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OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria called on the international textile industry, governments, and other stakeholders to address the risks to prevent more tragedies in the Bangladeshi garment industry.

Gurria said the OECD was totally committed to the safety Accord driven by IndustriALL and UNI Global Union.

He said, “OECD supports the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. Abandoning production in the country can deprive it of an essential pathway out of poverty and is not a solution. The responsible course is to work with stakeholders to guarantee the safety of workers, improve their working conditions and ensure respect for human rights”

Responding to Gurria’s statement, UNI Global Union Secretary General, Philip Jennings, said, “We welcome the OECD’s ringing endorsement of the Accord. Secretary General Gurria recognises that companies have to commit to staying in Bangladesh and making sure safety standards are improved. The more than 40 companies who have signed the Accord have shown they are ready to roll up their sleeves and work with us on the ground in Bangladesh to make garment factories safe.”

Jennings added, “The OECD is urging governments to call on multinationals based in their countries to respect human and labour rights throughout their supply chains. Post-Rana Plaza it’s no longer possible for companies to shrug off their responsibilities for their suppliers. We have entered a new era of accountability along the supply chain.”

The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, covering 45 countries, urges multinationals to respect human and labour rights and be responsible for identifying and addressing risks of adverse impacts associated with their own activities, including their supply chains. Most of the companies sourcing textiles from Bangladesh are from countries which are members of the OECD.

“Governments have called on their National Contact Points to assess the responsibilities of their enterprises. But this is only a beginning. It must be complemented by collective action,” Gurría said.

The Rana Plaza tragedy and the response including the Accord will top the agenda at the OECD’s Global Forum on Responsible Business Conduct in Paris 24-27 June.