ETI at OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector 2025

11 Feb, 10.00-11.15 GMT

With responsible purchasing practices an expectation of companies in due diligence legislation, there is an opportunity to build on a decade of learning and practice and make responsible purchasing practices a hallmark of the sector. However, is the sector ready? Panellists will discuss this through the lens of measuring progress on purchasing practices: what will it take to move towards common metrics and monitoring approaches to build greater transparency, comparability and overall uptake of company practice in this area?

Lisa Süss (Fair Wear Foundation) will join this session on behalf of the the Working Group for Responsible Purchasing Practices. The Group - which consists of representatives of the Ethical Trading Initiative, Ethical Trade Norway, Fair Wear, the German Partnership for Sustainable Textiles (PST), Solidaridad, Ethical Trade Denmark and the Fair Labor Association - collaborates to promote progress on responsible purchasing in the garment industry, using the Common Framework on Responsible Purchasing Practices as a reference point. The Group is in the process of creating an Accountability Framework for regulators, investors and sector initiatives. The document will specify how HRDD principles apply to purchasing practices in the garment and footwear industry and give clarity on the responsible purchasing practices and actions for which companies should be held accountable.

11 Feb, 13.00-14.30 GMT

While disengagement is presented as an action of last resort, the Garment & Footwear Guidance risk modules give examples where immediate disengagement may be necessary. Recent events and the inclusion of expectations on responsible disengagement in due diligence legislation make it timely to clarify OECD recommendations on this topic. Panellists will explore this with reference to practical scenarios.

SPEAKERS

- Barbara Bijelic, Head of Regulation and Standards at OECD Centre for Responsible Business Conduct

- Christina Hajagos-Clausen, Global Director, Textile and Garment Sector, IndustriALL Global Union

- Gabrielle Holly, Chief Adviser, Danish Institute for Human Rights

- Javier Martin Cerracin, Policy Officer, European Commission

- Miran Ali, Member of the Committee, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

- Giles Bolton, Executive Director, ETI

10 Feb, 08.00-09.00 GMT | Online

Organised by: Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)

Climate change is affecting economies, industries, and is having a profound impact on the global workforce as the 2024 global temperature records have shown. Organizations in the garment and footwear sector have a role to play in transitioning, implementing adaptations, and protecting workers. This panel session seeks to show how climate change affects workers, and opportunities for adaptation and mitigation. With 2030 five years away, due diligence and transparent reporting can support organizations to understand their current progress, and communicate & monitor their actions to address climate change impacts on workers.

SPEAKERS

- Gemma Sanchez-Danes, Sustainability Reporting Leadership team, EFRAG

- George Williams, Just Transitions Advisor, ETI

- Shams Mahmud, Managing Director, Shasha Denims Ltd

- Fakir Nafizuzzaman, Deputy Managing Director, Fakir Apparels ltd

- Bastian Buck, Chief of Standards, GRI 

- Peter Dawkins, Senior Manager, Standards, GRI 

10 Feb, 14.30-15.30 GMT | Online

Organised by: Partnership for Sustainable Textiles (PST), Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), hessnatur stiftung - institute for applied sustainability

In a global context where mandatory human rights due diligence is high on the agenda for many companies, it is important that this is implemented with a strong gender lens. This includes ensuring gender-responsive stakeholder engagement using the right tools to solicit the views of women workers such that any gender-based human rights risks can be prevented, mitigated and remedied. Although the data gathered through such stakeholder engagement is critical, there is still a gap in understanding why this is important and how it should be done. 

In India, ETI and the PST have implemented a project with member brands and their suppliers to build a business case for gender-disaggregated data that informs HRDD. Likewise, in Tunisia, hessnatur Foundation has implemented a PST Initiative to develop and test practical tools to enable worker voices, with emphasis on women workers. The session will not only present the tools and the insights gained from both projects, but it will also bring together key supply chain stakeholders to reflect on why gender-disaggregated data is important for HRDD.

12 Feb, 11.00-12.15 GMT | In person

Organised by RISE (Reimagining Industry to Support Equality)

In recent years, gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in the garment industry has received increased recognition amid growing awareness of the problem as a broader societal issue. GBVH is rooted in unequal gender norms and exacerbated by structural factors that increase women’s risk while also preventing reporting and prosecution. This session will explore how to enable an industry collective effort to tackle GBVH, starting with understanding structural factors and the root causes of GBVH, focusing on business practices and gender norms. In particular, the session will discuss the links between business practices and the immediate GBVH risks that women workers face. The panel will also address the importance of meaningful collaboration between brands, suppliers, women’s organisations, workers’ organisations, trade unions, and other stakeholders to collectively address GBVH in garment supply chains, including by identifying risks and focusing on prevention and remediation.

SPEAKERS

- Dr Jane Pillinger – Former visiting professor in gender studies at the London School of Economics and Senior research fellow in the Department of Social Policy and Criminology at the Open University

- Krishanti Dharmaraj – RISE Independent Chair and Chair of the Dindigul Agreement to Eliminate Gender Based Violence.

- Julia del Valle – OECD Policy Analyst – Garment and Footwear Sector 

- Laurent Arnone, Apparel and Textiles Sector Advisor, ETI

- Sunzida Sultana - Additional Executive Director Karmojibi Nari 

- Isadora Loreto – Global Lead RISE Respect, RISE (moderator)

13 Feb, 12.00-13.00 GMT | Online

Organised by: ASOS, New Look, Zalando, Labour Behind the Label and The International Transport Workers' Federation

This OECD side session, hosted by ASOS, New Look, Zalando, Labour Behind the Label and The International Transport Workers' Federation, will focus on the importance of stakeholder engagement in shared partnerships. The session aims to highlight and share learnings from the collaborative efforts of multi-brand retailers and organisations in addressing supply chain risks, across brand partnerships and goods-not-for-resale. The discussion will focus on how retailers can leverage their influence to enhance working conditions and ethical practices in partner supply chains by fostering transparent and effective communication and engagement among stakeholders, in line with the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. The session will also explore future collaborations and initiatives in the garment and footwear industry. 

Danny Miles, Head of Collective Action, ETI will moderate this session.

13 Feb, 13.00-14.15 GMT

Organised by: Cotton Campaign Coalition, End Uyghur Forced Labor Coalition, Anti-Slavery International 

Join for a session addressing state-imposed forced labor in global apparel supply chains, with a focus on two emblematic cases: forced labor of state employees in the annual cotton harvest in Turkmenistan and forced labor of Uyghurs in China, within and outside the Uyghur Region. State-imposed forced labor is systemic and is enforced at all levels of government. In such contexts, disengagement from all direct and indirect business relationships is the only responsible course of action under the OECD Guidelines and the UNGPs. With EU law now recognizing the differential nature of state-imposed forced labor and requiring immediate disengagement when it is present, a better understanding of its presence, drivers, and characteristics in the cotton and textile sectors is more necessary than ever. Experts will discuss state-imposed forced labor, specifically: 

- How companies cannot use or increase leverage to prevent or remediate forced labor 

- Barriers to engaging in credible and effective due diligence on the ground to effect change for workers 

- Common concerns on disengagement, including unintended consequences for workers 

- Practical steps companies should take to identify and eliminate exposure