Global Textile Summit calls for innovation, sustainability

Global Textile Summit calls for innovation, sustainability

The ‘Cambodia Global Textile Summit 2025’ (March 31-April 1) held in the capital served as a basis for fostering collaboration between the government, civil society organisations and the private sector to ensure that the textile and garment industry remains competitive, sustainable and inclusive.

Elaborate discussions were held spanning over the two days among senior government officials, international brand leaders and industry stakeholders addressing challenges, exploring innovations and seizing opportunities.

The inaugural session of the summit was presided over by Sun Chanthol, Deputy Prime Minister and First Vice-Chairman of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), while Sok Chenda Sophea, Deputy Prime Minister, attended the day-two session.

Among other distinguished dignitaries, Heng Sour, Minister of the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MLVT), and Sok Siphana, Senior Minister of Special Missions and also Chairman of the Trade Policy Advisory Board (TPAB), were present on the occasion.

Speaking at the summit, Sour outlined the Royal Government’s policies, strategies, and mechanisms to foster the development of the textile sector, describing it as a key pillar of the national economy. He said, “Cambodia is home to approximately 1,608 textile, garment, footwear, and travel goods factories, employing nearly one million Cambodian workers, around 700,000 of whom are women.”

Earlier, Chanthol outlined key recommendations including leveraging Cambodia’s competitive advantages in the region to solidify its position as a prime investment destination and advancing government policies to enhance vocational training, labour standards, environmental management and economic diversification.

He also called for accelerating digitalisation across public and private institutions to improve efficiency and productivity, and strengthening the textile and garment sector’s capacity to adapt to global economic transformations, ensuring its long-term prosperity and modernisation.

He also said Cambodia’s graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status can be achieved by aligning with evolving international regulations on human rights, labour, and environmental sustainability.

Albert Tan, Deputy Chairman of the Textile, Apparel, Footwear, and Travel Goods Association in Cambodia (TAFTAC), underlined that the Kingdom was hosting the global textile summit for the first time ever.

“Our collective efforts, commitment and enthusiasm have made this summit possible, bringing together over 400 participants – including government officials, development partners, investors, trade unions, and industry stakeholders – to discuss challenges and opportunities in the sector,” he said.

Tan further emphasised that the garment, footwear and travel goods (GFT) industry remains the backbone of the country’s industrial development. “Currently, the GFT sector directly employs approximately 900,000 workers while indirectly supporting millions of Cambodians,” he added.

On the second day, participants took part in four sessions of presentations and panel discussions.

In a session titled ‘Driving Textile Circularity through Global Collaboration and Local Action,’ participants explored global trends in circularity, emerging legislation, and the textile waste and recycling ecosystem. They also discussed the interconnections between due diligence and water management operators, culminating in the launch of the Circular Fashion Partnership in Cambodia.

Similarly, during another session on ‘Garment Logistics Status in Cambodia’, the focus was on international logistics and its impact on connectivity and competitiveness beyond the Kingdom.

Panelists examined key challenges such as container congestion and availability, infrastructure development, transportation bottlenecks and procedures, air freight dynamics, and other logistical hurdles.

‘A Call for Greener and More Efficient Energy Use in Asia’s Garment Sector—Relevance for Cambodia’ session featured two presentations: an introduction to the STAR Network and the Regional Renewable Energy Paper and a regional overview of the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) initiatives to enhance resource and energy efficiency for manufacturers.

The final session on ‘Cambodia’s Tier 2 Supply Chain: A 2030 Perspective’ discussed vertical integration and upstream supply chains.

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