On November 18, 2020, the first session of the "Fair Transition Series Forum of the Asian Textile and Apparel Industry" convened by the International Labour Organization of the United Nations, with the participation of the United Nations Development Programme, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the China Enterprise Confederation, and the China National Textile and Apparel Council, was held in Beijing. The forum was conducted online, with personnel from the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland participating remotely via video. Researchers from domestic and foreign universities such as the University of Sydney participated in the remote meeting. At the invitation of the International Department of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, Wang Kan, a lecturer from the CULR, was selected to participate in the forum.

This forum is one of a series of activities to promote the "United Nations 2030 Global Sustainable Development Goals" in the post-pandemic era. It focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Asian textile and apparel industry and discussed the experiences of various Asian countries in responding to the pandemic. China is the world's largest textile and apparel producer at the core of the Asian textile and apparel industry chain. Therefore, this forum focused on discussing the experiences in resuming work and production within the Chinese textile and apparel industry.

At the forum, officials from the United Nations first introduced the "United Nations 2030 Global Sustainable Development Goals" and the challenges the global pandemic poses to achieving these goals. Officials from the International Labour Organization elaborated on the importance of employment and decent work in achieving the "United Nations 2030 Global Sustainable Development Goals." Subsequently, representatives from industry associations, trade unions, and textile and apparel enterprises each discussed their efforts in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and actively resuming work and production.

The forum found that in the first two months, the epidemic severely hit the textile and apparel industry in Asia. However, with the resumption of work and production in China, the Asian textile and apparel industry has also begun to recover. In the post-epidemic era, the pace of industrial upgrading in the textile and apparel industry is accelerating, with new technologies and management methods continuously improving the productivity of the industry. At the same time, trade unions have been collaborating with the government and industry associations to intensify efforts in serving employees and enhancing their human capital, enabling them to meet the requirements of industry upgrading.

The forum pointed out that the upgrading of the global textile and apparel industry in the post-epidemic era is led by China. The industrial policies of the Chinese government have promoted the progress of the entire industry. Chinese industry associations have played an effective supporting and organizing role in promoting smart production, artificial intelligence, and other technologies to enterprises. The specific work of the Chinese trade unions in employee services and education has effectively ensured stable job positions and improved the comprehensive capabilities of employees working in the Chinese textile and apparel industry. Industry insiders at the meeting generally believe that the adverse impact of the epidemic on the Asian textile and apparel industry will be alleviated next year, and the industry will become more "green," thus making the "United Nations 2030 Global Sustainable Development Goals" achievable.