In September 2025, Beyond contributed to another key milestone in the STITCH Partnership’s work: the publication of the Technical Guidance on Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement in the Garment, Apparel and Textile Sectors. This resource offers brands concrete tools to ensure workers’ voices meaningfully inform responsible business practices across supply chains.
Building on the five LASER principles of the STITCH's MSE Framework (legitimacy, accessibility, safety, equitability, and respect) the Technical Guidance offers practical, step-by-step support for embedding meaningful stakeholder engagement across the HRDD process.
The Technical Guidance is structured into three main sections that together support companies in embedding meaningful stakeholder engagement throughout their due diligence processes.
Section 1 outlines the importance of meaningful stakeholder engagement in the garment sector. It explores the structural factors that shape labour conditions, such as fragmented supply chains, power imbalances, and limited worker representation, and explains why meaningful engagement is both essential and challenging. The section also highlights the benefits for companies and clarifies expectations set by soft-law standards and emerging legislation.
Section 2 provides detailed guidance on designing and conducting the stakeholder engagement process. It equips companies with tools for identifying stakeholders, assessing barriers to participation, selecting effective engagement methodologies, and building ongoing, trust-based relationships. In addition, it sets out six essential themes:
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establishing the purpose and objectives of engagement,
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determining the scope of engagement,
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selecting and prioritising stakeholders,
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choosing appropriate forms of engagement,
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carrying out engagement activities, and
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measuring and communicating impact.
Section 3 explains how to integrate meaningful stakeholder engagement across the six steps of a human rights due diligence process, in alignment with the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct.
Beyond is honoured to have led this important work on behalf of the STITCH partnership, contributing to practical tools that help companies centre workers’ voices and build more responsible, equitable supply chains.
