trust communication in supply chain traceability.	video	transcript
2025-06-26	The UNTP steering group discussed preparations for the upcoming Geneva plenary and Recommendation 49 approval, addressed mailing list and meeting coordination issues, reviewed subgroup progress, and explored governance for future UNTP extensions and interoperability.	video	transcript
2025-06-12	The UNTP meeting formalized four new working groups—Conformity, Product Passports, Adoption, and Technical—to advance implementation readiness ahead of the upcoming UN plenary, with subgroup leads outlining plans and new collaborations announced with GBA, ITC, and VC4Trade.	video	transcript
2025-05-29	The UNTP Working Group discussed copper supply chain traceability challenges, mass balance and book-and-claim models, credential mapping within UNTP, and previewed Tier 3 testing for verifying relationships between multiple verifiable credentials.	video	transcript
2025-05-14	The UNTP Technical Working Group reviewed and approved schema updates, demonstrated a new validation and mutual verification testing pipeline, discussed data model interoperability across ecosystems like GS1, and prepared for the upcoming 0.6 release with contributions from new and returning participants.	video	transcript
2025-04-17	The UNTP team met to discuss updates on Recommendation 49, roadmap milestones, pilot project planning across sectors, subgroup formation, and key terminology and data structure decisions, welcoming several new participants to the initiative.	video	transcript
2025-04-03	The UNTP working group, led by Steve and Brett, reviewed draft terms of reference for subgroups and introduced a proposed Sustainability Vocabulary Catalog to standardize and digitize conformity criteria, while participants raised concerns around governance, classification, and AI integration.	video	transcript
2025-03-20	The UNTP meeting focused on strengthening governance, introducing subcommittees for scalability, and advancing work on a machine-readable sustainability criteria catalog to support digital product passports.	video	transcript
2025-03-06	The meeting covered updates on GS1's commitment, improvements to the information architecture, the UNTP Playground's credential validation features, and a discussion on whether bulk materials require a separate Digital Material Passport, concluding that further testing is needed.	video	transcript
2025-02-20	The meeting focused on preparing UNTP for public review, addressing governance, simplifying specifications, improving usability, and ensuring alignment with Recommendation 49 while planning for future pilots and implementations.	video	transcript
2025-02-06	The UNTP meeting focused on reviewing change requests, refining the identity resolver framework, approving the verifiable credentials update, discussing implementation guidance, exploring certification and governance models, and addressing open issues for future development.	video	transcript
2025-01-23	The meeting focused on enhancing UNTP governance, fostering community engagement through CAP, refining chain of custody models, and exploring tools for effective collaboration, setting the stage for further iterations and sector-specific applications.	video	transcript
2025-01-08	The meeting addressed progress on UNTP implementations, focusing on decentralized access control, sustainable mining, and selective disclosure, while initiating discussions on managing mixed commodities and advancing public review of specifications.	video	transcript
2024-12-12	The meeting discussed progress on UNTP collaborations, technical updates, and pilot projects, with participants emphasizing interoperability, schema flexibility, and industry-specific implementations for 2025 goals.	video	transcript
2024-11-28	The meeetingunderscored the progress in developing agricultural extensions for UNTP, the usability of tools like the playground, and the importance of addressing business challenges alongside technical ones.	transcript	video
2024-11-14	The UNTP working group discussed recent industry commitments, advanced business case documentation, and proposed a community-driven testing support ecosystem to enhance UNTP implementation and interoperability.	video	transcript
2024-10-31	The team discussed updates on UNTP governance, digital product passport collaborations, and the methodology for industry-specific extensions, focusing on security, visibility, and implementation compliance.	video	transcript
2024-10-17	The team discussed the latest updates on UNTP credential implementation, focusing on testing, identity resolution processes, and potential trust anchors for bulk commodity tracking.	video	transcript
2024-10-03	The meeting focused on reviewing and refining the business case content for Digital Product Passport implementation, addressing technical bugs, and preparing the materials for broader feedback and publication.	video	transcript
2024-09-19	The meeting focused on reviewing new registration requests, addressing syntax and human-readability issues in traceability events, planning updates to the REC 49 policy document, and discussing business case development for public and private sector value.	video	transcript
2024-09-11	The meeting covered updates on standards integration, implementation commitments from key stakeholders like the British Columbia government, and the plan to freeze UNTP version 0.4.0 for upcoming pilot programs.	video	transcript
2024-09-05	The meeting focused on updates and discussions around the development of a global digital product passport, business case frameworks, and the importance of community activation in implementing UNTP extensions.	video	transcript
2024-08-28	The meeting focused on updates and discussions around the development of a global digital product passport, business case frameworks, and the importance of community activation in implementing UNTP extensions.	video	transcript
2024-08-22	The meeting focused on refining the business case content, updating the digital product passport schema, and preparing to solicit implementation commitments as the team moves towards a stable 1.0 release by the end of the year.	video	transcript
2024-08-15	The meeting focused on refining digital product passports, facility records, and conformity assessment schemes while establishing a working group to develop the business case pages.	video	transcript
2024-08-01	The meeting focused on refining the business case for the UNTP, discussing the inclusion of emissions and circularity performance in digital product passports, and balancing simplicity with the need for reliable data to encourage voluntary adoption.	video	transcript
2024-07-25	The meeting focused on updates from recent presentations in Geneva, a planned demo on TrustGraphs, reviews of multiple pull requests, discussions on various issues including human observations as sensors, and setting action items for updating digital product passport pages and creating a glossary for standards and acronyms.	video	transcript
2024-07-17	The meeting discussed integrating business experts, collaboration with CENELEC on global standards, and reviewing a significant pull request to enhance data model consistency and governance.	video	transcript
2024-07-04	The meeting focused on reviewing PRs for digital product passports, discussing the integration of JSON-LD and JSON Schema for transparency graphs, and planning next steps for refining and testing the models.	video	transcript
2024-06-27	The meeting focused on reviewing and addressing public comments on Recommendation 49, planning the consolidation of these comments over the weekend, introducing a new digital identity anchor credential, and discussing the governance and versioning of standards.)	video	transcript
2024-06-19	The meeting focused on aligning implementation tools and conformity credentials with VCDM, renaming digital link resolver to identity resolver, restructuring the site, and discussing the use of the Jargon tool for generating context files.	video	transcript
2024-06-13	TThe meeting focused on reviewing and merging key pull requests, discussing the UNTP architecture and methodology, and planning actions for schema and context file alignment.	video	transcript
2024-06-05	The meeting focused on improving meeting participation, managing transcription and summary processes, handling JSON schema and JSON-LD context differences, addressing challenges with semantic interoperability, and establishing principles for managing context files.	video	transcript
2024-05-30	The meeting focused on addressing pull requests, aligning with EU right-to-repair regulations, and discussing the challenges and strategies for maintaining and verifying digital product passports within the supply chain.	video	transcript
2024-05-23	The Working Group discussed updates to the digital product passport sample file, terminology adjustments, and the adoption of a "transparency graph" to better align with the VC data model and enhance data validation and provenance.	video	transcript
2024-05-16	In the meeting, the team discussed updates to project examples and data models, alignment with international standards, and strategies for maintaining interoperability and accurate mappings in linked data while preparing for upcoming pilot implementations.	video	transcript
2024-05-09	The meeting focused on aligning digital product passport models with the VC data model, removing scoring elements to simplify the structure, and discussing the implementation of trust graphs and multilingual support using governed overlays.	video	transcript
2024-04-25	The meeting focused on reviewing and processing pull requests, assigning stale issues, and emphasizing broader collaboration within the group, with key discussions on traceability event schema updates and the verification of identifiers.	video	transcript
2024-04-18	The April 18, 2024, meeting focused on streamlining specification sections, reviewing and merging several pull requests, and discussing key issues related to verification and trust graphs, with commitments to create examples and improve meeting efficiency.	video	transcript
2024-04-11	The meeting focused on discussing industry use cases for the Digital Product Passport, trust and credential verification methods, and agreeing on future tasks and pilot projects, with an emphasis on more active use of Slack for ongoing discussions.)	video	transcript
2024-04-04	The meeting focused on refining digital product passports and verifiable credentials, emphasizing interoperability, traceability, and the development of clear business requirements to guide technical decisions.	video	transcript
2024-03-28	The meeting focused on discussing and refining the digital product passport (DPP) structure, addressing the challenges of integrating claims and evidence at different levels, and planning further updates and reviews to ensure its practical implementation.	video	transcript
2024-03-14	The team discussed the successful submission of the policy document, agreed on weekly meetings, reviewed technical specifications and PRs, and demonstrated GitHub contribution processes.	video	transcript
2024-02-29	The team discussed updates from Europe, aligned on the structure of recommendations and challenges in their document, and set a plan for finalizing the document for submission by the end of the week.	video	transcript
2024-02-15	The meeting focused on refining the policy document draft by incorporating feedback, simplifying technical language, and aligning with global frameworks to prepare for final review and public release.	video	transcript
2024-02-01	The meeting focused on refining the structure and content of the policy document, discussing the sustainability pledge, addressing collaboration challenges in value chains, and planning the next steps for finalizing the draft for public consultation.	video	transcript
2024-01-25	The meeting focused on refining the structure and content of the policy document, discussing the sustainability pledge, addressing collaboration challenges in value chains, and planning the next steps for finalizing the draft for public consultation.	video	transcript
2024-01-18	The meeting focused on reviewing GitHub issues, demonstrating verifier experiences, discussing schema context, developing a sustainability vocabulary, handling versioning and implementation profiles, and planning for industry-specific extensions of UNTP.	video	transcript
2024-01-11	The meeting focused on reviewing the registration status, introducing the structure of the GitHub repository for technical specifications, discussing key sections and their alignment with existing standards, and planning to split into separate technical and policy teams for focused work.	video	transcript
2023-12-14	The meeting focused on revising the structure of Recommendation 49, enhancing communication strategies, inviting contributions, and planning technical content development for implementation, with follow-up actions and scheduling outlined.	video	transcript
2023-11-30	The meeting focused on refining communication strategies and restructuring Recommendation 49 to align with previous UN recommendations, emphasizing flexibility, implementability, and stakeholder engagement.	video	transcript

2025-07-24 Meeting Summary

Participants

• Steve Capell (Chair, UN/UNECE)
• Matthias Knappe (UNECE)
• Nick Boyland (Supply Chain Working Group)
• Zach (Conformity Working Group)
• Bertus (Rhino Alliance)
• Virginia (Calendar coordination concerns)
• Emiliano (Cortec / BC Provincial Government)
• Dan Miller (Entrepreneur, Fashion Sector, Berlin)
• Carolyn (Trey Surfer, Uruguay)
• Jason Berry Hill (mentioned, Holochain)
• Adrian (UNTP contributor)
• Suzanne, Harley Thomas, Gerhard Helmskerk (mentioned contributors)
• Nancy, Susanne (consultants)
• Hilary (Coppermark – mentioned)
• Others unnamed due to anonymity in transcript (e.g., Speaker 13)

---

Key Discussion Points

1. Calendar and Meeting Access Issues

• Persistent issues with ICS calendar invites not syncing with Outlook or Google Calendar.
• Emails from Jason Berry Hill (Holochain) caused confusion.
• Steve acknowledged the limitations of GitHub-based distribution and proposed exploring ICS alternatives.
• Bertus suggested a unified, subscribable calendar, referencing experience with Basecamp.

2. Migration to UN-hosted GitLab

• UNTP is moving from GitHub to a UN-hosted GitLab under the UN Open Source Programme.
• Benefits include broader global accessibility and greater UN control.
• Some functionality differences from GitHub noted, especially around self-registration.
• UNICC is considering allowing low-permission self-registrations for visibility and join requests.
• Participants acknowledged some friction but agreed the move legitimizes the platform under UN auspices.

3. Extension Updates

Textile Extension

• Led internally by UNECE with early testing planned for early 2026.
• Builds on Recommendation 46 and past garment sector work.
• Supported by brands and consultants (e.g., Harley Thomas, Gerhard Helmskerk).
• An external owner will be sought as maturity increases.

Copper Extension

• In collaboration with the International Copper Association.
• Will serve as a model for future extensions.
• Overlaps with Global Battery Alliance and Recommendation 49.
• Plans for a broader UN recommendation on critical raw materials.

4. Supply Chain Working Group Update (Nick)

• Focused on practical implementation support for scheme owners.
• Active collaboration with Global Battery Alliance (GBA); Coppermark contact pending.
• Initiated knowledge-sharing interviews, beginning with Harley Thomas.
• Will explore mass balance accounting for bulk materials, possibly with Adrian and Steve.

5. Conformity Working Group Update (Zach)

• 28 participants joined the kickoff.
• Formed a subgroup to focus on the Sustainability Vocabulary Catalog (SVC).
• Emphasized need to align with supply chain mappings (e.g., Coppermark).
• Discussed importance of communicating technical concepts in a business-friendly language.

6. Adoption Working Group Update (Speaker 3)

• Light attendance due to summer holidays.
• Discussed communications, including simplifying FAQ content for non-technical users.
• Aims to streamline community questions toward appropriate working groups.
• Work continues on the communications package; Adriana and Christoph are leading.

7. Technical Group

• No updates this week.

8. New Introductions

• Emiliano (Cortec): Supporting BC government's UNTP implementation.
• Dan Miller: Supporting fashion brands with extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations.
• Carolyn (Trey Surfer): Experience with DPPs, plastics, and textiles – interested in collaboration.

Action Items

Item	Owner	Description	Due
1	Steve	Resolve ICS/calendar invite sync issues (Google, Outlook, Apple) and evaluate centralized calendar solutions (e.g. Basecamp approach).	Before next meeting
2	Steve / Bertus	Discuss feasibility of UNTP-wide subscribable calendar, possibly outside GitLab.	ASAP
3	UNICC	Investigate support for low-permission self-registration on GitLab.	In progress
4	Matthias	Continue development of textile and copper extensions and plan engagement with stakeholders.	Ongoing
5	Nick / Adrian / Steve	Hold scoping call re: interoperable mass balance accounting for upstream bulk materials.	Next week
6	Nick	Start GBA mapping; initiate contact with Coppermark and align with conformity group.	In progress
7	Zach	Coordinate SVC definitions with supply chain mapping efforts.	Ongoing
8	Zach / Nick	Connect with Hilary (Coppermark COO) for deeper collaboration.	Next call
9	Adoption Group	Draft FAQs with non-technical language. Route questions appropriately from implementers/extenders.	In progress
10	Steve	Provide interim process for registration requests that can't be submitted on GitLab (e.g., via email).	Immediate
11	Newcomers	Emiliano, Carolyn, Dan to review UNTP materials and identify areas for contribution.	Self-directed

2025-07-10 Meeting Summary

UNTP Steering Group Meeting – Summary Date: 10 July 2025 Chair: Steve Capell Purpose: Governance, roadmap, and technical coordination for UNTP implementation.

Participants

• Steve Capell (Chair, UN/UNECE)
• Matthias Knappe (UNECE)
• Nick Smith (Supply Chain Working Group Lead)
• Michael Wild (Adoption Working Group Lead)
• Gideon (Conformity Assessment Specialist)
• Suzanne (GBA Technical Lead, Conformity Group)
• Anil Jauri (New participant, India)
• Ali (Candidate Technical Lead)
• Zach (Mentioned as site maintainer)
• Additional silent participants or late joiners unnamed in transcript

Key Updates and Discussion Points

1. Recommendation 49 Adopted by UN Member States

• The plenary approved Recommendation 49, a policy guidance document that legitimizes UNTP without locking in specific architecture details.
• Annex 1 (detailed UNTP architecture) was removed to ensure long-term relevance of the policy.

2. Transition from GitHub to UN-Hosted GitLab

• UNTP is migrating to GitLab under the UN Open Source Program for better control and global access.
• Transition supports the forthcoming Public Review of v0.6 (leading to v0.7 pre-release and eventually v1.0).
• Some participants expressed difficulty navigating Git platforms; Steve emphasized that technical leads can handle updates based on business user input.

3. Launch of the Extenders Governance Group

• Led by Matthias Knappe; aims to define the rights and responsibilities of "extenders" (sector-specific adaptation communities).

• Existing and forthcoming extensions include:

  • Global Battery Alliance
  • Responsible Business Alliance
  • Australian Agriculture
  • Built Environment
  • Textiles (forthcoming)

• A temporary governance task force is forming, likely to report through the Adoption Working Group.

4. Technical Gaps Identified for Further Work

• Confidentiality vs. Transparency: Need better documentation on how to protect sensitive upstream data while preserving verifiability and traceability.
• Mass Balance Accounting for Bulk Commodities: Standard approaches needed for digital traceability of commodities like grain or copper concentrate across platforms.

5. Working Group Updates

• Supply Chain Working Group (Nick Smith):

  • Focused on practical implementation support for copper and battery extensions.
  • Gathering lessons from early implementers.
  • Holding weekly meetings across time zones; welcomes new contributors.
  • Aims to build momentum through small deliverables.

• Conformity Working Group (Suzanne):

  • Kick-off meeting scheduled for next Tuesday.
  • Brett (lead) was not present, possibly due to calendar delivery issues.
  • Suzanne offered tech support for GitLab contributions.
  • Discussion on aligning scheme owners and conformity standards (e.g., ISO/CASCO, Coppermark).

• Adoption Working Group (Michael Wild):

  • Second call to follow this meeting.
  • Terms of reference and meeting schedules now online.
  • Grouping activities into work packages (e.g., business case development, comms, capacity building).
  • Encourages participation from those interested in ecosystem and extension onboarding.

• Technical Group:

  • No formal lead yet; Ali identified as strong candidate.
  • Steve currently acting as interim lead.

6. Confidentiality vs. Trust Models

• Steve presented a visual maturity model:

  • Low Trust / High Duplication: Ambit self-declarations with minimal evidence.
  • Medium Trust / Medium Duplication: Third-party audits generating conformity credentials.
  • High Trust / Low Duplication (Future): Selectively redacted verifiable graphs (e.g., using zero-knowledge proofs).

• Participants emphasized:

  • The need to communicate trust level clearly (Gideon).
  • Support for self-issued claims as a low-barrier entry point (Suzanne).
  • Flexibility across use cases, sectors, and trust requirements.

