As member brands of the Pakistan Accord Steering Committee, Bestseller, C&A, H&M, Inditex, Otto Group and PVH Corp. reaffirmed their commitment to the safety and security program. They will be working closely with their Pakistani suppliers and other stakeholders over the coming weeks to take steps to establish an Accord office in Pakistan and launch programs.
“Together with the colleagues of our Accord brands, we strive to support our suppliers in complying with the highest safety standards. This includes creating local governance structures that ensure industry, local brands and union participation in decision-making at every stage of the program,” the signing brands promise in a statement.
“The International Accord aims to protect the health and safety of millions of workers while helping the industry achieve sustainable export growth. With the signing of the Pakistan Accord and our brands’ commitment to this new safety program, we renew our commitment to a long-term sourcing relationship with Pakistan,” the statement continued.
“The Pakistan Accord offers the opportunity to make the efforts made by many manufacturing companies in recent years to invest in fire and building safety measures more visible and to deepen and expand them throughout Pakistan’s garment and textile sector, so that [der Standort] is becoming more and more attractive for clients from all over the world.”
Finally, the brands of the steering committee call on “all brands around the world” to sign the Pakistan Accord.
The International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry is an agreement between 190 global brands and retailers and two global union federations. Collectively, the brands that have signed the deal source more than US$2.6 billion worth of apparel and textiles from Pakistan.