International Accord in the Press

The International Accord for Health and Safety in the Garment and Textile Industry (International
Accord) is a legally binding framework agreement between garment brands and trade unions to
ensure worker health and safety in the textile and garment industry. The agreement serves as the
framework for implementing the Accord’s Country-Specific Safety Programs (CSSPs), currently in
Bangladesh and Pakistan, as well as any future programs in other garment producing countries.
The terms of each CSSP are outlined in the Addendums to the International Accord. All CSSP
Addendums build on the core principles, standards and protocols outlined in the International
Accord.

The new International Accord currently comprises the following CSSP Addendums:

1. Bangladesh Agreement on Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry
(Bangladesh Safety Agreement) effective since 1 November 2023
2. Pakistan Accord on Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry (Pakistan Accord)
effective since 1 January 2023.

Signatory companies to the International Accord commit to signing at least one CSSP.

The responsibilities of the signatories to the International Accord are monitored and enforced
by the International Accord Steering Committee (the SC). The SC is entrusted with the overall
management of the International Accord.

The agreement is implemented through the International Accord Foundation and its
Secretariat in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

The Secretariat is responsible for the following:

a) overseeing signatory compliance with the International Accord and the CSSPs and their
effective management and implementation.
b) taking necessary steps to ensure worker safety.
c) providing accurate reporting to the SC for the purpose of implementing signatory
obligations under the Accord and its CSSPs.
d) supporting signatory companies and trade unions in their representative roles.

The International Accord covers Cut-Make-Trim (CMT) facilities, namely all Ready-Made Garment
(RMG), producing products for signatory companies in countries with a CSSP. Furthermore, upon
agreement of the Accord SC, other related products, and industries within the supply chains of
signatories, such as home textile, fabric, and knit accessories suppliers, as well as fabric mills and other production processes are covered on a country-specific basis.

The International Accord framework agreement takes effect on 1 November 2023 and will expire on
31 December 2026. The agreement will be renewed automatically for a succeeding term of three (3)
years until 31 December 2029 unless either party gives written notice to the other at least ninety (90) days prior.

The International Accord is aligned with UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). Through the workplace safety programs, brands seek to prevent and mitigate adverse impacts, prioritising one of the most salient human rights risks in their supply chains: the risk to loss of lives and irremediable injuries by fires, building collapses, or other accidents that could be prevented with reasonable health and safety measures.

The independent and trusted Safety and Health Complaints Mechanism, now with the RSC, meets the effectiveness criteria for Non-Judicial Grievance Mechanisms (UNGP Article 31, Pillar III – Access to Remedy).

Parties to the Agreement will also explore the expansion of the Accord’s scope to address additional human rights due diligence responsibilities and will set up a Working Group for this purpose.

The International Accord is based on the core principles that have contributed to the effectiveness
of the 2013, 2018 and 2021 Accords:
- Credible inspections
- Remediation
- Complaints process
- Training
- Transparency and reporting
- Supplier incentives
- Capacity-building
- Release of responsibility

The main changes from the previous 2013, 2018 and 2021 Accords are as follows:
- An international framework:
a) committing to expanding the health and safety work progressively in the coming years to
other countries, based on feasibility studies and progress made in the existing country
programs.
b) considering a future expansion of the scope of the worker complaints mechanism beyond
health and safety in CSSPs; and
c) outlining the key signatory obligations and principles upon which country programs will be
built. The details of the country programs will be outlined in Addendums to the International
Accord agreement.
- Participating brands sign both the International Accord framework agreement and the relevant
CSSP agreements they choose to participate in.
- The Pakistan Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry (Pakistan
Accord), which took effect on 1 January 2023, continues as an Addendum to the International
Accord.

For all the signed CSSP Addendums to the International Accord, brands and retailers commit to:
- Disclosing their factory list to the Accord and keeping this up to date.
- Requiring their supplier facilities to participate in the inspections, remediation, and workplace
programs (Safety Committee Training, workers’ awareness programs, Occupational Health
and Safety (OSH) Complaints Mechanism).
- Negotiating commercial terms with suppliers which ensure it is financially feasible for the
factories to maintain safe workplaces and comply with remediation requirements.
- Exercising their collective leverage by issuing notice and warning and ultimately terminate
business with factories that show inadequate remediation progress, in accordance with the
Escalation Protocol.
- Assuming collective responsibility for funding the activities of the program as set forth in the
Agreement.
- Exploring the establishment of health and safety programs in other countries than Bangladesh
and Pakistan, based on feasibility studies.
- Exploring the expansion of the scope of the agreement to address additional Human Rights
Due Diligence responsibilities.

It is mandatory for all brands to sign the International Accord framework agreement if they decide to
sign at least one of the country programs (Bangladesh and/or Pakistan). Brands that sign the
International Accord commit to signing at least one CSSP Addendum.

Participating brands sign both the International Accord framework agreement and the relevant
CSSP Addendums for their chosen countries. The existing signatories to the Pakistan Accord will not
be required to sign that agreement again until its term expires on 31 December 2025. However,
current Pakistan Accord signatories are required to re-sign the International Accord agreement.

It is mandatory for all brands to sign the International Accord framework agreement if they decide to
sign at least one of the country programs (Bangladesh and/or Pakistan). Brands that sign the
International Accord commit to signing at least one CSSP Addendum.

The signatories agree to the expansion of the International Accord programs to other countries,
based on the feasibility study results and expansion criteria.

Consideration for expansion will be given to the feasibility studies conducted under the International
Accord as well as relevant developments, particularly heightened safety risks. The Secretariat will
regularly update the feasibility studies.

The feasibility criteria include, amongst others:
- the presence and volume of signatory companies in the country.
- the interest of brands,
- the extent to which existing mechanisms can regulate safety,
- the extent to which there are safety risks,
- support of local stakeholders

The Secretariat will also regularly assess the fulfilment of expansion criteria relating to progress of implementation in the most recently established expansion country to determine when the Accord
will expand to the next country.

These expansion criteria are:
- In-country operational capacity.
- Initial inspections completed at 50% of covered factories.
- CAPs approved at 25% of covered factories.
- Verified remediation rate of 50% at 10% of covered factories.
- Grievance mechanism established and publicised in 25% of covered factories.
- Training program established and roll-out started at 25% of covered factories.

The number of covered factories used as a basis to assess the completion of these criteria shall be
determined at the start of the inspection program as disclosed by the signatory companies.These expansion criteria apply to the CSSP in Pakistan and all subsequent CSSPs, unless otherwise
agreed by the SC considering programmatic specificities of the new CSSPs.

Signatory companies assume responsibility for funding the activities of the International Accord
Secretariat and each CSSP they sign.

Each company will contribute its equitable share of the funding to the Secretariat according to a
formula established by the Accord SC subject to a minimum contribution of US$ 250 and maximum
contribution of US$ 100,000 per year for each year of the term of the agreement. This contribution
may be adjusted for inflation following SC agreement.

Please note that this annual signatory fee for the International Accord Secretariat is based on the
combined FOB Data and factory number of both Bangladesh and Pakistan, irrespective of whether
the brand signed both country agreements.

The fee structures for the International Accord, Bangladesh Safety Agreement and the Pakistan
Accord are available here: https://internationalaccord.org/about-us/fee-structures/