Relationships to Other Initiatives
The Textiles Extension of the United Nations Transparency Protocol (UNTTP) is developed as a sector-specific application of a sector-neutral protocol, with the intention that it can coexist alongside, and be referenced by, a wide range of existing and emerging initiatives in the global textiles and fashion ecosystem.
The extension does not seek to replace, govern, or formally harmonise other initiatives. Instead, it provides a neutral technical and semantic framework that can be used, where relevant, to support interoperability between different approaches to transparency, traceability, sustainability, and circularity.
Global Policy and Regulatory Context
Across jurisdictions, policymakers are exploring or implementing measures related to product transparency, traceability, and information disclosure in the textiles sector, including approaches such as Digital Product Passports. The UNTTP textiles extension is designed so that its data concepts and structures can be applied in multiple regulatory contexts, without being specific to any single jurisdiction or policy framework.
G7 Agenda on Circular Textiles and Fashion
The G7 Agenda on Circular Textiles and Fashion (G7 ACT) highlights the importance of transparency, traceability, and shared understanding across global textiles value chains. While the UNTTP textiles extension is developed independently of the G7 ACT, it addresses similar challenges by defining common data concepts and exchange patterns that may be relevant to initiatives seeking greater consistency across systems.
Industry and Voluntary Initiatives
A range of voluntary industry initiatives, multi-stakeholder collaborations, and sector programmes are working to improve data quality, comparability, and transparency in textiles supply chains. The UNTTP textiles extension is structured so that it can be adopted or referenced by such initiatives, should they choose to do so, without requiring changes to their governance or objectives.
Standards and Reporting Frameworks
Existing standards and reporting frameworks for sustainability and due diligence in the textiles sector rely on consistent definitions of products, actors, events, and claims. The UNTTP textiles extension provides a structured vocabulary and data model that can support technical interoperability between operational traceability systems and reporting or disclosure mechanisms.
A Neutral Interoperability Layer
By focusing on technical interoperability rather than policy alignment or governance coordination, the UNTTP textiles extension aims to reduce fragmentation and duplication in data exchange. It offers a common reference point that different systems and initiatives can use independently, helping to lower implementation complexity while preserving institutional and regulatory neutrality.