News & Events

Following a successful launch in 2020 involving manufacturers, agents, distributors and licensees based in the UK, USA, Caribbean, Middle East and Mainland Europe, we have further invested to support the growth of SIA with the launch of a digital platform

In this exclusive piece, Sarah Ng, the organisation’s communications manager, tells Toy World readers why the ICTI Ethical Toy Program remains as vital as it ever was

IETP was honored to be invited to participate in the event’s roundtable discussion with experts from different sectors to share views and insights regarding family-friendly workplaces

How to build team spirit among the workforce through the worker well-being program? Morning Light, the factory that has continued with the FFS program since 2019 will share with us their journey with the program and the positive impacts it has brought them.

ICTI Ethical Toy Program (IETP) is delighted to announce the appointment of two new Governing Board members - Mr. Ivan Ting and Ms. Pamela Gill-Alabaster

ILO announces 2021 is the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labor, businesses and partners will be provided with opportunities to address the challenges posed by COVID-19 and to accelerate progress towards the goal set by SDG Target 8.7 to end child labor in all its forms by 2025. IETP utilizes its expertise to share steps that businesses could take to join forces and prevent child labor in their supply chains.

1-3 June, 2021, Online & On Demand #RB2021

Reuters Events: Responsible Business will will convene leading C-Suite executives to share and discuss the business-critical agenda tackling all the most important areas key for a sustainable transition

4-5 May, Virtual

Reuters Events: Transform USA 2021 (May 4-5) will provide the forum for leaders to come together and share how they are delivering the sustainability transition

27 April | Digital Conference

09:20 - 17:40 BST

The integration between E, S and G has never been more important post-Covid. As leaders try to balance budgets and purpose, can they prove it is good business to be a good business?

IETP is a resource to help businesses navigate through the complexity of the global supply chain, supporting them with real-time reporting and helping them achieve their ESG (environment, social, and governance) objectives throughout the sourcing and product development process

IETP Worker Helpline is already available to over 1.5 million workers at nearly 2,000 factory members, in China and over the last decade it has provided direct support to over 18,000 workers through free, confidential counseling and advice. In 2021, we're expanding its service to frontline worker in Vietnam

On the back of our first Governance Board meeting for 2021, I am delighted to have the opportunity to share a few of my thoughts in this issue of our newsletter.

IETP wants to support more brands and retailers to help get this message across and meet their regulatory obligations to publish a slavery and human trafficking statement

IETP is getting ready for an exciting summer, we'll welcome around 800 children of migrant workers for the Family-friendly Program, as well as leverage the success of the current social initiatives to develop a Family-Friendly Curriculum for the global manufacturing industry

IETP conducts regular Key Performance Indicators (KPI) reviews of all our accredited audit firms to monitor their performance and highlight areas that require improvement

Sourcing and procurement professionals would have heard of Vietnam will become one of the major countries in the global supply chain. The question is, do you know enough to make the decision? We are honored to invite experts from the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) Vietnam, President from Vietnam-Singapore Business Council, and other experts to share thoughts and insights that would help you navigate through the business environment and opportunities there

New platform enhancements aim to provide users with a more effective and user-friendly interface to sort information needed, understand suppliers’ status and recognize progress in the IETP program at a glance.

Stakeholder engagement is key to creating synergies, since many businesses have diversified their global supply chains in recent years, the need to look for effective methods to build sustainable relationships with their suppliers is more important than ever. IETP shares best practices on how to build sustainable relationships with suppliers

Ethical Toy Program's CEO will speak at the Australian Toy Hobby and Licensing Fair - register now

IETP, ATPA and Invest India continue our collaboration which is helping companies access important information and support for doing business in India. In this 2nd of a series of Spotlight webinars we will be focusing on the manufacturing capability and capacity of 3 states: Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.

COVID-19 has disrupted the day-to-day operations of many organizations whilst the necessity for labor standards oversight has never been higher, this new platform will ensure IETP always able to provide our buyers with trusted data and business-critical assurance.

The Social Impact Assessment from IETP is a new tool for companies to use to measure and improve the effectiveness of management systems in place to protect workers’ rights and ensure safe workplace conditions

Our worker well-being programs have become an integral part of our operations. We have made great progress in creating Family Friendly Factories, developing and implementing tailor-made programs in direct response to the identified needs of workers and management.