---

Action Items

Item	Owner	Description	Due
1	Steve	Improve mail/calendar system to avoid spam folder issues (e.g., Gaggle Mail limitations).	Before next meeting
2	Matthias	Define and launch temporary Extenders Governance Task Force and onboarding framework.	In progress
3	Nick Smith	Update supply chain working group page with meeting times, minutes, and join instructions.	Immediate
4	Suzanne / Brett	Kick off Conformity Group and clarify how scheme conformity and digital credentials interrelate.	Next Tuesday
5	Michael Wild	Define adoption working group work packages and assign members.	Ongoing
6	Steve / Technical Group	Explore and document confidentiality-preserving approaches (e.g., verifiable redacted graphs, ZKPs).	Ongoing
7	All Group Leads	Ensure next meeting times and Zoom links are updated on UNTP site steering page.	Immediate
8	Suzanne / Steve	Explore collaboration with Solid (Tim Berners-Lee project) on redacted graph proofs.	Backlog
9	Gideon	Develop simplified terminology for levels of assurance (self-assessment vs. third-party).	In progress
10	All Participants	Join relevant working groups and provide feedback on onboarding clarity and tooling support.	Ongoing

2025-06-26 Meeting Summary

Date: 26 June 2025 Location: Virtual (Zoom) Chair: Steve Capell

Attendees

(Note: list inferred from transcript; not all full names were captured)

• Steve Capell (Chair, UNTP)
• Nancy (UN/UNCEFACT Chair)
• Brett (Conformance Group Lead)
• Michael (Adoption Group Lead)
• Nick (Supply Chain Implementation Group Lead)
• Zach (Technical Contributor)
• Gideon (ISOCASCO/Conformity Assessment)
• Brie
• Finn
• Will Nixon (Australia)
• Additional unnamed participants from Canada, Austria/Ireland, UK, US

Key Discussion Points

1. Attendance and Mailing List Confusion

• Lower than usual turnout (~10 vs expected 20) due to mailing list transition from Google Groups to Gaggle.
• Meeting invites likely ended up in participants’ junk folders.
• Calendar issues also noted due to time zone shifts; Steve committed to clarifying on the website and via direct email.

2. Upcoming Geneva Events

• UNCEFACT Plenary (2-day) to review work plan including sustainability and UNTP.
• Recommendation 49 (“Transparency at Scale”) is up for approval.
• UNECE is hosting several digital product passport (DPP) events in batteries, textiles, etc.
• Open Wallet Foundation hosting an in-person-only event on decentralized identity; UN is a co-organizer.

3. Status of Recommendation 49

• Nancy reported growing support, especially after her presentation at UN Open Source Week.
• Only notable concern from Germany, requesting either removal or modification of annex referencing UNTP.
• Language is being negotiated to reach consensus.
• Support letters to national Heads of Delegation from experts are encouraged.

4. UNTP Extension Framework

• Global Battery Alliance has formally requested to lead a battery-specific UNTP extension.
• A governance framework for extenders is being developed; first meeting in Geneva.
• Discussion on when and how extenders gain influence on UNTP core.

5. Governance and Interoperability

• Need for consistent criteria across different schemes (e.g., carbon measurement, conformance).
• Two interoperability concerns: data schema and scheme comparability.
• Gideon emphasized the importance of early alignment with global conformity assessment frameworks.

6. Working Group Updates

Conformance Group (Lead: Brett)

• 37 members; kickoff meeting scheduled for 15 July.
• Aligning with ISO/CASCO to avoid redundancy.

Adoption Group (Lead: Michael)

• First call held; lower attendance possibly due to timing and link confusion.
• 15 members on the list.
• Planning next meeting and stakeholder assignments.

Supply Chain Implementation Group (Lead: Nick)

• 8 members actively engaged.
• Draft terms of reference reviewed.
• Focus on real-world DPP implementations, capturing lessons learned, and data mapping.

7. Technical Update

• Awaiting lead.
• Playground testing tool being upgraded to support linked verifiable credentials.
• V0.6 release now available for pilot implementations.
• Discussion on possibly migrating key technical components (e.g., digital identity anchor spec) to broader UN projects like Global Trust Registry and VC for Trade.

8. Blockchain Feedback

• Feedback received requesting softer language regarding blockchain use in the verifiable credentials profile.
• Agreed to revise wording with care to remain inclusive but avoid platform bias.

9. Transparency and Documentation

• Agreement that subgroups should publish meeting summaries and optionally transcripts.
• GitHub tickets tagged by group are to be used for cross-group visibility and coordination.

Action Items

• Steve:

  • Send direct email (not via Gaggle) to clarify mailing list and meeting details.
  • Update meeting time on website.
  • Follow up with heads of delegation contacts for letter-writing support.
  • Add Brett and Michael to the Extenders Group Geneva meeting.

• Working Group Leads:

  • Publish meeting summaries on their respective UNTP pages.
  • Encourage issue tracking and cross-tagging in GitHub.

• Participants:

  • Review Recommendation 49 and consider writing support letters to heads of delegation.

2025-06-12 Meeting Summary

Date: 12 June 2025 Recording: Publicly available Chair: Steve Capell

Participants

• Steve Capell (Chair)
• Brett Hyland (Conformity Group Lead)
• Michael Shea (Adoption Group Lead)
• Nick P (Product Passport Group Lead)
• Nis Jespersen (VC4Trade Initiative)
• Suzanne (Technical Contributor)
• Zach Seuss (Technical Editor for Conformity and Adoption Groups)
• Phil (noted in discussion)
• Other participants not individually named in transcript

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Summary of Contributions

Opening Remarks – Steve Capell

• Welcomed attendees and introduced new structure: four subgroups (Conformity, Product/Facility, Adoption, Technical).

• Updated the group on UNTP progress:

  • Preparation underway for UN plenary (early July); lobbying to ensure RET49 passes without objection.
  • Participation in global events such as the Open Wallet Foundation’s collaboration summit.
  • Coordination with Global Battery Alliance (GBA) and CatenaX to develop battery-specific UNTP extensions.
  • Collaboration with the International Trade Centre (ITC) for tooling to support SMEs using UNTP.

• Apologized for the delay in publishing subgroup infrastructure on GitHub but committed to submitting a pull request the next day.

Brett Hyland – Conformity Working Group

• Outlined the purpose of the group: ensuring credibility of voluntary sustainability claims through recognized conformity assessment processes.

• Described the role of ISO/CASCO and WTO obligations for verified compliance.

• Highlighted legacy work under UN CFACT and its evolution into the new working group.

• Shared primary deliverables:

  • Digital Conformity Credential (DCC) specification.
  • Sustainability Vocabulary Catalogue (SVC).

• 26 people have expressed interest; first meeting to be scheduled soon.

• Zach Seuss to serve as technical editor.

Michael Shea – Adoption Working Group

• Role of the group: develop business case for UNTP, increase uptake, and support implementers.

• Meetings will occur fortnightly on alternating time zones to cover global participation.

• Goals include:

  • Finalizing business case content.
  • Drafting letter of intent templates for implementers/extenders.
  • Providing outreach and training resources.
  • Clarifying UNTP’s complementarity with EU, ISO, IEEE, and ITU standards.

• Active Slack channel renamed for the group; participants invited via Slack or email.

Nick P – Product Passport & Facility Record Working Group

• Focus on practical application of DPPs (Digital Product Passports), DFRs (Facility Records), and DTEs.
• Brought an industrial and ESG manager perspective to the effort.
• Emphasized harmonizing existing disclosure requirements using the DPP as a common carrier.
• Group will explore selective disclosure and re-use of existing DPP content across frameworks like CSRD and EUDR.
• Encouraged participation from technical experts to support the group’s efforts.

Steve Capell – Technical Working Group (interim lead)

• Covers maintenance of:

  • UNTP’s Verifiable Credentials profile.
  • Identity resolver and access control.
  • Test suites and schema validation tools.

• Version 0.6 of the technical artifacts is nearly ready and addresses prior semantic and JSON-LD issues.

• Group lead still to be confirmed.

Nis Jespersen – VC4Trade Initiative

• Introduced new project to apply UNTP architecture to traditional trade documents (e.g. invoices, bills of lading).
• Based on ICC KTDDE data models; aims to improve trade document interoperability with verifiable credentials.
• Project will coordinate with ICC DSI and UNECE.

Additional Comments

• Brett raised concern over ICC parent organization’s policy brief potentially overlapping UNTP without acknowledgment.
• Nick noted possible carbon-related duplications in ICC efforts and flagged for subgroup attention.
• Suzanne raised a GitHub permission issue, which Steve will investigate.

Action Items

Task	Responsible	Deadline
Submit GitHub PR to establish subgroup pages and signup mechanisms	Steve Capell	13 June 2025
Finalize and publish Conformity Group kickoff schedule	Brett Hyland	Mid-June 2025
Promote Adoption WG on LinkedIn and begin first working session	Michael Shea	26 June 2025
Confirm technical lead for Technical WG	Steve Capell	ASAP
Resolve GitHub permission issue for Suzanne	Steve Capell	ASAP
VC4Trade project to finalize mailing lists and meeting structure	Nis Jespersen	TBD
Review ICC “Data Flows in Supply Chains” paper for overlap	Brett/Nick	TBD

2025-05-29 Meeting Summary

UNTP Working Group – Meeting Summary Date: 29 May 2025 Chair: Steve Capell Recording: Confirmed, to be published Session Type: Technical status meeting

Participants (Named)

• Steve Capell – Chair, presented chain of custody models and led discussion
• Phil Archer – Provided update on IANA registration for DPP link relation type
• Nancy Norris – Chair of the UNCFACT Bureau; described UNCFACT’s oversight and copper industry interest
• Nick Smith – Commented on mass balance, government-linked registries, and emissions data aggregation
• Michael – Presented Tier 3 testing proof of concept for credential trust graphs
• Adriana – Raised questions on access control and data visibility for traders
• Ali (Canada) – Described practical implementation of mass balance in mining operations
• Brett – Asked about access to Tier 3 testing tools
• Other noted speakers: Zach (mentioned), Jordan, and unnamed participants from Surpass and other affiliated organizations

Key Topics Discussed

1. IANA Link Relation Registration

• Phil is registering "dpp" as an IANA link relation type.
• UNTP will be cited as the primary reference, with an equivalence note to GS1’s DPP.
• The working group agreed with the proposed short, precise definition.

2. Chain of Custody in Copper Supply Chain

• Steve presented a multi-step diagram from mine to EV recycling, explaining transformation from ore to concentrate, blister, cathodes, and manufactured goods.
• Discussion focused on identity, traceability, and batch blending complexities—especially where smelters/refiners mix inputs from multiple sources.

3. Mass Balance and Guarantee of Origin

• Mass balance models were discussed as key mechanisms to trace sustainability attributes through mixed material flows.
• The need for quota management and assurance was emphasized, with commentary from Nick and Ali on real-world practices in Australia and Canada.
• Nancy noted that Coppermark and IRMA already audit chain-of-custody systems rather than individual transactions.

4. Trading and Obfuscation

• Traders often redact source identities due to commercial sensitivities.
• Adriana and others discussed access control solutions using UNTP’s decentralized access model.
• Quality assurance requirements in sectors like defense and aerospace were noted as potential drivers for full traceability.

5. Book and Claim Models

• Explored as complementary to traceability, particularly when traceability is impractical or cost-prohibitive.
• Nancy and Nick highlighted their utility in incentivizing sustainability improvements at the source.
• Discussion raised the issue of potential double counting and the role of registry programs in preventing it.

6. UNTP Mapping

• Steve proposed that guarantees of origin be treated as digital conformity credentials (DCCs), and stock/flow data as traceability events (DTEs).
• The group generally agreed this was a practical mapping to UNTP concepts.

7. Tier 3 Testing Demo

• Michael demonstrated a CLI-based proof of concept that builds a trust graph from verifiable credentials and their relationships.
• Key functionality included JSON-LD parsing, schema validation, issuer trust chain verification, and semantic inference.
• Planned future integration with the UNTP Playground and improvements in visualization were discussed.
• GitHub repo was shared for early testing and contributions.

Outcomes and Next Steps

• Update the UNTP chain of custody page to include mass balance and book-and-claim explanations, with diagrams and credential mappings.
• Continue development of Tier 3 testing features and integrate into UNTP Playground.
• Reach out to Phil and Michael for offline collaboration on IANA registration and testing framework, respectively.
• Schedule next meetings targeted for European time zones, with ongoing discussions to continue online.

2025-05-14 Meeting Summary

UNTP Technical Working Group – Meeting Summary Date: 14 May 2025 Chair: Zach Host: Zach Recording: Confirmed to be active, potentially recorded to Zach's Zoom cloud

Participants (Named)

• Zach – Facilitator, led discussion on governance, PRs, and technical updates
• Ash – Demonstrated the new data model validation and mutual verification testing processes
• Phil Archer – Provided feedback on testing and verification; discussed GS1 identifier systems
• Alex (Checked) – Introduced interest in DID-based trust registries and UNTP contributions
• Christophe (Queer Factum) – Joined as a contributor to DPP-related work, not representing GTC24
• Nabil Ahmed (Circularize) – Observing UNTP developments due to alignment with traceability goals
• Unnamed expert from Cirpice2 / Impact – Introduced herself as a first-time participant, working on traceability in the fashion sector
• Adriana – Mentioned being assigned a task by Steve but unable to locate it
• Jordan – Provided technical validation feedback and support for Ash's demo
• Nick Smith – Asked questions about validation pipeline context and real-world change examples
• Stefano – Mentioned in the list of open GitHub tickets
• Michael – Collaborated on addressing schema validation issues (mentioned by Ash)

Key Topics and Discussions

1. Meeting Opener and Introductions

• Zach emphasized that the meeting follows the UN Open Development process.
• New participants introduced themselves, notably from Europe, fashion, and the Circularize traceability platform.

2. Pull Request Reviews

• Zach reviewed PR #43 concerning updates to FAQs on DPP topics like late data and repair events.
• Ash approved and merged the PR with no objections.
• Plan: remaining PRs to be reviewed by participants post-meeting; objections must be submitted by week's end.

3. Jargon Release and Validation Pipeline

• Ash presented the new validation workflow:

  • Snapshots now trigger schema and context validation pipelines.
  • Errors caught pre-release instead of post-release.
  • Includes JSON-LD expansion and schema conformance checks.

• The process reduces error rates and increases community collaboration.

• Human review remains critical for semantic accuracy.

• Future improvement: enforce check statuses to block PR merges until validations pass.

4. Mutual Verification Testing Demo

• Ash presented the UNTP Playground tool:

  • Supports mutual verification for VCs against UNTP schema and VCDM.
  • Users upload their own VCs and verify others' to prove interoperability.

• Documentation now explains Tier 1 and Tier 2 testing stages.

• W3C VCDM v2 test suite was found insufficient; custom mutual verification is used for now.

5. Discussion on Data Model Interoperability

• Phil raised concerns about overlapping verification logic across different ecosystems (e.g., existing global identifier schemes vs UNTP).
• Zach explained Tier 1 (technical VC compliance), Tier 2 (schema-level), and Tier 3 (cross-credential trust graph) validations.
• Alex emphasized the future role of global trust registries in resolving schema equivalence and issuer accreditation.

6. Open Issues and Next Steps

• Zach reviewed the GitHub issues list for the 0.6 release and reminded participants to address their assignments.
• Phil confirmed recent contributions and encouraged peer review of IDR-related spec additions.
• Adriana will follow up with Steve to confirm her assigned task.

7. FIWARE DPP Announcement

• A participant shared that they will be presenting UNTP at the FIWARE Global Summit in Morocco, focusing on Open DPP frameworks for SMEs and smart city applications.

Next Steps

• Review and comment on current open pull requests before end of week.
• Prepare for next session where Tier 3 testing and trust graph validation will be showcased.
• Steve to follow up with Adriana on task assignment.
• Continue collaboration on global trust registries and identity scheme integration.

2025-04-17 Meeting Summary

Facilitator: Steve Capell (Speaker 1)
Duration: Approximately 1 hour
Recording: Yes, available publicly
Purpose: Regular UNTP team meeting covering updates, new participants, recommendation development, roadmap planning, pilots, and discussion of issues.

Key Participants

• Steve Capell – Lead facilitator, overseeing agenda and project direction
• Matthias Altmann – Consultant joining UNECE Secretariat, working on traceability projects
• Virginia (Speaker 14) – Participant recovering from illness
• David (Speaker 10) – New participant from GraphVise, interested in DBPs
• Eric Drury (Speaker 11) – Independent consultant in digital identity and trust
• Adriana (Speaker 7) – Contributor with a focus on circular performance
• Michael (Speaker 5) – Involved in DPP, IEEE, and regulatory frameworks
• Suna (Speaker 4) – Provided input on upcoming EU regulations
• Peter (Speaker 6) – Raised points about GS1 and upstream supply chains
• Christophe (Speaker 9) – Commented on DPP terminology and structure

Discussion Highlights

1. Introductions & Participation

• Welcomed newcomers: Matthias Altmann, David, and Eric Drury.
• Updates from returning members, including Virginia’s recovery.

2. Administrative Notes

• Clarified meeting recording and IP contributions for UNTP participation.
• Addressed time zone confusion due to daylight savings.
• Group agreed to continue meetings at 8 a.m. UTC.

3. UNTP and Recommendation 49

• Steve provided updates on Recommendation 49 (Transparency at Scale):
  • Separated implementation guidance into design principles.
  • UNTP positioned in the annex as one of several supporting instruments.
  • Diagram introduced to explain framework lifecycle generically.

4. Roadmap Planning

• Current version: 0.5; goals set for versions 0.6, 0.7, and 1.0.
• 0.6: Technical fixes.
• 0.7: Incorporate business functions and feedback.
• 1.0: Stable release planned for fall 2025.
• Steve encouraged tagging issues in GitHub with target versions.

5. Subgroups Formation

• Announced the formation of subgroups:
  • Conformity Subgroup (lead: Brett)
  • Adoption Subgroup (lead: Michael)
• Two more subgroups in planning; volunteers still needed.
• Plan to spin off groups as soon as leads are ready.

6. Pilots and Testing

• Steve detailed the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) pilot in electronics and automotive.
• Matthias discussed pilots in garments and critical raw materials (starting with copper):
  • Aim to demonstrate scalability and interoperability.
  • EU project funding supports pilot facilitation.
• Additional pilot opportunities:
  • Tire industry (Michael & Adriana to explore GDSO involvement)
  • Collaboration with Surpass Initiative and European data spaces.
  • Alignment with Gaia-X / Catena-X.

7. Open Issues & Feedback

• Terminology:
  • Discussion on continuing to use "DPP" (Digital Product Passport) vs. “product data.”
  • Consensus: Retain "DPP" with clear guidance on voluntary vs. regulatory use.
• Data Structure:
  • Discussion on flattened vs. hierarchical conformity structures.
  • Tendency toward flat for simplicity, but open to structured representation.
• Naming clarity:
  • Debate on whether to rename Digital Conformity Credential to Attestation.
• Schema usage:
  • Reviewed use of schema.org and semantic context files.
  • Issues raised about schema.org inheritance quirks (e.g., "drive-thru" countries).

Action Items

• Participants to review and comment on GitHub issues.
• Volunteers needed to lead additional subgroups.
• Adriana to raise circular performance concerns via GitHub.
• Matthias to document pilot progress and stakeholder coordination.
• Michael and team to explore tire industry and DPP regulations.
• Further exploration of schema.org compatibility in the UNTP model.

