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Towards decent work for all

News
25.04.2023

Towards decent work for all

Asia’s textile industry 10 years after Rana Plaza

Tuesday, 25 April 2023 | 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM (CEST)
GIZ Representation | Reichpietschufer 20 | 10785 Berlin, Germany and virtually (hybrid event)

Ten years ago, on 24 April 2013, the Rana Plaza building collapsed, killing over 1,000 people. Just a few months earlier, in September 2012, a fatal fire killed more than 250 workers at the Ali Enterprise textile factory in Pakistan. These terrible disasters cast a harsh spotlight on the dark side of the global textile supply chain. It generated a surge of action, with activist groups and civil society organizations lobbying for better health and safety conditions for garment workers.

In Bangladesh, the Accord on Fire and Building Safety (ACCORD), a legally binding agreement aimed at ensuring that garment workers have safe workplaces, was established, succeeded by the Ready Made Garment Sustainable Council (RSC) being set up in May 2020. In Germany, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) launched the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles as well as the state-run textile certification label Green Button.

BMZ is hosting this event to highlight the improvements in Asia’s textile industry and to discuss remaining challenges. Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Dr. Bärbel Kofler will be discussing these questions together with other high-level speakers.

The event will take place in Berlin and will be streamed live. For the latest information on the event, please send an email to decentwork@greenstorming-event.de. You can access the live stream via this link on April 25: Decent work for all: Asia’s textile industry 10 years after Rana Plaza.

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Partnership for Sustainable Textiles

c/o Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 32 + 36
53113 Bonn

mail@textilbuendnis.com
Phone: +49 228 4460-3560

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Working Meeting 2023, April 26

News
26.04.2023

Working Meeting 2023, April 26

Change of Perspective

Am 26. April 2023 findet im artloft.berlin das diesjährige Arbeitstreffen des Textilbündnisses statt. Bündnismitglieder sind wie schon im letzten Jahr eingeladen, Themen vorzuschlagen, an denen sie zusammen mit den anderen Mitgliedern in Workshops arbeiten möchten.

Die Veranstaltung steht unter dem Motto Perspektivwechsel. Bei einem Panel geht es zum Beispiel darum, wie einkaufende Unternehmen Rechteinhaber*innen bei Zulieferern und in den Produktionsländern besser in ihren Geschäftspraktiken berücksichtigen können. Es diskutieren:

  • Nazma Akter, Founder and Executive Director Awaj Foundation/ President Sommilito Garments Sramik Federation/ Co-chair of Asia Pacific Women’s Committee of IndustriALL Global Union (NGO/trade union BGD)
  • Thivya Rakini Sesuraj, President Tamil Nadu Textile and Common Labour Union
  • Padma-Dolma Fielitz, German Institute for Human Rights
  • Tianne Groeneveld, Head of Human Rights, Tchibo GmbH

Darüber hinaus gibt es einen Input zum Thema „Worker-centred instruments to address workplace related risks and harms – Dindigul Agreement and Accord“. Das Textilbündnis plant, das Dindigul Agreement zu unterstützen, das erste rechtsverbindliches Übereinkommen zu Geschlechtsspezifischer Gewalt in Asien. Mehr dazu in diesem news article.

Agenda

Schon am Vorabend können sich die Bündnismitglieder bei einem gemeinsamen Abendessen austauschen und vernetzen.

Mitglieder finden weitere Informationen zum Event und zur Anmeldung im Members area:

Externe, die gerne am Arbeitstreffen teilnehmen möchten, wenden sich bitte an mail@textilbuendnis.com.

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Partnership for Sustainable Textiles

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mail@textilbuendnis.com
Phone: +49 228 4460-3560

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Webinar on Employment Injury System Pilot Project in Bangladesh

News
15.03.2023

Webinar on Employment Injury System Pilot Project in Bangladesh

Pilot Project for a social security system

The „Employment Injury Scheme“ has been paving the way to introduce a long overdue social security system for workers in Bangladesh since 2021. If occupational accidents lead to permanent disability or even death, workers or their families are to receive payments in the form of pensions.

