Promoting CSR in China: a joint UNIDO-ILO pilot project in the textile industry

Under the auspices of SECO, this joint UNIDO-ILO initiative aimed at facilitating sustainable value growth of the Chinese textile industry by promoting Corporate Social Responsibility. It supported the creation of a viable industry-wide framework for high quality business management (labour-management cooperation, productivity and quality up-grading, environment, human resources management, working conditions and occupational safety and health).

This one-year pilot project was carried out in partnership with the China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC), and the associated Responsible Supply Chain Association (RSCA). It built the capacities of CNTAC to deliver comprehensive and integrated CSR training, advisory and information services to enterprises that wish to voluntarily implement labour and environmental upgrading programmes.

This is one of the first times ILO and UNIDO are collaborating at the country level on a project. Both organizations applied their complimentary expertise and resources, thereby integrating ILO’s and UNIDO’s approaches to enterprise competitiveness improvement with their respective competencies in the labour, industrial and environmental domains. As for the development of the service package, UNIDO’s contribution was mainly based on the UNIDO Cleaner Production programme.

On 20 June 2008, a project experience sharing meeting titled “Promoting Competitive and Responsible Enterprise Development” was organized in Beijing. The meeting focused on specific cases studies, training approaches and capacity building of local organizations. Besides the pilot factories, clusters and trainers, other stakeholders including representatives from international buyers, organizations and other CSR field practitioners were attending. On this occasion, the developed training package was disseminated in the form of CD-ROM.