2025-04-03 Meeting Summary

Meeting Summary

Date: April 3, 2025
Topic: UNTP Working Group Meeting
Duration: ~1 hour
Recorded & Transcribed: Yes
Chair: Steve

Agenda

1. Review of draft Terms of Reference (ToR) for working groups (led by Brett)
2. Presentation of the draft Sustainability Vocabulary Catalog specification (by Steve)
3. Open discussion on governance, classification schemes, and next steps

Participants

There were 20 participants with contributions as described below.

Name	Role/Notes
Steve	Chair, presenter of UNTP structure and Sustainability Vocabulary Catalog
Brett	Lead of Conformity Credential Group, drafted ToR
Virginia	Contributor, raised key concerns on roles, classification, AI usage
Zach	Provided strategic input, supported linking previous conformity work
Bree	Asked governance and extension implementation questions
Phil	Aligned current work with machine-readable credentialing
Clary	Inquired about handling activities, mitigation risks, registry process
Nick	Cautioned about overreach and subjectivity in standards
Robertus	Advocated clarity for new readers, suggested keeping helpful visuals
Marcus	Asked about URIs and issues with paywalls
Michael	Inquired about EU regulations like CSRD/CSDDD

Key Discussion Highlights

1. Working Group Terms of Reference

• Brett presented a draft ToR for the Conformity Credential Group.
• Roles proposed: Group Lead, Technical Editor, possibly additional roles (e.g. Register Maintainer).
• Feedback:
  • Virginia: Watch for workload — suggested splitting tasks.
  • Phil/Zach: Tie-in with UNCFACT and earlier conformity projects.
  • Robertus: Asked for acronym clarity and onboarding support.
• Consensus: Keep the ToR flexible and evolving.

2. Sustainability Vocabulary Catalog (SVC) Draft

• Steve walked through a proposed model for scheme owners to:
  • Publish digitally referenceable criteria.
  • Be included in a scheme register.
  • Classify criteria using a controlled vocabulary.

Key features:

• Clear distinction between self-claims (Digital Product Passports) and third-party audits (Conformity Credentials).
• Encourages scheme owners to publish granular, URI-addressable criteria.
• Optional fields for scores, thresholds, and measurement types.

3. Classification Concerns

• Proposed a 2-level classification model inspired by OECD, ESPR, ITC, etc.
• Virginia: Urged coordination with ITC; pointed out their taxonomy and data should be consulted.
• Clary: Raised concerns around registering mitigation activities.
• Michael: Suggested alignment with CSRD, CSDDD.
• Marcus: Asked how the model handles URIs behind paywalls (e.g. ISO).

---

AI and Automation Debate

• Nick & Phil: Cautioned against overreliance on AI for standards mapping.
• Steve: Clarified AI references were exploratory and not core.
• Virginia & Zach: Suggested AI-related notes should be relocated to adoption/business case docs.
• Consensus: Remove “AI” terminology from spec and refer to “Assessment Assistance Tools”.

---

Next Steps

• Steve to update the SVC draft:
  • Remove direct AI references.
  • Reframe visuals for clarity.
  • Publish revised draft for peer review.
• Plan to formally initiate sub-working groups based on ToRs in the coming weeks.
• Consider organizing a joint discussion with ITC to align classification vocabularies.

2025-03-20 Meeting Summary

Date: March 20, 2025
Project: United Nations Transparency Project (UNTP)
Facilitator: Steve (Speaker 1)
Recording Note: Meeting was recorded and will be posted.

Participants & Introductions

• Steve (Facilitator): Based in Canberra, Australia. Emphasized the need for better governance and decentralization.
• Herman van der Pooy: From FIDES (Netherlands). Introduced his colleague Victor van der Hulst. Interested in UNTP, especially discovery based on decentralized identifiers and invoicing.
• Daria: Starting April 1 as Chief Sustainability Officer at Ressos, a metals traceability company. Based in Germany.
• David Jensen: From UN Environment Programme. Focused on environmental aspects of digital transformation. Interested in overlap with UNEP's Digital Product Passport blueprint.
• Marcus: Working with local agriculture and seaweed production communities. Raised points about innovation at grassroots levels.
• Phil Archer: Advocated for better semantic mappings and URI-based standards for sustainability criteria.
• Michael: Raised governance questions and proposed aligning with open source governance models (e.g., Linux). Volunteered to help with business case documentation.
• Adriana: Proposed forming sub-working groups, including one on standards. Shared her experience analyzing sustainability standards for SERPAS.
• Nick: Suggested a matrix structure—subgroups by sector and technical focus—for scalability.
• Zach: Supported subcommittees and emphasized the need for leadership and community contribution to make the UNTP sustainable.
• Bertus, John, and several others also participated actively.

Key Discussion Points

1. Governance Update

• Steve admitted to bypassing the formal GitHub process when making a governance diagram change.
• Proposal to transfer the GitHub repository ownership to the UN Secretariat to enforce governance practices.
• New Governance Addition: An “Extensions Governance Board” was added to give extension owners formal input into core UNTP development.

2. Subcommittees Proposal

• General agreement on forming subcommittees to decentralize and scale work.
• Possible structure:
  • By technical components (e.g., identity, traceability, resolver)
  • By industry sectors (e.g., agriculture, mining, electronics)
• Steve will propose a structure and seek feedback via email.

3. Standards Integration

• UNTP will act as a global open standard and complement JTC24 (EU's DPP regulation body).
• TC154’s Joint Working Group 9 (UN/ISO collaboration) was cited as a global standardization path.
• Emphasis on how UNTP differs by not dictating centralized registries and allowing for decentralized implementations.

4. Sustainability Vocabulary Catalog (New Work Item)

• The team is developing a way to make sustainability-related criteria URI-addressable and machine-readable.
• Key challenges:
  • Different schemes (e.g., IRMA, TSM) define sustainability criteria differently.
  • Need a referenceable taxonomy for these criteria.
  • Determine whether referencing should be a “must” or “should”.
• General support for the effort. Recognized as critical for data credibility and interoperability.

---

Next Steps & Action Items

• Steve to draft a proposal for working group structure.
• Team to provide feedback on subcommittee structure and volunteer for leadership.
• Sustainability Vocabulary Work: Continue researching schemes and URIs. Draft guidance for scheme owners on publishing machine-readable criteria.
• Michael to resume work on business case documentation.
• Update diagrams to reflect facility records as a core component.

2025-03-06 Meeting Summary

Chair: Steve
Attendees: Nick, Zach, Alberto Spritorius, Ali Bezirizadeh, Peter, Patrick, Danika, Ashley, Adrian, Albertus, and other contributors

1. Welcome and Introductions

• Steve welcomed attendees and acknowledged voluntary participation.
• Alberto Spritorius (Tuneas International) introduced himself, explaining his background in vehicle license plate manufacturing and standards.
• Ali Bezirizadeh (AI Simpro, Canada) introduced his work on bulk material traceability in the mining sector.

2. GS1 Commitment to UNTP

• Steve announced GS1’s commitment to implementing the UNTP Identity Resolver (IDR).
• Peter confirmed GS1's commitment but emphasized a gradual approach due to its 150+ member organizations.
• Patrick raised concerns about GS1’s position on verifiable credentials, which Steve clarified, noting GS1's intention to implement the Digital Identity Anchor (DIA).

3. UNTP Information Architecture Update

• Danika presented an improved site structure for UNTP documentation.
  • Focus on simplifying navigation and making content more user-friendly.
  • Hierarchical model preferred over multidimensional structures to ease maintenance.
  • Stakeholder-specific guides added to streamline access to relevant information.
• Patrick and Nick supported the changes, emphasizing their clarity and usability.

4. UNTP Playground for Credential Validation

• Ashley demonstrated the latest features of the UNTP Playground, a tool for validating digital credentials.
  • Now supports conformance testing with VCDM v2, JSON-LD validation, and schema checks.
  • Users can generate downloadable conformance reports (eventually verifiable credentials).
  • Planned features include public credential repositories for verified implementations.
• Patrick suggested allowing direct downloads of rendered HTML reports from the Playground.
• Zach proposed highlighting the extension model for bulk materials to demonstrate practical applications.

5. Discussion: Bulk Materials & Digital Material Passport

• Steve raised the question of whether bulk materials (e.g., grain, crude oil, copper concentrate) require a Digital Material Passport separate from the Digital Product Passport.
• Albertus, Nick, and Zach argued that bulk materials should remain under UNTP with extensions rather than creating a new passport type.
• Ali Bezirizadeh noted different traceability needs between radioactive materials, iron ore, and concentrates and asked whether classifications would be standardized.
• Peter emphasized that facility credentials play a crucial role in bulk material traceability, not just the material itself.
• Adrian (from a crude oil trading and chemical background) argued that a material passport is necessary because crude oil and intermediates differ from finished products.
• Steve concluded that real-world testing should determine whether an extension is sufficient or if a new model is needed.

6. Closing Remarks

• Steve mentioned plans to create a UNTP Media Page listing external references to UNTP.
• Next steps:
  • Collect feedback on the UNTP Playground and information architecture updates.
  • Continue practical tests for bulk materials in UNTP before deciding on a separate material passport.
  • Publish the media page for community contributions.

2025-02-20 Meeting Summary

Facilitator: Steve (Speaker 1)
Attendees: Stefano, Danique, Suzanne, Virginia, Proc, Nis, Zach, Michael, Bart, Alex, Nick, David, and others.

Key Discussion Points:

1. UN-Sponsored Pilots and Governance of Extensions (Steve, Stefano)

   • Steve shared updates on the UN-sponsored pilots on textiles and critical minerals, discussing whether they should have separate definitions or be grouped globally.
   • Stefano emphasized the importance of the 80-20 approach for UNTP extensions.
   • Discussion on governance and whether international bodies exist for specific minerals.

2. Public Review of Recommendation 49 (Suzanne, Steve, Virginia)

   • Suzanne provided an update on Recommendation 49, which is about to go for public review.
   • The review will be structured to minimize incoming changes before final approval.
   • Virginia clarified that REC 49’s review is distinct from the public review of UNTP, and it is important to ensure it is approved in July without unnecessary complications.

3. Concerns on UNTP Specification Readiness (Steve, Nis, Alex)

   • Steve raised the question of whether the UNTP specification pages are sufficiently developed for public review.
   • Nis suggested limiting the scope of what is reviewed, keeping only mature and essential parts.
   • Alex proposed a more structured approach to incomplete sections by using placeholders instead of “TBC” labels.

4. Feedback on UNTP Documentation & Usability (Danique, Nis, Michael, Zach)

   • Danique’s Review Findings:
     • Overload of information: Fragmented resources, lack of clear examples.
     • Navigation Issues: Users find it hard to access the right content.
     • Need for Role-Specific Guidance: Different audiences require tailored documentation.
     • Business Case Clarity: Implementers need to understand the practical value.
   • Recommendations:
     • Consolidate resources, improve navigation, enhance onboarding with examples.
     • Use progressive disclosure to present information in digestible steps.

5. Simplifying UNTP and Restructuring Specs (Nis, Steve, Zach, Bart)

   • Nis proposed removing unnecessary complexity from specifications, particularly in role-based access control.
   • Steve agreed that UNTP should focus on essential functionalities and possibly split off components that are more general-purpose.
   • Bart highlighted the challenge of transitioning from paper-based supply chains to digital ones and called for a phased approach.

6. Global Trust Register & Future Pilots (Steve)

   • The Global Trust Register, involving the Spanish Business Register and Australian Livestock Identification Scheme, will conduct pilots to refine identity-related UNTP components.
   • There’s a need to balance current spec development with learnings from these pilots.

7. Action Items & Next Steps:

   • Steve: Draft introductory guidance for the public review of UNTP.
   • Danique: Continue improving the site’s structure and usability.
   • Michael & Nis: Publish an article simplifying UNTP’s purpose and implementation.
   • Zach: Implement better documentation flags (e.g., what’s under review and how to give feedback).
   • All Participants: Review and address outstanding issues to improve UNTP specs before public review.

2025-02-06 Meeting Summary

Chair: Steve (Speaker 1)
Participants: David (Speaker 6), Nancy (Speaker 7), Zach (Speaker 4), Virginia (Speaker 2), Clary (Speaker 7), Marcus (Speaker 5), and others

---

Key Topics Discussed:

1. Opening Remarks

• Steve welcomed participants, reminding them that this is a UNTP meeting and that contributions are UN intellectual property (IP).
• Meeting was recorded, with no objections raised.

---

2. Change Requests & Technical Updates

Identity Resolver Page Updates

• Steve walked through the process of how identifiers (product, facility, business) are resolved to find additional data (e.g., digital product passports).
• The page was reviewed to ensure it supports existing identifier schemes while accommodating decentralized identifiers.
• Key Discussion Points:
  • David raised concerns about persistence of product identifiers for circularity (e.g., for recycled materials).
  • Steve clarified that the document focuses on resolving identifiers rather than defining data carriers but acknowledged that traceability extensions address linkage between raw materials and finished products.
  • Nancy questioned the inclusion of glyph identifiers, and Steve clarified that examples were provided without preference.
  • Virginia suggested improving the diagram wording to clearly show that different identifier schemes are supported.
  • Zach proposed creating a ticket to further discuss identifier persistence in future updates.

Verifiable Credentials Specification Update

• Ashley proposed a change requiring version 2.0 of the verifiable credentials specification instead of allowing both versions 1.1 and 2.0.
• Technical team (Patrick, Nis) had reviewed and approved the change, with no strong objections from others.
• Decision: PR approved to enforce the use of Verifiable Credentials version 2.0.

New Implementation Commitment

• K4 Security (Korea) expressed commitment to implementing UNTP.
• Steve verified their legitimacy and no objections were raised to adding them to the implementation list.

---

3. Implementation Guidance Page

• Steve introduced a new draft page to help organizations navigate the implementation of UNTP.
• Five-Step Implementation Framework was proposed:
  1. Assess the business case for implementation.
  2. Identify relevant pages and register intent to implement.
  3. Choose software solutions or ask vendors for support.
  4. Run pilot tests and refine implementation.
  5. Scale up.

Key Discussion Points:

• Clary suggested adding a section for consulting and implementation services to assist companies.
• John proposed including a section on long-term governance for managing UNTP extensions.
• Virginia recommended promoting awareness of UNTP among SMEs, encouraging them to request UNTP-compatible software.
• Marcus raised the question of whether software vendors should have branding or certification for implementing UNTP.
• Steve, Virginia, and Zach discussed the feasibility of an accreditation or certification program but agreed it would likely be managed by external certifiers, not the UN.

Decision:

• PR for Implementation Guidance Page to be reviewed and merged.
• A ticket will be created for future discussions on certification and branding for software vendors.

---

4. Certification and Standards Governance

• Discussion on who should maintain long-term governance of industry extensions (e.g., Australian Agriculture Traceability Protocol - AATP).
• Steve proposed that National Standards Bodies (NSBs) (e.g., Standards Australia, Canadian Standards Authority) could be a good home for maintaining industry-specific extensions.
• Virginia and Zach agreed that commercial certification bodies (e.g., SGS) could handle third-party accreditation instead of the UN.
• Zach suggested forming a working group to explore governance models.

Decision:

• A ticket will be created to explore a UNTP Certification & Accreditation Framework.

---

###% 5. Closing Remarks

• Steve noted that open issues had increased from 50 to 81, urging participants to discuss issues between meetings rather than waiting for calls.
• Final call for comments, with Marcus expressing interest in joining discussions on Australian standards.
• Meeting adjourned, and minutes to be shared shortly.

---

Next Steps & Action Items:

✔ Merge approved PRs (Verifiable Credentials update, Implementation Guidance).
✔ Create tickets for:

• Persistence of identifiers discussion.
• UNTP Certification & Accreditation Framework.
• Improving implementation guidance for SMEs.
  ✔ Continue governance discussions with National Standards Bodies.
  ✔ Review open issues and prioritize for resolution before the next meeting.

2025-01-23 Meeting Summary

Date: January 23, 2025
Purpose: To review progress on the UNTP project, including governance updates, community activation plans, chain of custody models, and upcoming contributions.

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Key Participants

1. Steve - Lead Facilitator, UNTP Working Group.
2. David - Contributor to the Community Activation Plan (CAP).
3. Harley - Presenter on chain of custody models.
4. Suzanne - Contributor on governance and Recommendation 49.
5. Virginia - Reviewer of governance and CAP documents.
6. Phil - Technical advisor on identifiers.
7. Nick - Contributor to CAP and technical workflows.
8. Brock - Expert on battery supply chains and assurance models.
9. Adriana - Advocate for collaboration tools like online whiteboards.
10. Zachary - Contributor to sector-specific extension discussions.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Governance Updates:

   • Steve presented updates to the governance framework, emphasizing the relationship between core UNTP efforts and sector-specific extensions.
   • Suggestions were made to clarify and simplify terms in the governance diagram, ensuring alignment between core and community-managed projects.

2. Community Activation Plan:

   • David introduced a revised CAP focusing on engaging industry associations and encouraging adoption of UNTP extensions.
   • Feedback included emphasizing ongoing maintenance of UNTP as a living framework, aligning diagrams with text, and including tangible examples for industry relevance.

3. Chain of Custody Models:

   • Harley outlined four models: identity-preserved, segregation, mass balance, and book-and-claim.
   • Discussions centered on how UNTP could support these models, particularly for industries like grain and aviation fuels.
   • Feedback included adding examples, workflows, and details about trusted registries and technical implementations.

4. Collaboration Tools:

   • Adriana suggested using online whiteboards like Mural for brainstorming, which was well-received.

---

Next Steps

1. Governance and CAP documents will be updated based on feedback and re-shared on Slack for further review.
2. Harley will refine the chain of custody draft, adding diagrams and examples before the next meeting.
3. Further discussions on identifiers and ontologies to be scheduled.

2025-01-08 Meeting Summary

Date: January 8, 2025
Purpose: Discuss progress and challenges in implementing UNTP projects, focusing on decentralized access control, sustainable mining, and collaborative contributions.

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Participants

1. Steve: Meeting lead, discussed new implementation commitments, decentralized access control, and UNTP updates.
2. David Haycock: Introduced as a new participant; emphasized experience in health and interoperability.
3. Nancy: Shared insights on sustainable mining practices and challenges in global adoption.
4. Patrick: Raised questions about right access and updating lifecycle events in decentralized models.
5. Adriana: Asked about secret key management and user access to encrypted data.
6. Danica: Provided clarity on publishing event histories and differentiating data updates.
7. Clary: Highlighted European supply chain act requirements and selective disclosure use cases.
8. Harley: Volunteered to lead discussions on managing mixed commodity challenges.
9. Nick: Expressed interest in contributing to clean energy and mass balance discussions.

---

Key Discussion Points

1. New Contributions and Implementation Commitments:

• Health LOQ and Simba Chain (US-based) registered their intent to implement UNTP solutions following presentations on sustainability and traceability.
• The Mining Association of Canada committed to supporting the "Towards Sustainable Mining" (TSM) standards for global adoption.
• A pull request to update implementation lists was approved.

