The Electronics Watch Annual Conference

The 2024 Electronics Watch Annual Conference, Public Procurement and the Evolving Due Diligence Landscape, will take place from 6-7 November in Brussels, Belgium. It is generously co-hosted by the Flemish Agency for Facility Operations (Het Facilitair Bedrijf), with support from the Flemish Government.

The Annual Conference facilitates learning and exchange at the intersection of socially responsible public procurement and labour rights, and provides a unique opportunity for Electronics Watch affiliates and monitoring partners to meet face-to-face. It will raise awareness about the issues workers are facing, and how they can be addressed through the public procurement process.

Conference programme

WEDNESDAY, 6 NOVEMBER 2024

The morning sessions are open to external, invited guests.

External guests, register here

9:00 – 9:30       Welcome
9:30 – 11:00    The evolving regulatory landscape and the practice of due diligence
This panel will explore recent developments on human rights and environmental due diligence (HREDD) impacting public buyers' obligations and practices. Speakers will focus on how HREDD regulation can be leveraged in public procurement to promote and protect workers' rights. They will highlight successes and challenges in the practice of due diligence. The panel will include perspectives from public buyers, monitoring partners, trade union representatives, European policymakers, and industry representatives.

11:00 – 11:30    Coffee break

11:30 – 13:00   Accountability for business harms: stories from workers' rights defenders from the mines to the factories
In this session, a panel of Electronics Watch monitoring partners will discuss how they navigate and overcome the challenges in monitoring and defending workers' rights in repressive environments. They will spotlight occupational health and safety risks, and present the context of labour rights organising in mines and factories in their countries, highlighting key strategies and successes.

13:00 – 14:00    Networking lunch

The remainder of the agenda is restricted to affiliates and monitoring partners

14:00 – 15:30   Expectations, realities, and trade-offs: conversations with monitoring partners and public buyers
15:30 – 16:00   Coffee break
16:00 – 17:30   Collective leverage in action
17:30 – 18:00   Closing remarks

THURSDAY, 7 NOVEMBER 2024

9:00 – 10:30     Public procurement innovation: updates from affiliates
10:30 – 11:00   Coffee break
11:00 – 12:30   Simulation game
12:30 – 14:00   Networking lunch
14:00 – 15:30   Obtaining credible evidence with limited access: updates from monitoring partners
15:30 – 15:45   Coffee break
15:45 – 16:30   Wrap-up and thanks

Download the full programme Learn more about the speakers

Practical information

This in-person event will take place in the Herman Tierlinck Building. Simultaneous nterpretation will be provided into Spanish.

Entry is free of charge and catering will be provided during the event. Unless otherwise agreed, participants are responsible for covering other costs associated with their participation (e.g., flights, accommodation and other meals). Information about local hotels and transportation to and from the venue will be provided to registered participants.