March 15, 2021
The Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) and Electronics Watch have entered into a formal agreement whereby the two organizations will work together to address issues in the global supply chains of RBA members where products are manufactured for public procurement.
The electronics industry employs millions of workers throughout tens of thousands of factories worldwide. Members of the RBA strive to improve conditions for workers in their own factories and those of their suppliers by ensuring compliance with the RBA Code of Conduct. Electronics Watch affiliates work with their suppliers, holding them accountable to meet their social and environmental contract conditions as defined in contract conditions and framework agreements. These public procurement organizations seek to verify compliance with the Electronics Watch Code of Conduct and the Electronics Watch Contract Conditions and improve working conditions in their supply chains.
The RBA-Electronics Watch terms of engagement establish a process to facilitate effective collaboration, with the goal of improving compliance with relevant labour regulation and internationally recognized codes and worker rights standards for factories that make products for public buyer affiliates to Electronics Watch. The RBA and Electronics Watch view these terms as the beginning of a multi-year process that will mature over time. There will be an annual review and revisions to the terms based on feedback from RBA members, Electronics Watch affiliates and other stakeholders.
“We believe these terms of engagement will make RBA and Electronics Watch joint efforts even more effective, and will advance responsible business conduct in public procurement,” said Rob Lederer, CEO, Responsible Business Alliance.
“With these terms of engagement, we can effectively use the tools and leverage of both organisations to improve conditions and protect the rights of workers in the supply chains of our affiliates,” said Björn Claeson, Director, Electronics Watch.
View the RBA-Electronics Watch terms of engagement here.
