Webinar: 

Business and Human Rights – Building a Responsible Supply Chain: Challenges and Solutions for the Garment Industry 

Thursday, 22nd June 2023 

12.30-13.30 pm BST (London)

Context

The garment industry has had its fair share of controversies in relation to both environmental and human rights issues. For example, only recently, Boohoo faced scrutiny after forced labour was found in some of their UK factories. Similarly, H&M faced significant backlash after they made unsubstantiated and ultimately misleading claims about the sustainability of one of their clothing lines. 

These controversies are just a couple in a sea of examples where increasing concern is shown towards the garment industry for irresponsible business practices. As the garment industry is large and features complex, global supply chains, there is a responsibility for the industry to take meaningful steps towards addressing potential or actual adverse environmental and human rights impacts.  

Reputational damage isn’t the only thing the garment industry needs to take heed of. In recent years there has been a sharp increase in mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence legislation, both on a domestic and international level. For example, in the EU, the European Commission has published a Draft Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence which will require EU and some non-EU companies to take steps in addressing modern slavery and forced labour in their supply chains. More recently, the EU has released a proposal for a Forced Labour Ban that aims to ban products and services found to be produced with forced or child labour from the EU market. 

It is now more important than ever that the garment industry takes big strides towards building a responsible supply chain that is fit to address human rights and environmental issues. 

The delegates will attend to gain an insight into the legislative landscape, the business case for addressing human rights and environmental impacts, and they will also address some of the challenges facing building a responsible supply chain, and how to overcome these challenges. 

Speakers’ bio’s

Colleen Theron, CEO Ardea International

Colleen is a tri-qualified lawyer with over 25 years of legal and commercial experience of working with business, organisations and NGOs across sectors on both a strategic and operational level. She provides advisory services, training and online resources to both directors and employees on business and human rights, modern slavery and sustainability issues.

Dr. Robert Kovacs, Special Counsel, Withers Worldwide

Dr Robert Kovacs specialises in public international law, international arbitration and business and human rights. He has represented individuals, companies, States, and State-owned entities in international disputes across a range of sectors, including energy, mining, construction, banking, mergers and acquisitions, sport, property and technology. He has a focus on Europe, Asia-Pacific and MENA. 

Robert holds a PhD in international law, is the former Co-Chair of the Asia-Pacific Forum for International Arbitration and is a senior fellow at the Melbourne University Law School. 

We asked him to tell us more about himself; “I regularly advise States and foreign investors in relation to investment treaty protections, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. 

I love the challenges of practicing in international law. International disputes require detailed knowledge of the principles of international law but also require strategic planning, investigative analysis and understanding of the broader commercial and geo-political dynamics at issue. 

Probably my highest profile case was acting for the Government of a European State having claims being challenged by a number banks in relation to industry-wide banking reforms.” 

Dr. Amy Benstead, Senior Lecturer, Fashion Management

Dr. Amy Benstead is a Senior Lecturer in Fashion Management at The University of Manchester (Department of Materials, Faculty of Science & Engineering). She holds a PhD in Management Science from Lancaster University Management School and is a board member of the European Operations Management Association (EurOMA). 

She has considerable knowledge and international experience gained in the fashion industry, most recently as Senior Merchandise Manager based in Istanbul, Turkey at global sourcing company Li & Fung, where her main responsibilities included managing the sourcing and production for major UK fashion retailers. Amy has a high level of technical and commercial competence in the textiles and fashion industry with skills in sourcing, garment costing, sales, critical path management, CSR, compliance, quality systems and employee 

Amy graduated with an MRes in Management Science (2014) and BSc (Hons) in Operations Management (Industry) (2007) from Lancaster University where she was awarded an ESRC studentship and completed a PhD in Management Science. Her PhD research has been chosen as a Highly Commended Award winner of the 2018 Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Awards in the Operations and Production Management category. 

One of Amy’s recent paper published in the International Journal of Operations and Product Management (IJOPM) has won a 2019 Emerald Literati Award and investigates collaboration amongst brands and retailers in response to modern slavery legislation. 

Amy’s research interests include socially sustainable supply chain management and global sourcing within the textiles and fashion industry, with a particular focus on modern slavery and reshoring – the movement of activities associated with manufacturing back to the country from which they were previously offshored. 

Amy teaches on a number of units in the Department of Materials relating to Business Ethics, Sustainability & CSR, Operations Management and Fashion Management. 

This webinar is paired with Ardea International’s Business & Human Rights online training and support programme that will equip you to understand the essential Human Rights and business principles and risks, how to report on Human Rights due diligence to meet legal obligations, and build your own Human Rights frameworks and grievance mechanisms. The next programme begins on 19 October. Contact us to claim a 10% discount as an attendee of this webinar.  

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