2. Decentralized Access Control:

• Explored models for granting secure access to non-public data, especially in cases involving lifecycle events or regulatory needs.
• Key challenges discussed:
  • Sharing secrets (e.g., QR codes or embedded keys) for access while preventing unauthorized use.
  • Managing sensitive updates, such as repair or recycling events, through authentication.
• Proposed approaches:
  • Encrypted data with secret keys shared through products.
  • Federated and decentralized authentication methods to scale access for unknown yet authorized roles (e.g., recyclers).

3. Sustainable Mining and Conformity Credentials:

• Nancy discussed the global adoption of TSM standards and their integration with UNTP frameworks.
• Highlighted regional adaptations and the importance of accreditation processes.

4. Selective Disclosure in Supply Chains:

• Clary emphasized the need for selective disclosure to comply with European regulations while protecting commercial sensitivities.
• Discussed methods for hiding specific attributes in digital product passports (DPPs).

5. Managing Mixed Commodities:

• Harley introduced challenges in managing blended commodities (e.g., grain, copper concentrate) under mass balance and book-and-claim systems.
• A working group was proposed to address technical and compliance requirements.

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Tangible Outcomes

• Approved updates to implementation commitments and standards documentation.
• Initiated discussions on selective disclosure, lifecycle event management, and decentralized authentication.
• Agreed to form a subgroup to address mixed commodity challenges in agriculture and industrial contexts.

---

Next Steps

1. Documentation and Review:
   • Update UNTP specifications for public review.
   • Clarify technical details in decentralized access control and selective disclosure.
2. Collaborations:
   • Engage stakeholders (e.g., recyclers, regulators) for pilot testing.
   • Advance work on agricultural and clean energy projects (e.g., grain and hydrogen tracking).
3. Community Activation:
   • Encourage Slack discussions and business-focused presentations to improve adoption.

---

Closing Remarks Steve emphasized the need for timely contributions and invited participants to join ongoing Slack discussions and subgroups for unresolved challenges. The next meeting is scheduled in two weeks.

2024-12-12 Meeting Summary

Date: December 12, 2024
Purpose: Discuss updates, collaboration opportunities, and next steps for UNTP and related projects.

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Participants

• Steve: Meeting lead, discussed UNTP updates and coordination with various organizations.
• Adriana: Provided updates on the CERPAS project and emphasized the importance of interoperability and regulatory compliance in DPPs.
• Patrick: Shared experiences with BC Mines Act permits and raised technical concerns about schema flexibility.
• Phil: Contributed insights on updating DPPs and discussed GS1-related work.
• Nick Smith: Introduced his work on supply chain credentialing for emissions reporting.
• Danika: Highlighted her contributions to visual design for human-readable credentials.
• Virginia: Clarified distinctions between IEC, ITU, and other standards organizations.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Updates from the Rome Forum:

   • Progress on UNTP and collaboration with ISO, CENCENELEC, and ITU.
   • A UNECE co-lead for ISO TC154 work was introduced to ensure alignment with UNTP.
   • Upcoming WWF pilots on sustainable practices in food and agriculture.

2. CERPAS Collaboration:

   • Adriana discussed challenges and progress in interoperability and regulatory standards for DPPs.
   • Identified gaps in user stories and opportunities for collaboration on pilots.

3. Testing and Implementation:

   • UNTP aims to finalize data models for conformity credentials by April 2025.
   • Volunteers sought to test mapping for industries like batteries, agriculture, and the built environment.

4. Technical Concerns:

   • Patrick raised issues about schema flexibility for extending digital conformity credentials.
   • Discussions on managing updates and linking credentials (e.g., service events).

5. Future Collaboration:

   • Interoperability testing planned for early 2025.
   • Interest in pilot programs with industrial partners like Century Batteries.

---

Actions and Next Steps

1. Pilot Projects:

   • Explore pilots in various industries, including Australian agriculture and batteries.
   • Adriana and Nick Smith to coordinate potential Australian collaborations.

2. Schema Flexibility:

   • Patrick to raise a GitHub issue to address schema concerns and ensure extension compatibility.

3. Testing:

   • Volunteers to test mapping of UNTP credentials to specific industries.
   • Focus on identifying gaps and refining data models before the first release.

4. Documentation:

   • Update UNTP pages on decentralized access control and interoperability patterns.
   • Publish mapping tools to assist contributors unfamiliar with JSON schema.

5. Next Meeting:

   • Scheduled for January after the holiday break.

---

Closing Remarks

• Participants shared holiday greetings.
• Steve emphasized ongoing collaboration through Slack and the mailing list.

2024-11-28 Meeting Summary

Meeting Summary: UNTP Agricultural Extensions and Tools

Date: November 28, 2024
Chair: Zachary
Participants:

• Zachary (Speaker 1): UNTP facilitator, leading discussions.
• Ashley (Speaker 2): Consultant, showcased technical tools and developments.
• Adrian (Speaker 9): Representing the BSF Group, Switzerland, focusing on supply chain transparency.
• Adriana Zacche (Speaker 3): Circular Economy Asia, specializing in resource management.
• Suna (Speaker 10): SME in Brussels, leading EU compliance initiatives for digital product passports.
• Phil (Speaker 4): GS1 advocate for verifiable credentials.
• Michael (Speaker 5): Provided feedback on business case development.
• Stefano (Speaker 7): EU-focused discussions on UNTP implementation.
• Additional Contributors: Marcus, Charles, Brett, and others engaged with questions and insights.

---

Agenda:

1. Introductions and Updates

   • New participants introduced their roles and interests in digital transparency and supply chain management.
   • Zachary highlighted the meeting's focus on agricultural traceability protocols and business case discussions.

2. Demonstrations:

   • Sample Credentials:
     Ashley showcased the development of sample digital product passports and credentials, highlighting user-friendly rendering formats for non-technical stakeholders.
   • UNTP Playground:
     A prototype tool for testing the compliance of digital credentials with UNTP standards was demonstrated, receiving positive feedback from participants.

3. Australian Agriculture Traceability Protocol (AATP):

   • Ashley and Zachary detailed AATP’s role as an extension of UNTP, tailored to livestock and agricultural needs in Australia.
   • Examples included livestock passports incorporating biosecurity data and deforestation compliance for feed sources.
   • Discussion on the readiness and potential launch timeline, targeting late 2024.

4. Feedback and Questions:

   • Phil: Raised concerns about demonstrating the value of technical standards to business users and emphasized practical evidence over technical details.
   • Adriana: Discussed resource management challenges and access controls for circular economy-focused businesses.
   • Marcus: Advocated for linking traceability tools to complementary systems (e.g., methane reduction from seaweed-based feed).

5. Extensions and Use Cases:

   • Discussion on replicability of the AATP model for other sectors, including critical minerals, electronics, and the built environment.

6. Business Case Development:

   • Participants sought updates on pending business case materials for the UNTP repository, with action points for follow-up on outstanding documentation.

7. Future Plans:

   • Expansion of UNTP applications in agriculture and alignment with global standards.
   • Continued refinement of tools like the playground and integration of user feedback.

---

Next Steps:

• Finalize and publish AATP materials.
• Address pending business case and technical issues.
• Provide demonstrations linking agricultural traceability with broader sustainability objectives.

2024-11-14 Meeting Summary

Meeting Summary:

On November 14, 2024, the UNTP working group convened to review recent updates, discuss business cases, and explore testing strategies for the UN Transparency Protocol (UNTP) implementation. The meeting, hosted by Steve (Speaker 1), began with a brief welcome and a reminder of upcoming meetings that cater to global time zones.

Participant Introductions:

• Adriana Zachary (Speaker 7): CEO of Circular Economy Asia, volunteered on digital product passport initiatives and contributes to user access, data authentication, and standards working groups.
• Pat (Speaker 5): Technical Product Manager from San Francisco with experience in digital product passports for OEMs.
• Nancy (Speaker 3), Luca (Speaker 6), Michael (Speaker 3), and Zach (Speaker 10) also actively contributed to the conversation, particularly regarding business cases and technical support needs.

Key Discussion Points:

1. New Commitments from Industry Sectors:

   • The Responsible Business Alliance (RBA), representing major electronics and automotive companies, committed to implementing UNTP extensions for digital product passports and traceability.
   • The International Code Council, in collaboration with Standards Australia, aims to create sustainability vocabulary for building codes. This commitment includes alignment with European Union regulations.

2. Business Case Development:

   • Michael has been refining the business case templates to differentiate between government and industry needs. Steve reviewed the new layout, adding contextual insights on historical and current trends in corporate sustainability, noting a shift from regulatory compliance toward strategic integration.
   • The business case content, which includes value and cost categories for implementing UNTP, is structured to assist organizations in building tailored cases for executives. The group agreed on the necessity of further refinement, with Michael suggesting a follow-up review session.

3. Implementation and Testing:

   • To support the various software providers implementing UNTP, Steve proposed creating a community-driven technical support ecosystem. The group discussed leveraging an open-source approach for the test suite, allowing mutual support and continued development.
   • Pat and Nis were suggested as potential leaders of this technical support group, which would guide implementers through the UNTP test suite. Testing will include both technical conformance and business use case validations specific to industries.

4. Testing Structure:

   • The testing approach includes three layers:
     • Technical interoperability for ensuring compliance with W3C standards.
     • Schema conformance for validating UNTP’s unique frameworks.
     • Industry-specific testing for sectors using custom extensions.
   • Jason (Speaker 2) emphasized reporting tools to document testing results, which could serve as valuable evidence of compliance for implementers.

Closing Remarks:

Steve concluded by celebrating the day’s progress, noting the importance of industry extensions and the growth of the business case documentation. He thanked the team for their collaboration and welcomed further input from new and existing members.

The next steps involve finalizing the business case documentation, establishing a technical testing support group, and resolving any issues with the public release of content updates. The meeting adjourned with gratitude for the participants' contributions and commitments to the UNTP initiative.

2024-10-31 Meeting Summary

Meeting Summary

Participants:

• Steve (Speaker 1): UN Representative, project lead on UNTP.
• Stefano (Speaker 6): Liaison with EU directorates, providing updates on coordination efforts.
• Virginia (Speaker 6): Providing feedback on governance and licensing.
• Phil (Speaker 4): Brief input on registration processes.
• Suzanne (Speaker 2): Contributed insights on standard profiles and security specifications.
• Nis (Speaker 5): Discussed implementation requirements and test cases.
• Luca (Speaker 8), Jordan (Speaker 9), Dr. Wang, and Martina Paul: Various inputs related to standards and technical topics.

Key Topics:

1. UNTP Governance and Extension Methodology:

   • Steve introduced the UNTP extension methodology, designed to create industry-specific standards based on UNTP’s core. Discussions focused on extension governance, transparency, and the criteria for official UN endorsement.

2. Digital Product Passport (DPP) Initiatives:

   • Updates were provided on new collaborations with ISO TC154, IEC, and other regulatory groups to align DPP standards across industries. Dr. Wang’s potential involvement in the ISO TC154 project was noted.

3. Technical Specifications for Extensions:

   • Suzanne and others discussed the need for security profiles and identifier schemes for robust operational implementations. Agreement to add technical profiles, such as encryption and protocol requirements, to the extension methodology.

4. Implementation Registration:

   • Nis’s implementation of UNTP was acknowledged as the first to meet compliance requirements, with future test suites planned to verify consistency.

5. Conformity and Visibility:

   • Suggestions were made to improve visibility of UNTP implementations and their industry affiliations, enhancing marketing efforts to non-technical audiences.

Next Steps:

• Steve will merge the current extension methodology PR, and the team will refine with specific technical profiles.
• Nis and others will participate in initial test suite trials.
• UNECE will work on promoting UNTP implementation visibility, potentially adding links and marketing content for public accessibility.

2024-10-17 Meeting Summary

Meeting Summary

Participants:

• Steve (Speaker 1): UN Representative and project lead on UNTP standards.
• Phil (Speaker 5): Discussed the registration process for UNTP implementation.
• Virginia (Speaker 6): Provided input on implementation and test suite requirements.
• Gerhard (Speaker 4): Contributed insights on bulk product tracking.
• GS1 Representatives (Speaker 2 and Speaker 3): Discussed identity standards and resolver frameworks.
• Dr Wang Xiang

Key Discussion Points:

1. UNTP Credential Update:

   • Version 0.5.0: Released for testing with credentials for digital product passports, conformity, traceability events, and facility records. Around 13-14 software providers and several regulatory bodies have committed to implementation.
   • Implementation Registry: A GitHub-hosted registration process guides companies in joining the initiative and tracks active implementers, marking a new approach for the UN in standard adoption tracking.

2. Test Suite and Implementation Process:

   • Test Suite: Expected in two weeks. The group recommended that companies wait for the suite to ensure consistent conformance testing.
   • First Implementer: Transmute has completed an initial implementation, but the group advised a formalized test to verify compliance.

3. Identity Resolution Process:

   • Workflow Diagram: Steve introduced a flowchart detailing steps to resolve, verify, and link identifiers, emphasizing both registered and self-issued identifiers. He highlighted a need to address bulk commodities like minerals.
   • Challenges with Bulk Commodities: Bulk products lack unique identifiers, complicating traceability. Suggestions included using shipment or consignment IDs for identification.

4. Trust Anchors and Verification:

   • Potential of Trademark Offices: EUIPO is considering involvement, where trademark verification could serve as a trust anchor for product claims.
   • Domain and Business Registry Checks: DNS ownership and business registries were discussed as potential trust mechanisms, though complex in some cases.

5. GS1's Approach to Identity Resolution:

   • Cataloging Identifier Schemes: Steve suggested a UN-hosted catalog for identifier schemes. Challenges included governance complexities and ensuring neutrality.

6. Future Steps and Closing Remarks:

   • Further Asynchronous Feedback: Steve invited ongoing comments on the resolver and bulk tracking processes.

Next Steps:

• Steve to raise a pull request (PR) for further review on the identity resolution process.
• Ongoing exploration of bulk commodity identification and potential collaboration with EUIPO on trademark verification.

---

This summary captures named participants, key decisions, and next steps discussed in the meeting.

2024-10-03 Meeting Summary

Meeting Summary

Date: October 3, 2024
Attendees: Steve, Stefano, Brett, Virginia, Michael O'Shea, Christoph, Susanne, Peter Carter, Nancy, Luca, Dr Wang Xiang, and others.

---

Agenda:

1. Zoom Meeting Timing Issues

   • Steve mentioned difficulties with Zoom invites. Some participants received only the 8 a.m. invite and not the 8 p.m. one for the next meeting. Steve apologized and promised to resend the correct invites after the meeting.

2. Business Case Content Discussion

   • The meeting focused on reviewing the business case content developed by Michael O'Shea and his team. Steve emphasized that the business case section should be clear, simple, and provide value for stakeholders.

3. Digital Product Passport (DPP) Technical Update

   • Steve announced the release of version 0.4.1 for the DPP, including core vocabulary, facility records, and conformity credentials. There were a few minor technical bugs identified, which might lead to a version 0.4.2 release.
   • Michael also showcased a visualization tool for a lithium-ion battery passport, which was praised by the team.

4. Bug Reports and Typos

   • A participant from Canada found several bugs in the latest release, mostly typos and small technical issues like missing terms and empty context files. The team debated whether to fix these before the business case testing.
   • Christoph offered to help review the business case documents to ensure the technical and business sides align well.

5. Business Case for Change

   • Michael and his team presented their work on the business case for both private sector businesses and regulators. They discussed the need to balance the technical content and value statements in a way that appeals to both.
   • Christoph and Susanne provided feedback that the business case should distinguish between benefits for corporations and regulators to avoid confusion. They also suggested adding infrastructure-related benefits, specifically for regulators.

6. Feedback on Business Case Template

   • Steve asked for volunteers to review the business case model from a business perspective, ensuring it makes sense to potential adopters, especially in terms of convincing a CFO.
   • Christoph volunteered to help review the business case spreadsheet, and Steve proposed sending the document to the wider mailing list for feedback once it has been internally reviewed.

7. Next Steps:

   • Finalize version 0.4.2 of the DPP to address minor technical bugs.
   • Refine and simplify the business case content and spreadsheet to make it more accessible.
   • Collect feedback from the team and mailing list before publishing the business case template publicly.

---

Next Meeting:
The next meeting will be in two weeks, and Zoom invites for both 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. sessions will be corrected and sent out.

2024-09-19 Meeting Summary

Date: September 19, 2024

1. Steve (Speaker 1) - Chairperson
2. Stefano (Speaker 4) - Contributor from Reload3P and Morpheus Network
3. Nis (Speaker 5) - Presenter of DPP implementation
4. John (Speaker 6) - Contributed to the discussion on meeting structure
5. Suzanne (Speaker 3) - Discussed the REC 49 policy document and traceability issues
6. Sébastien (Speaker 9) - Contributed to the technical discussion on GS1 standards
7. Brett (Speaker 7) - Provided insights on the TSM credential issue
8. Michael (Speaker 2) - Provided updates on the business case development

Key Discussions and Contributions

1. Registration Requests:

   • Steve introduced the agenda, primarily discussing new registration requests.
   • Stefano (Speaker 4) spoke about his contributions, including those from Reload3P and Morpheus Network. The work focuses on sustainability and transparency within supply chains.
   • Nish (Speaker 5) presented a DPP implementation on his platform, aiming to include UNTP schemas as a template, making it easier to issue credentials.
   • Steve also mentioned other registration requests, including those from Viko (not present) and an Australian scheme for structural steel.

2. Pull Requests:

   • Nish highlighted a pull request addressing minor syntax bugs. Steve admitted the errors might have occurred during manual editing and promised to check with Alistair.

3. Upcoming Work on REC 49 Policy Document:

   • Steve discussed the need to revisit the REC 49 policy document, considering feedback from the July 2024 plenary. The goal is to finalize the document for the next plenary in July 2025.
   • Steve proposed alternating fortnightly meetings, separating policy and technical discussions. John and Stefano supported this idea.

4. Human Readability in Traceability Events:

   • Steve proposed making traceability events more human-readable, adding optional human-readable properties. Stefano, Suzanne (Speaker 3), and Sébastien (Speaker 9) contributed to the discussion, suggesting using existing GS1 standards to improve readability.

5. TSM Credential Issue:

   • The group discussed a pattern where different auditors assess different sections of a standard over time, which leads to multiple assessments. Steve suggested adding an auditor party reference to the conformity credential model to solve the issue. Brett (Speaker 7) agreed with Steve's proposal.

6. Business Case Updates:

   • Michael and John provided an update on the business case development, focusing on business and public sector value arguments. Nancy’s input, particularly from the public sector perspective, was highlighted as key.

7. Next Steps:

   • Steve planned to raise tickets for various issues discussed and to prepare pull requests based on registration approvals and the business case document.

