The COVID-19 pandemic has moved rapidly beyond an international health pandemic to heralding a global socio-economic crisis not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s.  In addition to the threat to public health, the economic and  social disruption globally, threatens the long-term livelihoods and wellbeing of millions of people. The pandemic has not spared Bangladesh with the socio-economic impacts been felt across the social strata.  The Bangladesh Ready-Made Garment (RMG) industry is one of the main contributors to economic growth, and is the country’s main export industry (81.68% of total export revenue ).  This large contributor of the RMG industry to the country’s export earnings has been possible because RMG products enjoy duty and quota free access to the European Union (EU) markets via the Everything but Arms (EBA) trade preferences. Necessary policy responses and a significant change of governance in terms of labour rights including social protection, sound industrial relations, greater occupational safety and health (OSH) measures and responsible sourcing in the entire RMG supply chain should be in place to ensure the sectors contribution to the economy. The EU's trade relations with Bangladesh and the importance of the RMG industry to the country's development gave the EU a special responsibility to act. Therefore, the “Compact for Continuous Improvements in Labour Rights and Factory Safety in the Ready-Made Garment and Knitwear Industry in Bangladesh” started in July 2013 to reinforce key interventions in the sector. The Compact is a platform created for the continuous engagement between the Compact Partners (namely; EU, US, Canada and the ILO), to support both short and long-term commitments related to three inter-linked pillars:
 

The overall development objective is the promotion of inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all, through improved labour relations and working conditions. In Bangladesh, the project will make a direct contribution to the achievement of SDG 8 (promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all). The Specific Objective is to contribute to the effective implementation of the commitments and initiatives outlined in the Bangladesh Sustainability Compact, including from 2020 onward focusing on post COVID-19 recovery in the RMG Sector.  In Bangladesh, the current portfolio of RMG will implement the commitments that is through the Bangladesh RMG Cluster. To attain those targets three Intermediate Outcomes have been set, as follows:
 

The key stakeholders include the Government of Bangladesh, responsible for the implementation of the Compact commitments, employer organizations and the worker unions. The ILO has agreed with the MoLE in proving supports in relation to implementing the action plan provided to the EC EBA mission. The MoLE appreciates the establishment of a regular mechanism of assessment and reporting in the ministry with reference to the assistance provided in 2019 in reporting on Convention 87 and C 98. The DIFE has been pro-active with the project interventions in harmonization between the BLA and the EPZ Act. Employer organizations look forward to the ILO intervention on engaging the stakeholders in establishing a responsible sourcing across the RMG supply chain. Workers have always been active in the assessment, reporting and steering the progress of the thematic pillars.

The beneficiaries of the Compact can be distinguished in two categories, intermediate and ultimate beneficiaries. The direct recipients (intermediate beneficiaries) of support from the Compact services will be, in addition to the Government of Bangladesh, the organizations representing the interests of organized labour and organized business in the participating ports, and the supporting training institutions as follows.  The ultimate beneficiaries of this project are the RMG workers in Bangladesh.