Brands sourcing in Bangladesh campaigned to ensure that workers in supply chains receive effective support in the event of labour-related injuries. So they initiated the EIS.

In September 2019, a decisive step towards adequate protection was taken: the government of Bangladesh, the ILO and the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) agreed to initiate a Pilot Project for an EIS for the RMG sector. It was agreed that the ILO and GIZ would work closely together to set up the administrative processes. They are also to assist in ensuring that a permanent, legislative EIS is established. The EIS Pilot was officially launched on 21 June 2022 and will run for 3 to 5 years.

The Pilot Project consists of two components:

  1. Data collection and capacity building on occupational accidents, occupational diseases and rehabilitation based on a representative sample of enterprises
  2. Risk sharing for long-term benefits: Payment of ILO-compliant compensation in the event of permanent disability or death for the entire export-oriented RMG sector.
How brands and retailers can get involved

Silvia Popp from GIZ's project Social Protection in Bangladesh presented the EIS Pilot in a webinar on 06 March, attended by more than 20 members of the Textiles Partnership. She also discussed how brands and retailers can contribute to the success of the EIS pilot:

  • They contribute to the financing of the project.
  • They support selected national suppliers.
  • They are in constant exchange with suppliers, especially in terms of communication in the form of campaigns. This is to ensure that workers are aware of the EIS Pilot.
Background

Bangladesh is the second largest garment manufacturer in the world. Despite this, it is the only country in the industry that does not have a formalised system for protection and compensation in the event of occupational accidents. There are globally agreed minimum standards for occupational injuries to which workers are entitled. Until now, workers in Bangladesh have not received these benefits. This should change with the EIS.

It is important to note that the EIS Pilot is funded by the participation of brands. Therefore, the EIS Pilot calls on companies to participate in order to provide benefits to Bangladeshi workers in case of accidents at the work place.

Contact

If you would like to get involved with the EIS Pilot or would like more information, please contact us at mail@textilbuendnis.com.

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mail@textilbuendnis.com
Phone: +49 228 4460-3560

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Textiles Partnership plans to support the Dindigul Agreement

News
08.03.2023

Textiles Partnership plans to support the Dindigul Agreement

First legally binding agreement on gender-based violence in Asia

In April 2022, the Dindigul Agreement, the first legally binding agreement on gender-based violence in Asia, was signed. H&M, a member of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles (PST), is one of the signatory, as well as PVH, GAP, the women-led Tamil Nadu Textile and Common Labour Union (TTCU) and the local supplier Eastman Exports. The agreement received much attention in the media, which called it a "landmark agreement".

Gender-based violence is a widespread problem in production facilities in the textile industry. In early 2021, 21-year-old Jeyasre Kathiravel, who worked at Natchi Apparels, an Eastman Exports factory, was murdered. The young woman belonged to the lowest group of Hindu society (Dalit). In response to the murder, colleagues and other women formed the Justice for Jeyasre campaign. They successfully called for change. The aim of the Dindigul Agreement is to put an end to gender-based violence at Natchi Apparels. To this end, training is to be offered and internal grievance mechanisms (ICC and shop floor monitors) are to be established. In addition, women, especially Dalits, are to be promoted to management posistions. The agreement is named after the region in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Local organisations exchange with PST members

The Dindigul Agreement also caused the interest of PST members: In June 2022, the working group on gender equality organised an exchange with TTCU and the supporting organisations Asia Floor Wage Alliance (AFWA) and Global Labour Justice (GLJ). The PST members learned how the agreement was developed, where the implementation priorities lie and what the different roles and responsibilities of the signatories are.