The meeting ended with a commitment to continue work on registrations, policy revisions, and technical improvements.

2024-09-11 Meeting Summary

Participants:

• Steve Capell
• Virginia Cram-Martos
• Dr. Wang Xiang
• Christophe (Association des Centraliens)
• Joe (last name not mentioned)
• Esther (last name not mentioned)
• Brie (last name not mentioned)
• Patrick (last name not mentioned)
• Todd Taylor
• Nancy (last name not mentioned)
• Phil Archer (not present, mentioned as being on holiday)

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1. Opening Remarks:

• Steve Capell welcomed the participants and noted the absence of Phil Archer due to holiday. The meeting started with an agenda to discuss ongoing initiatives and updates on standards and implementations.

2. Discussion on Standards and References:

• Virginia Cram-Martos raised a couple of points regarding typos and clarity in a recently published page on references to standards. Specifically, she suggested improvements to the readability of certain sections, including changes to the terminology around cryptographic links and facility identities.
• There was a discussion on how UNTP should relate to standards like SEND and ISO, with the consensus being that these should focus on complementing existing standards rather than reinventing them.

3. Technical Matrix for Standards:

• Virginia and others provided feedback on a matrix listing standards and their relationship to UNTP components. There were suggestions to improve the readability of this matrix by possibly reformatting it or providing tooltips for acronyms to make it more accessible.

4. Community Implementations:

• Steve Capell reviewed several commitments to UNTP implementation that had been submitted over the past week. Notable entries came from the British Columbia Government and various software vendors.
• Patrick highlighted that BC's open-source governmental software could be leveraged by other provinces, emphasizing collaboration between BC, Ontario, and Quebec in developing tools like mobile wallets and identity solutions.

5. Business Case and Metrics:

• The discussion shifted to how UNTP would gather metrics on its implementation, with a consensus that any reporting should only include information that the implementing parties would be willing to publish publicly.
• Brie pointed out the importance of linking corporate-level and site/facility-level data, particularly for standards like TSM (Towards Sustainable Mining), which have different levels of granularity.

6. Stability and Version Freezing for Pilots:

• The group discussed freezing the UNTP version at 0.4.0 to stabilize the implementation for the next round of pilots. The goal is to ensure technical consistency while allowing further refinements based on pilot feedback.

7. Next Steps:

• Steve Capell proposed continuing discussions on identifying which remaining tickets need to be resolved before version 0.4.0 is finalized.
• There was also a brief discussion about cross-referencing implementations between UNTP and other projects, such as the Critical Raw Materials (CRM) project, to avoid duplication while maintaining transparency.

2024-09-05 Meeting Summary

Meeting Participants:

1. Dr. Wang - Provided an update on the UNTP presentation translation into Chinese
2. Steve - Discussed the TC154 project and provided updates
3. Michael - Business case development lead
4. Phil - Provided comments on vocabulary management
5. Gerhard - Commented on testing and evidence for implementations
6. Nis - Raised concerns about versioning and semantic context

Key Discussion Points:

1. Translation and Feedback:

   • Dr. Wang translated the UNTP (United Nations Trade Procedure) presentation into Chinese and received positive feedback during a workshop. This sparked further discussion on expanding outreach and engagement.

2. TC154 Digital Product Passport Project:

   • Steve provided updates on the ongoing work related to the TC154 Digital Product Passport. He mentioned that the ISO meeting, likely to occur in Korea in October, would decide whether to launch the project.
   • There was a one-on-one discussion with the project lead, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive program rather than a single standard, drawing parallels to existing multiple specifications.
   • Steve encouraged Dr. Wang to join future collaborations under TC154.

3. Business Case Development:

   • Michael shared that the team is working on a model to help businesses understand the impact of implementing UNTP and developing a business case around it.
   • Examples like the EU's Battery Pass Project and Surpass were discussed as templates for businesses to build their justification for implementation.

4. Community Activation:

   • There was a discussion on how community-level adoption of standards could enhance business cases, particularly in scenarios where multiple actors (e.g., farmers or manufacturers) use shared tools or processes, reducing costs and increasing benefits.

5. Technical Infrastructure and Versioning:

   • Several participants discussed the challenges related to managing vocabulary, version control, and ensuring consistency in the digital product passport pipeline.
   • A solution involving vocabulary sites, schema versioning, and simplified context files was introduced by Steve, while Nis raised concerns about frequent updates to context files and their potential to disrupt system setups.

6. Implementation and Testing:

   • The team discussed creating a register of implementations, inviting stakeholders to express their intent to implement UNTP standards. This will help assess the adoption of these standards.
   • The importance of evidence for successful implementation, such as test results, was emphasized by Gerhard and others.

7. Next Steps:

   • The pull request related to implementation registers and vocabulary updates was approved.
   • The meeting ended with a reminder to continue working on the pull requests and to solicit early expressions of interest from potential implementers.

2024-08-28 Meeting Summary

Participants:

• Steve Capell
• Virginia Cram-Martos
• Dr Wang Xiang
• Ester Cunha
• Nancy (last name not mentioned)
• Michael O'Shea
• Anne (last name not mentioned)
• Joe (last name not mentioned)
• John Phillips
• Guy (last name not mentioned)
• Marcus (last name not mentioned)

---

1. Opening Remarks:

• The meeting started with greetings from Steve Capell. Steve mentioned that the meeting might be brief due to a smaller group and the absence of full requests to review. The agenda was to share thoughts and discuss ongoing ideas.

2. Project Updates:

• Steve Capell provided an update on a meeting with ISO TC154 regarding a potential new project for a global digital product passport. This project is being pushed by the China National Institute of Standards and is in the early proposal stages. The project will be a joint collaboration with UNECE.

• Nancy discussed updates related to the UNTP extension site, focusing on the critical raw materials extension. She suggested creating a one-page value proposition template to assist early adopters, particularly mining companies, in implementing the UNTP.

3. Business Case Development:

• Nancy emphasized the importance of developing a business case framework that can evolve with more data during the pilot phases. She highlighted the need for a robust business case to secure funding for post-pilot projects.

• Anne and Joe provided updates on a spreadsheet they developed to guide participants through creating a value case or business case for UNTP implementation. The focus is on calculating ROI over a 10-year period.

4. Community Activation:

• Steve Capell discussed the necessity of community activation before moving into full implementation phases. He cited examples from Australian agriculture, where community activation was crucial for project success.

5. Technical and Regulatory Challenges:

• Guy raised challenges regarding the allocation of emissions to products, especially in critical minerals sectors. There was consensus that allocation rules are often unclear, and industry-specific guidance might be necessary.

• Virginia Cram-Martos asked about the conflict between counterfeit issues and the right to repair, leading to a discussion on the regulatory landscape and its impact on standards.

6. Next Steps:

• Steve Capell mentioned plans to establish a structure for registering commitment to implementation by different categories. There was also a focus on developing content for community activation and the business case guide.

• The meeting concluded with Steve Capell inviting participants to continue their contributions and to attend future meetings.

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This summary includes the names of the participants and captures the key points discussed during the meeting. If you need further adjustments or more details on any section, please let me know!

2024-08-22 Meeting Summary

Date: August 22, 2024

Speakers:

• Steve (Host)
• Michael O'Shea (Speaker 4)
• Phil (Speaker 3)
• Zach (Speaker 2)
• Nis (Speaker 6)
• Brett (Speaker 7)

Key Points:

1. Business Case Content Development:

   • Steve introduced the development of business case content led by Michael O'Shea and his team.
   • The team has begun working on creating a table that outlines the business case by identifying stakeholders and categorizing value points.
   • The objective is to have a shareable document by mid-September, aiming to refine and organize the content for clarity.

2. Digital Product Passport (DPP) Updates:

   • Steve discussed updates to the digital product passport, including the inclusion of context and schema files to support future implementation.
   • Emphasis was placed on making the DPP consistent with existing standards and ensuring it is easy to implement while valuable for verification.

3. Vocabulary and Schema Mapping:

   • The team discussed the challenges of mapping data to established vocabularies such as schema.org and GS1.
   • The focus is on maintaining consistency and preventing issues like breaking proofs during versioning.

4. Implementation Interest:

   • There was discussion on the timing of soliciting commitments from organizations to implement the UNTP standard.
   • It was agreed that the right time is approaching, and efforts to socialize the project and secure interest should begin.

5. Next Steps:

   • Steve and the team will work on refining the business case and moving towards creating a stable 1.0 release by Christmas.
   • A call for implementers will be prepared to start gathering interest and commitments from potential adopters.

Action Items:

• Michael and his team will continue refining the business case content with the goal of having a draft ready by mid-September.
• Steve will work on fixing identified bugs and preparing materials to solicit implementation commitments.

Next Meeting:

• Focus will continue on the business case, schema updates, and gathering implementer commitments.

Conclusion:
The meeting ended on a positive note, with everyone feeling that significant progress is being made towards finalizing the UNTP standard and building momentum for broader adoption.

2024-08-15 Meeting Summary

Date: August 14, 2024
Attendees:

• Steve (Speaker 1)
• Phil (Speaker 2)
• Virginia (Speaker 4)
• Zach (Speaker 5)
• Patrick (Speaker 3)
• Harley (Speaker 13)
• Todd Taylor (Speaker 7)
• Bree (Speaker 8)

Key Discussion Points:

1. Pull Request Review (Phil's Updates):

   • Phil discussed the simplification of terminology in the pull request. His changes primarily involved correcting typos and substituting GS1 references with corresponding ISO/IEC standards for event tracking and business vocabularies. This was done to align politically and avoid implying that GS1 identifiers are mandatory for using EPCIS.
   • Steve and others approved the pull request, agreeing to merge it as it was a simple update.

2. ISO and UN Involvement in Global Digital Passport Standards:

   • Steve mentioned an upcoming meeting at ISO to review a candidate project proposed by a Chinese standards authority to develop a global digital passport standard. He was invited to co-chair this initiative, potentially representing both the UN and ISO. The group discussed the significance of this project and the potential implications of having a UN co-chair involved.
   • Phil provided additional context, mentioning the Vienna Memorandum, an agreement between ISO and CEN-CENELEC to avoid duplication of efforts in standard development. He also noted GS1’s interest in participating in the project.

3. New Digital Facility Record Proposal:

   • Steve introduced the idea of adding a new credential type, a Digital Facility Record (DFR), to the UN Transparency Protocol (UNTP). This record would focus on the facility itself rather than the product and could be used to track sustainability assessments at the facility level.
   • Virginia and Phil supported the idea, with Virginia suggesting the term "Facility Profile" to better represent the data. The group discussed how this could streamline sustainability reporting by making facilities first-order objects rather than secondary attributes of products.

4. Challenges with Product Passport Updates:

   • Zach raised concerns about updating digital product passports (DPPs) after they have been issued, such as adding post-sale repair events or certifications. The group acknowledged that while updates are crucial, there are challenges with ensuring that only authorized entities can modify the passport.
   • Steve proposed the idea of allowing certain events to be added to a product passport by authorized third parties, like certified repairers or recycling plants, using a delegated authority model.

5. Formation of a Working Group:

   • A new working group was formed, led by Zach, to explore solutions for managing updates to digital product passports. The group will work on defining the conditions under which updates can be made and will consider different approaches to identity resolution and authorization.

6. Conformity Assessment Scheme Clarification:

   • Bree raised a question regarding the linkage between conformity assessment schemes and regulations within the digital product passport framework. Steve clarified that in the context of product conformity, an assessment can reference multiple standards or regulations, bundled together in a scheme.
   • The group discussed how this framework might need to be adapted for regulatory permits and other credentials outside of product conformity.

Action Items:

• Phil and Zach to collaborate on a working group to explore digital product passport updates.
• Steve to create a proposal for the Digital Facility Record and present it for further review.
• Bree and Patrick to revisit the mapping of assessment schemes to regulations for conformity credentials and report back on potential updates to the framework.

Conclusion: The meeting focused on refining standards around digital product passports, facility records, and conformity assessment schemes. The formation of a working group will drive further exploration of issues related to product passport updates and maintaining data integrity across complex supply chains.

2024-08-01 Meeting Summary

Date: August 1, 2024

Speakers:

• Steve (Host)
• Martin Pompery (Speaker 2)
• Zach (Speaker 3)
• Christophe (Speaker 4)
• Virginia (Speaker 5)
• Nancy (Speaker 6)
• Phil (Speaker 7)
• Juliet (Speaker 8)

Key Points:

1. Introduction and Attendance:

   • Steve began the meeting, noting the recording and summary availability.
   • Martin Pompery introduced himself as a co-founder of the SINA Foundation, focusing on carbon transparency protocols with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

2. Business Case for the UNTP:

   • Steve presented an initial contribution to the business case for the UNTP, highlighting the costs and benefits for potential implementers.
   • The business case was divided into three parts:
     • Costs and benefits for individual supply chain actors or regulators.
     • Costs and benefits for communities.
     • Reporting the value and cost of implementations for benchmarking.

3. Feedback on Business Case:

   • Christophe agreed with the categories but questioned the final product's specificity.
   • Virginia emphasized the need for cost-benefit arguments for public authorities and not-for-profits.
   • Nancy noted the importance of differentiating between pilot and long-term participation.

4. Emissions and Circularity Performance in Digital Product Passports:

   • Steve discussed adding emissions and circularity performance to digital product passports.
   • Emissions performance would include high-level carbon footprint data with scope and reference standards.
   • Circularity performance would measure linear flow index and utility, reflecting recycled content and product durability.

5. Challenges and Considerations:

   • Martin and Christophe highlighted the complexity and variability in measuring carbon footprints.
   • Zach questioned the governance structure for adding summary boxes and emphasized aligning with sustainable development goals.
   • The balance between simplicity for ease of implementation and the need for detailed, reliable data was a recurring theme.

6. Future Steps:

   • Agreement to merge the initial business case content and continue refining it.
   • Continued deliberation on representing frameworks like the Pathfinder Framework in digital product passports.
   • Emphasis on simplicity to encourage voluntary adoption while ensuring reliable and comparable data.

Action Items:

• Steve to merge the initial business case contribution and iterate based on feedback.
• Further discussion on the appropriate level of detail for emissions and circularity performance in digital product passports.
• Consideration of additional examples and practical applications to test the proposed structures.

Next Meeting:

• Focus on refining the business case and exploring practical examples of implementing the digital product passport framework.

Conclusion: The meeting concluded with acknowledgment of valuable feedback and a commitment to ongoing collaboration to achieve a balanced and implementable framework.

2024-07-25 Meeting Summary

Attendees:

• Steve (Speaker 1)
• Phil (Speaker 2)
• Luis (Speaker 3)
• Suzanne (Speaker 4)
• Michael (Speaker 7)
• Virginia (Speaker 8)
• Zach (Speaker 5)
• Brett (Speaker 6)
• Marcus (Speaker 10)
• Vinayak (Speaker 9)
• Chris (mentioned)
• Gerhard (mentioned)
• Vladimir (mentioned)

Agenda:

1. Review of Previous Meetings and Updates
2. Discussion on TrustGraphs Demo
3. Pull Requests Review
4. Issues Discussion

Key Points:

1. Review of Previous Meetings and Updates:

• Steve: Recapped the presentations given at the recent forum and plenary sessions, highlighting the positive reception and support received, except for a minor objection from the European standards organization.
• Discussed expanding the group to include more people from non-technical backgrounds in sustainability and the potential for collaboration with CEN and ISO on new projects.

2. Discussion on TrustGraphs Demo:

• Nis: Inquired about a planned demo on TrustGraphs.
• Steve: Mentioned that Harley, who was supposed to present, is preparing a more refined demo incorporating recent standards, scheduled for two weeks later.

3. Pull Requests Review:

• Suzanne's Pull Request:
  • Steve: Suggested Suzanne review the latest content and update her pull request accordingly.
  • Suzanne: Agreed, mentioning she is still learning and appreciated the feedback.
• Phil's Pull Requests:
  • Phil: Made minor corrections to the naming of the W3C standard and clarified the terms VC and VCDM.
  • Phil: Added substantial content on global uniqueness and resolvability, including some necessary corrections.
• Steve's Pull Request:
  • Steve: Presented updates to the digital product passport page, making it more implementer-friendly with examples and snippets.
  • Discussions were held on further improvements, including explaining color codes in diagrams and fixing URLs and date formats.

4. Issues Discussion:

• Sustainability Vocabulary Design: Ongoing discussions on how to represent various standards and regulations meaningfully.
• Units of Measure: Phil confirmed that the current use of UN Rec20 codes is satisfactory.
• Reference Standards Page: Discussion on creating a separate page for reference standards and acronyms.
• Human Observations as Valid Sensors: Zach discussed the need for guidance on incorporating human observations in low digital maturity environments.
• General Issues: Several older issues raised by Gerhard and Vladimir were reviewed for potential closure.

Next Steps:

• Steve: Will address the feedback received on the digital product passport page and update the conformity credential page similarly.
• Vinayak: Volunteered to map the GBA's digital product passport data model to the UNTP framework.

Action Items:

1. Suzanne: To review steve's updates to her proposed changes
2. Steve: To fix issues on the digital product passport page and update conformity credentials.
3. All: To create a glossary page for standards and acronyms.
4. Zach: To incorporate feedback into discussions on human observations as sensors.
5. Vinayak: To map the GBA digital product passport data model to UNTP.

Conclusion: The meeting concluded with thanks to all participants and a note that the next meeting will focus on further pull requests and issues.

2024-07-17 Meeting Summary

Attendees:

• Steve (Speaker 1)
• Jason (Speaker 2)
• Virginia (Speaker 2)
• Phil (Speaker 2)
• Zack (Speaker 2)
• Other unidentified speakers

Key Points Discussed:

1. Meeting Logistics and Technical Issues:

   • Steve welcomed participants and acknowledged technical issues faced by Virginia.
   • Virginia requested a list of acronyms to better understand emails and documents.

2. Review of Recent Forum and Plenary Sessions:

   • Steve reviewed the recent UNTP forum and plenary sessions, highlighting the presentations on VCs, security, language vocabularies, and business models.
   • Positive feedback and increased volunteer participation were noted.
   • Discussions on separating technical work from business use cases and engaging business experts from the UNECE Team of Specialists on Sustainable Value Chains.

3. Concerns from CENELEC and Collaboration Opportunities:

   • CENELEC, the European Standards Body, expressed concerns about potential duplication of work with the UNTP.
   • Robust discussion ensued, with other member states (USA, Canada, Australia, Singapore) supporting a global standard.
   • Proposal to collaborate with CENELEC to ensure interoperability and avoid duplication.
   • Discussion on lobbying the European Commission to support the UNTP's global standard approach.

4. Integrating Business Experts into Technical Sessions:

   • Suggestions on how to integrate business experts into technical sessions, either by inviting them to specific meetings or having dedicated sessions for business input.