The digital product preview for the toy, licensing and games sectors - 2021

IETP, ATPA and Invest India continue our collaboration which is helping companies access important information and support for doing business in India. In this 1st of a series of Spotlight webinars we will be focusing on the manufacturing capability and capacity of 3 states: Karnataka, Telangana & Maharashtra. 

The virtual event will bring together representatives from the business community (brands, retailers, factories, and partners)

Download the statement

The virtual event will bring together representatives from the business community (brands, retailers, factories, and partners)

This issue features a special year-end review from our CEO Carmel Giblin details how we support businesses despite the challenge of COVID, and the work we have done to enrich the lives of factory workers and their children. Click to read the last issue of 2020!

Ethical Toy Program will join Vigeo Eiris, Liontrust Asset Management PLC, and other Socially Responsible Investment experts at the UK Sustainable Investment Association London Conference to share thoughts on responsible supply chain

Ethical Toy Program's CEO will be the keynote speaker at the World Toilet Summit on 18 Nov 2020

Even during the pandemic, Best Top decided to continue with the program during the summer months. What motivates this factory to continue running the FFS? And when the summer holiday is over, how can the factory make good use of the space so that parents need not worry about childcare when they work longer hours or on weekends?

Family Friendly Spaces program has been running for five years and has benefited nearly 3,000 children. IETP shares with Toy World readers how the CSR program is helping factory workers and their children. 

IETP will not conduct audits and PVs between Feb 1st and Feb 28th 2020 at factories located in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

2019 was our largest FFS program to date, although the size of this year’s program had reduced due to COVID-19, we are confident and expect to reach new heights in 2021, join us to learn more!

The protection of workers in the toy industry and the introduction of ethical product standards is an important issue that ICTI's Ethical Toy Program has set itself. But how can companies become a member of the programme and what benefits does it bring? Carmel Giblin, CEO & President at Ethical Toy Program, explain this and much more in an interview with Spielwarenmesse.

IETP recently hosted a webinar together with Invest India, the National Investment Promotion & Facilitation Agency of India, and the Asia Toy & Play Association. This webinar was in response to growing requests for support and information on the market opportunities and challenges presented by this amazing country.

Even during the tumultuous year of COVID-19, Golden Cup continued to run the center, providing relief to parents while giving children the chance to spend more time with their parents in a fun environment

ICTI Ethical Toy Program, in collaboration with ATPA and Invest India, invites you to join our virtual meeting focusing on sourcing from India.

The 9 and 12-month Remediation Program offers targeted capability building solutions to suppliers who are currently in the 12-month Probation Program

2 September 2020

Limited complimentary tickets available for IETP members

22-23 October 2020, Online

Exclusive benefits for IETP members to get £100 off

10-12 October 2020
IETP x CBME China: Receive free accomodations & more

Building on the success of the new e-learning platform, IETP is launching the second module designed to raise factory members’ awareness of Modern Slavery and Involuntary Work

Despite the challenges of COVID-19, 10 Chinese factories in the IETP Program are implementing the Family-friendly Spaces (FFS) program this summer

In this webinar, the Ethical Toy Program, Save the Children and the Centre for Child Rights and Corporate Social Responsibility (CCR CSR) explore child rights and business.

IETP Worker Helpline has been made available to over 792,110 workers and provided counseling and advice to 17,776 workers

IETP aims to build factory knowledge and capability on responsible sourcing, supporting factories to make improvements, and helping them to get the most from the Ethical Toy Program

Find out what we have been up to over the past two years as we celebrate significant growth and development at IETP

ICTI Ethical Toy Program, in collaboration with the Southeast Asia Toy Association (SEATA), invites you to join our virtual meeting focusing on sourcing from Southeast Asia.

While China slowly returns to something resembling normality, much of the rest of the world is still under lockdown conditions. IETP President & CEO Carmel Giblin caught up with Toy World to share what effect this is having on Chinese toy manufacturers, and what we are doing to help.

Migrant parent workers are particularly impacted by COVID-19. IETP is offering various programs to support migrant parent workers and their left-behind children through the crisis and recovery phases. 