At the OECD garment forum in February 2023, the Textiles Partnership co-organised the side session „Advancing Gender Justice on Asian Fast Fashion Supply Chains: Learnings from the Dindigul Agreement”. Thivya Rakini, President of the TTUC, reported on the first learnings and results of the implementation: Already one year after the agreement came into force, workers report that they feel safe at work. In addition, the number of grievances has increased - a sign of confidence in the mechanisms that have been established since then. Luisa Scheuber from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Gisela Burckhardt from FEMNET were also on the panel of the side session and promoted support for and expansion of the agreement.

Luisa Scheuber (BMZ): "Current approaches are reaching their limits. Many companies and organisations focus on awareness-raising and training. This is important. Only if women know their rights, they can demand them. But training alone does not bring about change. This requires, among other things, access to trade unions, a strong role for women in companies and trade unions, and a functioning social dialogue."

This is also covered by the Dindigul Agreement: it strengthens the women-led TTCU union and ensures access to trade unions for the women of Natchi Apparels.

Partnership Initiative to support the expansion of the Dindigul Agreement

Good work worldwide is a particular focus for German Development Minister Svenja Schulze and German development cooperation. An important key to this is freedom of association and strong trade unions. In addition, the Ministry recently announced that key measures for good work worldwide are economic empowerment of women as entrepreneurs, managers and employees, as well as labour market policies that contribute to gender equality.

SDG Ambassador Reiner Hoffmann: "Decent work, fair wages and working conditions are a prerequisite for a life in dignity, for a life in prosperity. Only through a socially acceptable world of work and in particular the empowerment of women can good work succeed worldwide."

Therefore, the Partnership Secretariat and the two PST members BMZ and FEMNET are planning to support the Dindigul Agreement with an Partnership Initiative. Other PST members are to participate. The aim is to achieve concrete improvements for women and to create working conditions in which they do not have to fear gender-based violence and discrimination. To this end, the participants want to extend the Dindigul Agreement to other suppliers in the Tamil Nadu region and possibly beyond. The Partnership Initiative would also contribute to the PST focus topics of gender equality .

Further information:

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The Supply-Chain Knock-on Effects of the German Supply Chain Act

News
06.03.2023

The Supply-Chain Knock-on Effects of the German Supply Chain Act

Webinar, 30 March 2023, 10 am CET, online, in English

On January 1, 2023, the German Due Diligence in Supply Chains Act (LkSG), came into force, requiring companies in Germany to carry out human rights and environmental due diligence. As part of the law, companies must establish effective risk management to identify, prevent or minimize risks of human rights violations and damage to the environment. The law sets out what preventive and remedial measures are necessary in their own business and along their supply chains, and obliges them to have complaints procedures in place and regular reporting. It initially applies to companies in Germany with at least 3,000 employees, with the employee threshold dropping to 1,000 in 2024. The law also applies to German subsidiaries of foreign companies if the subsidiary exceeds the above thresholds and has its registered office in Germany.

Businesses supplying to companies that fall under the law, are likely to receive more requests for information from their German customers. Against this background, it is important for companies to prepare for requests from large customers in Germany and to learn about the information they will ask for in order to demonstrate compliance with the German Supply Chain Act. In short, ensuring due diligence and documenting adherence to labour, health and safety and environmental legislation will become increasingly important to do business with companies in Germany. Being prepared, therefore, makes business sense.

Supported by the German Governments’ Helpdesk on Business and Human Rights, this webinar will discuss possible effects of the German Due Diligence in Supply Chains Act on companies that the law does not directly apply to. amfori and the German Partnership for Sustainable Textiles (PST) will further highlight how their tools can help businesses supplying to German companies in meeting and demonstrating adherence to international labour and environmental standards.

Co-hosted by amfori and the PST, this webinar is the second of a series of webinars on the obligations under of the German Supply Chain Act and practical tools that can help companies in meeting their due diligence obligations.

Registration

Webinar Series on the German Supply Chain Act: Requirements and Tools for Companies

Co-hosted by amfori and the German Partnership for Sustainable Textiles (PST), this webinar series focuses on the obligations under the German Supply Chain Act and practical tools that can support companies – both directly or indirectly affected by the legislation – to meet their due diligence obligations. 