5. Pull Request Review and Data Model Updates:

   • Steve presented a significant pull request addressing multiple issues and reorganizing business objects into a separate vocabulary for better consistency and reuse.
   • Discussion on the importance of proper data structure for creating transparency graphs in supply chains.
   • Request for a detailed walkthrough of the data model to help team members understand the changes and contribute effectively.

6. Tooling and Versioning for Context Files and Vocabularies:

   • Introduction of a deployment pipeline for versioned vocabularies and context files to ensure stable and robust implementations.
   • Emphasis on the need for good governance and tooling to maintain consistency and prevent breaking changes in issued credentials.

7. Next Steps and Action Items:

   • Plan to write a response to the German delegation, engaging with the European Commission for support.
   • Agreement to focus the next meeting on a deep dive into the data model and its associations.
   • Encouragement for team members to review the merged pull request and provide feedback.

Meeting Conclusion:

• Steve thanked everyone for their participation and contributions.
• The meeting concluded with a positive note on the ongoing implementations and the significant progress being made.

2024-07-04 Meeting Summary

Participants:

• Speaker 1 (Steve)
• Speaker 2 (Patrick)
• Speaker 3 (Joe)
• Speaker 4 (Marcus)
• Speaker 5 (Anne)
• Speaker 6 (Mark)
• Speaker 7 (Other Participants)

Key Points Discussed:

1. Introduction and Agenda:

   • Steve welcomed participants and reiterated the meeting recording policy and IP contributions disclaimer.
   • Mentioned the upcoming UNCFACT forum and plenary, highlighting sessions involving UNTP.

2. New Participants:

   • Mark, Rocky, and Tomas from Canada introduced themselves as potential implementers in the plastics value chain.
   • Anne and Dow from Canada also introduced themselves, working on digital product passports.

3. Pull Request Reviews:

   • Digital Product Passport Update:
     • Suzanne's PR suggesting a single unique identifier for products instead of an array was discussed.
     • Agreement to merge after minor adjustments (e.g., removing the 's' from identifiers).
   • Trust Graphs and Wallets:
     • Suzanne's PR on trust graphs and wallet presentations was not merged.
     • The team agreed to avoid technical dependencies on wallets, focusing instead on a publish and discover architecture.

4. Discussion on JSON-LD and JSON Schema:

   • Steve shared insights on the use of JSON-LD and JSON Schema for managing vocabularies and credentials.
   • Emphasis on making life easier for implementers by providing clear schemas and context files.
   • The goal is to construct meaningful transparency graphs for verifiers.

5. Conceptual Model and Transparency Graph:

   • Discussion on the conceptual model showing relationships between entities like products, organizations, and facilities.
   • The importance of identifiers and the relationship between entities was emphasized.
   • The aim is to create a transparency graph that can be easily consumed and interpreted.

6. Future Steps:

   • Plans to finalize and publish updated models for digital product passports, conformity credentials, and traceability events.
   • Encouragement for participants to review and provide feedback on the proposed changes.

Action Items:

• Steve: Finalize and merge the PR for the single unique identifier and update the digital product passport model.
• Team: Review and provide feedback on the proposed updates to the models and context files.
• Steve: Prepare pull requests to align models with the discussed conceptual framework.

Next Steps:

• Continue refining the models and schemas to ensure they are implementable and interoperable.
• Prepare for testing the models with various extensions and real-world use cases.

2024-06-27 Meeting Summary

Date: June 27, 2024

Participants:

• Steve
• Gerhard
• Zach
• Susanne
• Harley
• NIS
• Virginia

Agenda:

1. Review of Public Comments on Recommendation 49
2. Timeline and Plan for Addressing Comments
3. Discussion on Specific Comments
4. Digital Identity Anchor Credential
5. Governance and Versioning of Standards

Key Points:

1. Introduction and General Updates:

   • Steve welcomed everyone and emphasized the importance of contributions to the project.
   • The public review period for Recommendation 49 has concluded, and comments have been circulated via email.

2. Review of Comments on Recommendation 49:

   • Comments varied from editorial to substantive, with significant input from Gerhard.
   • The team has a weekend to draft responses and update the document before the plenary meeting in two weeks.
   • Steve asked for volunteers to help review and respond to the comments. Zach and Speaker 2 offered assistance.

3. Discussion on Specific Comments:

   • Gerhard suggested prioritizing substantive comments over editorial ones.
   • Some comments highlighted confusion between transparency and traceability in the document's title and content.
   • The team plans to consolidate and prioritize comments, creating a response log for internal review over the weekend.

4. Digital Identity Anchor Credential:

   • Introduction of a new credential to link digital identities with authorized registers (e.g., Australian business number).
   • Discussion on aligning with verifiable legal entity identifiers (VLEI) and ensuring compatibility with existing standards.

5. Governance and Versioning of Standards:

   • Presentation of a diagram to illustrate the governance and extension of digital product passports and related credentials.
   • Agreement to maintain long-term versions and ensure stability of standards and references.
   • Discussion on the inclusion of external vocabularies (e.g., schema.org) alongside UN-specific vocabularies.

6. Issues and Actions:

   • Several tickets and issues were reviewed, including automated policy execution and maintaining versions of standards.
   • Harley volunteered to present a demo on trust graphs and shackle rule validation in four weeks.

Next Steps:

• Address and finalize responses to public comments on Recommendation 49 by Monday.
• Update and publish the digital identity anchor credential after resolving outstanding issues.
• Continue discussions on governance and versioning, incorporating feedback from the broader standards community.
• Prepare for the next meeting, focusing on traceability events and further issues.

Action Items:

• Zach and Steve to create an integrated comments log for Recommendation 49.
• Steve to update the project page with relevant links and descriptions.
• Harley to prepare a demo on trust graphs for the meeting in four weeks.
• Team to review and provide feedback on the governance diagram and proposed standards extension approach.

This summary captures the main points and action items from the meeting. If any participant has additional comments or corrections, please share them before the next meeting.

2024-06-19 Meeting Summary

Participants:

• Speaker 1 (Chair)
• Speaker 2 (Patrick)
• Speaker 3 (Zach)
• Speaker 4 (Phil)
• Speaker 5 (Steve)
• Speaker 6 (Nis)
• Speaker 7 (Juliet)
• Speaker 8 (Dr. Wang)

Key Points Discussed:

1. Implementation Tools and Reference Implementations:

   • Discussed the distinction between implementation tools and reference implementations.
   • Emphasis on the need for a toolkit to help implementers test and ensure interoperability with UNTP.
   • Concerns about long-term funding for test suites and the potential for community contributions.

2. Rendering Methods for Verifiable Credentials:

   • Debate on whether to mandate a specific rendering method.
   • Agreement to use a “should” directive for rendering methods, specifying HTML as the primary method but allowing for additional methods.
   • Adjustments to the wording to reflect this approach.

3. Conformity Credential Alignment:

   • Discussion on aligning conformity credentials with the VCDM (Verifiable Credential Data Model).
   • Decision to manage status externally rather than within the credential to avoid reissuing credentials for status changes.
   • Agreement on using existing VCDM fields where applicable and not duplicating fields within the credential.

4. Identity Resolver Naming:

   • Phil suggested renaming “digital link resolver” to “identity resolver” to avoid confusion and potential trademark issues.
   • Agreement to adopt “identity resolver” as it better describes the function.

5. Site Restructure and Business Case Promotion:

   • Site restructuring to align with the five-pillar architecture model and updated component names.
   • Elevated the business case section to highlight the importance of commercial incentives and funding for sustainable supply chains.

6. Versioning of Context Files:

   • Discussion on the appropriate granularity for context files.
   • Consensus on having separate context files for each core data credential type to simplify management and maintainability.
   • Emphasis on aligning versioning of data models, schemas, and context files.

7. Use of Jargon Tool for Model Generation:

   • Overview of the Jargon tool used for generating schemas and context files.
   • Acknowledgment of the need for high-quality outputs and flexibility in tool usage.
   • Open to reassessing the tool’s use based on implementation feedback.

Action Items:

• Patrick and Nis: Update the conformity credential model to align with VCDM fields and manage status externally.
• Zach: Update the wording for rendering methods to reflect the new “should” directive.
• Steve: Finalize and merge the PR for identity resolver renaming and site restructuring.
• Team: Review and experiment with the Jargon tool to ensure it meets quality expectations for generating context files.

Next Steps:

• Finalize the updates to data models and context files before the next meeting.
• Prepare for discussions on the content of digital product passports and business content in upcoming calls.

2024-06-13 Meeting Summary

Participants:

• Steve (Speaker 1)
• Nis (Speaker 2)
• Zach (Speaker 6)
• Cliff (Speaker 2)
• Patrick (Speaker 3)
• Ksenia (Mentioned)
• John (Speaker 5)
• Suzanne (Speaker 3)

Key Points Discussed:

1. Pull Requests Review:

   • Testing Architecture PR by Zach:

     • Discussion on merging Zach's updated testing architecture, which simplifies the previous bullet-heavy document.
     • Consensus to merge despite it being in draft to move forward.

   • Mill Test Report PR by Nis:

     • Addressed issue 19 regarding steel mill test reports conforming to schema.
     • Decision to close and start fresh aligning with the layered architecture approach.

   • Digital Livestock Passport:

     • A practical extension example for the Australian digital livestock passport project.
     • Closed PR without merging, left a comment on the required alignment.

   • Context and Schema Files by Nis:

     • Added basic context and schema definitions to aid in linked data implementation.
     • Agreement on merging the PR despite the incomplete schema, with an action to improve alignment.

   • Reference Implementations by Zach:

     • Deferred merging Zach’s reference implementations pending more complete content.

2. Architecture Overview Discussion:

   • Presented a diagram outlining the components of the UNTP specifications.
   • Discussed sections including Digital Identity Anchor, Decentralized Access and Control (DAC), and semantic understanding of data.
   • Emphasis on practical guidance using existing technologies like GLEIF’s Verifiable Legal Entity Identifier and Trust Over IP’s Trust Registry Protocol.

3. Methodology for Model and Schema:

   • Addressed the collision of top-down (model-driven) and bottom-up (instance-driven) methodologies.
   • Decision to use Nis’s practical instances to guide model updates and schema generation for alignment.

4. Additional Business:

   • Agreement on renaming “trust graph” to “transparency graph” to avoid confusion.
   • Planned actions to update documentation, align naming conventions, and ensure completeness of the context and schema files.

Action Items:

• Steve: Update the jargon generator to produce schema and context files that align with Nis’s examples.
• Nis: Assist with reviewing and validating the updated model-generated artifacts.
• Steve: Merge the updated architecture overview and realign website content accordingly.
• John and Suzanne: Continue contributions to decentralized access control and digital identity anchor discussions.
• Team: Prepare for testing the digital product passport model in various industry contexts.

The next meeting is scheduled in two weeks for further technical reviews and business discussions on the practical implementation of the digital product passport.

2024-06-05 Meeting Summary

Attendees:

• Steve (Speaker 1)
• Virginia (Speaker 3)
• Jason (Speaker 5)
• Patrick (Speaker 2)
• Marcus (Speaker 4)
• Other unidentified speakers

Key Points Discussed:

1. Meeting Organization and Participation:

   • Steve acknowledged the need to increase participation in meetings through better marketing.
   • Reminded attendees that this is a UN meeting and contributions are considered UN IP.
   • Steve mentioned that meetings are recorded and transcriptions are published.

2. Meeting Transcription and Summary Process:

   • Steve shared updates on how meeting transcriptions and summaries are managed.
   • Introduced a table format for meeting summaries with video transcripts, text transcripts, GPT summaries, and one-sentence summaries for quick reference.

3. Pull Requests and JSON Schema vs. JSON-LD Context:

   • Discussion on handling pull requests and differences between JSON schema (structure) and JSON-LD context (meaning).
   • Steve shared a detailed explanation and a diagram to clarify these differences, using examples like a verifiable credential describing a traceability event for a bale of cotton.

4. Challenges with JSON-LD Context and Semantic Interoperability:

   • Steve highlighted the challenges in mapping complex, abstracted data models to meaningful terms in a consistent way.
   • Illustrated the difficulty with an example involving transport means and IMO numbers, emphasizing the problem with abstract structures in JSON-LD context files.

5. Discussion on Governance and Granularity:

   • Patrick and Marcus contributed to the discussion on how to manage the complexity and granularity of context files.
   • Marcus suggested using catalog entries to manage multiple schemas and context files, which could help in maintaining semantic integrity and version control.
   • The need for proper governance to ensure correct mappings and avoid wrong semantic interpretations was emphasized.

6. Principles for Managing Context Files:

   • Agreement on keeping context files small, semantically correct, and aligned with specific use cases.
   • Steve proposed focusing on manageable granularity for context files, suggesting one context file per credential schema to simplify governance and changes.

7. Future Steps:

   • Plan to open an issue for further discussion on mapping complexity and balance.
   • Aim to document guiding principles for UNTP governance and implementers.
   • Acknowledgment that more discussion and iteration are needed to refine the approach.

Action Items:

• Steve to draft guiding principles for context file management.
• Open an issue for further discussion on mapping complexity and balance.
• Follow-up discussions to refine the approach based on feedback and further exploration.

Meeting Conclusion:

• Steve thanked everyone for their participation and contributions.
• The meeting ended with an acknowledgment of the need for ongoing collaboration to address the challenges discussed.

2024-05-30 Meeting Summary

Attendees:

• Zachary
• Stefano
• Michael
• Joe
• Bill
• Peter
• Various team members

Key Points Discussed:

1. Pull Requests:

   • Zachary presented his closed pull request related to test architecture. He acknowledged the need to update it based on Steve's feedback and plans to do so by next week.
   • Discussion on merging half-baked pull requests to ensure progress and avoid stagnation.

2. Issues:

   • The team has 50 open issues, with a tendency to create more than they resolve.
   • Selective Disclosure Use Cases and Requirements: This issue is on hold, with a potential demo for the UN forum being considered.
   • PDF Generator Issue: Assigned to three people, none of whom were present. It was suggested to put a note for easy conversion of GitHub sites to PDF documents and possibly mark the issue as pending close.
   • Right to Repair Regulations: Stefano highlighted the importance of aligning with EU regulations on this matter to enhance document alignment. He volunteered to draft relevant verbiage.
   • Depth of Product Information: The team discussed the necessity of tracking both upstream and downstream information, debating the practical limits and methods for maintaining depth without overcomplicating the process.
   • Discovery Mechanism: Discussion on the challenge of linking product information if the physical identifier is lost. No immediate solution was found, and the issue might be closed without action or tagged for future consideration.

3. Technical Discussions:

   • The challenge of maintaining a dynamic and evolving digital product passport was discussed, with considerations on how to append information without altering the original document.
   • There was a consensus on the importance of linked product passports, with each tier in the supply chain responsible for creating and maintaining their own passports and linking them appropriately.
   • Verification and validation processes for credentials were discussed, with the need to detail steps for verifying issuers, data, schema, and status.
   • Discussion on certificates of conformity and the need for a practical way to refer to specific sections within a comprehensive conformity document.

4. Future Actions:

   • Explore solutions for appending information to digital product passports without compromising the original data.
   • Open new tickets to address specific downstream right-to-repair solutions.
   • Investigate the potential need for a central registry or blockchain solution to ensure the longevity and accessibility of digital product passports.
   • Ensure alignment with existing standards and leverage the work done by related bodies.

Conclusion: The meeting covered a range of issues from pull requests to regulatory alignment and the technical challenges of digital product passports. The team agreed on the need for continued exploration and development in these areas, with specific action items identified for follow-up. The meeting ended with the decision to be more aggressive in closing unresolved issues to maintain a manageable list.

2024-05-23 Meeting Summary

Participants: Virginia, Steve, Patrick, Zach, Gerhard, Marcus, John, Virginia, Joe, Phil, Harley, Juliet, and others.

Key Points Discussed:

1. Attendance and Meeting Logistics:

   • Various participants joined from different locations, including Steve on a yacht in Corfu.
   • Technical difficulties were experienced by some participants with the meeting link.

2. Meeting Overview:

   • The meeting was recorded and contributions are governed by a UN project.
   • The agenda focused on pull requests, updates to tickets, and related discussions.

3. Pull Requests and Sample File Updates:

   • A pull request discussed was about updating a sample file for the digital product passport.
   • The sample file was initially populated with real data from a participant's wife's company, which was then genericized.
   • Agreement to merge the pull request after making it align better with the VC data model.

4. Discussion on Naming and Structuring Digital Product Passports:

   • Debate on the appropriate terminology for types of credentials and subjects within the digital product passport.
   • Suggestions included keeping terms like "product passport" consistent and aligned with the data model.
   • The group discussed the implications of using terms like "digital" in various contexts.

5. Alignment with the VC Data Model:

   • Agreement that the digital product passport should not compete with but rather use the VC data model.
   • Proposed changes include aligning the example data and the data model, and updating the website accordingly.

6. Trust Graph vs. Transparency Graph:

   • Extensive discussion on the terminology to describe the assessment of linked data within digital product passports.
   • Alternatives considered included "trust graph," "provenance graph," "evidence graph," and "transparency graph."
   • Consensus leaned towards using "transparency graph" to avoid confusion and to better align with the project's goals.

7. Reference to W3C Provenance Model:

   • Marcus suggested using the W3C Provo ontology as a framework for describing the evidence or transparency graph.
   • This approach would help in structuring and querying the data to provide a clear lineage and validation of the information.

8. Action Items:

   • Steve to make the discussed changes to the pull request and update the data model and website.
   • Participants to review the W3C Provenance Model and consider its integration into the project specifications.
   • Further refinement and alignment of terminology and models in future discussions.

Next Steps:

• Follow-up on the discussed changes and updates.
• Continued refinement of terminology and alignment with established data models.
• Ongoing review and merging of pull requests as per the consensus reached.

Closing:

• The meeting concluded with an acknowledgment of the productive discussion and the clarity gained on several topics. Participants were thanked for their contributions.

For more detailed information, the full meeting recording and notes are available for review.

2024-05-16 Meeting Summary

Date: May 16, 2024

Participants: Various speakers including Steve, Phil Archer, Nis, Suzanne, and others.

Key Points Discussed:

1. Introduction and IP Reminder:

   • Contributions to the project are under the UNIP framework.
   • Agenda includes discussing outstanding pull requests, ongoing tickets, and the relationship between schema, context files, and vocabularies.

2. Pull Requests Review:

   • Minor Typo Fix: A simple typo correction was merged without objections.
   • Example Update: An update to the example in the passport and conformity credential sections was discussed. Concerns about using a real company's product (buyacre.com) were raised, suggesting a switch to imaginary examples to avoid IP issues.

3. Test Architecture Proposal:

   • Introduction of a three-tier conformance testing model: technical interoperability, schema testing, and business workflow testing.
   • Emphasis on ensuring must/should requirements are testable.
   • Discussion on using existing W3C test suites for core elements and defining additional tests for extensions.

