A few international fashion brands sourcing from Pakistan, such as H&M, Li & Fung, Gap India and C&A are set to improve labour and environmental practices in the country’s textile and clothing sector. The Buyers’ Forum for Textile sector, was set up at the end of 2014 by the Netherlands Government, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the International Labour Organization (ILO). Representatives from 19 international brands took part in its third meeting last month and now they are sharing good practices on labour, environmental and social compliance with Pakistan. This will help Pakistan’s textile and clothing sector to remain competitive and attractive to international buyers.

Apart from this, participants discussed the findings of a project by the Dutch NGO, the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) to map compliance and existing good practices in the textile sector. They discovered that the smaller local manufacturers in the textile industry, had no compliance monitoring mechanisms in place.

But now, buyers have agreed to set up a committee that will have an action plan in place to handle key issues in the sector and also strengthen the labour inspection regime and issues of contractual employment. Moreover, they will support smaller manufacturers to improve compliance on par with international standards.

On an immediate basis, a scheme was put in place to reinvigorate labour inspection system in Pakistan. This scheme will have the Dutch government and the ILO, who will train labour inspectors and introduce mechanisms to improve worker welfare.