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

23 November 2022

Final training Local Expert Network completed in Uganda

Trade union FNV and Cordaid provided a Human Rights Due Diligence training in Uganda, as part of the IRBC Agreement for the Food Products Sector. The training was given to new participants of the Local Expert Network.

09 November 2022

European Commission moves to ban products made with forced labour on the EU market

In September 2022, the European Commission has proposed a draft regulation to prohibit products made with forced labour in the EU market. Are you wondering what this guideline entails? And what it could mean for your company? In this article we will answers some frequently asked questions.

Jeroen Oudheusden (Executive Officer, Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI)), Marcel Zandvliet (Vice-Chair FSI, Dutch Flower Group), Ted van der Put (Chair IRBC Floriculture Agreement, IDH), Steven Smit (IRBC Floriculture Steering Committee member, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

23 September 2022

Agreement ends with final report

On 22 September, 2022, the signatories and other stakeholders to the IRBC agreement for the Floricultural Sector reflected on three years of collaboration. The activities, recommendations and perspectives on a sustainable development of the sector are summarized in a final report.

Floricultural

News overview