International RBC Agreements

Agreements promoting international Responsible Business Conduct (international RBC) involve partnerships between businesses, trade associations, government, unions and NGOs. Together, these partners work to identify and prevent abuses like exploitation, animal suffering and environmental damage. Since 2016, the Dutch RBC Agreements have gained experience with implementing the due diligence expectations of the OECD Guidelines. Please check the websites of the individual agreements for practical tools and guidelines.

Cotton pickers in action. Illustration for the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile.

Why conclude IRBC agreements?

International business dealings may involve complex problems such as environmental pollution and child labour. By concluding agreements, businesses work with other stakeholders to tackle these problems.

Background

In 2014, the Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands (SER) recommended concluding multistakeholder agreements in each relevant sector. By cooperating, stakeholders can concentrate their efforts to combat abuses.

Man working at his sawing machines. Illustration for the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile.

Agreements overview

There are IRBC agreements in the garments and textile, banking, and gold sectors. Other agreements are being negotiated.

OECD Guidelines

Watch a short video about the OECD Guidelines here. Together with the UNGPs, these form the framework for international RBC.

Agreements

agreements

News

09 December 2022

Start tackling poverty by asking the right questions

Trade union freedom and social dialogue are essential to respect the rights of workers in the agri-food sector. Gaining insight into the human rights situation in supply chains starts with asking the right questions. Parties to the international RBC Agreement for the Food Products Sector and Fairtrade have developed a flyer to help companies.

07 December 2022

UN Global Compact Human Rights programme: from commitment to action

Global Compact Network Netherlands (GCNL) and the SER collaborate to support the ‘Business & Human Rights Accelerator’. Starting in February 2023, this six-month GCNL programme is designed to help companies move from commitment to action on human rights and labour rights. Applications close on 16 December 2022.

29 November 2022

Parties to the Agreement for the Metals Sector strengthen cooperation in challenging third year

Parties to the International RBC Agreement for the Metals Sector look back on a challenging year. International developments such as the war in Ukraine and rising energy prices had a major impact on the sector. The urgency to realise responsible metals value chains is felt by the Parties to the Agreement, as is apparent from the annual report 2021-2022.

News overview