'Stop the Pandemic' – On the World Day for Safety and Health at Work #worldWHSday2020, IETP shares ideas of preventive measures factories can take to curb COVID-19 at the workspaces and communal areas

Purchasing and procurement best practices to help you manage risks, protect workers and secure mutually beneficial business partnerships with your manufacturers during these difficult times

The latest checklist removed content relevant to the grace period since it has ended and provides clearer instructions in the guidance text

Worrying reports of cancelled orders and changed payments terms have emerged which are having a serious impact on Chinese toy manufacturers, writes the Ethical Toy Program’s CEO & president

Regular updates from ICTI Ethical Toy Program on the actions we are taking to respond to COVID-19 #toyindustry

IETP’s practical Recruitment Practices Briefing helps factories avoid recruitment pitfalls as they respond to potential labour shortages related to COVID-19

Join our upcoming educational seminar Responsible Toy Sourcing Seminar: maximizing global opportunities at Toy Fair 2020 in New York.

In response to the government's call to strengthen the prevention and control of the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, ICTI Ethical Toy Program (IETP) understands that accredited audit firms and factories may need to implement special work arrangements and some businesses may resume operation later than planned, therefore, it may affect the progress of their certification.

As China continues with its efforts to control the spread of the current coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak originating in Wuhan, the government has officially extended the Chinese New Year holiday.

06 January 2019
HK Toy Fair x IETP: Receive up to $230 travel incentive, discounted airfare & more 

The grace period ran for over a year and ended on 31 December 2019. All checkpoints are in the IETP Audit Checklist are now effective from 1 January 2020

We are introducing new services to help buyers who are committed to responsible sourcing to find IETP certified suppliers at the Hong Kong Toy and Games Fair 2020 and Spielwarenmesse 2020

Powerful testimonials from Family-Friendly Program sponsors and participants

Join the Ethical Toy Program and CCR CSR for a complementary webinar sharing highlights and impacts from this summer’s Family-Friendly Spaces program, find out how your company can participate in the program in 2020.

IETP organized free training on lean manufacturing for factories in the program

As delegates from around the world gathered at the General Assembly on November 20th to mark the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), we too at the Center for Child Rights & Corporate Social Responsibility (CCR CSR) and ICTI Ethical Toy Program (IETP) reflected on the positive impact that our four year partnership has had on the lives of children. 

Over 60 guests gathered in Shanghai for a multi-stakeholder dialogue

IETP will not conduct audits and PVs between Jan 13th 2020 and Feb 16th 2020 at factories located in Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The sharing conference on 22 Oct 2019 will gather together participating factories and supporting brands from this year’s FFS program to reflect on impacts and achievements.

Join us for our IETP Seminar at China Toy Expo. We are honored to welcome the President of China Toy & Juvenile Products Association, Ms. May Liang, for opening remarks. Followed by the CEO and President of IETP, Ms. Carmel Giblin, to share how IETP can help you overcome business challenges. We’ll also invite brands, retailers and factory representatives to share their experience with the Ethical Toy Program

On 18th – 19th September, Mark Robertson, Senior Vice President at ICTI Ethical Toy Program, attended and spoke on a panel at CSR Asia Summit 2019, which took place in Bangkok, Thailand. The focus of on the two-day event was on strategy for results, supply chain innovation, and effectiveness.

In July, Ethical Toy Program was invited to present at a high-level UNICEF and UN Global Compact Summit in New York focussed on family-friendly policies in business operations and supply chains.

Insights from Our Pilot in India

Enjoy 15% off to attend the largest CSR conference in Asia

Find out what's going on at our Family-Friendly Spaces this summer

Ethical Toy Program will be presenting at the UN Global Compact’s summit on family-friendly policies in New York on July 19, 2019. 

We are opening 31 spaces which will welcome over 1,200 children for the summer. This will mean over 1,500 parent workers will get to spend time with their children during the summer months.

Guidance on avoiding peak season hiring pitfalls

Please familiarize yourself with these changes before Audit Checklist V2.1 replaces V2.0 on 1st September 2019

In June, Ethical Toy Program and the Shenzhen Toy Industry Association (SZTIA) co-hosted a seminar ‘Introduction to Compliance Regulations in Vietnam’.  

We are committed to further extending IETP Certification to cover new product categories and to reach more factories within China and beyond.

18 June 2019
Free Seminar: Introduction to compliance regulations in Vietnam  

The Employer Pays Principle (EPP) requires that no worker should pay for a job - the costs of recruitment should be borne not by the worker but by the employer. We work to ensure that toy factories adopt responsible recruitment practices which support the EPP, and our audit checklist requirements have long since prohibited the charging of recruitment fees to factory workers.  