Each webinar will address a specific due diligence step or criteria, and highlight corresponding resources and tools for businesses. It also aims to serve as a platform for dialogue between companies and stakeholders surrounding the implementation of human rights and environmental due diligence.

For more information, please contact Franzis Wimmer, amfori Stakeholder Engagement Advisor at Franzis.wimmer@amfori.org.

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Update on the call for proposals: selection of projects

News
06.03.2023

Update on the call for proposals: selection of projects

Six project ideas on grievance mechanisms, gender equality and circular economy

For the first time, the Textiles Partnership organized a call for proposals. The aim of the call for proposals is to support Partnership members and other cooperation partners in fulfilling their individual social and ecological due diligence obligations in their own supply chains and to make an impact on-site. The proposals should relate to at least one of the Textiles Partnership focus topics .

By the deadline of 14 February, PST members submitted these six project ideas:

Grievance mechanisms and remedy
  • Digital grievance management and capacity building
Gender equality
  • Capacity building for gender justice with microlearning
  • Evaluate and visualisation of missing survey data with subsequent development and application of a scalable tool to detect and process-related reduction of gender inequalities
  • Women Workers Health Cafés in Indonesia
Circular Economy
  • ‘Circular Design Made in Bangladesh’ Platform
  • CircularDown
What comes next
  • Until 14 March: The strategy committees and the BMZ comment on the concepts
  • By the end of March: Consolidation of the evaluation and commenting
  • End of March/beginning of April: announcement of the winning projects
  • April 26: Presentation of the projects at the PST Working Meeting
  • By May/June: Finalisation of concepts and contract preparation
  • May/June: Start of implementation

Here you can find more information on the Call for Proposals.

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mail@textilbuendnis.com
Phone: +49 228 4460-3560

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Review-Process is starting on 1st April

Logo TexPerT, Textile Partnership Performance Tool
News
02.03.2023

Review-Process is starting on 1st April

Information and timeline

On 1 April 2023, the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles (PST) launches the Review Process by which PST members report every two years on the implementation of their due diligence obligations. They are given until 31 May to enter their data in the Partnership's own tool TexPerT. From June to September, the assessment meetings take place for the member companies. In autumn, the review reports are published online. The updated guide "Step by step through the Review Process" offers a detailed guide through this year's process.

Infografik Review-Prozess: 5 Stufen. 1. Risiken ermitteln und priorisieren, 2. Ziele definieren und Fortschritte berichten, 3. Auswertungsgespräch, 4. Anpassung, 5. Veröffentlichung

For companies that have already participated in the Review Process in 2021: The data from 2021 is mainly transferred, needs to be checked and updated if necessary. There is no longer a separate progress report - instead, progress and target achievement are reported for each sector risk on the basis of the 2021 roadmap.

As decided by the PST Steering Committee in September, two alternative formats will also be recognised for the first time as evidence of the implementation of due diligence obligations: on the one hand, the report to the Federal Office of Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA) within the framework of the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG) and, on the other hand, reporting in accordance with the requirements of the Green Button 2.0.

Member companies that choose one of the two alternative reporting formats only have to submit their Roadmap 2021 progress report via TexPerT this year, also between 1 April and 31 May. There will be no assessment meeting.

The following applies to all members of the Textiles Partnership: In order to bundle the "reporting" on the three core elements, we have integrated core element 2 (upload for the aggregated supplier list) as well as core element 3 (upload of the individual commitments, KPIs) in TexPerT.

Timeline

If you have any queries, please contact review@textilbuendnis.com.

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mail@textilbuendnis.com
Phone: +49 228 4460-3560

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New head of PST secretariat: Linda Schraml

News
02.03.2023

New head of PST secretariat: Linda Schraml

Former head of the Partnership Secretariat Noor Naqschbandi hands over to Linda Schraml.

