MSN believes governments have a crucial role to play in promoting greater transparency, greater access to information for consumers and investors, and greater respect for the rights of the young women who labour behind the labels making our clothes and other consumer products in factories and workshops around the world.

No one policy, voluntary or regulatory, will adequately address the problem of worker rights violations in the global garment industry or the lack of information available to consumers to make ethical choices. A combination of governmental regulations and incentives and voluntary initiatives will be needed to adequately address what is now widely recognized as a systemic problem.

Governments in countries where consumer products are manufactured ensure that national labour laws are consistent with international standards and that they are enforced. All governments must play a role in encouraging greater corporate transparency, protecting worker rights in trade agreements, building capacity in southern countries to regulate and enforce labour standards, and offering incentives to improve compliance with international labour standards.

• Read more about policy proposals made to the Canadian government by the Ethical Trading Action Group.
• Read about ETAG's factory disclosure regulations proposal.
• Read about ‘No Sweat' government procurement policies.
• Read about protecting Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining.
• Read about increasing apparel workers wages.
• More resources on policy issues