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Joint Statement of ACT Members on the Situation in Myanmar

19.02.2021

As ACT members – global retail brands sourcing from Myanmar and global trade unions – we are deeply concerned about the current developments in Myanmar.

As businesses, we are committed to fully respecting human rights and labour rights in our operations and supply chains, in particular, the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of opinion, and freedom of association under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

At this time, our focus is on the workers and employers across the more than 200 factories in our combined supply chains in Myanmar. As ACT members, we are working jointly with our business partners and trade union partners in Myanmar towards ensuring full implementation of freedom of association in line with International Labour Standards and the Myanmar Guideline on Freedom of Association.

We will continue to cooperate with our key supply chain partners to maintain open and effective lines of communication about the status of business operations and future planning in line with the ACT purchasing practices commitments and engage through established ACT dialogue platforms to jointly address industry challenges.

As global retail brands and trade unions, we are monitoring developments in Myanmar. Responsible business requires a context where fundamental human rights are respected.