About the event

The goal of this conference is to synthesize current research and present new results that inform the debate surrounding the role of various stakeholders in improving working conditions and compliance with global labor standards and national law in supply chains.

Stubborn persistence of poor working conditions in supply chains keeps compliance with national law and global standards at the forefront of policy debates. In order to address poor working conditions in a widespread and sustainable way, it is important to have a solid understanding of the potential success of various approaches in different sectors of the economy, the root causes of poor conditions, and the economic forces that either inhibit or facilitate the spread of good practices. Solid policy-focused academic research can fill those needs.

The upcoming conference Improving Working Conditions in Supply Chains brings together policymakers, representatives of inter-government organizations, and academics to discuss the latest advances in our understanding of these persistent challenges and creates the opportunity to discuss effective solutions and policy options.

Agenda

8:30am-9:00am OPENING COFFEE

9:00am-9:10am WELCOME REMARKS
Mr. Kevin Cassidy – Director, ILO Office for the United States and Canada
Professor Raymond Robertson – Director, Mosbacher Institute, The Bush School of Government & Public Service, Texas A&M University (Confirmed – in-person)

9:10am-9:15am OPENING VIDEO MESSAGE
Mr. Guy Ryder – Director-General, ILO

9:15am– 9:35am KEYNOTE
The Ongoing Challenge of Labor Compliance in Global Value Chains
Ms. Thea Lee - Deputy Under Secretary for International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor (Confirmed – in-person)

9:40am-10:40am SESSION 1
Current Challenges and Responses
Moderator: Ms. Gabriela Inchauste – Lead Economist, Poverty and Equity Global Practice, World Bank (Confirmed – in-person)
Professor Raymond Robertson – Director, Mosbacher Institute, The Bush School of Government & Public Service, Texas A&M University (Confirmed – in-person)
Assistant Professor Kelly Pike – School of Human Resource Management, York University (Confirmed – in-person)
Associate Professor Gale Raj-Reichert - Bard College Berlin (Confirmed - virtual)
Ms. Fabiola Mieres - Technical Officer, Labour Migration, ILO (Confirmed - virtual)

10:40am-10:50am COFFEE BREAK

10:50am-11:30pm ADVANCING EQUITABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND WORKER VOICE
Moderator: Professor Raymond Robertson – Director, Mosbacher Institute, The Bush School of Government & Public Service, Texas A&M University (Confirmed – in-person)
Ambassador Katherine Tai – United States Trade Representative (Confirmed – in-person)
Mr. Kevin Cassidy – Director and Representative to the Bretton Woods and Multilateral Organizations, ILO Office for the United States and Canada (Confirmed – in-person)

11:30pm-12:00pm LUNCH PROVIDED

12:00pm-1:15pm SESSION 2
Looking Forward: New Approaches and Opportunities
Moderator: Ms. Deborah Albers – Vice President of Operations, Responsible Business Alliance (TBC);
Mr. Josh Kagan – Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Labor, Office of the United States Trade Representative (Confirmed – in-person)
Mr. Peter Young – Deputy Head of the Trade and Agriculture Section, Delegation of the European Union to the United States (Confirmed – in-person)
Mr. Scott Nova – Executive Director, Worker Rights Consortium (Confirmed – in-person)
Professor Jodi Short – Associate Dean for Research & Professor of Law, UC Hastings Law (Confirmed - virtual)
Ms. Arianna Rossi – Senior Research and Policy Specialist, Better Work, ILO (Confirmed - virtual)

1:15pm-1:30pm CONCLUDING COMMENTS
Professor Raymond Robertson – Director, Mosbacher Institute, The Bush School of Government & Public Service, Texas A&M University
Mr. Kevin Cassidy – Director, ILO Office for the United States and Canada