The International Accord, an international agreement for health and safety in the textile and clothing industry, which emerged from the Bangladesh Accord, announces the extension of the agreement for another three years.
Following negotiations between representatives of international textile retailers and the global unions that have signed the International Accord, it is clear that efforts to improve health and safety in supply chains will continue in the future.
The brands and unions have renewed their commitments for an extended period of three years, with an automatic extension for a further three years. This makes this agreement the longest to date.
This new version of the International Agreement entered into force on November 1, 2023. Brands and retailers will be invited to sign the International Accord from November 16th. The International Accord Secretariat will announce the initial signatories of the International Agreement and Program for Bangladesh in the first week of December 2023.
The renewed international agreement is a legally binding framework under which Country Specific Security Programs (CSSP) will be implemented in Pakistan and through the RMG Sustainability Council (RSC) in Bangladesh. It is envisaged that future health and safety programs will be developed in other key garment producing countries based on feasibility and scale-up criteria.