Agreements
Agreements on International Responsible Business Conduct
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IRBC Agreements

Agreements promoting International Responsible Business Conduct (IRBC agreements) involve partnerships between businesses, government, unions and NGOs. Together, these partners work to prevent such abuses as exploitation, animal suffering and environmental damage.

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 of the IRBC Agreements

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.

State of play

Brief overview of the state of play with all IRBC agreements.

Agreements

IMVO convenat Kleding en textiel Garments and Textile
Banking Sector Agreement Banking
Gold sector Gold sector
Natural stone TruStone Initiative
Food Products sector
Insurance
Pension Funds
Agreement for the Metals Sector Metals sector
agreements

News

TruStone Initiative: Participating companies and governments visited India
13 March 2020

TruStone Initiative: Participating companies and governments visited India

In the first week of March a delegation of companies and contracting authorities have visited the region of Telangana in India and engaged in dialogue with local stakeholders (owners/management of natural stones production sites, employers, and local governments.

TruStone Initiative
Improve small-scale gold mines
09 March 2020

Parties to Agreement help to improve small-scale gold mines

A number of parties to the Responsible Gold Agreement are working to give gold from small-scale mines a place in their supply chain in a responsible manner. With these efforts, they are taking practical steps in order to have a positive impact.

Gold
Collaboration and remedies towards betters workplaces in Bangladesh & India
02 March 2020

Collaboration and remedies towards betters workplaces in Bangladesh & India

During an interactive event on February 17th, the involved parties and companies in the Agreement for Sustainable Garments & Textile project ‘Remedies towards a Better Workplace’, shared their experiences, results and lessons learned with a wide group of companies and other interested parties.

Garments and Textile
News overview