Interpretation is available in French.

This first session will consider the role that legally binding agreements, voluntarily entered into by companies and global trade unions, can play in identifying and addressing labour and human rights risks in garment and footwear supply chains. Representatives from brands, manufacturers, trade unions and government will share learnings from the negotiation and implementation of a number of existing agreements, as well as consider the importance of such agreements in the context of mandatory due diligence legislation. Interpretation is available in French.

A growing number of garment and footwear companies have made commitments to net zero by the mid-century in response to growing awareness about the key role industry sectors have to play to combat climate change. However, climate change is already negatively impacting workers and communities around key production hubs and agricultural regions relevant for the sector, with water availability, worker safety, and business continuity all in question. This panel will explore what garment and footwear companies can do to increase their adaptation engagement, drawing from the OECD Due Diligence Guidance and MNE Guidelines. Interpretation is available in French.

Wages that don’t satisfy the basic needs of workers and their families are a prevalent risk across the garment and footwear global industry. While wages in the supply chain are in practice a function of a number of factors, some outside of a buying firm’s direct control, this panel will examine different type of strategies and tools brands can use to increase their leverage and mitigate wage risk in their supply chain, taking these factors into consideration. Discussion will particularly highlight how industry collaboration, government engagement and sourcing model structure may be crucial to move towards living wage in their supply chain. Interpretation is available in French.

Retailers hold a powerful but rarely discussed position in advancing due diligence uptake among the thousands of brands they promote on their online marketplaces and in their department stores. The session will explore how retailers are conducting due diligence on RBC risks and reflect where retailers stand at effectively leveraging their influence and meeting their responsibilities under the OECD Guidance. The session will also provide an opportunity to learn from strategies applied in the finance sector given significant parallels between the management of brand and sustainable investment portfolios. Interpretation is available in French.

For onsite participants only: Deepen your understanding of due diligence by working through a series of example scenarios common in the sector with other onsite participants.

Open to business representatives only - prior registration is required. Businesses are increasingly subject to or impacted by multiple due diligence legislative requirements that require important human, technical and financial resources, and may be duplicative, or sometimes inconsistent. How are businesses adapting their capacity to meet increasing due diligence requirements? What type of internal coordination and resources are needed in a company operating in multiple jurisdictions and with global supply chains? This networking session will provide business practitioners with the space to exchange on their experience adapting to new mandatory due diligence demands.

With the number of certified products, companies and materials continuously growing in the sector, this session will explore the role that different types of certifications can play in due diligence, drawing on examples from across the 6-step due diligence framework. The panel will discuss the opportunities and limitations for companies using certifications as part of their own meaningful due diligence, including how companies adapt, check and build on the information they receive from different certification providers. While this session does not focus on the role of initiatives in mandatory due diligence, you might be interested in our related background note. Interpretation is available in French.

As companies introduce more circular processes, new actors and processes are included in the expanded value chain, necessitating a fresh look at RBC risks both upstream and downstream of a company’s activities. This session will explore commonly asked questions relating to how due diligence applies to circular approaches and examine specific high-risk processes where coordinated action is needed.

The five participating countries in a new regional OECD programme on RBC – Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and Türkiye – exported $51.9 billion in textile, garments, and footwear in 2022, forming a substantial portion of their exports. While businesses are developing initiatives to foster responsible supply chains, important gaps in implementing and mainstreaming risk-based approaches based on common standards remain. This session will launch the 2024 capacity-building activity to support garment and footwear businesses working in or from the region to improve their understanding of, and capacity to conduct, risk-based due diligence to build supply chain resilience, manage uncertainty and drive long-term value. See our training programme flyer for more information. Interpretation is available in French and Arabic. Arabic translation and Turkish translation of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment and Footwear Sector.

The primary purpose of conducting due diligence is to prevent harm. However, when adverse impacts of business activities occur, those affected must have access to remedy. Companies should provide or cooperate in the remediation of harm they have caused or contributed to. States must also take appropriate steps to ensure that when the impacts occur within their territory and jurisdiction, those affected have access to effective remedy. This session focuses specifically on workers’ experiences of accessing remedy when filing complaints under different existing judicial and non-judicial grievance mechanisms operating in the garment and footwear sector. Speakers who have used or worked on different mechanisms will reflect on the accessibility and complementarity of grievance mechanisms in an evolving regulatory landscape. Interpretation is available in French.

The manufacturing of textiles is a chemical intensive process that requires proper chemical management to minimise risks to human health and the environment throughout the life-cycle of garments and footwear. The active leadership, commitment and partnership roles of industry throughout value chains is essential to the success of the new Global Framework on Chemicals - For a Planet Free of Harm from Chemicals and Waste. A panel will discuss the relevance of the new Framework for the sector including the role of due diligence and implementation initiatives such as a UNEP project on reducing uses and releases of chemicals of concern in the textiles sector.

Recent legislative due diligence developments linked to deforestation are creating geolocation, traceability and communication needs along supply chains. They are also raising concerns about the inclusivity and rural development impacts of such legislative developments. For companies making and working with leather, getting information about, and acting on, the impacts associated with beef production upstream can be very complex. This session will be in workshop format, allowing participants to explore key questions and developments related to due diligence on deforestation risks in leather supply chains and regulatory compliance. It will also be an opportunity to learn about how the OECD Handbook on deforestation risks in agricultural supply chains can support companies.

Invitation only. This workshop event is co-organised with the Sustainable Terms of Trade Initiative (STTI).