Common Framework for Responsible Purchasing Practices
Common Framework for Responsible Purchasing Practices
To achieve better purchasing practices, a group of different multi-stakeholder initiatives are developing a Common Framework for Responsible Purchasing Practices. In addition to the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles, Ethical Trading Initiative, Ethical Trade Norway and Fair Wear Foundation are also involved. The framework is intended to address brands and retailers as well as multi-stakeholder initiatives and serve as a guide to improving purchasing practices.
At its core, it is about defining responsible purchasing practices and enabling effective and cooperative partnership between purchasing companies and suppliers. Further objectives are:
- improve working conditions in supply chains
- pay living wages
- strengthen resilience in the supply chain.
The document is structured based on five principles, which are backed up with concrete recommendations for action:
The framework draws on the recommendations of the most recent Whitepaper of the Sustainable Terms of Trade Initiative (STTI), which in turn is led by the STAR Network (Sustainable Textile of the Asian Region) and the International Apparel Federation (IAF) with the support of GIZ FABRIC. Additionally, ACT (Action Collaboration Transformation), Better Work, Better Buying Institute and amfori have been consulted.
In the first quarter of 2022, a "Learning and Implementation Community" was to pilot the framework. Experts, companies and producers accompanied the implementation and exchanged views on the 5 principles of the framework.
A session at the virtual OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector on 24 and 25 February discussed the Framework and its contribution to more balanced relationships between buying companies and suppliers, its practical applicability and the next steps for implementation.