Germany is consolidating its partnership with Bangladesh in order to improve working conditions in the textile sector. As such, cooperation is being stepped up with the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) for the purpose of further developing the Green Button. That is the outcome of a meeting between German Development Minister Gerd Müller and Bangladesh’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Abul Kalam Abdul Momen.

German Development Minister Gerd Müller: ‘The textile industry is the lifeblood of Bangladesh, but far too often it endangers the lives of the seamstresses. As consumers in Europe, we have a responsibility to the seamstresses too. The Green Button helps with this effort, serving as a sign of sustainably produced textiles. Nonetheless, the government must also play its part, which is why it’s important that Bangladesh has brought in improvements, such as raising the minimum wage in the textile sector. It needs to continue in this vein, not least to improve fire safety. Germany is offering its support in this endeavour.’

The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh (ACCORD) was established in the wake of the collapse of the Rana Plaza textile factory in 2013. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is supporting its goals by providing EUR 7 million to promote investment in safety measures. BMZ has also worked with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to train 300 labour inspectors in order to improve government supervision of textile factories.

(Source: http://www.bmz.de/20191019-1(German only))