In May, the annual toy distributors show DISTOY took place in London, the Ethical Toy Program team spent the week meeting with toy brand and licensor exhibitors to highlight the benefits of ethical manufacturing

Ethical Toy Program and Save the Children today announce a new strategic partnership to strengthen and support child rights and promote the well-being of children.

In this webinar, we will introduce how the CRBPs are relevant for the toy and entertainment industry including examples of practical actions in China

On 21st February 2019, a joint notice was issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Ministry of Education and other ministries and groups in China to ban gender discrimination in the workplace.  

All Ethical Toy Program audit reports now include the unique APSCA registration number of the auditor and audit firm who have conducted the audit.

Building on four successful years of collaboration and partnership, Ethical Toy Program and Ethical Corporation are extending their partnership to further share ideas and promote solutions to responsible sourcing challenges in the toy industry and beyond.

Make an appointment to discuss your questions with us at the upcoming Guangzhou International Toy & Education Fair (8-10 April) 

Following the January 2019 Governing Board meeting, the ICTI Ethical Toy Program announces the appointment of three new members to its Governing Board.

Download now to learn about the service and the benefits the Worker Helpline delivers to workers, factories, brands and retailers.

Against a backdrop of new regulation, evolving consumer expectations, and global sustainability initiatives Mark Robertson, SVP at the Ethical Toy Program explains why now is the time to embrace ethical manufacturing.

From March 1 2019 it will be an audit violation if workers are not in possession of the latest Helpline Cards or the latest Helpline Poster is not displayed in the factory

Southeast Asia is a region of opportunity for toy manufacturing, countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam typically have a high volume of workers with the necessary skills to support toy manufacturing.

This year, we want to work with the toy industry to extend the reach of our FFS program so can benefit thousands more workers and their and children whilst strengthening resilience and building capability at toy factories.

The ICTI Ethical Toy Program and Freedom Seal today announced an MoU at the World Economic Forum in Davos, making a commitment to work together to support the eradication of slavery in global supply chains.

We are introducing new services to help buyers who are committed to responsible sourcing to find IETP certified suppliers at the Hong Kong Toy and Games Fair 2019

IETP will not conduct audits and PVs between Jan 28th 2019 and Feb 24th 2019 at factories located in Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Join our catalogue of IETP Certified Factories and collect your free IETP logo to display at Toy Fair.

There is a new number for the IETP Worker Helpline in operation, factories in Mainland China need to make sure they are using the latest helpine cards and posters by the end of February 2019

The ICTI Ethical Toy Program’s new audit checklist and updated certification methodology, developed in response to industry consultation and feedback, are launching this week.

The introduction of Progress Visits is an exciting step forward in the levels of guidance, training and support we offer to factories. Different from a traditional audit approach, Progress Visits are announced factory visits to review and discuss progress in maintaining IETP social compliance standards. 

An overview of changes to the ICTI Ethical Toy Program made in response to consultation feedback and industry engagement is now available along with an advance copy of the new Audit Checklist.

International Dialogues and Conference, 14-16 November, New Delhi

We invite participating factories to share the challenges and valuable experience of implementing the program in this conference.

The LEGO Group has become the latest leading toy company to join the Ethical Toy Program as a Buyer Member. LEGO will use our Connect platform to monitor and manage their suppliers in our program, as well as gaining access to insights and membership support from our expert team.

The Front Group 4th Modern Slavery & Human Rights in Supply Chain Conference equips businesses with actionable insights and a good understanding of how the issues of forced labor and human rights abuse can be eradicated from their supply chain. The two-day Conference guarantees focussed corporate learning at its best through practical case studies, interactive roundtable discussions, and open Q&As.

Ethical Toy Pogram Left-Behind Children program profiled in the Financial Times

CSR Asia Summit 2018 Asia’s largest and most thought-provoking conference on corporate social responsibility and sustainability returns to Hong Kong. This year, the Summit focuses on the theme of Transparency. Integrity. Impact. When registering, ICTI Ethical Toy Program members will receive a 15% discount by using the promo code ICTI15.

