Global supply chain shocks - such as the pandemic, armed conflicts, shipping disruptions, trade tensions and tariffs - have exposed vulnerabilities in traditional sourcing approaches, weakening supply chain resilience and heightening responsible business conduct (RBC) risks and adverse impacts. The session will examine current disruptions and trends in supply chain shifts and how due diligence can inform business decisions before and during supply chain shocks to navigate uncertainty while minimising the likelihood and severity of RBC risks and adverse impacts. Speakers will be announced soon.

Estimates suggest that in some countries, up to 90% of the workforce in the sector operates informally - within small, unregistered factories, at home, or collecting waste for recycling. Despite their contributions to global production and recycling systems, these workers often remain invisible in companies’ due diligence efforts. Panellists will discuss strategies for identifying informal workers and tailoring their due diligence to the varying likelihood and severity of adverse impacts compared to formal settings. The panellists will also share insights from their engagement with informal workers, as well as examples of national laws and frameworks aimed at improving protections and working conditions of informal workers. Speakers will be announced soon.

In this interactive workshop, participants will explore how gender-responsive, risk-based due diligence can be applied to a series of example scenarios. Working in facilitated break-out groups, participants will discuss 2–3 scenarios, answer guided questions and share their experiences. The session will deepen understanding of how to implement gender-responsive due diligence in day-to-day operations, encourage practical problem-solving and allow participants to reflect on lessons from their own contexts.

Companies in the sector understand the risks of only focusing their due diligence on their direct business relationships. However, many are unsure of how to deploy risk-based, scalable due diligence efforts in their upstream supply chains. This workshop will begin by exploring tangible examples of companies, including both brands and manufacturers, that have been able to make progress on upstream due diligence. Participants will be invited to brainstorm on common barriers to conduct due diligence further upstream and how to overcome them. Speakers will be announced soon.

This breakfast brings together government officials from adhering and non-adhering governments, as well as representatives from intergovernmental organisations engaged in the garment and footwear sector and its supply chain. If you are a government official and would like to join the event, please contact: andrea.schill@oecd.org.

The Manufacturers Network for Due Diligence in the Garment & Footwear Sector is a network of garment and footwear manufacturers, providing them with a space to share experiences, build a common understanding of due diligence topics and work collaboratively. If you are a manufacturers' association and would like to join the event, please contact: julia.delvalle@oecd.org.

The session will explore how the rise of e-commerce and demand-driven business models in the sector is reshaping supply chain structures and dynamics. It will also explore how these developments have operationally enabled the development of different business models, such as the ultra fast fashion, and what this means for responsible business conduct (RBC). Panellists will discuss how these new business models that prioritise flexibility and speed are transforming production cycles, supplier relationships and sourcing practices in order to understand what this means for RBC. Additionally, panellists will explore the different ways these changes challenge existing trade and regulatory frameworks. Speakers will be announced soon.

Extreme heat, flooding, and water scarcity are already disrupting garment and footwear production in major production countries, with serious impacts for workers' health, livelihoods and safety, which, although increasingly visible, remain underreported and insufficiently addressed. This session highlights climate-related risks to workers and invites participants to explore how due diligence can serve as a tool to prepare for inevitable disruptions and strengthen resilience across supply chains. Discussions will highlight areas that may require companies' attention, from operational adaptation and social protection systems to purchasing practices and buyer–supplier partnerships - drawing on lessons from examples of tested adaptation measures, factory-level action plans and national frameworks. Speakers will be announced soon.

Climate-related transition measures – such as the adoption of low-carbon technology, water management and renewable sources of energy – are urgently needed to address resource scarcity in the sector but also to prevent crossing environmental thresholds that would make future impacts more severe and adaptation more costly. However, an abrupt transition or one not managed properly could increase risks and adverse impacts to businesses, workers and local communities. While governments must establish the policy framework and incentives to drive the transition, businesses also play a key role in developing and scaling technologies, skills and business models that support the transition as well as addressing potential impacts associated with their transition activities. Panellists will share insights from their pilots of co-developing and integrating workers’ perspectives into transition planning and their experiences in navigating the intersection of environmental, social, and economic priorities. They will discuss areas for deeper collaboration and key considerations for businesses. Speakers will be announced soon.