As the member brands of the Pakistan Accord’s steering committee, Bestseller, C&A, H&M, Inditex, the Otto Group and PVH Corp. have affirmed their commitment to the workplace safety program. They will act in close collaboration with their Pakistani suppliers and other stakeholders in the coming weeks as they take steps towards the establishment of a Pakistan Accord office and the commencement of programmes.

“We, together with our Accord brands’ colleagues, are committed to supporting our suppliers in meeting the highest safety standards. This includes efforts to establish local governance structures that ensure industry and local brand and union participation in decision-making in every phase of the program,” affirmed the board’s signatory brands in a statement.

“The International Accord aims to protect the health and safety of millions of workers while helping the industry achieve sustainable growth in exports. With the signing of the Pakistan Accord and our brands’ commitment to this new safety program, we are renewing our commitment to a long-term sourcing relationship with Pakistan,” continued the statement.

“The Pakistan Accord provides an opportunity both to increase the visibility of the efforts already made by many manufacturers to invest in fire and building safety measures in recent years and deepen and expand them throughout Pakistan’s garment and textile sector, making it an increasingly attractive option for buyers across the globe.”

Risk assessment and prevention poster at Green Smart Shirts Ltd. in Bangladesh. Image: Sumit Suryawanshi for FashionUnited

The steering committee brands ended by encouraging “all brands around the world” to sign the Pakistan Accord.

The International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry is an agreement between 190 global brands and retailers and two global union federations. Collectively, the Accord signatory brands source over 2.6 billion US dollars worth of garments and textiles from Pakistan.