OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment and Footwear Sector

31/12/2020

The garment and footwear sector is one of the largest consumer goods sectors in the world. Adopted in 2017, the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment and Footwear Sector establishes a common understanding of due diligence in the sector to help companies meet the due diligence expectations laid out in the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

Although it represents an important economic driving force, the tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in 2013 brought global attention to the risks of severe adverse impacts both in manufacturing and further upstream.

The Guidance, which was developed through a multi-stakeholder process, was approved by all governments adhering to the OECD Guidelines and endorsed by business, trade unions and civil society. It is a direct response to the G7 Leaders’ Declaration on 7-8 June 2015 in Schloss Elmau which welcomed international efforts to promulgate industry-wide due diligence standards in the textile and ready-made garment sector. The Guidance is applicable to all companies – large and small – operating in the global garment and footwear supply chains.