IAF & partners to take part in OECD forum in Paris this Feb

On February 13, from 09:00 am to 10:00 am CET, IAF and ITMF will jointly give an online update on their work in the SCI. The SCI was set up by their organisations to keep pushing for a faster reduction for the audit and standard fatigue faced by garment manufacturers, according to a press release by the IAF.

On February 14, from 10:00 am to 11:10 am CET, IAF, through its STTI project, will participate in an online session titled 'Responsible Purchasing Practices: How can companies integrate them in their businesses? Learnings from the Common Framework for Responsible Purchasing Practices (CFRPP), the STTI White Paper and a community-based approach'. This session explains how in practice better purchasing practices are currently being implemented. The session is organised by the MSI Working Group on Responsible Purchasing Practices and the STTI.

Also, on February 14 from 16:00 pm to 17:00 pm CET, IAF (through STTI) and the Better Buying Institute (BBI) will jointly host an online session titled: 'Commercial compliance – Accelerating change, measuring progress'. In this session BBI and STTI will share findings of their data collection.

Based on the data they will share what purchasing practice improvements suppliers want brands to prioritise. They will explain how data can show real purchasing practice progress in the form of true partnerships. And they will put the collection of data on commercial compliance/purchasing practices in a legislative context, making the link with mandatory due diligence.

Then on February 17, IAF will get involved in two in-person sessions at the OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector in Paris. First, IAF secretary general Matthijs Crietee will speak in a panel taking place at 09:30 am to 11:00 am that is titled: 'Implementing impactful due diligence: A practical perspective from Vietnam'.

Later that day, from 2:30 to 4:00 pm CET, STTI spokesperson and BGMEA vice-president Miran Ali will speak in a panel called: 'Due diligence costs and responsibilities: Collaborative approaches to buyer supplier relationships'.

The forum brings together representatives of the government, business, trade unions, civil society, and academia to discuss key issues and risks related to due diligence in global garment and footwear supply chains in a neutral environment, as per the OECD. The event also plays a role in supporting alignment across policies and industry intiatives on due diligence expectations.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)