For this work conference, labour groups from electronics production countries – including SACOM, Globalization Monitor, LESN, China Labor Watch and CEREAL – are coming together with European and US civil society organisations and a select group of European public buyers to discuss the parameters of effective factory monitoring and reporting to suit the needs of European public sectors that have the ambition to stand out in Socially Responsible Public Procurement (SRPP).

The objective of the Work Conference is to get concrete input for the development of the Electronics Watch collaborative programme to operationalize SRPP policies and contribute to human rights in the global electronics sector.

The programme will include presentations from all three areas and touch on different aspects such as:

• The complexities of monitoring and addressing human rights issues in electronics production locations - what do CSOs in electronics production countries need in terms of access, support, capacity building, training and safety guarantees etc. in order to be able to engage in the monitoring process, provide the required information and be involved in longer-term improvement activities, including unionisation on factory level
• Experiences and ambitions in applying social criteria in public procurement policies - what information on human rights issues in the electronics industry do public sector buyers in Europe need in order to have leverage over electronics brands and suppliers via their contractual partners in the context of their SRPP policies and practises?
• Transfer of learning from the US campaigns Workers Rights Consortium and Sweat Free Purchasing Consortium - how can monitoring of conditions and working with leading public buyers be used by European and US advocacy groups in their work campaigning for electronics brands to take responsibility for labour conditions in their supply chains?

By bringing together the different stakeholders during this initial phase, Electronics Watch aims to develop processes to tackle obstacles and ensure buy-in to address the challenges ahead.

>> Download here the detailed programme (PDF.)

Look out for the conference report which will be published here following the conference.