"Better Work Partners with Fair Wear Foundation on Factory Compliance Initiatives"

On Thursday, Better Work, a UN International Labour Organization flagship program jointly run by the International Finance Corporation and global compliance multistakeholder Fair Wear Foundation signed an agreement at the Human Rights and Garment Conference in the Netherlands.

The partnership, which is set to start its 18-month pilot on June 1, will coordinate factory assessments, streamline factory capacity building and improvement processes, and facilitate cooperation opportunities for brand partners. With the agreement, both organizations will be able to engage diverse groups, including brands and unions, and encourage effective worker-management communication at garment factories. What’s more, engaging new European brands and smaller brands will benefit Better Work, while Fair Wear Foundation will gain access to Better Work’s compliance data...

A select group of apparel factories in Bangladesh and Vietnam will take part in a trial project coordinated by the two organizations...The pilot project will undergo assessment and if successful, could strengthen the agreement between both organizations and enable them to expand their work to additional factories and nations...