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ePaper created 2015-12-01, 11:32:17 | version 1.43.00
IN FOCUS akzente 2/1518 can reduce mistrust – although they can never overcome it completely. It was mistrust of the food industry which resulted in content labelling becoming a requirement. But who knows whether the information on the label is cor- rect? More mistrust – so compliance checks by govern- ment agencies were introduced. But who can say whether they are reliable? No matter how detailed the checks, there is always a point at which trust is our only option. Nonetheless, the transparency issue has been around for a very long time. Indeed, demands for transparency are barely younger than humankind itself, as the history of the handshake demonstrates. After all, extending your right hand to another person shows that you are not hold- ing a weapon and that you come in peace. How trust- worthy is a person who greets someone else with their hand concealed in their pocket or behind their back? Openness and a willingness to state one’s intentions and purpose – these are things that build trust. So transpar- ency is an indispensable part of human interaction. In commerce, businesspeople must be able to rely on each other, secure in the knowledge that their partners will abide by certain basic rules so that contracts are enforced, supply chains are clear, people are treated fairly and work- forces are not played off against each other. The risk of blame is enough to change behaviour But wherein lies the power of transparency? Why is in- formation often enough to change real-world situations? Transparency on its own cannot really force anyone to behave differently. It merely creates the fresh air of pub- licity. Perhaps the fear of losing one’s good reputation is enough to ensure good behaviour? Even if we cannot identify the reasons, there is plenty of evidence that due to the publicity that it creates, transparency has im- mense power to effect change. In the case of the garment industry, the information about supply chains has im- proved conditions for thousands of factory workers and done much to combat child labour. For example, the Accord not only publishes the names of purchasers of textiles from Bangladesh on the internet; it also identi- fies the factories in Bangladesh that have joined the ini- tiative. More than 1,600 companies are listed in a closely typed table, along with their telephone numbers and many other details. How many storeys does the building have? How many people work there? Do they sleep in the factory? The information is checked by the initiative’s ex- perts, who visit the factories regularly and publish their SoCial Standards ProjeCt: PRODUCING SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS AND ECO-FRIENDLY CLOTHING COMMISSIONED BY: German Federal Ministry for Economic COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Eu LEAD EXECUTING AGENCY: Bangladesh Ministry of Commerce OVERALL TERM: 2010 TO 2015 BANGLADESH GIZ is assisting Bangladesh in improving social and environmental standards in its garment industry. Among other things, the project provides training courses for companies and industry associations. Hundreds of firms have adopted a more transparent approach and certified their factories in accordance with at least one international labour standard. www.giz.de/textile-industry 1 EXAMPLES OF WORK AT JUSTICE Project: Increased efficiency, accountability and transparency of courts in Moldova commissioned by: Government of Moldova project partner: Center for International Legal COOPERATION, THE NETHERLANDS overall term: 2014 to 2017 MOLDOVA The Government of Moldova aims to increase transparency and independence in its justice sector. GIZ is assisting justice sector agencies in building their human capacities, combating corruption and engaging in ongoing dialogue with civil society. www.giz.de/international-services/en photo:GettyImages/Halfdark(page19)