Linda Schraml has been part of the GIZ sector project "Sustainable Consumption", which also includes the Textiles Partnership, since the beginning of the year. Over the past 15 years, Linda Schraml has worked at the interface between the private sector and development cooperation - for GIZ and other organisations. Among other things, she has worked for GIZ in Ethiopia, where she gained insights into production facilities and global textile supply chains.

As head of the Partnership Secretariat, she is responsible for member management and committee work, piloting of projects, communication and the cooperation network.

Linda Schraml: "I am very pleased and excited about the work in the Textiles Partnership. In the last few weeks, I was able to get to know the team, the representatives of the Steering Committee and already some members. A constructive dialogue with and within the membership is very important to me and I hope that we can continue the good work of the last few years together and in a goal-oriented way."

The GIZ programme "Sustainable Consumption"

The German Federal Government has been working for social and ecological supply chains for years and has launched, among other things, the multi-stakeholder initiative Partnership for Sustainable Textiles, the government certification label Green Button and the platform Siegelklarheit. These three instruments are now combined within GIZ in the programme "Sustainable Consumption".

This creates a system that - for companies and consumers - provides even more clarity about requirements and aligns them with each other. In addition, duplications are avoided and more commitment can flow into the impact on the ground.

The expert colleagues from the previous projects form a pool of experts and now contribute their expertise across instruments, for example on circular economy, climate protection, grievance mechanisms, living wages or gender equality.

Noor Naqschbandi, as programme manager of the sector project can concentrate on the management of the overall project. His task is to ensure that the instruments interact in a meaningful way and that synergies are created for all sides.

Short biography of Linda Schraml

Linda Schraml has worked in development cooperation for many years, including in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Mali and Brazil. Graduated in regional sciences, she has been with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH since 2015 and was, among other things, coordinator of the Global Business Network in Ethiopia and component officer in the Business Scout for Development programme. In January 2023, the 43-year-old moved to the GIZ programme "Sustainable Consumption", where she heads the Secretariat of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles. Linda Schraml comes with many years of experience in cooperation with private sector development as well as in organisational development and sustainable supply chain management.

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OECD Garment Forum 2023

News
18.01.2023

OECD Garment Forum 2023

The Partnership for Sustainable Textiles is co-hosting three side sessions - register now!

From 13 to 17 February, the OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector is taking place in Paris and online.

The Forum brings together representatives of 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.

Again, the Textiles Partnership is co-hosting side sessions together with other organisations. The sessions cover three of the fourPST focus topicsresponsible purchasing practices, grievance and remedy as well as gender-based violence.

We invite you to participate in the side sessions virtually or on site in Paris!

Ensuring local stakeholder- and worker-inclusive supply chain grievance mechanisms
13 February 2023, 10 am CET

Registration


While many grievance mechanisms already make valuable contributions to accountability and remedy in the garment sector, more emphasis needs to be put on cooperation and meaningful engagement with stakeholders to ensure the effectiveness of such mechanisms. The first part of this session will discuss the opportunities and challenges for engaging with local stakeholders, mainly trade unions, in supply chain grievance mechanisms. The second interactive part will ask participants, including operators of grievance mechanisms, trade unions and other stakeholders, to discuss in break-out rooms how engagement and complementarity between international and local levels can be enhanced to support more inclusive and impactful supply chain grievance mechanisms.

The side-session is co-organised by CNV Internationaal (CNVI), the German Partnership for Sustainable Textile (PST) and Fair Wear. CNVI recently conducted a research on the role of local trade unions in building effective international grievance mechanisms, which will inform the discussions. Fair Wear and the PST collaborate together with other MSIs in the CARe (Collaboration on Access to Remedy) Platform, that currently serves as an informal hub to exchange experiences, learnings and best practices on access to remedy, identify synergies and support member companies in fulfilling their responsibility regarding access to remedy for workers. Their ambitions include encouraging collaboration across all levels to find a model of an inclusive supply chain grievance mechanism.

