ABSTRACT
Sectoral and regional agreements are able to forge partnerships and networks that can build trust and awareness. Such agreements can serve to deepen the understanding of how particular issues in corporate responsibility affect a specific group of companies. Sectoral agreements can spawn organisations, such as the Marine Stewardship Council in the fisheries sector and the Forest Stewardship Council in the timber industry. Sectoral and regional agreements can be forged in any industry and within any region. Sectoral agreements often develop as a result of intense media pressure. A useful example is the case of the cocoa industry developing a joint project to address forced child labour in West Africa for the harvesting of cocoa. The cocoa industry mobilised a response to the crisis that can serve as an example to other industries on how to deal with complex social issues.
