Asian Dialogues Conference Sparks Conversations on Sustainability

It was a farewell without tears at the Asian Dialogues Conference 2025 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Star Network, the first inter-Asian network of producer associations, came to a close in its present avatar, announcing a new business model and signing a memorandum of understanding to work further with the ASEAN Federation of Textile Industries (AFTEX).

Asia Garment Hub, a tool for regional communication did the same, changing hands to United Kingdom-based company Common Objective, which focuses on promoting sustainable fashion.

There was much about closure and change as the mothership—FABRIC Asia, a project by GIZ, (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), the German Corporation for International Cooperation which provides international development services—comes to an end after a 10-year program. 

FABRIC covered six countries, including Cambodia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, Vietnam and China, a region that collectively accounts for more than 50 percent of the world’s apparel production. 

The conference on the theme of “Advancing Sustainability: The need for Regional Perspectives” held in late February saw various closed-door meetings throughout the week with more than 250 attendees from 28 countries. The programming examined the region and the work done over the past decade, as well as looking ahead to amplifying regional perspectives with thought, foresight, and a focus issues related to funding. 

“When a child starts walking you let it go. The associations will carry it forward,” Dr. Gidon Windecker, deputy head of the Development Cooperation of the German Embassy, told Sourcing Journal. “It is time for these initiatives to carry further on their own. The project had a finite time in the first place.”

GIZ FABRIC director Marc Beckmann elucidated the point, saying, “Each of the initiatives are moving from short term to long term. STAR will play a bigger role, the Asia Garment Hub has found a new home. Many of the other initiatives will continue, including [Women Empowerment House], the capacity building for women leaders. Although FABRIC will end, it is not the end of the journey,” he told Sourcing Journal. 

Rousing conference attendees with playful questions, he also attempted to put things into perspective.

“As we reflect on 10 years of experiences promoting a sustainable transformation, we also celebrate a number of achievements made possible by a regional lens. A lot has happened in 10 years across the industry; some that we could control, and some that we could not. Over the last 10 years the industry has changed,” he said. The starting point for FABRIC was a belief that producing countries and producers themselves needed to promote knowledge sharing, he added.

Amplifying the voice of producers was key, as much as advocacy for the situation of workers. FABRIC Asia has reached thousands of workers, with more than 200,000 workers receiving training, Beckmann said. “Fabric ends this year, but a lot of colleagues will stay and work. Asia Garment Hub, STAR, and Sustainable Terms of Trade initiative (STTI) will go on.” 

Sustainable Terms of Trade initiative (STTI), led by the STAR Network, the International Apparel Federation (IAF) and the Better Buying Institute supported by FABRIC is made up of 13 industry associations from nine countries facing similar challenges regarding purchasing practices in the textile and garment industry. “Four years later, STTI has expanded beyond the region. At the OECD Forum meeting in Paris, STTI has established a round table around purchasing practices,” Beckmann said. 

Matthijs Crietee, secretary general for the International Apparel Federation (IAF), which continues to hold the torch on select initiatives, said, “Regional cooperation in Asia is crucial, by fostering collaboration instead of only viewing each other as competitors.” He emphasized this theme in his opening remarks, pointing out that the present challenges are not limited to a single country, but global in nature, and require regional cooperation to address. “We will continue STTI and collaborate with STAR and the Fashion Producers Collective,” he said. 

“We can say all we want about supporting manufacturers or keep talking about it, but actually doing it and engaging on these topics… is what has been happening. How well you end things says a lot about all that you’ve done,” Crietee told Sourcing Journal. 

Som Chamnan, secretary of state for the Cambodian Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, spoke in the opening session. “The Ministry of Labor is committed to working hand-in-hand to support the industry. Through this we have enabled critical enhancement,” he said. In 2024, exports of apparel increased by 23 percent over the previous year. 

He also spoke about an issue overshadowing the conference: the road to the future. “Today’s conference should not be the end of the sustainability projects but an opportunity to discuss what will happen further,” he said. 

The conference did provide context for the changing times in a series of conversations often imbued with honesty rather than rhetoric. The practical strategies for advancement ranged from addressing deforestation to circularity and the inclusivity of the local workforce.

While Thomas Hesketh, head of the STAR Network Secretariat, spoke about the change of model for STAR to be funded by members, Tamnay Lejeune, CEO of Common Objective spoke about the new home for the Asia Garment Hub, which was launched in 2016 and has content in several categories including country-specific data and resources.

Lejeune spoke about the importance of collaboration in the industry and how the platform would add to the robust forum created by Common Objective. “It is a strong platform with 65,000 members across 180 countries, and we have created a strong technology base with personalized dashboards, ranked business profiles, circles of communities, and more. We believe we can make an impact by working more effectively together,” she said.  

Discussions on circularity and textile recycling as well the importance of making the switch to certified plantation wood (which is used in boilers in some factories) were addressed in a session chaired by Massimiliano Tropeano, an integrated expert on sustainability in the garment sector.

Alexander Kohnstamm, chair of Stitch and executive director of FairWear, shared insights on corporate due diligence requirements, and how meaningful stakeholder engagement needs to be clarified better. Representatives of labor unions were also present, including Nazma Akter of Awaz Foundation from Bangladesh who spoke about the fact that a sustainable industry was not possible without strengthening worker voices.

A single thread emerged throughout the sessions: regional solidarity points the way forward. That sentiment seemed to answer the question resonating quietly in the background: Can competing countries do it? 

As Akhter pointed out, “There’s much more at stake than business; it’s about millions of worker lives and sustainable livelihood.” This is an essential bridge to cross together, she said.