On the afternoon of May 10, 2022, the consultation meeting on Social and Environmental Due Management Guidelines for Chinese Textile and Garment Enterprises (Draft for Comment) (tentatively named, hereinafter referred to as the "Due Management Guidelines" or the "Guidelines"), sponsored by the Social Responsibility Office of China National Textile and Apparel Council, was successfully held online. More than 20 experts from 15 organizations, including Nankai University, Beijing Technology and Business University, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ), participated in the conference. They had a comprehensive and in-depth discussion on improving and implementing the Guidelines.

The meeting was chaired by Zheng Jian, director of international projects of the Social Responsibility Office of China National Textile and Apparel Council. Liang Xiaohui, chief researcher of the Social Responsibility Office of China National Textile and Apparel Council, delivered a speech and comprehensively elaborated the policy background and purpose of developing the "Due Diligence Management Guide," from the perspectives of global textile supply chain development, brand development, sustainable development, consumer and investment trends in the international market.

Liang Xiaohui explained in his speech that the textile and garment industry exists in a global market and has strong adaptability to the development of the economy and society. Faced with the complex and severe external environment, the increasingly fragile global supply chain, and other commercial and social risks, the textile and garment industry is in a critical development period, and it is urgent to deal with structural and long-term risks. As an effective tool based on risk management, the research and development of due diligence management will have important guiding significance for the sustainable development of China's textile and garment industry. In his speech, he highlighted the significance and value of the development of the Guidelines, hoping to enhance the understanding and consensus of multinational enterprises in China and stakeholders in their value chain on due diligence management, and as a starting point, to assist domestic and foreign parties to discuss the industry trends further.

Wang Jing, a researcher from the Social Responsibility Office of China National Textile and Apparel Council, gave a detailed and in-depth explanation of the preliminary industry research conclusions, the methodology of due diligence management, the framework of the Guide, and the management measures in important risk areas.

During the workshop, the experts attending the conference agreed on the need and importance of developing the Guidelines and believed that to enhance the ability of the sustainable development and responsible cooperation of enterprises and all parties in the industrial chain, it is necessary to introduce a set of forward-looking and practical professional guidelines which can guide and lead enterprise management. At the same time, the experts put forward professional, constructive, and guiding opinions and suggestions on the content of the Guide and structure of the guide from different fields and perspectives.

The Social Responsibility Office of China National Textile and Apparel Council will fully absorb the opinions and suggestions of experts and continuously improve the Guidelines, combined with the characteristics of China's textile and garment industry. The Guide will be officially released in the middle of this year, and related corporate training activities will be organized in the second half of the year, using the Guides as a tool to help enterprises discover and cope with social responsibility risks and contribute to the high-quality sustainable development of China's textile and garment enterprises.