Contracting for Change

Electronics Watch allows public buyers to detect problems workers do not usually report to social auditors, remedy problems in a timely manner, and address systemic issues over time.  Our international network of local monitoring partners provides public buyers with eyes and ears on the ground in electronics production regions and creates an unparalleled capacity to follow up on contractual labour and safety standards in electronics supply chains. Public buyer collaboration within and across countries creates the strength and leverage to address issues such as forced labour and health and safety hazards and improve conditions for workers.

Which products do we cover?

ICT Hardware

Electronics Watch focuses on monitoring electronics supply chains from component throught the final assembly and manufacturing of finshed ICT equipment, including:

  • Desktop computers, portable computers, work stations, tablets, and thin clients
  • Display screens and monitors
  • Input peripherals, including mouse, keyboard, joystick, and headsets
  • Scanners, printers, copiers, and combination units
  • Enterprise ICT including switches, routers, high performance computing (HPC), servers and storage systems
  • Smart phones and IP telephones

Are you interested in monitoring other types of electronic products?  We are happy to discuss a pilot programme with you.

Low emission vehicles (LEV)

Tentatively, the following product types will be considered in-scope in the LEV category. The corresponding EU Classification is listed as a reference in parentheses beside each vehicle type:

  • Passenger cars (M1)
  • Minibuses (M2)
  • Buses (M3)
  • Light commercial vehicles (N1)

Other vehicle types, including but not limited to street sweepers, drones, fire trucks, ambulances, scooters, large waste management vehicles, helicopters, e-bikes and scooters, will not be considered in-scope in 2026. Electronics Watch reserves the right to re-evaluate the products considered in-scope on a rolling basis. At the outset, supply chain monitoring will focus on a subset of the strategic components of the in-scope vehicles. We anticipate that the latter will include battery assembly and manufacturing (including the battery pack, the battery cell, and the battery management system) and semiconductors used in battery management and in the drivetrain. Electronics Watch plans to continue to monitor select mineral supply chains relevant to both LEVs and ICT hardware.