National Trade Blueprint

47 National Trade Blueprint 8 Strategic Thrusts Objective / Pain points Address forced labour issues by raising awareness of sustainability among manufacturers. Increase the adoption of sustainability certification. Key Stakeholders: MOHR (Lead), JTK, MITI, industry associations, MATRADE, Standards Malaysia Implementation timeline : Short-term (continuous effort) Action plans 1. Continue existing measures that have been implemented by the government to tackle force labour related issues a) Task force should look beyond hiring policies and also consider working hours and living environment of foreign workers. 2. Step up transparent enforcement activities especially within key export sectors which employ large number of foreign employees 3. Conduct regular engagement with enforcement agencies abroad in countries such as US, UK, Australia and New Zealand to enhance transparency a) Stakeholders such as MOHR to share its initiatives and programs in place with foreign enforcement agencies. 4. Work closely with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development a) Collaborate to facilitate adoption of practices such as Voluntary Sustainable Standards (VSS). b) Advise local manufacturers on global practices, new trends and compliance standards. 5. Collaboration between anchor companies and relevant institutions to embed sustainable practices among small holders a) Relevant stakeholders to encourage large companies to work together with institutions such as MISI to guide compliance of small players. Objective / Pain points Increase awareness and outreach of good sustainability programmes, such as MATRADE’s SAVE programme. Action plans 1. Develop KPIs on the number of exporters to increase effectiveness and outreach a) The key sectors to be targeted to lead sustainability practices include manufacturing and commodities. 2. Promote the SAVE Program through JK-X and other relevant channels to other Ministries and Agencies a) Encourage ministries and agencies to adopt the programme and to promote it to stakeholders within their jurisdiction. b) Preparation of impact assessment for continuous improvement. Address forced labour issues while encouraging adoption of sustainability certification to promote social sustainability in the long run 8.2 Instill the concept of sustainability across government agencies 8.3 Key Stakeholders: MITI/MATRADE (Lead); MOT and agencies under JK-X Implementation timeline : Short-term (continuous effort) Pursuing Sustainability and Innovation Thrust 8: