Sharing Insights on Community Engagement for Stronger HRDD at AAFA Vietnam on October 20

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) is returning to Vietnam this October for its Apparel & Footwear Compliance Conference, bringing together industry leaders, brands, factories and suppliers to discuss some of the key compliance and sustainability challenges facing the sector.

Taking place on October 20, 2026, in Ho Chi Minh City, the conference will explore practical approaches to strengthening responsible business practices across apparel and footwear supply chains.

The Centre for Child Rights and Business will join the programme for a session looking beyond the factory gates to explore how community engagement can strengthen HRDD.

Session Title: Beyond the factory: Community Engagement as a Tool for Stronger HRDD

Time: 1:10–1:50 p.m.

Date: October 20, 2026

Human rights risks do not always originate within the factory or become visible through factory-level assessments alone. Workers' families, local communities, informal workers and other actors in the surrounding community can provide important insights into risks that may otherwise remain hidden.

In this session, speakers will share practical examples from across Asia of how engaging with workers, their families and local communities can help businesses identify risks earlier, strengthen prevention and support more effective remediation.

The discussion will also explore how community engagement can complement existing compliance approaches and support more stable, responsible production by helping businesses better understand the realities and risks in their supply chains.

Speakers:

• Dr Jia Yen Lai, Director of Innovations and Partnerships, Malaysia, Social Accountability International

• Mulyawan (Mul) Laij, General Manager, Vendor Compliance & Sustainability, Greater ASEAN, Li & Fung Group

• Riri Siti O. Malikah, Vice President, Products and Services (Asia), The Centre for Child Rights and Business

• Ngan Tran, Community Engagement Coordinator, Vietnam, Social Accountability International

Moderator: Nate Herman, Executive Vice President, AAFA

The session will offer an opportunity to consider what meaningful engagement with communities can look like in practice and how these approaches can be integrated into broader HRDD and compliance efforts.

The AAFA Vietnam Apparel & Footwear Compliance Conference takes place on October 20, 2026, from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Register for the conference and view the full programme here