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.)
9:00 – 9:30 Welcome
9:30 – 11:00 The evolving regulatory landscape and the practice of due diligence
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
13:00 – 14:00 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 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
Practical information
This in-person event will take place in the Herman Tierlinck Building. Interpretation will be provided based on participant needs and budget.
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.