The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh (‘the Accord’) has received both praise and criticism concerning its implications for corporate responsibility and power. This article contributes to the debate by situating the Accord within a broader set of activities that buyers are engaged in to promote better labour conditions in their supply chains. The authors identify three approaches of buyer engagement: auditing, capacity building and advocacy. Drawing on interviews conducted with European brands and retailers, the article shows how buyers perceive the merits and challenges of these approaches, and whether and how they discharge responsibility and power through these activities. The study shows that the Accord is seen primarily as part of the auditing approach with a key feature being its use of collective leverage as a means of enforcement. While greater buyer power has not necessarily been accompanied by greater responsibility, the article highlights heterogeneity among buyers in how they take up different approaches, painting a more nuanced picture of buyer responsibility and power.

中文翻译：

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全球供应链中的买方参与和劳动条件：孟加拉国协议及其他

孟加拉国消防和建筑安全协议（“协议”）因其对企业责任和权力的影响而受到赞扬和批评。本文将协议置于买家参与的一系列更广泛的活动中，以促进其供应链中更好的劳动条件，从而为辩论做出贡献。作者确定了买方参与的三种方法：审计、能力建设和倡导。通过对欧洲品牌和零售商的采访，文章展示了买家如何看待这些方法的优点和挑战，以及他们是否以及如何通过这些活动履行责任和权力。研究表明，该协议主要被视为审计方法的一部分，其关键特征是使用集体杠杆作为执法手段。虽然更大的买方力量并不一定伴随着更大的责任，但这篇文章强调了买方在如何采取不同方法方面的异质性，描绘了更细致的买方责任和权力图景。