 

How can companies integrate responsible purchasing practices in their businesses?
Learnings from the Common Framework for Responsible Purchasing Practices (CFRPP), the STTI White Paper and a community-based approach
14 February 2023, 10 am CET

Registration

Brands are increasingly turning their attention to their purchasing practices, however, progress towards responsible purchasing practices (RPP) across the sector is being slowed due to a number of repeatedly reported barriers.

The panel will focus on how brands can revise their purchasing practices and the importance of the supplier voice in making these changes. Besides that,experts will present the necessary steps when embarking on this mission, especially with regards to companies’ human rights due diligence (HRDD) process, and will provide practical examples that can be built on. We will also demonstrate how to overcome the barriers that brands are facing, such as obtaining company-wide buy-in as well as supplier feedback and its involvement in improving a brand’s purchasing practices.

Moreover, the session will highlight good practices in tackling these barriers based on our learnings within the Learning and Implementation Community (LIC). The LIC is a collaboration between Fair Wear, Ethical Trading Initiative, Ethical Trade Norway, the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles and Solidaridad (as a negotiating party to the Dutch Next Generation Agreement), with support of the Sustainable Terms of Trade Initiative (STTI).

To learn more about the Common Framework for Responsible Purchasing Practices, please take a look at the website here.

Advancing Gender Justice in Asian Fast Fashion Supply Chains
Learnings from the „Dindigul Agreement”
14 February 2023, 11 am CET Paris

Registration

Despite numerous programs, initiatives and repeated calls for action, gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) remains widespread in global supply chains of the fashion industry and little progress has been made so far. Will worker-led agreements be the game changer? The Dindigul Agreement has been signed in April last year and it is the first legally binding brand agreement that seeks to address gender and caste-based violence in an Asian garment supply chain.

This session will discuss the key learnings from the process of the development of the agreement, and the significant impacts the agreement has had on the factory floor through a trade union led program, in improving both worker well-being and productivity.

Please join us for a panel discussion with the different parties to the agreement, including Eastman Exports, the Tamil Nadu Textile and Common Labour Union (TTCU), and a signatory brand, as well as one external party, the women’s NGO FEMNET. The session will start with an opening from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and a brief presentation of the Dindigul Agreement, its initial impact and lessons learned so far by the supporting organizations Asia Floor Wage Alliance (AFWA) and Global Labour Justice – International Labour Rights Forum (GLJ-ILRF). The session will be moderated by gender expert, author and professor Jane Pillinger.

About the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment and Footwear Sector

A common denominator of the discussions at the Forum is the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment and Footwear Sector (OECD Garment Guidance). The Garment Guidance establishes a common understanding of due diligence in the sector to help companies meet expectations on due diligence laid out in the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (OECD MNE Guidelines).

Since its adoption in 2017, the OECD Garment Guidance has become accepted as the landmark framework for due diligence in the sector, supported by 50 governments, aligned with OECD, UN and ILO instruments, and negotiated with business, trade unions and civil society. It provides ambitious but pragmatic guidance to all companies – large and small – operating in global garment and footwear supply chains, to prevent and address the negative impacts of their activities and contribute to sustainable development.

Agenda

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That was the 8th Members' Meeting

News
08.12.2022

That was the 8th Members' Meeting

Partnership 2023 - Let's get started!

Around 150 participants came to Hamburg for the 8th Members' Meeting of the Textiles Partnership. They exchanged views, discussed and developed ideas for joint projects. Because "it is not enough to set ambitious goals, it is important to implement them," emphasised Reiner Hoffmann, former Chair of the German Trade Union Federation (DGB) and now working for the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development as an SDG ambassador for good work worldwide.

