A total of 35 signatories to the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry have signed the recently announced Pakistan Accord to date, with multiple brands finalising internal details and expected to sign in the coming weeks. The Pakistan Accord is a legally binding agreement between global unions, IndustriALL and UNI Global Union, and garment brands and retailers for an initial term of three years starting in 2023.

The factory listing of these brands would cover approximately 300-400 facilities in Pakistan. The program in Pakistan will retain key features from the 2021 International Accord: independent safety inspections to address identified fire, electrical, structural and boiler hazards, monitor and support remediation, Safety Committee training and worker safety awareness program, an independent complaints mechanism, a commitment to transparency, and local capacity-building to enhance a culture of health and safety in the industry.

“We are excited that many major brands and retailers have already confirmed their commitment to working together with their suppliers in a collective effort to further enhance workplace safety in Pakistan. We are convinced the Pakistan Accord can benefit the industry and its workers and promote sustainable and long-term business relationships between brands and their Pakistani suppliers. We look forward to seeing more brands join in the coming days and weeks,” said Joris Oldenziel, Executive Director, International Accord Secretariat.

The OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector was held online and offline (Paris, France) from 13-17 February 2023. The OECD forum brought together representatives from government, business, trade unions, and civil society to promote transparency and due diligence in global garment supply chains.

The International Accord organised a virtual side session as part of this forum on 13 February to discuss the challenges & opportunities for the recently launched Pakistan Accord. Around 110 participants across academia, media, government, industry associations and clothing brands joined this session.

Moderated by Joris Oldenziel, Executive Director of the International Accord, the session featured a distinguished panel of speakers who shared their perspectives on how best to implement the Pakistan Accord, so it works for and benefits everyone. The speakers reflected on the workplace safety program in Bangladesh and discussed how its learnings can be best adapted and applied to the Pakistan Accord.

Highlighting the key impact of the Accord on the Bangladeshi textile and garment industry, Masarrat Quader, H&M Group, and member of the Accord Steering Committee, shared that the safety assessments and trainings at nearly 1200 garment factories covered by the Accord have contributed to making Bangladesh one of the safest sourcing destinations in the world and have promoted responsible business conduct throughout the brands’ supply chains.

Christina Hajagos Clausen, IndustriALL Global Union and member of the International Accord Steering Committee, added that the Accord has put workers and industrial relations at the centre of the global conversation on a safer garment sector. She added that the Accord’s transparency mechanisms introduced in Bangladesh have encouraged more global brands and retailers to be open about their supplier lists, auditing reports and remediation plans. Furthermore, she underlined the critical role of the Accord complaints mechanism in ensuring workers have a way to raise concerns and safeguard their own health and safety at work.

Usman Rasheed, Taiga Apparel (Pvt.) Ltd (Pakistan), emphasised that instilling a culture of workplace safety, a trained workforce, and robust buyer-supplier relationships would be central to building a safer textile and garment industry in Pakistan.

Contextualising his experience with the Accord, Mohammed Sohel, Managing Director at Bangla Poshak Limited (Accord-covered factory) shared that the health and safety improvements made under and with the support of the workplace programs have contributed to doubling his factory’s turnover from $5 million to $10 million since 2013. He also highlighted the initial challenges faced by factories in Bangladesh and the importance of ensuring clear communication on safety requirements and financial support for remediation under the Pakistan Accord.

Bushra Baten, PVH Corp. (Bangladesh and Pakistan) underscored the shift in perspective on workplace health and safety as the biggest achievement of the Accord in Bangladesh. Her recommendations on the Accord implementation in Pakistan included open dialogue and consistent engagement with local stakeholders at every stage.

Kaschif Israr, Euro Centra (Pakistan), emphasised that health & safety improvement is an important mission for the industry and reiterated the need for proactive engagement with the Pakistani industry and creating open dialogue with factory owners to address their questions and bring all factories along on the journey.

We thank the panel for sharing their experience and insights on wide-ranging topics and look forward to continuing our engagement in the coming days.

The recorded session can be viewed here.

The International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry is an agreement between 190 global brands and retailers and 2 global union federations. Collectively, the Accord signatory brands source over $2.6 billion worth of garments and textiles from Pakistan. The undersigned brands, BESTSELLER, C&A, H&M, Inditex, Otto Group, and PVH Corp. represent Accord signatory brands on the Board of the International Accord.

The International Accord is preparing for continued engagement with Pakistani stakeholders in the coming weeks, as we take steps towards the establishment of a Pakistan Accord office and the commencement of programs.

We, together with our Accord brands’ colleagues, are committed to supporting our suppliers in meeting the highest safety standards. This includes efforts to establish local governance structures that ensure industry and local brand and union participation in decision-making in every phase of the program.

The International Accord aims to protect the health and safety of millions of workers while helping the industry achieve sustainable growth in exports. With the signing of the Pakistan Accord and our brands’ commitment to this new safety program, we are renewing our commitment to a long-term sourcing relationship with Pakistan.

The Pakistan Accord provides an opportunity both to increase the visibility of the efforts already made by many manufacturers to invest in fire and building safety measures in recent years and deepen and expand them throughout Pakistan’s garment and textile sector, making it an increasingly attractive option for buyers across the globe.

We encourage all brands around the world to sign the Pakistan Accord agreement and join us in our collective commitment to raise the safety standards at supplier factories in Pakistan.

Accord Steering Committee Member Brands,

BESTSELLER, C&A, H&M, Inditex, Otto Group, and PVH Corp.