In 2013, the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh started as a 5-year agreement to pursue workplace safety in the Ready-Made Garment (RMG) sector in Bangladesh.

The agreement was initially signed by 40 brands and retailers, 2 global trade unions, IndustriALL Global Union & UNI Global Union, and 8 Bangladesh trade unions in the immediate aftermath of the April 2013 Rana Plaza building collapse that killed more than 1,000 workers and critically injured thousands more.

In 2021 the Accord signatories renewed their partnership and established the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry. This agreement confirms the continued commitment of signatories to support workplace safety programs in Bangladesh through cooperation with the RSC and further commits to establishing workplace safety programs in other countries based on the outcome of feasibility studies.

Over 175 company signatories signed the International Accord in the first year of this agreement with an additional commitment to exploring the scope of the agreement to address Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) issues in the textile and garment industry.

In November 2023, brands and trade unions negotiated a new country agreement named the The Bangladesh Agreement on Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry (Bangladesh Safety Agreement) .

The Bangladesh Safety Agreement is a legally binding agreement between garment brands and trade unions to ensure worker health and safety in the Bangladeshi textile and garment industry. The Inspections and Remediation program, Safety Training, the Complaints Mechanism, and reporting and disclosure requirements of the Accord will continue to be implemented in Bangladesh by the RMG Sustainability Council (RSC), which was established in June 2020.

The Bangladesh Safety Agreement is implemented as a country program under the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Garment and Textile Industry (International Accord) framework agreement.

Brands and trade unions renewed their commitments for an extended three-year term, with an automatic renewal of another three years making it the longest Accord commitment to date. This new iteration of the International Accord took effect on 1 November 2023.

The 2023 International Accord serves as a framework for implementing the Accord’s country programs currently in Bangladesh and Pakistan, and future programs in other garment producing countries.

Following a decision by the Steering Committee under the 2021 International Accord, the Accord Secretariat conducted a feasibility assessment to identify potential new country programs, guided by a defined set of criteria.

The assessment considered factors such as:

• The level of interest among brands;
• The presence and production volume of signatory brands in the country;
• Support from local stakeholders;
• The capacity of existing mechanisms to regulate workplace safety; and
• The potential to enhance health and safety standards in the garment sector.

Between October 2021 and January 2022, the Secretariat conducted brand surveys, desktop research, and in-depth interviews to evaluate brand presence and production trends in key garment-producing countries.

In December 2022, signatories agreed to establish a new workplace safety program in Pakistan for an initial three-year term, beginning in January 2023. The resulting agreement, the Pakistan Accord on Health & Safety in the Textile & Garment Industry, defines the program’s scope and key provisions to which signatories are committed.

The Pakistan Accord operates as a Country-Specific Safety Program (CSSP) Addendum under the International Accord, renewed in 2023. Initially signed for a three-year period, the agreement includes the prospect of renewal based on program outcomes and continued stakeholder support.

The program will be implemented in close collaboration with Pakistan’s government authorities and the country’s manufacturing industry, ensuring local engagement and shared responsibility for improving workplace safety.