Sustainability

2025-07-03

OECD assessment of GOTS indicates strong alignment with international due diligence frameworks

Global Standard, the non-profit organisation behind the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), announces today the conclusion of an OECD Alignment Assessment of GOTS Version 7.0. The OECD evaluated the standard against its Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment and Footwear Sector and found GOTS to demonstrate strong alignment across all six steps of the due diligence framework.

The “standards only” assessment, conducted as part of the OECD’s pilot project on alignment assessments, reviewed 167 criteria. It found that GOTS addresses the full due diligence cycle, with 69% of assessed criteria rated as fully aligned, 29% as partially aligned, and only 2% as not aligned. This resulted in a “partially aligned” outcome, in accordance with the OECD’s rigorous methodology. The results position GOTS among the most comprehensively aligned initiatives assessed to date.

“This milestone underlines the strength of our due diligence requirements and our commitment to supporting companies in addressing human rights and environmental risks,” said Rahul Bhajekar, Managing Director at Global Standard. “The outcome of the OECD assessment confirms that GOTS is well-positioned to support companies in meeting global expectations for responsible business conduct.”

The OECD report commends GOTS for:

+ Covering the full due diligence process, including risk identification, prioritisation, mitigation, monitoring, communication, and remediation.

+ Setting clear and consistent expectations across labour rights, environmental criteria, and supply chain integrity.

+ Applying due diligence requirements across both certified entities’ own operations and their full supply chains.

“This assessment by the OECD is an important validation of the direction we have taken,” said Claudia Kersten, Managing Director at Global Standard. “It encourages us to continue supporting our Certified Entities with practical guidance and strong due diligence tools grounded in international expectations.”

Informed by the OECD Due Diligence Guidance and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the GOTS Due Diligence Framework provides certified companies with a structured, risk-based approach to implement meaningful due diligence throughout the textile value chain.

“We welcome the OECD’s feedback, which will help us further strengthen our policies, tools and assurance processes,” added Ruslan Alyamkin, Responsible, Standard Development and Implementation (Social Responsibility) at Global Standard. “We would like to thank the OECD for its continuous support and constructive collaboration throughout the alignment assessment process.”