1 September, 20211 September 2021, marks the official commencement of the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Garment and Textile Industry, a 26-month legally-binding agreement to make ready-made garment (RMG) factories safe.
The garment brands and retailers that have signed the International Accord commit to support the independent RSC, which has already undertaken health and safety related programmes in Bangladesh; the brands and retailers further commit to the global expansion of additional country-specific health and safety programs based on the principles of the 2013 and 2018 Accord agreements and on feasibility studies. The new agreement will be implemented through the International Accord Foundation in the Netherlands.*
On 25 August 2021, a group of representatives of international garment retailers and the global trade unions IndustriALL Global Union and UNI Global Union announced their agreement on a new, expanded worker safety pact. Since then, 91 brands have signed the new agreement and are therefore part of the first wave of companies that commit to continue and expand their collective efforts with the trade unions to make garment factories safe.
“It is encouraging to see the large number of brands that have already signed on to the International Accord, taking responsibility for a safe and sustainable garment and textile industry. From these first 91 signatories there is already a major coverage of the sector. But we call on all textile and garment brands to take responsibility for their supply chain and to the expanded International Accord,”
says IndustriALL general secretary Valter Sanches.
Please see here a list of all garment and textile companies that have signed the International Accord.
* The Foundation based in the Netherlands is currently named the Stichting Bangladesh Accord Foundation and will be renamed Stichting International Accord Foundation.
UPDATE: This article was updated on 2 September to reflect the growing number of signatories. At the time it was first published, 77 brands had signed.