THE EU AND BETTER WORK PARTNERSHIP EVENT
Empowering Workers and
Building Partnerships for a
Sustainable Garment Industry
5 FEBRUARY 2021 | 9:30-12:30 CET | PLATFORM: ZOOM
About the
Event
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We invite you to a half-day virtual event to discuss and explore the European Union’s new partnership with Better Work, an alliance to improve working conditions, business practices and environmental sustainability in the garment industry.
Better Work is a programme that aims to improve working conditions in the garment industry and make the sector more competitive.
The talk will focus on this unique moment to transform the garment industry, as it affects workers and the environment, and the role that each of us must play in this transformation. Participants will hear from apparel industry leaders and have the opportunity to discuss innovations and solutions, from practical interventions on the factory floor, to national and international policy change.
The event is linked to the OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sectors.
Join us to build a more resilient, sustainable and responsible global garment sector, together.
Speakers
Marjeta Jager
Deputy Director General for the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), European Commission
Martha E. Newton
Deputy Director-General for Policy, ILO
Pedro Ortun Silvan
Active Senior for CSR and SDGs and Former Director, DG Enterprise and Industry, European Commission
Cécile Billaux
Head of Unit E2 Micro-economic Analysis, Investment Climate, Private Sector, Trade and Employment, DG INTPA, European Commission
Conor Boyle
Head of Programme Development, Learning and Country Programmes, Better Work
Elly Rosita Silaban
President of Confederation of All Indonesian Trade Union (KSBSI)
Dan Rees
Branch Chief, Better Work
Farhan Ifram
Chairman of the Jordan Garment, Accessories and Textiles Exporters’ Association (JGATE)
Farzana Islam
Team Leader, Better Work Bangladesh
Minna Maaskola
Senior Technical Specialist on Training and Capacity Building, Better Work
Nguyen Manh Cuong
Director of the International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Labour of Vietnam (MOLISA)
Ousseynou Nakoulima
Director of Western Europe, IFC
Sarah Negro
Stakeholder Engagement , H&M Group
Agenda
9:30 - 10:10 Better Work and the European Union: Empowering Workers and Building Partnerships for a Sustainable Garment Industry
Opening addresses from senior EC, ILO and IFC representatives, including Ms. Marjeta Jager, International Partnerships Deputy DG of the European Commission; Ms. Martha Newton, ILO Deputy Director-General for Policy; and Mr, Ousseynou Nakoulima, IFC Director of Western Europe. Words of welcome and introduction will be offered by Better Work Director Mr. Dan Rees.
10:10 - 10:45 Voices from the Factory Floor: How Better Work Interventions Transform Workers’ Lives at Work and in their Communities
This session will offer a glimpse of Better Work factory level interventions with a particular focus on social dialogue and gender issues. The multimedia introduction and breakout discussions will highlight how Better Work improves working conditions while empowering and enabling workers to strengthen their voice and mobility in the workplace and beyond. This session will include a virtual factory visit to see Better Work in action.
10:45 - 10:55 10 MINUTE COFFEE BREAK
Watch Better Work in action though videos of our on-the-ground work.
10:55 - 12:10 Industry Collaboration: Supporting and Informing Policy Change at the National Level
A diverse panel will discuss how Better Work factory engagement, experience and data inform industry level change around the globe, at the national and international levels. Our panel of senior experts will be moderated by Mr. Conor Boyle, Better Work’s Head of Development, Learning and Country Programmes, and will include Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong, Director of the International Cooperation Department, MOLISA (Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Vietnam); Ms. Elly Rosita Silaban, President of KSBSI (Indonesian Workers Welfare Union); Mr. Farhan Ifram, Chairman, JGATE (Jordan’s Garment, Accessories, and Textiles Exporters’ Association; Ms. Cecile Billaux , Head of Unit, Trade and Employment, European Commission; and Ms. Sarah Negro, Stakeholder Engagement, H&M Group.
12:10 - 12:30 A Powerful Partnership for a Transformed and Sustainable Apparel Sector
Mr. Pedro Ortun Silvan, retired Director DG Enterprise and Industry for the European Union, will deliver an inspirational address in the closing. The talk will focus on this unique moment to transform the garment industry, as it affects workers and the environment, and the role that each of us must play in this transformation.
The virtual event is open to all participants, but given limited capacity, partners and stakeholders will be given priority. Registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Questions or comments?