The EU and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have co-hosted an event aiming to define practical ways to ensure sustainability in the international garment and footwear supply chains.
Representatives of industry, trade unions, civil society and international organisations met officials from the Governments of Cambodia and the main importing countries in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
They discussed how to step up the industry’s current sustainability efforts by putting into practice the OECD’sDue Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment and Footwear Sector.
This sets out how companies active in the sector can better identify, prevent and mitigate any potential harmful impacts with regard to respect of human and labour rights and protection of the environment.
The guidance has recently been made available for consultation and a draft version can be found atwww.oecd.org.
The fully free access to the market offered by the EU to the least-developed countries such as Cambodia stimulates growth of their export-oriented industries and the overall economic development.
This has contributed to the growth of an important clothing and footwear industry, generating employment and livelihood for many Cambodians, especially women.
However, in line with the EU’s current responsible trade policy strategy “Trade for all”, the Union wants to ensure that such trade-driven growth not only benefits the economy of those developing countries but also brings appropriate social and environmental practices.
