The Task Force on Forced Labour and Decent Work, formed in April 2020 by BCI, have reviewed the current Better Cotton Standard System globally. The aim of the Task Force group was to highlight gaps and develop recommendations to improve the effectiveness of this system in identifying, preventing, mitigating, and remediating forced labour risks.
The group was comprised of 12 experts representing civil society, retailers and brands, and ethical supply chain consultancies. The Task Force worked virtually for six months to review current BCI systems, discuss key issues and gaps, and develop proposed recommendations. The process included extensive consultations with a wider group of retailers and brands, field-level implementing partners and worker-focused organisations, among others. Their work culminated in a comprehensive report that outlines key findings and recommendations, according to a press release by BCI.The Task Force on Forced Labour and Decent Work, formed in April 2020 by BCI, have reviewed the current Better Cotton Standard System globally. The aim of the Task Force group was to highlight gaps and develop recommendations to improve the effectiveness of this system in identifying, preventing, mitigating, and remediating forced labour risks.#
The BCI council and management team are reviewing the report and will carefully consider the Task Force’s findings and recommendations through the lens of BCI’s 2030 strategy. It will prepare a detailed response to the recommendations, which will be shared in January 2021. BCI recognises that strengthening their decent work programme will be a multi-year process and will require additional resources and funding. In the short-term, BCI will focus on strengthening its forced labour capabilities through capacity building for staff, implementing partners, and third-party verifiers, enhancing the due diligence for selecting and retaining implementing partners, and revising its assurance processes to better identify and mitigate forced labour risks.
“It has been a privilege for BCI to be able to work with a world-class group of independent experts. Their knowledge and experience have enabled us to build a robust foundation on which we shall rebalance our activities with a stronger focus on decent work and forced labour,” Alan McClay, BCI CEO said.
In 2021, BCI is also exploring opportunities to pilot a more comprehensive set of decent work activities, including a detailed forced labour risk assessment and civil society engagement tactics, in one or two high priority regions.
The efforts of the Task Force members have resulted in a thorough and complex analysis of an important area of social sustainability, and of the Better Cotton Standard System, and will serve BCI as it continues striving to create change. It is committed to pioneering innovative approaches to promote decent work conditions in cotton fields for workers and farmers alike, which would not be possible without strong engagement from diverse stakeholders.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (GK)
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