The Local Resources Network (LRN) is a group of companies and NGOs committed to working with locally based organisations to improve working conditions in factories, farms and workplaces. Its objectives are to:

• Facilitate contact and communication between companies and organisations interested in improving labour practices in supply chains.
• Provide a website as a primary location for companies and organisations to make contact.
• Provide local resources with a portal to demonstrate their capabilities and experience to a wider audience.

1. Joining criteria

The LRN aims to capture and share the expertise of companies, international NGOs and local resources to ensure that good practices and experience are shared globally.

• As a member of the LRN, we ask that the organisation demonstrates a commitment to ethical trade and the support of improving labour standards.

1.1 Companies/international NGOs

Companies/international NGOs who are members of a multi-stakeholder initiative dedicated to improving labour standards are automatically accepted as members of LRN. Other companies/international NGOs are asked to fulfil the following joining criteria:

• The company/international NGO has adopted a labour standards code of conduct, based on ILO conventions which minimum includes the eight ILO core conventions on wages, working hours and occupational health & safety.
• The company/international NGO has a programme to manage an ethical trading policy and has identified a person responsible for the implementation of the policy.

The company/ international NGO:

· Agrees to participate in the network by sharing experiences and supporting other members in their attempts to promote labour standards.

· Agrees to support the ongoing development of the LRN through the payment of development fees.

· Agrees to timely payment of fees.

· Agrees to keep LRN updated with changes in contact details or relevant organisational information.

1.2 Local Resources

Organisations or individuals who can share a reference from an international company/organisation are automatically accepted as a member of LRN. Acceptance of other local resources will be decided individually. To the extent possible, LRN will seek assessment (or reference) assistance from existing local resources.

We ask that a local resource:

• Is committed to the pursuit of international labour rights, human rights or child rights.
• Is an individual or organisation based in a source country and conducts work relating to the improvement of labour conditions in factories, farms or worksites. This includes individuals and organisations working on business process improvement, for example those with expertise in productivity, quality or human resource management. A local resource may be an auditor, social scientist, consultant, charity, trade union or a NGO.

The local resource:

• Agrees to participate in the network by sharing experiences and supporting other companies international NGOs and local resources in their attempts to promote labour standards.
• Agrees to keep LRN updated with changes in contact details or relevant organisational information.
• Agrees to provide LRN with evidence of authentication (for example certificate of registration) in some cases if requested.

· Agrees to refrain from publicly using the LRN's name or reputation for commercial purposes or individual gain.

2. Membership Rules

These rulesare a simplification of the terms and conditions to which all users have signed up. The site managers have developed these rules to ensure that all users benefit equally from using the network and that users' work remains confidential. The rules are as follows:

1. All users must complete a profile and keep it up to date.

2. Users should not copy, publish or modify or distribute other users' details.

3. Users should treat other users with respect and take no actions which seek to mislead them.

4. Users should not post misleading or incorrect information on the site.

5. Users should commit to upholding the confidentiality of work conducted by other users.

6. Users should not post comments which might be considered offensive about other users of the site.

7. Users should not use the site to make exclusive commercial arrangements with any other user of the site.

8. Users can submit any material to the site unless the material:

· Reveals confidential information.

· Contains links to material which may be considered offensive.

· Contains material which you do not have permission to use.

· Contains computer viruses.

9. The site managers reserve the right to delete, move and edit any material submitted to the site.

10. The site managers do not guarantee the accuracy, integrity or quality of material submitted to the site.

11. If these rules are consistently broken by a user the site managers reserve the right to suspend that user's account from the network.

3. LRN's commitment

The LRN is a platform for companies/international NGOs and local resources to facilitate contact and communication between companies and organisations interested in improving labour practices in supply chains.

The LRN is managed by the Ethical trading Initiative (ETI). ETI will, for the duration of its contract, act as manager.

The manager of the LRN:

· Will operate at all times in the spirit and principles of the LRN.

· Will provide regular updates on the activities of the network.

· Will not give out or publish members' or local resources' contact details.

· Will take all reasonable steps to inform members of any changes in the guiding principles or joining criteria.

The LRN does not:

· Endorse the views or programmes of its members.

· Offer financial or logistical support, whether to organisations or individuals.

· Offer advice on fundraising matters.

· Accredit or provide references for members seeking financial funding from other donors.

· Help organisations wishing to attend international meetings with financial or logistical support (travel costs) or letters for Visas.