American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (AEO) is committed to protecting the health and safety of all workers, including those who manufacture our clothing. In that spirit, AEO joined 220 global apparel companies in signing the 2013 Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety—an unprecedented independent, legally binding agreement to build a safe and healthy ready-made garment industry in Bangladesh in the aftermath of the Rana Plaza tragedy. This is also why we signed the Transitional Accord in 2018 to continue building the foundation for success over the long-term.
The Accord has contributed to substantial progress on strengthening building health and safety in Bangladesh. The goal now is to transition these activities to the Bangladeshi government, which is ultimately responsible for building safety. AEO and other members are working closely with the Accord as efforts are started to build local capacity with the government to facilitate a timely and effective handover once Accord operations, including factory inspections, safety trainings and a worker hotline, are fully functional. We look forward to seeing the success of the eventual transfer to a fully resourced government authority that will continue the progress made to date.