SUPC is fully affiliated with Electronics Watch on behalf of our members, meaning members have access to affiliate-exclusive benefits to support them on their responsible procurement journey.
What is Electronics Watch?
Electronics Watch is an independent monitoring organisation that coordinates worker-driven monitoring to protect the rights of workers in electronics supply chains, and to remedy human rights and safety violations within them. It works with public sector buyers to assist them in their responsible procurement, by bringing together public buyers and civil society organisations in electronics production zones, with specialists in human rights and global supply chains.
How does Electronics Watch help public buyers and supply chain workers?
Procurement Leverage
Due to their purchasing power, public buyers have leverage over their suppliers. Electronics Watch provides a platform for public buyers to collaborate through capacity building and the provision of responsible procurement tools.
Capacity building
- Webinars and trainings
- Case studies
- Help with strategy development, and support with market engagement and supplier dialogue
Responsible procurement tools
- Contract conditions
- Product and disclosure forms
- Guidance and instructions
- Supplier dialogue guide
- Risk assessments
Monitoring
Electronics Watch applies an evidence-driven methodology called worker-driven monitoring. This methodology empowers workers to initiate an investigate, discuss monitoring results, and contribute to the development of solutions. Worker-driven monitoring is inclusive and industry-independent, and enables the observation of trends over time. Importantly, it is carried out by trained civil society organisations, Electronics Watch monitoring partners, who speak the local language and understand the context, which allows them to reach workers without putting them at risk. The results of monitoring carried out by Electronics Watch are fully transparent to affiliates.
The following publications, which can be found on the intranet, describe monitoring findings:
- Compliance reports
- Case studies
- Impact stories
Industry Engagement
Electronics Watch seeks to drive change through dialogue within the industry. It supports affiliates in contract enforcement and pursues remediation on their behalf. This can be done directly with the factory management or brand company, or through the Responsible Business Alliance, with which Electronics Watch has signed Terms of Engagement. The latter outlines the responsibilities, process and timeline for addressing identified violations once Electronics Watch has delivered a monitoring report with the aim of improving industry compliance with internationally recognised codes and workers rights standards.
Why is this work important?
Human rights violations are rife within the electronics industry, but their severity and prevalence are often unknown to public buyers. Many human rights abuses, including discrimination and modern slavery, are less visible than other types of risks and can be difficult to detect using traditional means of verification. Electronics Watch envisions a world in which the rights of all workers in the supply chain are respected and heard. By making use of Electronics Watch, affiliates can improve their supply chain transparency, get better insights into risks linked to the ICT products they procure, and pursue remedy for workers whose rights have been violated.’
Affiliate membership benefits
Through SUPC’s affiliation, our members have access to the following tools and benefits:
- Various Monitoring reports, worker rights complaints and case studies
- Public Buyer Toolkit
- The monthly Affiliate Update, which provides an overview of Electronics Watch activities. Please email Martina Hooper to sign up
- Procurement Tools
- Electronics Watch Annual Report
- Monitoring Status Reports are reports on monitoring of factories in your specific supply chains (for affiliates who secure factory disclosures). These provide information about violations uncovered and any recommended actions that affiliates can take with their suppliers to compliment industry engagement carried out by Electronics Watch.
- LinkedIn private group for Electronics Watch affiliates to access resources and tools, and collaborate with other affiliate members.
- Regular update calls to identify ways that Electronics Watch can support your responsible procurement work. Please contact Kate Sullivan to schedule an update call
- Access to public webinars and to affiliate-only webinars
- An introductory webinar for new affiliates and those seeking to make use of Electronics Watch for the first time. In order to view the webinar, you must be logged in through your SUPC account. Log in to view the webinar below.
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For more information, please contact supc@reading.ac.uk
