Research Article

The Rana Plaza disaster seven years on: Transnational experiments and perhaps a new treaty?

Author: Anne TREBILCOCK (Institut für Arbeitsrecht, Georg‐August University, Göttingen, Germany, and former ILO Legal Adviser)

  • The Rana Plaza disaster seven years on: Transnational experiments and perhaps a new treaty?

    Research Article

    The Rana Plaza disaster seven years on: Transnational experiments and perhaps a new treaty?

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Abstract

This is an accepted article with a DOI pre-assigned that is not yet published.

This article examines several noteworthy initiatives that were implemented following the deadly 2013 Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh. They broke new ground in transnational labour law. The ILO‐backed initiatives were largely successful but remain insufficient to achieve lasting change in the ready‐made garment industry, where global brands’ supply chain buying practices constrain investment in occupational safety and health. A proposed United Nations treaty on business and human rights now seeks to enhance corporate accountability. Although promising, as part of a smart mix of multi‐level public and private solutions, the treaty needs fine‐tuning in the light of lessons learned from post‐Rana Plaza experiments.

Keywords: ILO, Rana Plaza, international labour standards, OSH, global supply chain, business and human rights

Rights: © 2020 The Author. International Labour Review © International Labour Organization 2020, published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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