The Institute of Contemporary Observation

Ethical Auditing and Supply Chain Support

In China, The Reassurance Network has a strong partnership with The Institute of Contemporary Observation (ICO). ICO is a civil organisation for labour law and CSR, founded in 2001 by Liu Kaiming and the first of its kind on the Chinese Mainland. The organisation has 30 full-time staff members and 20 part-time workers. Its major fields of research and activities include:

• Research and advocacy on labour rights
• Analysis of the social stratification of migrant workers
• Impact analysis of the implementation of codes of conduct in China
• Study of labour conditions in foreign-owned factories
• Study of industrial injuries
• Free legal aid to migrant workers

Liu Kaiming is a member of the Social Accountability International (SAI) Advisory Board. ICO is the Fair Labour Association's independent external monitor and has conducted supplier auditing for Nike, Adidas, Timberland, Reebok, Toy "R" Us, Pentland, Sears, Li & Fung.

We have worked together with ICO since 2004 to build a team of over 15 highly trained and experienced auditors who carry out our factory inspections and improvement programmes in China, Japan and SE Asia.