MFA Forum Launches Collaborative Framework and Research Reports

On June 8, 2005 an international multi-stakeholder initiative called the MFA Forum, in which MSN is participating, released its Collaborative Framework on the roles and responsibilities of companies, governments, international institutions and trade unions and NGOs during the period after the elimination of import quotas for the apparel and textile sectors on January 1, 2005.

The MFA Forum brings together retailers and brands, trade unions, NGOs, and national and multilateral public institutions to identify and promote collaborative strategies to support vulnerable national garment industries and greater respect for workers' rights in the post-quota period. Forum participants are currently engaging in projects to test the application of this framework in Bangladesh and Lesotho.

MSN is participating in the Forum as a member of the Executive Committee because we see it as an opportunity to encourage apparel companies to make labour standards compliance an important factor in their sourcing decisions during this period of consolidation and restructuring. Through our participation in the forum, we will also be encouraging governments in garment-producing countries to see enforcement of labour standards as a way of attracting and keeping orders from brand-sensitive companies.

The following companies, organizations, and institutions are participating in the MFA Forum:

• More information on the MFA Forum
• MSN's Resource Materials on the MFA phase-out