Workshop zu Existenzsichernden Löhnen und Einkaufspraktiken
Workshop on Living Wages and Purchasing Practices.
Workshop zu Existenzsichernden Löhnen und Einkaufspraktiken
Workshop on Living Wages and Purchasing Practices.
Textilbündnis Mitgliederversammlung 2022
Members' Meeting of the Textiles Partnership 2022
Berndt Hinzmann (INKOTA), Anke Oppermann (BMZ) und Frank Zach (DGB)
Berndt Hinzmann (INKOTA), Anke Oppermann (BMZ), and Frank Zach (DGB)
Textilbündnis Mitgliederversammlung 2022
Members' Meeting of the Textiles Partnership 2022
Textilbündnis Mitgliederversammlung 2022
Members' Meeting of the Textiles Partnership 2022
Q&A mit dem Steuerungskreis
Q&A mit dem Steuerungskreis
Textilbündnis Mitgliederversammlung 2022
Members' Meeting of the Textiles Partnership 2022
Textilbündnis Mitgliederversammlung 2022
Members' Meeting of the Textiles Partnership 2022

The focus of the event was the new concept "Partnership 2023", which the steering committee adopted in September. Representing the entire steering committee, Claudia Kersten (GOTS), Frank Zach (DGB), Anke Oppermann (BMZ), Prof. Dr. Tobias Wollermann (Otto Group) and Berndt Hinzmann (INKOTA) answered the members' questions - among others on our focus topics and on internationalisation.

In workshops, members addressed the four focus topics: Living Wages and Purchasing Practices, Circular Economy and Climate, Gender Equality, and Grievance Mechanisms and Remedies.

In the afternoon, Brigitte Zietlow from the German Environment Agency (UBA) gave an input on "The EU Textile Strategy- future challenges and commitments".

Reiner Hoffmann: "It has to reach the places and people where the need is."

For Reiner Hoffmann, the members' meeting was one of his first official acts as SDG ambassador for good work worldwide. The former DGB President made it clear that the impact of activities on the ground must reach the producing countries:

"What we decide here in Europe is one thing. But it is important that it reaches the people. Globalisation, as we have experienced it in recent decades, has led to prosperity - but it is unequally distributed. To achieve social justice, it is crucial that basic labour standards are respected in the countries from which we source our products."

Hoffmann also addressed the four focus topics. From a trade union perspective, living wages are central. Worldwide, the fundamental human right of freedom of association and organisation is violated every day. It is also good that the Textiles Partnership is committed to the focus topic of gender equality for the many women who suffer particularly from poor working and living conditions in the textile industry.

"Circular economy is much more than recycling strategy, it is about life cycle assessments, new products. Longevity, new business models. We must have an interest in not losing sight of economic sustainability and business competitiveness. In Europe, we have reached a level playing field. This is far from being the case internationally," says Hoffmann.

Bärbel Kofler: "We have to make progress together".

Dr Bärbel Kofler addressed the members from Berlin. The Parliamentary State Secretary at Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) underlined:

„The goals of the Textiles Partnership remain relevant and forward-looking. The Partnership aims to identify the biggest social, environmental and compliance risks and design concrete solutions. And it offers companies the chance to advance their sustainability management and to cooperate with other actors. Together, you all contribute to improving production conditions worldwide."

Kofler states that a lot has changed, but the Partnership is moving with the times and developing further: "The new orientation with the focus topics offers enormous potential. Different stakeholder groups can cooperate even more closely in the future, they can pool resources, their know-how and their networks. In this way, they can implement projects on the ground even more efficiently and achieve even more impact."

She concluded her greetings with an appeal to the members: "Only a socially just and sustainable textile industry is a sustainable textile industry. We must make progress together. Therefore, use the Textiles Partnership and continue to actively shape it!"

Farewell to Frank Zach

Frank Zach from the DGB is a Textiles Partnership bedrock. He has accompanied the Partnership since its founding and participated in 38 meetings of the steering committee, in which 253 decisions were made. He moderated the last 19 meetings. After eight years of joint work, Frank Zach said goodbye at the general meeting:

"The Textiles Partnership is weighty, has already survived several governments and is regularly consulted by various stakeholders. Many thanks to my fellow campaigners in the Steering Committee and to the Partnership Secretariat. I wish all of you in the Textiles Partnership strength and willingness to engage in dialogue - show this to the outside world as well!"

Protocols and Documentation