Amsterdam, 14 December 2022:

Signatories to the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry are establishing a comprehensive workplace health and safety program in Pakistan covering signatories’ garment and textile suppliers. The new Pakistan Accord on Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry 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.

Building on widespread safety improvements in Bangladesh, the Pakistan Accord includes all key International Accord features: independent safety inspections to address identified fire, electrical, structural and boiler hazards, monitoring and supporting remediation, Safety Committee training and worker safety awareness program, an independent complaints mechanism, a commitment to broad transparency, and local capacity-building to enhance a culture of health and safety in the industry.

“I am pleased to see the International Accord signatories reach agreement to establish a workplace safety program covering the signatories’ garment and textile suppliers in Pakistan. We are committed to working closely with Pakistani stakeholders to ensure our collective efforts are beneficial to the industry and its workers,” said Joris Oldenziel, Executive Director, International Accord Foundation.

The successful experience in Bangladesh prompted the signatories to expand the workplace safety program to at least one other textile and garment-producing country.

Through signatory surveys, extensive research, and local stakeholder consultations, the Accord Secretariat assessed the feasibility of expanding based on key factors. Pakistan emerged as a priority country, in part because of its importance as a garment and textile sourcing country for the Accord brands.

The International Accord has undertaken extensive engagement in Pakistan with federal ministries and provincial governments, industry associations, suppliers, trade unions and civil society organisations. The Pakistan Accord programs will be implemented in phases, in close collaboration with these key stakeholders and through the establishment of a national governance body.

The Pakistan Accord covers Cut-Make-Trim (CMT) facilities, namely Ready-Made Garment (RMG), home textile, fabric and knit accessories suppliers (including vertically integrated facilities).

Fabric mills within the supply chains of the signatories are also covered, with implementation scheduled for a later stage in the program. The program aims to incrementally cover more than 500 factories producing for more than 100 Accord signatory companies throughout the Sindh and Punjab provinces, where most of Pakistan’s $20 billion in garment and textile exports are manufactured annually.

The decision to expand to Pakistan was announced during a signatory brand caucus meeting held on 14 December 2022. Brands will receive an information package on the Pakistan Accord and will be invited to sign from 16 January 2023.

Download the full text of the Pakistan Accord here.

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The International Accord and a team of Arup engineers conducted pilot safety assessments at 7 garment and textile factories in Karachi and Lahore, Pakistan, between 28 November to 9 December 2022.

The engineers evaluated the existing fire, structural, electrical, and boiler safety measures at these factories to inform the possible establishment of a new workplace safety program there. The factories ranged in size from 180 to 3,500 workers and from 1 single building to up to 9 buildings.

A detailed pilot evaluation report will be drafted in February following an analysis of assessment reports, individual factory remediation discussions, and a pilot evaluation workshop with participating factories and brands.

These safety assessments were a part of the Secretariat’s ongoing feasibility studies to explore Accord programs in new countries. Based on strong interest from stakeholders, the Accord Steering Committee agreed to conduct this pilot in Pakistan to inform the possible establishment of a workplace safety program there. A decision among signatories on the start of a new Accord program is expected before the end of 2022.

The International Accord thanks the teams at all factories for their enthusiastic participation and looks forward to our continued work together.

The Secretariat conducted brand surveys, desk research, and in-depth interviews between October 2021- January 2022 to measure interest, presence, and volume of signatory brands in key garment-producing countries.

Based on key findings, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Morocco, and India emerged as the priority countries to carry out detailed feasibility studies on expansion.

Between March – August 2022, the Secretariat met with key stakeholders from industry, government, trade unions, brands, and civil society in the priority countries for in-depth stakeholder consultations.

Based on strong interest from stakeholders, the Accord Steering Committee agreed to conduct pilot inspections as part of the feasibility study in Pakistan to inform the possible establishment of a workplace safety program there.

Stakeholder engagement on the terms of a program in Pakistan continues and a decision among signatories is expected before the end of 2022. The Accord will continue dialogue with stakeholders in Sri Lanka, Morocco, and India to assess the feasibility of establishing safety programs in their garment and textile industries.