OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector

OECD Forum Agenda

  • All session times reflect your computer's local time zone. 
  • All Forum sessions will take place at the OECD Conference Centre in Paris. 
  • All of the main Forum sessions that are viewable online will be recorded and available for replay on the Forum website. On-site only sessions will not be available for replay.
  • The agenda is preliminary and sessions and timing could be adjusted
  • Badges can be picked up form 8:00 at the OECD entrance pavilion.

Day

1 : February 11, 2025
07:30
07:30 - 09:00
BADGE PICK UP AND WELCOME COFFEE
09:00
09:00 - 09:15
Welcome and opening remarks
09:15 - 10:00
Making mandatory due diligence legislation work in the sector
What’s at stake for due diligence practice in the garment and footwear sector in the context of emerging mandatory due diligence expectations? Speakers will discuss key opportunities, themes and challenges, setting the scene for the three focus sessions that follow.
10:00
10:00 - 11:15
Increasing sector capacity to measure responsible purchasing practices
With responsible purchasing practices an expectation of companies in due diligence legislation, there is an opportunity to build on a decade of learning and practice and make responsible purchasing practices a hallmark of the sector. However, is the sector ready? Panellists will discuss this through the lens of measuring progress on purchasing practices: what will it take to move towards common metrics and monitoring approaches to build greater transparency, comparability and overall uptake of company practice in this area?
11:15
11:15 - 13:00
LUNCH BREAK
13:00
13:00 - 14:30
Responsible disengagement – deciding when and knowing how
While disengagement is presented as an action of last resort, the Garment & Footwear Guidance risk modules give examples where immediate disengagement may be required. Recent events and the inclusion of expectations on responsible disengagement in mandatory due diligence law make it timely to clarify OECD guidance on this topic. Panellists will explore this with reference to practical scenarios.
14:30
14:30 - 15:15
BREAK
15:15
15:15 - 16:45
From promise to progress: Approaches to verify, monitor, and validate companies’ actions to prevent and mitigate harm
Companies are expected to evaluate their responses to prioritised risks and adverse impacts, yet many struggle to monitor progress and assess whether their actions effectively prevent and mitigate harm. Panellists will discuss a range of methods to gain a comprehensive understanding of whether risks and impacts are being effectively addressed, including how workers' perspectives can be integrated more meaningfully. The session will also explore how policymakers can set expectations on effective monitoring and validation in due diligence law.
17:00
17:00 - 19:00
NETWORKING COCKTAIL

Day

2 : February 12, 2025
07:30
07:30 - 09:30
Morning Coffee
09:30
09:30 - 11:00
Measuring due diligence and its impacts: lessons learned, future steps
This session will draw lessons from recent empirical research on the uptake and impact of due diligence in the sector, and present the OECD's new monitoring and evaluation framework for the garment & footwear sector. Participants will discuss recent empirical research as well as key analysis that could be developed to deploy the framework and how different user groups can use the framework going forward.
09:30 - 11:00
Union and worker engagement in practice - a workshop
This session will explore ways to promote collective bargaining and freedom of association rights in supply chains, share examples of engagement with trade unions and worker representatives in the sector, and discuss strategies for overcoming common challenges. Participants will also look at how to leverage stakeholder engagement requirements in due diligence laws to build capacity, avoiding tick-box approaches and bottlenecks in the process.
11:00
11:00 - 12:30
LUNCH BREAK
12:30
12:30 - 14:00
Establishing due diligence processes with circular economy actors – a spotlight on recyclers
This session will focus on the important role recyclers can play in increasing transparency and supporting due diligence on recycled material feedstock. It will build on last year’s forum session on circular systems which looked at ways to engage actors across the circular value chain through examples from post-production and post-consumer stages, and draw on learnings in the sector and the OECD’s draft frequently asked questions paper on due diligence for circular processes in the sector.
12:30 - 14:00
Learnings from OECD alignment assessments in the garment & footwear sector
The important role sustainability initiatives can play in supporting and assessing companies on their due diligence is likely to come further into focus as companies look to leverage their collaborations and demonstrate their performance in the context of mandatory due diligence. The session will present the OECD’s recent learnings across two full and five standards-only alignment assessments of sustainability initiatives operating in the sector. Participants will then be invited to reflect on the learnings in groups.
14:00
14:00 - 14:30
BREAK
14:30 - 16:00
Due diligence scenarios workshop (on-site only)
This workshop session offers participants an opportunity to develop an increased understanding of due diligence through exploring a number of prepared scenarios drawing from key due diligence themes and sector contexts. It will allow industry representatives and stakeholders to exchange experience on carrying out risk-based due diligence and reflect on learnings from the forum.
14:30 - 15:45
Insights from MENA and Türkiye: Exploring buyer-supplier collaborative approaches
The OECD conducted a training programme for garment and footwear businesses sourcing from or producing in the MENA & Türkiye region. This session will reflect on training outcomes, examine how businesses are applying learnings in their operations, and will explore different ways buyers and suppliers collaborate in order to support effective implementation of responsible business conduct.