The team attended a 3-day TEXPO hosted by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and engaged with a range of stakeholders including manufacturers, buyers, and international delegates.

Additionally, the ILO organised an event titled Textile and Ready-Made Garment Industry Forum on 25 May, where Joris Oldenziel, Executive Director of the International Accord was among the panelists. During the event, he highlighted the significance of the Pakistan Accord as a potential contributor to improving compliance with health and safety standards within the Pakistani textile and garment industry. He added that the Pakistan Accord could contribute to increasing exports and provide opportunities to attract buyers exploring markets with adequately monitored workplace safety conditions.

On the sidelines of the ILO forum and TEXPO, the International Accord team and representatives of Kik, Aldi, and Otto also had formal and informal meetings with key stakeholders including suppliers, industry associations sourcing agents, government departments, academia, fire and safety services and safety experts to discuss various aspects of the Pakistan Accord.

The International Accord appreciates the openness and commitment among Pakistani stakeholders to improving workplace safety through national and international initiatives and are encouraged by the assurances of further engagements to implement the Pakistan Accord. The Accord Secretariat will continue engaging and further strengthening the partnership with Pakistani stakeholders to improve the understanding of the Pakistan Accord.

60 international brands and retailers representing over USD 2 billion in export value have now signed the Pakistan Accord. These brands source from over 500 suppliers in Pakistan.

The Secretariat appreciates the efforts of the Pakistani Government, industry, social sector, and stakeholders including the ILO and GIZ aimed at contributing to enhancing the country’s sustainability performance in the global textile and garment sector. A big thank you to all those who welcomed the team and extended their warm hospitality.

A total of 200 brands and retailers have now signed the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry since it came into effect on September 1, 2021. These brands cover around 1700 factories and 1.8 million workers in Bangladesh. View the full list of International Accord signatories here.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the milestone of reaching 200 signatories and are inspired by the growing number of brands and retailers joining the International Accord, showing the widespread commitment to worker safety in the textile and garment industry. The Accord Secretariat looks forward to continuing our collaboration with all signatories as we strive towards creating a safer textile and garment industry,” said Joris Oldenziel, Executive Director of the International Accord Foundation.

The International Accord is a legally binding agreement between garment brands and global trade unions, IndustriALL Global Union, and UNI Global Union, with a mission to ensure safe workplaces in the textile and garment industry. The agreement promotes worker safety through independent inspections, remediation, and training programs and recognises the rights of workers to organise, refuse unsafe work and raise health and safety concerns. The International Accord enables the collective efforts of brands and retailers to ensure safe workplaces.

As we reach 200 signatories, we encourage more garment and textile brands to sign the International Accord and the Pakistan Accord to work collectively for a safer garment and textile industry.

See how your brand can sign the International Accord

A total of 54 brands and retailers have thus far signed the Pakistan Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry, with more expected to follow in the coming weeks. These brands source from approximately 500 factories in Pakistan, which collectively employ over 760,000 workers. Among the latest signatories are Hugo Boss, Solo Invest, Uhlsport, and Kmart Australia. You can view the full list of Pakistan Accord signatories here.

The Pakistan Accord has been open to signature by global brands and retailers since 16 January 2023. On January 23, 2023, members of the Accord Steering Committee, including BESTSELLER, C&A, H&M, Inditex, Otto Group, and PVH Corp., released a statement reaffirming their commitment to the Accord and encouraging more brands to join.

“We invite all brands around the world to sign the Pakistan Accord and join us in our collective commitment to raise safety standards at supplier factories in Pakistan,” the statement reads.

The Pakistan Accord is a legally binding agreement between IndustriALL Global Union and UNI Global Union, and garment brands and retailers for an initial term of three years, starting in 2023. The program will be implemented through close collaboration and involvement of the Pakistan government authorities and the manufacturing industry.

We reiterate our invitation to all brands and retailers sourcing from Pakistan to sign the Pakistan Accord and join our collective mission of a safe and sustainable Pakistani textile and garment industry.

View the full list of signatories to the Pakistan Accord here

See how your brand can join the Pakistan Accord