4. Linked Data and JSON-LD Context Files:

   • Importance of linked data for ensuring consistent meaning across multiple instances.
   • Strategy to keep JSON-LD context files light and map only necessary elements to avoid complexity and incorrect mappings.
   • Agreement to develop the data model first and then map to established vocabularies.

5. Issues and Tickets:

   • Several issues tagged as pending closure after aligning models with VCDM.
   • Ongoing discussions on specific issues, with updates and resolutions expected in future meetings.

6. External Collaborations and Standards:

   • Steve presented at the Surpass kickoff, discussing alignment with the European Commission's efforts on product passports.
   • Suzanne highlighted the need to align with JTC 24 standards, focusing on product passport issuance and upstream supply chain data integration.
   • Proposal to establish a formal liaison with JTC 24 through the UN.

Actions and Next Steps:

1. Steve:

   • Work with Nis to update example models with non-proprietary products.
   • Align data models with VCDM and prepare for pilot implementations.
   • Follow up on establishing a formal liaison with JTC 24 through the UN.

2. Phil Archer:

   • Review any references to secure QR codes and update the test suite as needed.
   • Monitor and update the alignment with JTC 24 standards.

3. Suzanne:

   • Provide guidance on establishing a liaison with JTC 24.
   • Monitor JTC 24 activities and report back on potential divergences or necessary alignments.

4. All Participants:

   • Review the updated data models and provide feedback in the next meeting.
   • Engage in discussions on trust graphs and interoperability in upcoming calls.

Closing Remarks:

• Meeting ended 15 minutes early, with participants appreciating the extra time. The next meeting will focus on updates to the data models and further discussions on trust graphs.

2024-05-09 Meeting Summary

Attendees:

• Speaker 1 (Steve)
• Speaker 2 (Patrick)
• Speaker 3 (Virginia)
• Speaker 4 (John)
• Speaker 5 (Marcus)
• Speaker 6 (Unidentified)
• Speaker 7 (Unidentified)

Agenda:

1. Review of Outstanding PRs
2. Discussion on Key Tickets
3. Assignment Updates

Key Points:

1. General Updates:

   • Steve is currently anchored in Hvar, Croatia.
   • Meeting participants are from various time zones, with some joining late at night.

2. Recording and Contributions:

   • Meeting is recorded and contributions are for UNIP.
   • Participants are reminded that if they do not wish to contribute to UNIP, they should refrain from sharing ideas.

3. Review of PRs:

   • Only one pull request was discussed, which focused on enriching the content for conformity credentials.
   • The PR aims to align with existing business requirement specifications and the logical model of digital product conformity certificates.
   • Discussion about aligning fields with the VC (Verifiable Credentials) data model, particularly the "issuer" field.

4. Feedback on PRs:

   • Nis provided feedback on the PR, suggesting alignment with the VC data model.
   • Discussion on avoiding duplication of information and using complex objects in the VC issuer field.
   • Decision to merge the current PR and address alignment in subsequent revisions.

5. Trust Graphs:

   • Discussion led by John on the concept of trust graphs and the complexity of defining absolute measures of trustworthiness.
   • Agreement that trust decisions should be subjective and context-dependent, rather than protocol-defined scores.

6. Rendering Methods:

   • Patrick discussed the use of OCA (Overlays Capture Architecture) for rendering credentials, supporting multiple languages and additional metadata.
   • Emphasis on separating rendering logic from the data integrity of credentials.

7. Multilingual Support:

   • Debate on whether multilingual support should be embedded within the credential or handled through external overlays.
   • Consensus on using governed presentation layers for multilingual support to keep credentials simple and maintainable.

8. Action Items:

   • Align digital product passport models with the VC data model.
   • Remove the scoring elements from the digital product passport to avoid complications and ensure clarity.
   • Write a ticket to formally propose the removal of scoring from the digital product passport (John).

9. Other Discussions:

   • Mention of the Australian Agriculture Traceability Protocol as a model for implementing similar initiatives.
   • Steve highlighted a new publication from the Australian Government on agricultural traceability, noting the influence of UNTP.

10. Closing Remarks:

    • Steve thanked participants and emphasized the importance of aligning with the VC data model.
    • Next steps include continuing work on assigned tickets and discussing progress in the next meeting.

Next Meeting:

• Participants will continue with their assigned tasks and discuss further progress in the following week.

This summary captures the main points and action items from the meeting, ensuring clarity on the next steps and ongoing discussions.

2024-04-25 Meeting Summary

Meeting Start and Introductions:

• The meeting was initiated by Speaker 1, who took over the role of Master of Ceremony due to Steve being on a flight.
• Attendance included a significant Australian contingent despite it being a public holiday in Australia.
• Steve is traveling to China to coordinate supply chain pilot projects in the battery and critical mineral manufacturing process.

Agenda and Objectives:

• Review and process of open pull requests.
• Assignment and movement of stale issues.
• Emphasis on facilitating broader collaboration within the group.
• Encouragement for discussions to be taken offline or into Slack channels unless mission-critical.

Key Points Discussed:

1. Pull Requests:

   • Three pull requests were reviewed.
   • Major update to the traceability event schema by Steve was discussed, aligning more closely with the GS1 EPCIS standard.
   • Gerhard suggested creating an issue to compare the current model with the existing data models used in other sectors like animal track and trace and textiles.
   • Another pull request involved adding a governance section to describe the collaboration process.
   • A minor but potentially controversial pull request to remove an "out of place header" was discussed. The group decided to create a ticket to further explore the verifiability of identifiers before merging the pull request.

2. Issues:

   • Several issues were discussed, including the addition of page listing referenced standards, digital product passport sample files, and UNTP extensions methodology.
   • Gerhard highlighted the importance of maintaining interoperability by having a concise data model applicable across different industries.
   • Marcus and Virginia emphasized the need for clear guidance on how extensions fit within the core data structures and the governance process for managing these extensions.

Action Items:

• Creation of issues for comparing data models and verifying identifiers.
• Assignment of tasks to specific individuals, including Zach taking on the task of providing a digital product passport sample file.
• Further discussion on trust graph validation and the relationship between extensions and the core UNTP specifications.

Closing Remarks:

• The meeting concluded with thanks to Zach for leading the session in Steve's absence.
• A reminder for continuous collaboration and the importance of adhering to the process for pull requests and issue discussions.

This summary captures the main points and action items from the meeting, providing a concise overview for those who were unable to attend.

2024-04-18 Meeting Summary

Participants:

• Speaker 1
• Nis (Master of Ceremonies)
• Phil
• Susanne
• Steve
• Zach
• Michael
• Gerhard

Key Points Discussed:

1. Reminder on Contributions:

   • Contributions made to the GitHub repository are contributions to United Nations Intellectual Property (UN IP).
   • External specifications like GS1 and W3C can be referred to, but unique content belongs to UN IP.

2. Streamlining Specification Sections:

   • Discussion on the need to streamline the specification sections due to too many headings.
   • Proposal to handle this later in the normal order of pull requests and issues.

3. Pull Requests:

   • Pull Request 57 by Phil:
     • Focused on identifying discoverability and the pervasiveness of scanners and software.
     • Positive feedback and agreement to build incrementally on the contributions.
   • Pull Request 59 by Zach:
     • Simplified goals based on previous discussions, addressing issue 53.
     • Merged with no objections.
   • Pull Request by Steve:
     • Added verifiable credentials section, discussing business requirements and existing technical specifications.
     • Emphasis on conservative issuance and flexible verification.
     • Merged with no objections.

4. Issues Discussion:

   • Issue 9 (Verification and Trust Graphs):
     • Proposal to use business-friendly examples and diagrams to explain trust graphs.
     • Three common patterns identified:
       1. Same identity across different credentials.
       2. Conformity credential linked to claim.
       3. Certifier accredited by a trusted third party.
     • Commitment to create a PR with these examples for further discussion.

5. General Agreement:

   • Need for more use cases to test the scenarios and specification.
   • Encouragement for more participants to lean in and help move forward with the tasks.
   • Importance of balancing detailed discussions with progress on issues.

Actions and Assignments:

• Steve and Suzanne: Collaborate on creating examples and diagrams for the trust graph patterns.
• Phil: To work on aligning terminologies (must, should, may) with IETF standards.
• All participants: Add comments on issues directly in GitHub for better tracking and follow-up.

Next Steps:

• Assign issues before discussions in the next meeting.
• Ensure more focused discussions to cover more issues efficiently.

Closing Remarks:

• Commitment to improving the pace of progress while bringing everyone along on the journey.
• Meeting adjourned with a plan to implement better structure in future meetings.

This summary captures the essence of the meeting, the key decisions made, and the next steps agreed upon. If you need any specific details from the transcript, please let me know!

2024-04-11 Meeting Summary

Attendees:

• Steve
• Patrick
• Susanna
• Virginia
• Susan
• Becky
• Nancy
• Zach
• Carolyn
• Joe
• Stephen
• Other Participants

Main Discussion Points:

1. Introduction and Setup:

   • Initial greetings and setting up systems.
   • Discussion on the global timing of the meeting to accommodate different time zones, primarily focusing on American and Canadian colleagues.

2. Podcast Mention:

   • Mention of a podcast with Darrell O'Donnell and the suggestion to share the link in the Slack channel.

3. Meeting Formalities:

   • Reminder that contributions are for U.N. IP and that the meeting is recorded.
   • Standard procedure involves reviewing open pull requests and discussing issues.

4. Digital Product Passport (DPP) Development:

   • Emphasis on the need to start looking at industry use cases.
   • Discussion on the GBA digital product battery passport and ISO standard for digital product circularity.
   • Agreement to merge changes related to the product passport data model.

5. Use Cases and Industry Pilots:

   • Discussion on industry-specific pilots for testing the feasibility and value of the DPP.
   • Mention of upcoming pilots in agriculture and critical raw materials.
   • Carolyn shared a slide explaining the value chain and the application of the UNTP framework.

6. Trust and Credential Verification:

   • Discussion on trust registries and methods for verifying the trustworthiness of credential issuers.
   • Different approaches were considered, including the use of DID (Decentralized Identifiers) and linked credentials.
   • Example of the Australian Business Register and how it could issue credentials to businesses.

7. Verifiable Credentials and Exchange Models:

   • Debate on the best practices for exchanging verifiable credentials, whether wallet-to-wallet or through a publish and discover model.
   • Reference to a project that involved publicly discoverable credentials and lessons that could be relevant for UNTP.

8. Technical Infrastructure and DID Methods:

   • Concerns about the infrastructure for DID web and potential lock-in with service providers.
   • Suggestion to develop recommendations for DID methods suitable for different use cases, such as small businesses and product identifiers.

9. Upcoming Tasks and Assignments:

   • Agreement to work on a prototype for linked credentials and identity verification.
   • Decision to use Slack more actively for offline discussions to expedite progress.

Action Items:

• Patrick to write a summary of lessons from the discussed project and how they might impact UNTP.
• Stephen Curran to work on a prototype for verifying linked credentials.
• Create a ticket for recommending DID methods for different use cases.
• More active use of Slack for ongoing discussions and resolving tickets.

Next Meeting:

• The next meeting will be held at a time more convenient for European participants.

Additional Notes:

• Suzanne from the World Economic Forum and the Global Battery Alliance participated for the first time.
• Stephen Curran introduced a new DID method called Trusted Web, which could be relevant for the project's needs.

This summary captures the key points and discussions from the meeting on April 10, 2024.

2024-04-04 Meeting Summary

Attendees:

• Steve (Speaker 1)
• Nisht (Speaker 2)
• SAC Representative (Speaker 8)
• Michael Shea (Speaker 9)
• Virginia (Speaker 5)
• Brett (Speaker 7)
• Gerhard (Speaker 3)
• Joe (Speaker 4)
• Ashley (Speaker 6)

Key Points Discussed:

1. Recording and IP Contribution:

   • Steve reminded everyone that contributions are voluntary, and IP is contributed to the UN.
   • A recording will be posted for those who couldn't attend.

2. Digital Product Passport (DPP):

   • Steve requested additional discussion time on DPP updates.
   • Issues with pull requests (PR) were discussed, particularly around supply chain depth clarification.
   • Agreement to merge a PR and address depth in a subsequent PR.

3. Pull Requests and Issues:

   • A PR from SAC Representative was discussed. It was agreed to merge it with follow-up clarifications.
   • Discussion on identifiers for entities and products, emphasizing the need for multiple identifiers (e.g., GLN, ABN, DID) and the ability to verify them.
   • Importance of having robust claims for product categories and items, considering changes over time.

4. Granularity in Product Claims:

   • Virginia and Gerhard led a detailed discussion on handling product claims at different levels (e.g., product class vs. individual items).
   • Emphasized the necessity of batch numbers and serialized identifiers for traceability and integrity.

5. Verifiable Credentials and Technical Specifications:

   • Debate on the approach for verifiable credentials and the need for implementation guidelines.
   • Discussion on interoperability, technical recommendations, and the balance between specificity and flexibility.
   • Agreement to draft business requirements to guide technical recommendations.

6. Rendering Templates for Verifiable Credentials:

   • Ashley presented on using rendering templates within credentials.
   • Discussion on embedding templates vs. linking to external sources, considering privacy, performance, and integrity.

7. Next Steps and Actions:

   • Steve to draft business requirements for verifiable credentials.
   • Nis and others to provide feedback and draft a pull request based on these requirements.
   • Further discussion on specific technical choices and their rationale.

Action Items:

• Steve to draft and post business requirements for verifiable credentials.
• All relevant parties to prepare and review pull requests related to DPP updates and verifiable credentials.
• Continue discussions on granularity of product claims and implementation guidelines.

Conclusion: The meeting focused on refining the process for handling digital product passports and verifiable credentials, ensuring robust and interoperable solutions. The importance of clear business requirements to guide technical decisions was emphasized, and specific actions were assigned to move forward with these discussions.

2024-03-28 Meeting Summary

Attendees:

• Stephen (Speaker 1)
• Kevin (Speaker 13)
• Nancy Norris (Speaker 5)
• Stephen Curran (Speaker 14)
• Jason (Speaker 7)
• Phil (Speaker 2)
• Virginia (Speaker 3)
• Christophe (Speaker 12)
• Michael (Speaker 10)
• Zach (Speaker 12)
• John (Speaker 9)
• Peter (Speaker 8)

Key Points Discussed:

1. Meeting Timing Adjustments:

   • Adjusted to accommodate participants from different time zones, especially from Canada and the U.S.
   • Noted appreciation for the flexibility, despite it being late for some European participants.

2. Welcome and Introductions:

   • Introduction of new participants from North America.
   • Brief introductions by Nancy Norris and Stephen Curran highlighting their roles and work on verifiable credentials.

3. Recording and Standards Development:

   • Meeting is being recorded.
   • Emphasis on the focus on standards development rather than commercial products.
   • Contributions to the meeting are considered as contributions to the United Nations Intellectual Property Library.

4. Digital Product Passport (DPP):

   • Discussion on the importance of focusing on the DPP due to upcoming pilots in Australia and the EU.
   • Emphasis on business attention needed for the DPP structure.

5. Claims and Evidence:

   • Discussion on how to handle claims at the SKU, batch, and facility levels.
   • Recognition of the need to differentiate between product-level and batch-level claims.
   • Debate on the inclusion of benchmark values and references in the claims.
     • Some participants argued for the inclusion to provide context and comparability.
     • Others suggested it could be out of scope and should be handled by third-party verifiers.

6. Granularity of Claims and Evidence:

   • Addressed the challenge of reconciling claims at the shipment level with evidence at the facility level.
   • Discussed the potential for greenwashing if facility-level evidence is used to support product-level claims without proper verification.

7. Product vs. Batch Passports:

   • Consideration of whether to maintain separate passports for products and batches.
   • Discussed the possibility of inheriting claims from product to batch levels.
   • Agreed on the need for optional structures to support different use cases.

8. Vocabulary and Ontology:

   • Suggested a need for rigorous definition and management of the taxonomy and ontology of claims.
   • Potential overlap between the data model and the vocabulary of sustainability claims.

9. Next Steps:

   • Stephen to update the ticket with the consensus from the discussion.
   • Further review and testing of the data model with real use cases to ensure its implementability.

Action Items:

• Stephen to update the data model and ticket based on the discussion.
• Participants to review the updated model and provide feedback.
• Plan to test the model with sample certificates and real-world scenarios.

Closing:

• Meeting concluded with a reminder to stick to time limits for the benefit of all participants.

Please let me know if there are any specific details or additional information you would like to include in the summary.

2024-03-15 Meeting Summary

Participants:

• Steve
• Phil
• Nis
• Other unnamed speakers

Key Points Discussed:

1. Policy Document Submission:

   • The policy document was successfully submitted to the Secretariat and forwarded to the Bureau.
   • Approval from Bureau members is in progress, with public release anticipated soon.

2. Meeting Frequency:

   • Discussion on whether to hold meetings weekly or fortnightly.
   • Consensus leaned towards weekly half-hour meetings to ensure consistent progress and accountability.

3. Tech Specifications and PRs:

   • Focus to shift to tech specifications following the policy document submission.
   • Nis discussed several pull requests (PRs) for practice and refinement.
   • Agreed on a structured approach to reviewing and merging PRs.

4. GS1 Standards and UNTP:

   • Debate on the inclusion of GS1 standards and the relationship with UNTP.
   • Decision to potentially host information on GS1’s own page and link it from the UNTP site.

5. Editing and Contributing via GitHub:

   • Demonstration on how to edit pages, create issues, and make pull requests on GitHub.
   • Emphasis on using the "Edit this page" feature for ease of contribution.

6. Action Items:

   • Participants to self-assign tickets on GitHub and contribute to issues and pull requests.
   • Continuous monitoring and support via Slack for any technical issues.

7. Miscellaneous:

   • Acknowledgment of contributions to the policy document.
   • Future meetings to follow a structured process focusing on PRs and issues.

Next Steps:

• Weekly meetings to continue with a focus on technical specifications.
• Participants to actively engage in GitHub for issue tracking and pull requests.
• Continued collaboration and support to ensure progress on project goals.

2024-02-29 Meeting Summary

Date: February 29, 2024

Participants:

• Speaker 1 (Steve)
• Speaker 2 (Virginia)
• Speaker 3 (Christophe)
• Speaker 4 (Nes)
• Speaker 5 (Brett)
• Speaker 6 (Jerry)
• Speaker 7 (Rakesh)
• Speaker 8 (Peter)
• Speaker 9 (Unnamed participants)

---

Key Points Discussed:

1. Introduction and Updates:

   • Steve (Speaker 1) is still in Europe and provided an update on his encounters in Europe, including attending the GS1 Global Forum and OECD Textile and Leather Due Diligence Forum. He emphasized the alignment of GS1’s initiatives with the group’s goals and the opportunities for collaboration.

