Cambodia Textile Summit 2026
Driving Sustainable Production in the Textile Industry
Phnom Penh, June 2026 – On 16 June 2026, over 200 stakeholders from civil society, brands, trade unions, manufacturers, and development partners convened at Raffles Hotel Le Royal for Cambodia Textile Summit 2026. Co-hosted by EuroCham Cambodia, TAFTAC, ILO, Better Factories Cambodia, and GIZ Cambodia, the summit provided a multi-stakeholder platform to address the pressing challenges and opportunities facing Cambodia’s garment, footwear, and travel goods (GFT) sector.
With more than 1 million workers, the majority of whom are women, the GFT sector is a cornerstone of Cambodia’s economy. However, the industry stands at a critical crossroads, navigating LDC graduation, geopolitical tensions, evolving sustainability requirements, and the impacts of climate change. The summit’s national focus aimed to foster collective leadership, shared understanding, and coordinated action to ensure the sector’s long-term resilience and inclusivity.
The event was opened by H.E. Heng Sour, Minister of Labour and Vocational Training, who emphasised the importance of policy-practice alignment to support the sector’s transition. Robert Hwang (TAFTAC), Xiaoyan Qian (ILO), and Christof Weigelmeier (German Embassy) delivered welcome remarks, underscoring the need for collaboration across the GFT ecosystem.
"The garment, footwear, and travel goods sector is not merely an economic engine; it embodies the spirit of cooperation between Germany and Cambodia, paving the way for shared growth and a brighter future,"
- Christof Weigelmeier, Deputy Head of Mission & Head of Development Cooperation, German Embassy Cambodia.
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Germany has supported sustainable production in Cambodia’s textile industry for over a decade. GIZ implements this cooperation through global, regional, and bilateral projects. In its second phase, the bilateral project FABRIC Cambodia, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), supports Cambodia’s textile industry to better meet international environmental and social sustainability requirements.
Advancing Circularity and Sustainability
GIZ Cambodia played a leading role in the session on Advancing Circularity in the GFT Sector, presenting ongoing work to promote sustainable practices, including textile waste management, resource efficiency, and circular economy initiatives in Cambodia. The session also showcased the Circular Fashion Partnership Cambodia, a collaboration with Global Fashion Agenda (GFA), where GIZ facilitates sourcing and matching between factories and recyclers.
“We need to transform the way we think about circularity. Instead of talking about waste management, let's call it material recovery and value creation, because this is the actual market opportunity,”
- Hasso Anwer, Project Director (FABRIC Cambodia), GIZ Cambodia.
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The session marked the upcoming launch of the Fabric of Opportunity: An Investor’s Guide to Textile Waste Management and Recycling Investment in Cambodia, a practical tool to support businesses and investors in establishing textile waste recycling operations. The guide supports the transition to a circular economy, reduces environmental impact, and creates economic opportunities from textile waste.
Fabric of Opportunity: An Investor’s Guide to Textile Waste Management and Recycling Investment in Cambodia
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Addressing Heat Stress: A Worker-Centric Approach
With Cambodia’s new Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Law coming into effect later this year, and amid rising heat, the summit dedicated a session to managing heat stress in the GFT factories. Heat stress is an escalating health, productivity and competitiveness challenge for Cambodia’s GFT sector. The session covered solutions, regulatory frameworks, and factory-level practices.
Additionally, GIZ Cambodia launched its 6th entry of the Sustainability Recommendation Paper on Mitigating Heat Stress in the GFT sector, which offers evidence-based, actionable, and affordable strategies for factories, brands, civil society and development partners, and the government to adapt to rising heat.
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“Occupational heat stress goes far beyond workplace discomfort; it is an urgent threat to Cambodia’s garment sector. Our Sustainability Recommendation Paper offers a definitive call to action, providing practical and role-specific recommendations for each target group to protect workers and maintain productivity. We can no longer afford to be the ‘boiling frogs’, and we need to act now,”
- Dr. Vabotra Chea, Environmental Policy Advisor (FABRIC Cambodia), GIZ Cambodia.
A Platform for Partnership and Progress
It was officially announced that the OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector will be held in Cambodia in 2027. This a historic moment as this will mark the first time the Forum takes place outside Paris. This decision reflects Cambodia’s growing leadership in responsible business conduct and offers a unique platform for local stakeholders to engage in global discussions on due diligence and sustainability.
The Cambodia Textile Summit 2026 underscored GIZ Cambodia’s role as a catalyst for change in the GFT sector. Through launching practical publications, contributing to high-level dialogue, and supporting historic announcements, GIZ Cambodia reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable, inclusive, and resilient development.
