The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), in cooperation with the Hague-based UpRights Foundation, has launched the GOTS Due Diligence Handbook for Certified Entities.
Ruslan Alyamkin, Responsible, Standard Development and Implementation (Social Responsibility) at GOTS, stated, “The GOTS Due Diligence Handbook marks a significant progression following the incorporation of Due Diligence Criteria in the latest GOTS 7.0 version.”
The GOTS Due Diligence Handbook for Certified Entities is based on widely accepted international principles, including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment and Footwear Sector (2018). In order to comply with local due diligence rules like the German Supply Chain Law, French Vigilance Law, and impending EU legislation, the Handbook provides GOTS Certified Entities with clear guidance on how to incorporate due diligence processes into their operations.
In order to guide Certified Entities through the process of creating and improving their management systems, the GOTS Due Diligence Handbook for Certified Entities was created. The Handbook makes sure that GOTS Certified Entities have the information and resources they need to address any problems, making them industry leaders in ethical business practises.
The OECD Alignment Assessment, a three-stage procedure that will produce a reliable, impartial review of the GOTS Criteria’s alignment with the OECD’s due diligence guideline materials, is currently being completed by GOTS. This procedure started in July 2023 and is anticipated to be finished in January 2024 with support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