2. European Meetings:

   • GS1 Global Forum: Discussed their customers' challenges and the potential for cooperation in the use of resolvable identifiers and digital product passports.
   • OECD Forum: Major brands like Adidas are struggling with due diligence requirements and need a standard to push through their supply chain.
   • Surpass Program: EU’s initiative for pilot projects in various sectors, which is seen as complementary to UNDP.
   • DG Grow: European Commission's interest in complementary end-to-end pilots.

3. Feedback on Europe Meetings:

   • The feedback received from meetings in Europe was generally positive, indicating a good alignment with the group's objectives and a strong appetite for collaboration on digital product passports and related initiatives.

4. Discussion on UNDP and EU DPP:

   • Virginia highlighted the need to base the cross-border environmental passport on UNDP and mentioned that UNEP is interested in cooperating but prefers to base their work on UNDP.

5. Recommendations Structure:

   • The group discussed the structure of the recommendations in their document, deciding on having recommendations after the challenges section, aligning with standard UN document structures.
   • Emphasized the importance of making digital product passports resolvable and verifiable and the role of identifier schemes.

6. Challenges Section:

   • Agreement to shorten the challenges section to make the document more readable and concise, aiming for about two pages.

7. Next Steps:

   • Steve will rework Section 1 based on the feedback, shorten the challenges, and send out the updated version by Monday for final review before submission to the Secretariat by the end of the week.

Action Items:

• Steve to revise Section 1 and shorten the challenges section.
• Send the revised document to the team by Monday.
• Team to review and provide feedback before the next meeting on Thursday.
• Finalize the document for submission by Friday.

Meeting Adjourned:

• Meeting concluded with a plan to reconvene on Thursday for final review.

---

This summary captures the key points and actions from the meeting, ensuring that all participants are aligned on the next steps and responsibilities.

2024-02-15 Meeting Summary

Participants:

• Speaker 1 (Chair)
• Speaker 2 (Virginia)
• Speaker 3 (Gerhard)
• Speaker 4 (Rakesh)
• Speaker 5 (Stefano)
• Speaker 6
• Speaker 7 (Joe)
• Speaker 8
• Speaker 9
• Speaker 10

Agenda:

1. Review and focus on the policy document draft.
2. Discuss feedback and make necessary adjustments.
3. Prepare for final iteration of sections before the public review.

Key Points Discussed:

1. Policy Document Review:

   • The meeting primarily focused on the policy document draft instead of GitHub issues.
   • The urgency to finalize REC 49 for the UN plenary in July was emphasized. The document needs to complete a two-month public review starting early March.

2. Feedback and Structural Changes:

   • Feedback from UN Secretariat suggested separating recommendations to member states (Section 1) from those to industry actors (Section 2).
   • Virginia's recent edits include:
     • An introduction explaining the purpose of Recommendation 49.
     • A section detailing the UNTP and its challenges in a table format.
     • Clarification on roles and opportunities in Section 2.

3. Content Adjustments:

   • Speaker 2 pointed out the need for an explanatory section on UNTP.
   • Speaker 1 shared insights from discussions with WTO member state delegates, highlighting the importance of simplifying the document’s language and message.
   • Stakeholder mapping and visual aids were suggested to clarify the focus on different audiences.

4. Technical and Terminological Clarifications:

   • Debate on the term "protocol" concluded with keeping the term but clarifying its meaning in the context of the document.
   • Replace "ESG" with "sustainability" to avoid political connotations and ensure clarity.

5. Strategic Alignment:

   • Rakesh emphasized aligning the document with existing multilateral frameworks (G20, OECD) and strategic objectives of countries.
   • Highlighting benefits such as harmonization and reduction of industry burden to appeal to policymakers.

6. Final Edits and Testing:

   • The need for another draft incorporating feedback was agreed upon.
   • Testing the revised document on external policymakers for readability and impact before the final iteration.

Action Items:

• Virginia to integrate feedback and refine the document.
• Rakesh to draft paragraphs on aligning with global initiatives and specifying relevant government departments.
• Joe and Gerhard to provide additional input on technical simplifications and stakeholder visual aids.
• Speaker 1 to circulate an updated draft by Monday for final review and feedback.

Closing Remarks:

• Appreciation for the hard work and contributions from all team members.
• Next steps include refining the document based on today’s discussions and preparing for final testing with policymakers.

Next Meeting:

• Date to be determined, expected early next week to review the updated document.

2024-02-01 Meeting Summary

Date: January 25, 2024

Participants:

• Speaker 1 (Steve)
• Virginia
• Peter
• John
• Zach
• Olivia
• Ash
• Kevin
• Nancy
• Brett
• Others

Agenda:

1. Welcome and Introduction
2. Review of Document and GitHub Issues
3. Discussion on Sustainability Pledge and Challenges
4. Collaboration and Coordination in Value Chains
5. Summary of Business Drivers and Technical Challenges
6. Overview of the UNTP Protocol and Design Principles
7. Stakeholder-Specific Challenges and Recommendations
8. Next Steps and Action Items

Key Points:

1. Welcome and Introduction:

   • Steve acknowledged participants and outlined the meeting's agenda.
   • Mention of ongoing work on the document and the need to populate it further.

2. Review of Document and GitHub Issues:

   • A walkthrough of the newly created website for technical information.
   • Encouragement to read specific sections of the website for better alignment with the policy document.
   • Discussion on the inclusion of contributing experts in the document.

3. Discussion on Sustainability Pledge and Challenges:

   • Debate on the name for the sustainability pledge to avoid confusion with the existing textiles and garments pledge.
   • Importance of making a pledge that is meaningful and not industry-specific.

4. Collaboration and Coordination in Value Chains:

   • Emphasis on the need for tier-one collaboration without imposing technical solutions.
   • Highlighting the importance of individual actor implementation for global traceability.

5. Summary of Business Drivers and Technical Challenges:

   • Simplification of business drivers to focus on fear of non-compliance and opportunities for market access and price uplift.
   • Technical challenges to be detailed in a section correlating with business challenges and confidentiality concerns.

6. Overview of the UNTP Protocol and Design Principles:

   • Discussion on the necessity of a new protocol and why existing solutions may not suffice.
   • Suggestion to keep technical diagrams and detailed protocol descriptions on the website, not in the policy document.

7. Stakeholder-Specific Challenges and Recommendations:

   • Identification of challenges specific to government, industry, and consumers.
   • Importance of highlighting regulatory challenges and benefits for governments to ensure relevance and adoption.

8. Next Steps and Action Items:

   • Steve and Virginia to act as master editors to streamline the document.
   • Focus on creating a draft ready for review and public consultation.
   • Continued contributions to the technical website for long-term improvements.

Action Items:

• Steve and Virginia to edit and refine the document based on the discussion.
• Participants to review and comment on the GitHub issues and website content.
• Schedule next meeting for further review and finalization of the draft document.

Closing Remarks:

• Agreement on a two-week period for Steve and Virginia to finalize the draft.
• Next meeting to review the draft and gather final feedback before public consultation.

2024-01-25 Meeting Summary

Date: January 25, 2024

Participants:

• Speaker 1 (Steve)
• Virginia
• Peter
• John
• Zach
• Olivia
• Ash
• Kevin
• Nancy
• Brett
• Others

Agenda:

1. Welcome and Introduction
2. Review of Document and GitHub Issues
3. Discussion on Sustainability Pledge and Challenges
4. Collaboration and Coordination in Value Chains
5. Summary of Business Drivers and Technical Challenges
6. Overview of the UNTP Protocol and Design Principles
7. Stakeholder-Specific Challenges and Recommendations
8. Next Steps and Action Items

Key Points:

1. Welcome and Introduction:

   • Steve acknowledged participants and outlined the meeting's agenda.
   • Mention of ongoing work on the document and the need to populate it further.

2. Review of Document and GitHub Issues:

   • A walkthrough of the newly created website for technical information.
   • Encouragement to read specific sections of the website for better alignment with the policy document.
   • Discussion on the inclusion of contributing experts in the document.

3. Discussion on Sustainability Pledge and Challenges:

   • Debate on the name for the sustainability pledge to avoid confusion with the existing textiles and garments pledge.
   • Importance of making a pledge that is meaningful and not industry-specific.

4. Collaboration and Coordination in Value Chains:

   • Emphasis on the need for tier-one collaboration without imposing technical solutions.
   • Highlighting the importance of individual actor implementation for global traceability.

5. Summary of Business Drivers and Technical Challenges:

   • Simplification of business drivers to focus on fear of non-compliance and opportunities for market access and price uplift.
   • Technical challenges to be detailed in a section correlating with business challenges and confidentiality concerns.

6. Overview of the UNTP Protocol and Design Principles:

   • Discussion on the necessity of a new protocol and why existing solutions may not suffice.
   • Suggestion to keep technical diagrams and detailed protocol descriptions on the website, not in the policy document.

7. Stakeholder-Specific Challenges and Recommendations:

   • Identification of challenges specific to government, industry, and consumers.
   • Importance of highlighting regulatory challenges and benefits for governments to ensure relevance and adoption.

8. Next Steps and Action Items:

   • Steve and Virginia to act as master editors to streamline the document.
   • Focus on creating a draft ready for review and public consultation.
   • Continued contributions to the technical website for long-term improvements.

Action Items:

• Steve and Virginia to edit and refine the document based on the discussion.
• Participants to review and comment on the GitHub issues and website content.
• Schedule next meeting for further review and finalization of the draft document.

Closing Remarks:

• Agreement on a two-week period for Steve and Virginia to finalize the draft.
• Next meeting to review the draft and gather final feedback before public consultation.

2024-01-18 Meeting Summary

Date: January 18, 2024

Participants:

• Speaker 1 (Steve)
• Virginia
• Nis
• Nancy
• Benjamin
• Dr. Wang
• Gregory
• Others

Agenda:

1. Welcome and Introduction
2. Review of GitHub Issues and Editorial Process
3. Verifier Experience and Trust Graph
4. Schema Context and Verifiable Documents
5. Vocabulary and Standards Mapping
6. Versioning and Implementation Profiles
7. Extension Methodology for UNTP
8. Next Steps and Action Items

Key Points:

1. Welcome and Introduction:

   • Participants greeted each other and the meeting was recorded.
   • Steve reminded everyone about the fortnightly meeting schedule alternating between technical and policy-focused sessions.

2. Review of GitHub Issues and Editorial Process:

   • The editorial process involves raising GitHub issues, discussing them, reaching conclusions, and submitting pull requests for review.
   • Nis has volunteered as an editor with maintained rights on the repository.

3. Verifier Experience and Trust Graph:

   • Nis demonstrated a verifier experience showcasing the traversal and validation of a trust graph.
   • Discussion on how to ensure the contextual validity of linked credentials and automating due diligence for various sectors.

4. Schema Context and Verifiable Documents:

   • Discussion on the need to align schema context for digital product passports and verifiable credentials.
   • Emphasis on pointing to existing interoperability profiles rather than reinventing them.

5. Vocabulary and Standards Mapping:

   • Steve proposed creating a sustainability vocabulary to categorize ESG claims in digital product passports.
   • Dr. Wang and Gregory highlighted existing work and offered contributions to the vocabulary design.

6. Versioning and Implementation Profiles:

   • Discussion on how to handle versioning of specifications and implementation profiles.
   • Proposal to group specifications into core and trust-related categories with implementation profiles reflecting different levels of conformity.

7. Extension Methodology for UNTP:

   • The principle of defining a simple common core for UNTP and allowing industry-specific or geographic extensions.
   • Need for a rule set to ensure non-breaking extensions.

8. Next Steps and Action Items:

   • Participants to use GitHub tickets for further discussions and provide feedback.
   • Steve to initiate discussions on specific issues and encourage the development of consensus on key points.

Action Items:

• Participants to review and comment on GitHub issues.
• Steve to publish a draft sustainability vocabulary.
• Nis to work on automated policy execution and verifier experiences.
• Follow-up discussions on extension methodologies and implementation profiles.

Closing Remarks:

• Agreement to use GitHub issues as discussion forums to reach consensus and develop content.
• Next meeting to focus on merging pull requests and further refining the specifications.

2024-01-11 Meeting Summary

Date: January 11, 2024

Participants:

• Steve
• Christian
• Peter
• Zach
• Kay
• Benjamin
• Nis
• Maria Teresa
• Kevin
• Brett
• Anil John
• Others

Agenda:

1. Welcome and Introduction
2. Review of Registration and Participation
3. Overview of GitHub Repository and Structure
4. Discussion on Key Sections and Specifications
5. Splitting into Technical and Policy Teams
6. Next Steps and Action Items

Key Points:

1. Welcome and Introduction:

   • Participants greeted each other and wished a Happy New Year.
   • The meeting was recorded for future reference.

2. Review of Registration and Participation:

   • Steve reviewed the list of participants who had registered and noted the status of their registration.
   • Participants were encouraged to complete their registration if not already done.

3. Overview of GitHub Repository and Structure:

   • Steve shared the structure of the GitHub repository for the technical specifications of Recommendation 49.
   • The repository includes sections on architecture, digital product passports, conformity credentials, traceability events, identifiers, vocabularies, verifiable credentials, data carriers, trust anchors, trust graphs, confidentiality, anti-counterfeiting, mass balance, ESG rules, GS1 usage, business cases, tools and support, extensions register, and implementation register.

4. Discussion on Key Sections and Specifications:

   • Emphasis on the need to align digital product passports with existing standards, including those from the EU.
   • Discussion on the importance of identifiers and the gap between current identifier systems and the needs of a digital trust architecture.
   • The role of vocabularies in ensuring consistent categorization and reporting of ESG criteria.
   • The significance of verifiable credentials and leveraging existing profiles from other initiatives.
   • The need for clear governance and best practices for confidentiality and anti-counterfeiting.

5. Splitting into Technical and Policy Teams:

   • Proposal to split the group into two teams: one focused on the technical specifications in the GitHub repository and the other on the policy recommendation document.
   • Meetings will be held weekly, alternating between technical and policy discussions.

6. Next Steps and Action Items:

   • Participants to review the GitHub repository and provide feedback via tickets.
   • Steve to send out invitations for separate technical and policy meetings.
   • Follow-up on registration for those who have not yet completed the process.

Action Items:

• Steve to set up a spreadsheet for tracking participant roles and contributions.
• Participants to raise issues and provide feedback on the GitHub repository.
• Schedule and conduct separate meetings for technical and policy teams.

Closing Remarks:

• Recognition of the interest and engagement from various stakeholders, including presentations to the OECD, GS1 Global Forum, and the European Commission.
• Encouragement for continued collaboration and contributions to ensure the success of Recommendation 49.

2023-12-14 Meeting Summary

Date: December 14, 2023

Participants:

• Steve
• Virginia Cram Martos
• Rakesh
• Franziska
• Mathieu
• Charles Arden-Clark
• Others

Agenda:

1. Introductions
2. Overview and Communication of Recommendation 49
3. Revised Document Structure
4. Call for Contributors and Next Steps

Key Points:

1. Introductions:

   • New participants, including Virginia, Rakesh, Franziska, Mathieu, and Charles, introduced themselves and shared their backgrounds and expertise.

2. Overview and Communication:

   • Steve shared a video explaining Recommendation 49 and its goals, emphasizing anti-greenwashing through supply chain transparency.
   • Participants were encouraged to watch and share the video for better understanding and feedback.

3. Revised Document Structure:

   • The document is divided into three sections: a high-level executive summary, detailed guidelines for implementation, and an annex for additional information.
   • The executive summary will cover the introduction, scope, target audience, purpose and benefits, challenges, recommendations, and an opportunity for implementers to make a pledge.
   • The guidelines section will detail business drivers, design principles, technical challenges, and the actual protocol, including costs, incentives, and implementation guidance.
   • A GitHub repository has been created for detailed technical information and specifications to support the policy document.

4. Call for Contributors:

   • Participants were invited to volunteer for writing different sections of the document.
   • Emphasis on involving both business-oriented and technical experts to ensure the document is comprehensive and implementable.
   • A spreadsheet will be set up to track potential stakeholders and contributors, distinguishing between observers and active contributors.

5. Next Steps:

   • Spreadsheet to track participant roles and contributions will be created and shared.
   • UNECE to confirm the revised structure of the document.
   • Separate technical meetings to be scheduled after Christmas to focus on detailed content development for the GitHub repository.

Action Items:

• Steve to create and share a spreadsheet for tracking participants and their roles.
• UNECE to review and confirm the revised document structure.
• Participants to indicate their interest in contributing to specific sections.
• Technical meetings to be scheduled for post-Christmas to progress GitHub content.

Closing Remarks:

• Agreement to skip the meeting scheduled for December 28 due to the holiday season.
• Next group meeting to be held in a month, with parallel technical meetings starting after Christmas.

2023-11-30 Meeting Summary

Date: November 30, 2023

Participants:

• Steve
• Brett
• Kevin
• Benjamin
• Corey
• Felix
• Xinyang
• Nis
• Maria Teresa
• Stefano

Agenda:

1. Communication Strategies and Updates
2. Refactoring Recommendation 49 Document

Key Points:

1. Introduction and General Updates:

   • Steve welcomed participants and highlighted the importance of communication.
   • A project in Australia on agricultural traceability has successfully demonstrated the concepts in Recommendation 49, showing quick vendor adoption and implementation.

2. Communication Strategies:

   • Emphasis on the importance of effectively communicating the project to various stakeholders.
   • Discussion on creating sector-specific versions of the communication video (e.g., for critical raw materials, textiles).
   • Participants encouraged to share the existing video and provide feedback.
   • Maria Teresa agreed to post the video on official UN channels once updates are made.

3. Feedback on Communication:

   • Participants agreed on the need for various media to reach different audiences.
   • Suggestions included creating a range of materials from short soundbites to longer, detailed videos.
   • Brett and others emphasized focusing on the flexibility and scalability of the protocol.

4. Refactoring Recommendation 49 Document:

   • Discussion on aligning the structure of Recommendation 49 with previous UN recommendations.
   • Agreement on including sections like scope, purpose, benefits, and a high-level summary.
   • Inclusion of a cost-benefit analysis and discussion on inclusivity (small businesses, developing economies).
   • Emphasis on providing a flexible yet implementable framework that can be adapted for different sectors.

5. Implementation Guidance:

   • Importance of providing clear, implementable guidelines and schemas.
   • Agreement on using projects like critical raw materials and agriculture as examples.
   • Discussion on maintaining flexibility while ensuring interoperability and testability.

6. Next Steps:

   • Steve to restructure the document based on the discussed framework.
   • Participants to review and provide feedback on the restructured document.
   • Plan to engage with policy makers for informal reviews before formal public review.

Action Items:

• Steve to complete the restructuring of the Recommendation 49 document within the next week.
• Participants to share the communication video and provide feedback.
• Maria Teresa to post the updated video on UN channels.
• Team to engage with policy makers for informal reviews of the draft document before the end of January.

Closing Remarks:

• Agreement on the next meeting to review the restructured document and continue content development.
• Maria Teresa emphasized the importance of involving policy makers early in the review process to ensure the document meets their needs and gains their support.