Purchasing practices: Common Framework to guide action in the Partnership

Companies have a duty to conduct human rights due diligence for their international activities and revising their purchasing practices is an important element of this. They have the potential to support and enable improved working conditions, the implementation of living wages and better planning and business sustainability among suppliers.

The Partnership for Sustainable Textiles has developed the "Common Framework for Responsible Purchasing Practices" (CFRPP) together with other multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs). The document provides companies and MSIs in the textile sector with a common understanding as well as universal points of reference to adapt their purchasing practices and reduce negative impacts on people and the environment.

The Steering Committee has now decided to make the CFRPP the reference framework in the Textile Partnership and thus the guiding principle for action on the issue of purchasing practices. With this decision, the Textile Partnership is also making an important contribution to applying the CFRPP in practice. Companies can use the document to better fulfil their individual responsibility to establish responsible purchasing practices. The initiatives support this by offering workshops and peer learning in working groups, for example.  

In addition, several European companies have joined forces in a "Learning and Implementation Community". The members share practical experiences and thus support each other in implementing the CFRPP. The aim is to develop workable solutions to the various challenges related to responsible sourcing practices and to communitise concrete best practices.