International buyers formalise their cooperation for a more responsible and competitive textile industry
A total of 14 buyers met to prioritize key objectives for the buyers forum for textiles in Pakistan at the side lines of the trade Expo in Karachi. The forum was established on 16 Dec 2014. The objectives of the forum are to exchange best practices and knowledge management, public private partnership and establishing working committees for identified key environmental and social issues relating to compliance in textile sector.
KARACHI (ILO News): A total of 14 brands in the Garment and Textiles Sector convened in Karachi today and agreed on a governance structure for the operations for the Buyers’ Forum in Pakistan convened by the Netherlands Government, International Finance Corporation and the International Labour Organisation.
This follows a meeting in December that saw the establishment of a Buyers’ Forum to help international buyers ranging from Walmart’s and Levi’s to Hema and Primark speak with one voice in order to improve labour standards in Pakistan’s garment and textiles industry.
The forum agreed to work on knowledge management and sharing of best practices, public private partnerships and key thematic areas like Labour Inspection, Occupational Safety and Health as three major objectives to work on in future.
This forum is inspired by the Bangladesh model, where buyers jointly tackle complex challenges that are both factory specific, and that thread across the sector and supply chain for stable and sustainable improvement, productivity and competitiveness.
Ambassador Marcel de Vink of the Kingdom of the Netherlands apprised the participants that the Netherlands Government jointly with the ILO is planning to support the improvement of Pakistan’s labour inspection system through a project worth $1 million. Part of this programme would also focus on engaging with buyers and streamlining private audits.
Country Director, ILO Pakistan, Mr Francesco d’ Ovidio shared that the Buyers’ Forum should work towards encouraging engagement of suppliers and agents to promote environmental, labour and health & safety compliance through promoting enterprise-level advisory services and training across the value chain to impact those industrial units where compliance gaps are stark. He also shared that on Feb 17, 2015 ILO has signed a Partnership Agreement with the Pakistan Textiles Exporters Association for promoting Labour Law Compliance in Textile Sector in Faisalabad.
The preparatory meeting was held on the side of the largest trade fair in Pakistan, the Pakistan Expo. This provides an opportunity to showcase the positive steps being taken to promote better business initiatives.
Alamgir Feroz from El Corte Ingles, representing the buyers’ forum said that the meeting is an important initiative by the IFC, the Netherlands’ Government and the ILO and it will help improve the national image of Pakistan and open avenues for the textile sector to explore better trade initiatives.
The participants agreed to convene the next buyers meeting in April 2015.
Rabia Razzaque
National Programme Coordinator
Strengthening ILS Compliance and Reporting in Pakistan
ILO Country Office for Pakistan
Email
Tel. +92 51 2276456-8
This follows a meeting in December that saw the establishment of a Buyers’ Forum to help international buyers ranging from Walmart’s and Levi’s to Hema and Primark speak with one voice in order to improve labour standards in Pakistan’s garment and textiles industry.
The forum agreed to work on knowledge management and sharing of best practices, public private partnerships and key thematic areas like Labour Inspection, Occupational Safety and Health as three major objectives to work on in future.
This forum is inspired by the Bangladesh model, where buyers jointly tackle complex challenges that are both factory specific, and that thread across the sector and supply chain for stable and sustainable improvement, productivity and competitiveness.
Ambassador Marcel de Vink of the Kingdom of the Netherlands apprised the participants that the Netherlands Government jointly with the ILO is planning to support the improvement of Pakistan’s labour inspection system through a project worth $1 million. Part of this programme would also focus on engaging with buyers and streamlining private audits.
Country Director, ILO Pakistan, Mr Francesco d’ Ovidio shared that the Buyers’ Forum should work towards encouraging engagement of suppliers and agents to promote environmental, labour and health & safety compliance through promoting enterprise-level advisory services and training across the value chain to impact those industrial units where compliance gaps are stark. He also shared that on Feb 17, 2015 ILO has signed a Partnership Agreement with the Pakistan Textiles Exporters Association for promoting Labour Law Compliance in Textile Sector in Faisalabad.
The preparatory meeting was held on the side of the largest trade fair in Pakistan, the Pakistan Expo. This provides an opportunity to showcase the positive steps being taken to promote better business initiatives.
Alamgir Feroz from El Corte Ingles, representing the buyers’ forum said that the meeting is an important initiative by the IFC, the Netherlands’ Government and the ILO and it will help improve the national image of Pakistan and open avenues for the textile sector to explore better trade initiatives.
The participants agreed to convene the next buyers meeting in April 2015.
For further information please contact:
Rabia Razzaque
National Programme Coordinator
Strengthening ILS Compliance and Reporting in Pakistan
ILO Country Office for Pakistan
Tel. +92 51 2276456-8