The garment and footwear sector is one of the largest consumer goods sectors in the world. Adopted in 2017, the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment and Footwear Sector establishes a common understanding of due diligence in the sector to help companies meet the due diligence expectations laid out in the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.   Although it represents an important economic driving force, the tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in 2013 brought global attention to the risks of severe adverse impacts both in manufacturing but also further upstream.

The Guidance, which was developed through a multi-stakeholder process, was approved by all governments adhering to the OECD Guidelines and endorsed by business, trade unions and civil society. It is a direct response to the G7 Leaders’ Declaration on 7-8 June 2015 in Schloss Elmau which welcomed international efforts to promulgate industry-wide due diligence standards in the textile and ready-made garment sector. The Guidance is applicable to all companies – large and small – operating in the global garment and footwear supply chains.

قم بتنزيل الدليل

The OECD has launched a process to assess the alignment of multi-stakeholder and industry initiatives with the detailed recommendations of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment and Footwear Sector.

This process, called the OECD Alignment Assessment process, is voluntary and two assessments have been conducted to date.

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The OECD pilot on due diligence in the public procurement of garment and textiles supports public buyers in integrating OECD risk-based due diligence in the public procurement of garment and textiles. Launched during the 2021 OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector, the pilot takes place as part of the programme Responsible Business Conduct and public procurement and is expected to last to December 2021.

   22-24 February 2022

This annual event brings together over 600 representatives from government, business, trade unions and civil society to address emerging risks and to share learnings on implementing labour, human rights, environmental and integrity due diligence in global garment and footwear supply chains.

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More than three years after the adoption of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply, stakeholders are generating increasing amounts of data on how implementation is evolving and maturing. The OECD has sought to tap into the interest and investment in better data in order to channel such efforts into a coherent body of research, a resource for understanding what works, what doesn’t and how to foster - and reach - better outcomes in practice. The OECD Feasibility Study provides an overview of different strategies for developing such a resource. It was designed to identify and assess potential methodological approaches for measuring the uptake, incentives and outcomes of enterprises’ due diligence practices as presented in the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and elaborated upon in the OECD Garment Guidance. 

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Open for consultation - Given the great number of SMEs and their importance in the garment and footwear sector, this Introductory Paper on SMEs and Responsible Business Conduct considers the persisting challenges they face in implementing due diligence in their supply chains as well as the specific opportunities linked to their circumstances. The paper describes key characteristics of garment SMEs and their due diligence practices, the perceived obstacles they face in due diligence implementation and which type of RBC tools and support mechanisms appear to be more adapted to their situation.

The Introductory Paper on SMEs and RBC is open for consultation and the OECD will receive written comments until 28 February to Julia.DELVALLE@oecd.org

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Resources

How can fashion brands mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on garment workers?

How OECD’s new due diligence instrument can transform the global garment industry

Towards a standardised supplier assessment framework

Netherlands stakeholders reach Agreement on Sustainable Garment and Textile

Rethinking due diligence practices in the apparel supply chain

After Rana Plaza: Spotlight on responsible business conduct, OECD Observer

Contact

Dorothy.Lovell@oecd.org