What’s at stake for due diligence practice in the garment and footwear sector in the context of emerging mandatory due diligence expectations? Speakers will discuss key opportunities, themes and challenges, setting the scene for the three focus sessions that follow. French interpretation available.

With responsible purchasing practices an expectation of companies in due diligence legislation, there is an opportunity to build on a decade of learning and practice and make responsible purchasing practices a hallmark of the sector. However, is the sector ready? Panellists will discuss this through the lens of measuring progress on purchasing practices: what will it take to move towards common metrics and monitoring approaches to build greater transparency, comparability and overall uptake of company practice in this area? French interpretation available. More speakers to be confirmed.

Organised by Leigh Day This session is led by a partner organisation and may not reflect the views of the OECD.

Workers in the global garment and footwear industry often face severe exploitation, including unlawful labour practices, gender-based violence, and exposure to hazardous conditions. The panellists centre the experiences of these workers in the fight for justice. The discussion will explore the themes that lead to human rights litigation, how workers can enforce their rights and secure remedies, and the implementation of community-focused restorative justice measures. The session seeks to identify impactful strategies to empower workers and their communities. Please note that this session will not be livestreamed.

While disengagement is presented as an action of last resort, the Garment & Footwear Guidance risk modules give examples where immediate disengagement may be necessary. Recent events and the inclusion of expectations on responsible disengagement in due diligence legislation make it timely to clarify OECD recommendations on this topic. Panellists will explore this with reference to practical scenarios. French interpretation available. More speakers to be confirmed.

Companies are expected to evaluate their responses to prioritised risks and adverse impacts, yet many struggle to monitor progress and assess whether their actions effectively prevent and mitigate harm. Panellists will discuss a range of methods to gain a comprehensive understanding of whether risks and impacts are being effectively addressed, including how workers' perspectives can be integrated more meaningfully. The session will also explore how policymakers can set expectations on effective monitoring and validation in due diligence law. French interpretation available. More speakers to be confirmed.

Organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – The Netherlands, Fair Wear Foundation, CNV Internationaal & Mondiaal FNV This session is led by partner organisations and may not reflect the views of the OECD.

This in-person side session will explore the evolving landscape of Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) in the garment and footwear sector, with a focus on the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). We will present preliminary findings from a Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs-funded program, led by CNV Internationaal, Mondiaal FNV, and Fair Wear Foundation, highlighting insights from interviews and trainings with local stakeholders—including trade unions, employers' organizations, and governments in production countries. The discussion will explore how the CSDDD is reshaping HRDD in global supply chains, driving progress on living wages and decent work. Join us to share your ideas, reflect on policy recommendations, and contribute to shaping fairer global supply chains. For online participants: please register here to receive the virtual participation link.

Organised by GIZ Pakistan and CARE Cambodia This session is led by partner organisations and may not reflect the views of the OECD.

The session spotlights the garment, footwear, and textile (GFT) sectors in Pakistan and Cambodia, exploring strategies to promote diversity, inclusion and human rights due diligence. Bringing the theme of non-discrimination and Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) at the heart of discussion, participants will hear directly from supplier factories and experts in gender and disability inclusion regarding context specific challenges and best practices in this domain. By fostering collaboration across sectors, the session aims to inspire actionable steps toward a more responsible business conduct in global supply chains. For online participants: please register here to receive the virtual participation link

This session will draw lessons from recent empirical research on the uptake and impact of due diligence in the sector, and present the OECD's new monitoring and evaluation framework for the garment & footwear sector. Discussants will share recent empirical research as well as key analysis that could be developed to deploy the framework and how different user groups can use the framework going forward.

This roundtable will explore ways to promote collective bargaining and freedom of association rights in supply chains, share examples of engagement with trade unions and worker representatives in the sector, and discuss strategies for overcoming common challenges. Participants will also look at how to leverage stakeholder engagement requirements in due diligence laws to build capacity, avoiding tick-box approaches and bottlenecks in the process. More speakers to be confirmed.

Organised by RISE (Reimagining Industry to Support Equality) This session is led by a partner organisation and may not reflect the views of the OECD.

In recent years, gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in the garment industry has received increased recognition amid growing awareness of the problem as a broader societal issue. GBVH is rooted in unequal gender norms and exacerbated by structural factors that increase women’s risk while also preventing reporting and prosecution. This session will explore how to enable an industry collective effort to tackle GBVH, starting with understanding structural factors and the root causes of GBVH, focusing on business practices and gender norms. In particular, the session will discuss the links between business practices and the immediate GBVH risks that women workers face. The panel will also address the importance of meaningful collaboration between brands, suppliers, women’s organizations, workers’ organizations, trade unions, and other stakeholders to collectively address GBVH in garment supply chains, including by identifying risks and focusing on prevention and remediation. Please note that this workshop will not be livestreamed.

This roundtable will focus on the important role recyclers can play in increasing transparency and supporting due diligence on recycled material feedstock. It will build on last year’s forum session on circular systems which looked at ways to engage actors across the circular value chain through examples from post-production and post-consumer stages, and draw on learnings in the sector and the OECD’s draft frequently asked questions paper on due diligence for circular processes in the sector. More speakers to be confirmed.

The different roles that sustainability initiatives can play in supporting and assessing companies on their due diligence are likely to come further into focus as companies look to demonstrate their performance and build on supply chain tools in the context of mandatory due diligence. The session will present the OECD’s recent learnings across two full and five standards-only alignment assessments of sustainability initiatives operating in the sector. Participants will then be invited to reflect on the learnings in groups through a workshop format. Please note that only the panel discussion (40 mins) will be livestreamed.

This workshop session offers participants an opportunity to develop an increased understanding of due diligence through exploring a number of prepared scenarios drawing from key due diligence themes and sector contexts. It will allow industry representatives and stakeholders to exchange experience on carrying out risk-based due diligence and reflect on learnings from the forum. Please note that this workshop will not be livestreamed.

The OECD conducted a training programme for garment and footwear businesses sourcing from or producing in the MENA & Türkiye region. This session will reflect on training outcomes, examine how businesses are applying learnings in their operations, and will explore different ways buyers and suppliers collaborate in order to support effective implementation of responsible business conduct. French interpretation available. Speaker information coming soon.

Organised by ACT (Action, Collaboration, Transformation) This session is led by a partner organisation and may not reflect the views of the OECD.

This session will showcase the central role that industrial relations structure can play in securing meaningful stakeholder engagement in garment and footwear supply chains and highlight how these structures lead to the first ever brand-supported collective bargaining agreements in the industry. Using the example of the ACT (Action, Collaboration, Transformation) approach to supply chain industrial relations, the session will showcase the structures which allow trade unions and employers to play a central role in the development of brand support for improving working conditions and better wages in Cambodia. Please note that this workshop will not be livestreamed.