German Ministry of Economic Affairs acknowledges need for reform of social audits in textile industry in final statement on OECD complaint against TÜV Rheinland; incl. co response
In May 2016, ECCHR and several partner organisations filed an OECD complaint against TÜV Rheinland for its alleged failure to notice the presence of child labour, lack of freedom of association, risks of building safety, and disciplinary measures against the workers in its audit report for a factory in the Rana Plaza complex. On 2 July 2018, the German National Contact Point (Ministry of Economic Affairs) issued its final statement. In its statement the German Ministry of Economic Affairs acknowledges that there is a need to reform the process of factory auditing in the textile industry. Although no agreement could be reached with TÜV Rheinland, ECCHR and its partners have welcomed the Ministry's recognition of the shortcomings of the current auditing system. Business & Human Rights Resource Center invited TÜV Rheinland to comment on the NCP's final statement. Their response is avaialble below.