Why did the Global Social Compliance Programme begin?

Working conditions and environmental requirements in the global supply chain are becoming an increasingly sensitive topic. Buying companies are responding to this by developing codes of conduct, individually or collaboratively, as well as voluntary monitoring systems. Based on careful, methodical approaches, these codes, and the mechanisms to implement them, have brought about real benefits to workers in most sensitive countries. However, the number of codes has proliferated and approaches have somewhat diverged. The proliferation of codes, audit duplication and divergence of approach has led to duplication of efforts. Moreover, this has sent a confused message to suppliers, and to public authorities, as to what is expected of fundamental labour rights and environmental practices.

To address the need for consistency, and to allow for more focus on the resolution of the root causes of non-compliances, leading global buying companies created The Global Social Compliance Programme.

The GSCP is facilitated by The Consumer Goods Forum, the only independent global network for consumer goods retailers and manufacturers worldwide. It brings together the CEOs and senior management of over 650 retailers, manufacturers, service providers and other stakeholders across 70 countries.

The GSCP model is based on buying companies’ engagement and direct participation. The process is inclusive and participative for buying companies across all categories and sectors, regardless of the compliance system they use.
This includes retailers and brand manufacturers in textiles, electronics, toys, furniture, food, footwear, etc. Companies do not have to be members of The Consumer Goods Forum to joint the GSCP.

To ensure that the GSCP vision is understood and shared, and that it gains full support from senior management, the commitment is made at CEO level in each company.

To this day, 30 companies have joined and continue to support the Global Social Compliance Programme.
The GSCP also involves civil society stakeholders (notably through its Advisory Board) to guarantee the Programme's integrity and inclusiveness, while relying on the widest range of knowledge and expertise.

The GSCP supports existing systems by helping users identify and share best practices. The programme is not another monitoring initiative, nor a substitute to existing systems.
The programme provides the platform where differences between existing systems (individual or collaborative) can be aired, discussed and reconciled in order to move towards convergence, while preserving each system’s specificity.
The GSCP model is based on buying companies’ engagement and direct participation. This creates an automatic link with existing systems and/or initiatives. Companies participating in the GSCP continue to actively work with their own system and/or initiative, while at the same time helping to foster the dialogue, comparability, transparency and trust needed to drive real change.