Guidance

Call for expressions of interest for membership of the UK’s Domestic Advisory Group

Updated 28 October 2024

This is a call for expressions of interest in being a voluntary member of the UK’s Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) Domestic Advisory Group (DAG). This is to support the effective implementation of the labour, environment and TSD chapters in the UK’s trade agreements with non-EU partners.

This will be the second 2.5-year term of the Group following its establishment in September 2022. The DAG will monitor and advise on the UK and partner countries’ implementation of these chapters which cover:

• labour
• environment
• climate

The full chapters can be found in the texts of the agreements.

DAG’s activities

The DAG is an important consultative body in support of the effective implementation of the UK’s international TSD commitments. It will be able to provide advice and recommendations to His Majesty’s Government, including in advance of the UK’s bilateral TSD Committees covering labour, environment and climate change chapters. It will also play a leading role in civil society dialogues and forums as part of the implementation of these agreements.

As a group that is independent of His Majesty’s Government, the DAG will be able to meet at its own initiative and define and take forward its own programme of work. The DAG will be headed by a Chair representing the membership. The DAG will be supported in its activities by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).

It is envisaged that the DAG will convene as a group regularly throughout the year, with virtual meetings as the norm. The DAG may also organise meetings with partner countries’ DAGs and with other stakeholders.

Trade agreements in scope

They are:

• Andean (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru)
• Australia
• Canada
• Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama)
• EEA EFTA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway)
• Georgia
• Japan
• Moldova
• New Zealand
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Vietnam
• Ukraine

The DAG may also be requested to advise on other agreements, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Eligibility

Expressions of interest must come from independent civil society and business organisations, not individuals.

They could include:

• non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
• academic and research institutions
• trade union organisations
• business representative organisations
• businesses

Each organisation will be required to submit its own expression of interest (that is, organisations should not apply jointly with other organisations even if they are affiliated).

Organisations should provide a single expression of interest and be prepared to have a single representative at each meeting. They should use the expression of interest form to nominate a list of up to 6 individuals from which this representative can be selected. This will enable organisations to adjust their representation depending on specialisms, agendas and other priorities.

To be eligible, organisations must have the relevant expertise and experience to engage on the policy areas in scope of these chapters. This means demonstrating your suitability based on the criteria, both as an organisation and in terms of the profiles of specific representatives.

The criteria are:

1. Interest and competence in the UK’s trade policy, including in relation to trade and sustainable development.
2. International focus or outlook.
3. Any relevant advisory/consultative experience (for example, with His Majesty’s Government or as part of other advisory groups).
4. Commitment to exclusively providing objective, technical, expert and evidence-driven advice as a member of the UK TSD DAG.

Organisations will be appointed based on the extent to which they fulfil the criteria.

How to apply

To apply, complete the:

• expression of interest form
• candidate organisation and conflicts of interest form

You must then submit the completed forms to uk-dag@businessandtrade.gov.uk.

Deadline for expressing an interest

The closing date of this call for expressions of interest is 12:00pm on 14 November 2024.

Appointment process

All expressions of interest will be considered and assessed against the criteria by policy experts and ministers representing DBT.

The selection process will be based on the written expressions of interest only. Interviews will not take place.

The selected members will be notified once this process is complete. Lists of organisations represented on the DAG may be shared with partner countries.

Following the initial appointment process, DBT may periodically review the DAG’s membership.

Diversity

His Majesty’s Government embraces and values diversity in all forms. We welcome and pride ourselves on the positive impact diversity has on the work we do, and we promote equality of opportunity throughout the organisation. We therefore encourage applications from the widest range of qualified groups.

Data protection

We are inviting expressions of interest from organisations rather than individuals. We will, however, be processing personal data as we establish and operationalise the DAG (for example. to contact representatives or organise meetings). Personal data will be processed in accordance with our privacy notice.

Thank you for considering this call for expressions of interest.