Over the past quarter century, more than 180 million lives around the world have been positively impacted by WRAP’s enduring commitment to ensuring safe and ethical practices for the workers underpinning the sewn products and related industries.
Courtesy of Oregon State University’s Professional and Continuing Education (voiceover provided by Angela Wartes-Kahl)
In the 1990s, prominent brands and retailers found themselves grappling with concerns over workers’ rights amid allegations of sweatshop conditions in manufacturing units around the world. There was a need for a credible entity that could promote safe and sustainable manufacturing, one facility at a time. In 2000, our organization was founded to do just that.
Our origins trace back to a multi-stakeholder exercise led by the American Apparel and Manufacturers Association (AAMA; now the AAFA — American Apparel and Footwear Association). They convened a committee which engaged in extensive consultations with brands, retailers, suppliers, NGOs, academics, and government officials. This culminated in the formation of WRAP, a program free of influence from special interests, lobbying, and profit motives.
Today, we are the largest independent certification program for sewn goods, apparel, textiles, and related industries. Our Board of Directors — mandated by our bylaws to be majority non-industry, ensuring our organization is accountable and that our work is objective — and staff across the globe work every day to support companies striving to improve their factories, operations, and the longevity of their brands.
1996
Kathie Lee Gifford accused of making clothing using child labor and forced labor, where workers were subjected to harsh conditions and extremely low wages. The incident garnered significant attention from U.S. media and lawmakers.
1997
President Clinton’s Apparel Industry Partnership launched to provide training and tools to improve working conditions.
1998
American Apparel and Manufacturers Association (AAMA) forms committee to address social compliance challenges; Responsible Apparel Production Principles (RAPP) drafted.
First RAPP audit conducted at Jockey’s Costa Rica facility.
1999
The AAMA Committee recommends the formation of an independent nonprofit, renamed as Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production (WRAP).
2000
WRAP incorporated as an independent nonprofit, with Jack Otero appointed as first Chair of the Board, and Lawrence Doherty appointed as first Executive Director.
AAMA merges with the Footwear Industries of America (FIA) and The Fashion Association to form American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA).
2003
Charles Masten named Chair of the Board of WRAP.
2007
WRAP updates its name to Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production.
2009
WRAP opens an office in Hong Kong for on-the-ground access to facilities in Greater China.
2010
California passes the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act, requiring large retail sellers and manufacturers doing business in the state to disclose their efforts to eradicate slavery and human trafficking from their direct supply chains.
2011
WRAP opens an office in Dhaka, increasing support in South Asia.
2012
Avedis Seferian named WRAP President and CEO.
2013
The Rana Plaza building collapses killing over 1,100 garment workers in Bangladesh.
The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh was signed, and the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety was formed. WRAP’s President and CEO, Avedis Seferian, is appointed to the Alliance’s Advisory Board.
2015
The UK passes the Modern Slavery Act, which seeks to regulate and address modern-day slavery in business operations and their global supply chains.
2019
WRAP benchmarks its Principles 11 (Customs Compliance) and 12 (Security) to conform with standards of the CBP’s Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism(CTPAT) program.
2020
Due to the impact of COVID, WRAP starts implementing Alternative Desktop Assessments (ADA) for facilities seeking to renew their certification, temporarily replacing onsite initial audits in places where travel comes to a halt. After passing the ADA, a facility is granted a four-month extension on their existing certificate.
2021
The U.S. passes the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), which outlaws the importation of goods made with forced labor from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China.
Holly Wise named Chair of the Board of WRAP.
2023
Canada passes Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act aimed at increasing transparency and accountability within Canadian supply chains.
2024
The EU passes the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), to prevent and mitigate adverse impacts on human rights and the environment throughout companies’ value chains as well as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) focused on how companies report and disclose their impacts.
