Germany has introduced its Partnership for Sustainable Textiles initiative in Hanoi this week, a Vietnamese website has reported. The German Government aims to provide information related to the pioneering work of the alliance so that interested Vietnamese firms can take part, the website said quoting a German Embassy press release. The Textiles Partnership aims to tackle common challenges more effectively, exploit synergies through joint projects on the ground, learn from one another and thus improve underlying conditions in the producer countries. The Partnership for Sustainable Textiles was established at the urging of the German Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development, Dr. Gerd Mueller, in Berlin last year. The initiative, gathering German representatives from multiple economic sectors, federal government agencies and unions, aims to improve the social, ecological and economic supply chain of the garment and textile industry, the release said. But the real focus of the alliance’s objectives is on textile products being manufactured in better ecological and social conditions. The essence of the alliance’s work is the realization of projects in the countries involved in garment and textile manufacturing, especially in Asia, and highlighting the unique role textile and garment enterprises have in Vietnam and other regional countries. Without suppliers of very high quality materials in Vietnam and other Asian countries, the final goal of the alliance cannot be reached, the release said. Through long-lasting collaborative relationships with Vietnam, the alliance can realize its goals based on best practice as well as through the network established in the country and the region. The Partnership for Sustainable Textiles pays special attention to Vietnam, as the garment and textile industry of the Southeast Asian nation, which is the world’s fourth-largest exporter, makes up 3.7 per cent of the global market. The industry accounts for about eight per cent of gross domestic product in Vietnam as well as 13-15 per cent of the total export value of the country.
