The International Accord held its All Signatory Meeting 2024 on the 25 and 26 of April 2024 at the Rode Hoed in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The purpose of the event was to update participants about the key developments on the operations and implementation of the Accord’s Country-Specific Safety Programs (CSSPs) in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

25 April marked the first day of the All-Signatory Meeting in Amsterdam, where our brand, trade union, and NGO signatories came together to discuss the progress and way ahead on the International Accord and the Bangladesh Safety Agreement.

Set against the background of the 11th anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse on 24 April, the day started with remarks by Christina Hajagos-Clausen (IndustriALL Global Union) and Joachim Juette-Overmeyer (Otto Group).

Dorothy Lovell (Sector Lead – Garment & Footwear, OECD Centre for Responsible Business Conduct), in her keynote address, underscored the Accord’s role as a flagship initiative that translates the OECD’s Due Diligence Guidance into action. She described it as a tool for accountability and an example of how due diligence creates impactful change by preventing harm, improving lives, and ensuring business continuity. Lovell added:

“…when brands jointly invest in the conditions for decent work in their supply chain, there are results, and those results are good for workers and business.”

The day included updates on the International Accord’s operations by Joris Oldenziel and Koen Oosterom.

Veronique Camerer and Kristine Drew conducted a session that encouraged brands to share their perspectives and insights on the steps they take to fulfill their obligations on financing remediation and the Accord’s workplace programs.

The RMG Sustainability Council (RSC)’s Abdul Haque, Shah Sefat Uddin Ahmed and Md Hassan Nawazis  shared a comprehensive presentation on the remediation progress in Bangladesh, highlighting key developments such as the expansion of the complaints mechanism and the envisioned environmental program.

The final session comprised reflections on the Bangladesh Safety Program by Miran Ali (BGMEA), Ineke Zeldenrust (Clean Clothes Campaign), Christina Hajagos-Clausen, and Joachim Juette-Overmeyer, followed by concluding remarks delivered by PVH Corp.’s Michael Bride.

We thank all attendees for their participation, and Olivia Windham Stewart for moderating the sessions. We are also grateful to our venue partners, the Amerpodia team for their organisational support on this event.