The International Accord was renewed in 2023 for a three-year term with an automatic renewal clause, marking its longest commitment to date. About 300 brands now participate, collectively sourcing roughly $26bn from more than 2,000 factories in Bangladesh and Pakistan that employ over 3.4 million workers. The Accord enforces inspections, remediation monitoring, worker training and access to remedy; while major safety upgrades have been made, recent deadly fires underline the continuing need for corporate commitment to factory safety and human rights due diligence.
300 Fashion Brands Sign Renewed International Safety Accord to Boost Factory Protections
"The continued commitment from the brands to the Accord is as important now as it was a decade ago. For the workers themselves of course but also for the brands to fulfil their human rights due diligence responsibilities.” Credit: Shutterstock/zakir1346
The International Accord on Factory Safety was renewed in 2023 for a fresh three-year term and now includes an automatic three-year renewal clause — the longest commitment in the Accord's history.
The Accord is a legally binding pact between global apparel brands and trade unions that aims to ensure garment factories are safe from preventable hazards such as fires, structural collapse and other occupational risks. Its programme combines inspections, remediation monitoring, worker training and access to remedy to reduce the risk of catastrophic incidents.
Some 300 signatory brands and retailers collectively source roughly $26 billion of garments from Bangladesh and Pakistan. The Accord's scope covers more than 2,000 factories that together employ over 3.4 million workers.
Joris Oldenziel, executive director of the International Accord, said the wider participation is a milestone: “This is the highest number of brands that we have to date. It represents a very strong commitment to workplace health and safety to ensure that workers who are producing your clothes can work in safe factories.”
“Under the Accord, we implement the programme in about 2,000 factories covering 3.4 million workers in both Pakistan and Bangladesh. We carry out routine safety inspections, monitor remediation actions, provide worker training and ensure access to remedy where failures are identified,” Oldenziel added.
The Accord and its signatory brands report concrete progress: thousands of fire doors and alarms have been installed, building structures have been strengthened and safety committees have been trained to improve on-site responses. Despite these improvements, the risk remains — reports of fires and accidents continue to occur.
Last year at least 16 people were killed when a fire broke out at a garment factory in Dhaka. The International Accord described the tragedy as a “stark reminder of the devastating human cost of inadequate safety measures.”
The story was originally published by Just Style, a GlobalData-owned brand.
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