Japanese fashion group Fast Retailing, parent of fast fashion brand Uniqlo, has signed the Pakistan Accord, joining brands and retailers such as Mango, Hugo Boss, Kik, C&A, H&M and Inditex.
It is a country-specific, binding agreement for brands and retailers that emerged from the 2021 International Accord for Health and Safety in the Garment and Textile Industry, to which Fast Retailing is already a signatory.
“Similar to the International Accord on which it is based, we believe the Pakistan Accord will also provide important safety standards to protect the people who make our clothes. Fast Retailing is pleased to support the Pakistan Accord and continue to make workplaces safer,” said Yukihiro Nitta, Fast Retailing’s group executive officer and responsible for sustainability, in a statement.
Participation in Pakistan Accord still hesitant
The Pakistan Accord has been in place since the beginning of the year, but so far signing has been slow – as of May 17, only 57 brands and retailers have joined, including Bestseller, C&A, H&M, Inditex, Otto Group and PVH Corp as member companies of the steering committee as well as Aldi, Carrefour, Kik, Primark, Puma, Tchibo and Zalando. In addition to Fast Retailing, recent additions include Mango, Hugo Boss, Solo Invest, Uhlsport and Kmart Australia. When a large fashion group like Fast Retailing joins, it sends a signal.
In comparison, almost 200 fashion companies have already signed the International Accord. Faced with this discrepancy, NGO Remake and the Clean Clothes Campaign have launched the #SignTheAccord campaign, demanding that twelve companies in particular that are central to success in the country sign the Accord. These are Amazon, Asda, Columbia Sportswear, Decathlon, Ikea, JCPenney, Kontoor Brands, Levi’s, Target, Tom Tailor, Urbn and Walmart.
The Pakistan Accord is initially set to run for three years until the end of 2025, after which there is the possibility of an extension.