• Negotiations between representatives of global brands and trade union signatories to the International Accord have resulted in a new framework agreement. This agreement reaffirms their commitment to enhancing health and safety throughout the supply chains of the brand signatories.

• Additionally, both the brands and trade unions finalised a new agreement to further their efforts in enhancing health and safety within the Bangladeshi garment industry through the RMG Sustainability Council (RSC).

• The Pakistan Accord which was signed in January 2023 for a three-year period, will continue as an Addendum to the International Accord.

This post contains an overview of the agreements that form the basis of the Accord’s work in signatory supply chains in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and other countries in the future.

The International Accord for Health and Safety in the Garment and Textile Industry (International Accord) is a legally binding framework agreement between garment brands and trade unions to ensure worker health and safety in the textile and garment industry. The agreement will serve as the framework for implementing the Accord’s Country-Specific Safety Programs (CSSPs), currently in Bangladesh and Pakistan, as well as any future programs in other garment producing countries.

The terms of each CSSP will be laid out in the Addendums to the International Accord. The CSSP Addendums build on the core principles, standards and protocols outlined in the International Accord.

The Bangladesh Agreement on Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry (Bangladesh Safety Program) is an Addendum to the International Accord.

The Bangladesh Safety Program 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 signatory parties to Bangladesh Safety Program commit to the principles enshrined in the 2023 International Accord, and as stipulated in the 2013, 2018 and the 2021 Accord agreements on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.

The inspections and remediation program, safety committee and safety training program, safety 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.

More information about the origins, scope, key components, and  resources related to the health and safety program in Bangladesh can be found here.

In December 2022, Accord signatories agreed to establish a new workplace safety program in Pakistan for an initial term of 3 years, starting in 2023. The resulting agreement is called the Pakistan Accord on Health & Safety in the Textile & Garment Industry (Pakistan Accord) and outlines the envisaged program scope and key provisions to which company signatories commit to. The Pakistan Accord will continue as a CSSP Addendum under the International Accord.

The Pakistan Accord took effect on 1 January 2023 to ensure health and safety in the Pakistani textile and garment industry. Signatories to the Pakistan Accord are committed to fulfilling their obligations as outlined in this agreement until its expiration on 31 December 2025, with the possibility of renewal.

More information about the origins, scope, key components, and  resources related to the Pakistan Accord can be found here.