GSCP consulting and training

Programme history

In late 2006, major retailers including Tesco, Walmart, Migros, Carrefour and Metro came together to establish the Global Social Compliance Programme (GSCP). This business-driven initiative sought to help global buying companies address poor working conditions across their often-shared supplier base. By bringing member companies together to agree on good standards and practices for suppliers, it aimed to support sustainable improvements and reduce the inefficiency caused by overlapping codes of conduct.

GSCP logo from the original article

GSCP developed within the industry network associated with The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), previously CIES (Comité International d’Entreprises à Succursales). The historical account in the original article traces this network to 1953 and describes more than 400 retail and manufacturing members. GSCP’s purpose was comparable to the Global Food Safety Initiative, launched in 2000: encourage convergence, reduce repeated assessments and develop a consistent approach.

GSCP is a voluntary reference framework, not a factory certification scheme. Confirm the customer’s current requirements before applying it.

Purpose and reference tools

GSCP sought a shared, global and sustainable approach to supplier practices through six areas of reference tools and activities. From 2006, expert working groups (EWGs) involving member companies, partner organisations and multi-stakeholder initiatives developed reference material on factory practices and assessment competence. Historical milestones cited in the original article include a reference code in 2008, audit processes and methodology in 2009, auditor competence in 2010, and buying-company management systems in 2013, alongside work on sharing assessment information.

Use of GSCP tools was voluntary. A common language and common tools were intended to help buying companies improve working and environmental conditions at supplier level.

GSCP sought to shift attention from repeated audits towards correcting underlying weaknesses. Its Equivalence Process (EP) allowed social compliance schemes to benchmark their systems against the programme’s reference tools. Participants could share results with other companies and initiatives or publish them. Participating companies could choose their level of involvement and contribute to expert working groups.

GSCP was a neutral reference framework, not a factory certification or accreditation scheme. It did not itself audit or monitor supplier compliance. Its tools provided guidance and a basis for comparison; users remained responsible for implementation, monitoring and due diligence.

Historical GSCP participant list

The original article records the following 39 GSCP Task Force participants. This is a historical list, not a current membership register:

Historical list of 39 companies. Company and country names are preserved as shown in the original image.

GSCP reference requirements

GSCP reference material addresses labour practices, working hours, benefits, health and safety, and environmental conditions, alongside compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

All seven topics in the original Vietnamese diagram are translated below.

1. Forced, bonded, indentured and prison labour
2. Child labour
3. Freedom of association and effective recognition of collective bargaining
4. Discrimination, harassment and abuse
5. Health and safety
6. Wages, benefits and terms of employment
7. Working hours

Reference tools

The following reference tools are retained from the Vietnamese original for further study.

• Global Social Compliance Program – Reference code
• GSCP_Reference_Tools on social & labour management system for suppliers
• GSCP reference tools for auditing competence
• GSCP audit process and methodology reference tools
• GSCP reference tools on supply chain social performance management system
• GSCP reference environmental audit process and methodology
• GSCP environmental reference requirement
• Environmental implementation guideline