SCI to present standard convergence results at OECD Forum on Feb 25

23 Feb '22

2 min read

Pic: ITMF

The Standards Convergence Initiative (SCI) will present for the first time, results about the preparedness of standards to converge and thus to contribute to efforts reducing and eventually ending standard fatigue, virtually on February 25, at a side session of the ongoing OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the garment and footwear sector 2022.

SCI is a joint initiative of the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) and the International Apparel Federation (IAF). The virtual side session is open and people can register on the SCI-website.

During the side session, the SCI will explain the methodology, present the benchmarking tool, and present the preliminary results. IAF and ITMF will use the results of the research to stimulate - in an informed way - standard holders to accelerate their efforts to reduce standard fatigue.

The proliferation of different standards (both third-party standards and proprietary standards by brands/retailers) has led to a situation in which textile companies are faced with a multitude of standards that are often very similar though not identical. This requires textile companies to undergo additional and duplicative (unnecessary) audits and to prepare for a multitude of (slightly) different standards. It is the aim of the SCI to maximise the convergence of standards in the textile and apparel supply chain. Convergence has the potential for the redirection of resources previously used for duplicative audits toward increased efforts for improving labour conditions, ITMF said in a press release.

Standard holders should consider aligning their standards where feasible to do so and brands/retailers should consider dropping their proprietary standards in favour of third-party standards. Against this backdrop the IAF and the ITMF have teamed up with the International Trade Center (ITC) to measure to what degree third-party standard holders are prepared to converge their standards. To measure the preparedness to converge, the SCI has made use of ITC’s Standards map.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)

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