From 1st November, the IETP audit report will include the unique APSCA registration number of each auditor, this will clearly confirm that this auditor has met the requirements and expected competence from both IETP and APSCA.

Ethical Toy Program will be at inaugural Toy & Game Design Conference to meet and inspire designers to create the next generation of toys, games and electronics which respect and benefit everyone.  

Toy factories are enthusiastic about the new changes to the Ethical Toy Program and eager to learn more, hundreds of factories have joined 10 training sessions since May 2018.

We are delighted to announce that this summer we are operating more FFS than ever before allowing hundreds more families to be reunited for the summer.

The worker voice platform will be used to distribute digital education directly to workers to increase workplace safety, knowledge of workers’ rights, and to provide opportunities for personal and professional growth through gamified learning. 

Our left-behind children program helps to create a toy industry where children’s products are made by workers who are supported in their role as parents thereby ensuring that toys are manufactured in a way that is consistent with the values of the industry.

Following on from the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act (2010) and U.K. Modern Slavery Act (2015), Australia and Hong Kong SAR are looking to enact stronger anti-slavery laws requiring business to combat modern slavery and human trafficking. Proposed new legislation from Australia and Hong Kong SAR takes the UK Modern Slavery Act as a foundation and adds some additional requirements.  

Worker Voice Program leverages mobile technology to enable direct feedback from toy factory workers in China

We are delighted to announce the appointment of a new Non-Executive Director to the ICTI Ethical Toy Program Governing Board.

A Q&A to provide instructions to help use the new ICTI Ethical Toy Program branding in your communications.  

On International Women’s Day 2018, the Ethical Toy Program shares an update on its work to promote women’s empowerment in the toy supply chain.

Cheers to the Ethical Toy Program!

Our new website brings fresh content, features, and resources for our members, with a dynamic new design to reflect our refreshed Ethical Toy Program branding and our core purpose: delivering better lives for workers.

The Ethical Toy Program is introducing enhancements to the Worker Helpline.

From 5th January 2018, the Ethical Toy Program will add a new form to collect statistics about foreign migrant workers during all upcoming audits.

In September 2017, the Ethical Toy Program ran a public consultation to gather views on two proposed changes to the Audit Checklist and Certification

New name. New website. New mission. New Strategy. Coming January 2018

ETP will not conduct audits between February 1st 2018 and March 4th 2018 at factories located in Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

A new collaboration to support the continued development of the Ethical Toy Program.

The ICTI Ethical Toy Program, formerly ICTI CARE, is excited to announce two proposed updates to the Ethical Toy Program.

Stories from migrant working parents in China supported by our Left-Behind Children Program

We're now on WeChat

Walmart has reaffirmed Ethical Toy Program as one of its approved 3rd party programs for monitoring social compliance. 

We have selected four approved audit firms for the 2017-2019 IETP approved audit panel

Our new online auditor assessment tool enables factories to share feedback on auditors’ performance and integrity issues

This years’ results indicate enhanced auditor professionalism and integrity, reduced audit duplication, comparatively lower working hours, and a diversifying factory base.

Assessment of child rights challenges in the supply chain in Vietnam

Factories which are newly certified by ICTI Ethical Toy Program this year are eligible for the subsidies, and can apply for funding by submitting the required documentation.

My first six weeks at the ICTI Ethical Toy Program have been an eye-opening experience.

This new, online feedback tool enables toy factories to evaluate, and feedback on, the performance of on-site auditors.

#InternationalWomensDay2017

Subcontracting at the factory level can pose major risks for any company that manages a global toy supply chain.

Tom van Haaren reflects on his visit to the Toy Design class at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.

On United Nations Universal Children’s Day, ICTI Ethical Toy Program reports on how it is supporting workers with left-behind children.

ICTI Ethical Toy Program speaks at Responsible Business Summit Asia 2016.

Toy brands and retailers use ICTI Ethical Toy Program to address the risk of child labour in their supply chains.

Mark Robertson reflects on India's burgeoning toy manufacturing industry.

The booklet is full of useful tips and information on how to adapt to city life and workplace culture.

Read our Q&A to learn more about the Modern Slavery Act.

We have started work on a major benchmarking study which will compare and contrast our program against other successful responsible sourcing codes and standards.

The world’s ultimate to-do list for the next 15 years

18 Month Class A Seal has been discontinued as from 1st of April 2016. 

The power of collaboration