International Safety Accord Begins with 77 Garment Brands

Today, 1st of September 2021, marks the official commencement of the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Garment and Textile Industry, a 26-month legally-binding agreement to make ready-made garment (RMG) factories safe. 

The garment brands and retailers that have signed the International Accord commit to support the independent RSC, which has already undertaken health and safety related programs in Bangladesh; the brands and retailers further commit to the global expansion of country-specific health and safety programs based on the principles of the 2013 and 2018 Accord agreements and on feasibility studies. The new agreement will be implemented through the International Accord Foundation in the Netherlands. [1] 

On 25 August 2021, a group of representatives of international garment retailers and the global trade unions IndustriALL Global Union and UNI Global Union announced agreement on a new, expanded worker safety pact. Since then, 77 companies have signed the new agreement and are therefore part of the first wave of companies that commit to continue and expand their collective efforts with the trade unions to make garment factories safe.

We encourage all garment and textile companies to sign this agreement and join our collective goal of safe and sustainable RMG and related industries.

Please see here a list of all garment and textile companies that have signed the International Accord. 

[1] The Foundation based in the Netherlands is currently named the Stichting Bangladesh Accord Foundation and will be renamed Stichting International Accord Foundation.