The German government sponsored a meeting of retailers and NGOs at the beginning of May, and the meeting set a deadline of midnight of 16 May 2013 to sign up to the agreement. Working with the Clean Clothes Campaign, Worker Rights Consortium, International Labor Rights Forum, and the Maquila Solidarity Network, the GIZ agency and IndustriALL (a global union federation) began forming a program that needed to meet the needs of trade union and NGO representatives. The main objectives of this program were a foundation for the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, specifically focusing on fire safety following the Rhana Plaza factory collapse. Based on the previously submitted proposals for safety, the Accord was issued on May 5, 2013 and an official announcement of intention to sign was given by H&amp;M on May 13, 2013. H&amp;M signing of the Accord was a key step in encouraging other companies to declare their intent to sign as well. Numerous companies had signed up by the deadline, covering over 1,000 Bangladeshi garment factories.