For the past 25 years, Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) has been leading social compliance for the sewn products industry.
Reflections and gratitude from WRAP President and CEO, Avedis Seferian
As WRAP celebrates its 25th anniversary, we invite you learn more about our impact, achievements, leadership, and outlook for the future—both as an organization and for the industry.
3,900+
Facilities around the world currently certified by WRAP
15.8m+
Workers who have been employed in a WRAP-certified facility over 25 years
43,000+
Total certificates issued by WRAP
180m+
Total lives impacted by WRAP in 25 years
WRAP’s Global Presence
WRAP-certified facilities meet the expectations of hundreds of leading brands and retailers, resulting in reduced audit fatigue and enhanced their competitiveness in the global market.
Today, we have more than 30 representatives in key sourcing destinations around the globe.
Since its inception in the 1990s, social compliance and corporate responsibility have evolved from basic compliance to responsible sourcing, emphasizing transparency, worker rights, and long-term supplier relationships. And WRAP has evolved with it.
Courtesy of Oregon State University’s Professional and Continuing Education (voiceover provided by Angela Wartes-Kahl)
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 garment and footwear industry.
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 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, is appointed to the Alliance’s Advisory Board.
2015
The UK passes the Modern Slavery Act, which seeks to regulate and address the issues of 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.
How has social compliance evolved?
How has WRAP grown as a leader in social compliance?
Where does WRAP see the apparel and footwear industry headed?
Growth in Workers Employed at WRAP-Certified Facilities
Growth in Certifications Issued to Compliant Facilities
25 Years of Leadership
WRAP is the leading voice for socially responsible sourcing in sewn products and related industries. For 25 years, we have led the movement towards socially responsible and transparent supply chains.
Holly Wise, WRAP Board Chair
Steven Lamar, AAFA President and CEO
Garco 10, Vietnamese Manufacturer
“Under the leadership of dedicated social compliance experts, WRAP has promoted safe, lawful, humane, and ethical manufacturing around the world and successfully benefited millions of people working in the sewn production industry all over the planet.”
Charles Masten, former Inspector General, U.S. Dept. of Labor Founding Board member of WRAP and Chair of the Board, 2004-2021
“For the past 25 years, WRAP has been an invaluable partner to help brands and retailers navigate the complexities of global compliance. The [WRAP] certification program gives brands confidence that the factories they work with maintain strong labor standards and ethical practices. WRAP’s training and resources also support suppliers and buyers to meet the goal of continuous improvement, which is especially important in a fast-changing industry like fashion. This global reach and credibility make WRAP a trusted ally in our efforts to promote responsible sourcing.”
Julia hughes, president, United states fashion industry association
“WRAP has played a critical role in promoting ethical, lawful, and responsible manufacturing practices around the world. We are proud to support these shared values and commend WRAP’s continued leadership in advancing social compliance and protecting the dignity and rights of workers across the global supply chain.”
JJ Park, CEO, ShinWon CorpoRATION
“WRAP goes beyond just meeting standards. Through our engagement with WRAP, we’ve been able to refine our internal monitoring practices in ways that truly make a difference. Their support has helped us strengthen our approach to compliance monitoring and has opened the door to deeper collaboration with our suppliers. WRAP’s spirit of collaboration has helped us build stronger relationships, encourage open dialogue, and drive positive change throughout our supply chain.”
Stephanie Todd, Senior Social Compliance Analyst, Fruit of the Loom
“WRAP has played a transformative role in the apparel and textile industries by providing a trusted, independent certification standard that has significantly reduced the need for duplicative social compliance audits. This has streamlined operations and reinforced ethical manufacturing practices on a global scale.”
Jim Sinor, Independent Senior Consultant
“WRAP is uniquely positioned as a high-integrity, high-rigor standard that continues to evolve. WRAP adapts to meet the shifting demands of the global supply chain.
For brands and buyers looking for a trusted, effective, and field-tested compliance framework—WRAP delivers. It is respected by factories, credible with buyers, and practical for implementation across diverse geographies.”
Harvey Molé, CEO, BCI Compliance Group
“WRAP has grown and developed a coherent message, promoting compliance as a positive-sum exercise, at a time when few of the stakeholders in this area have done so. Other entities have also ignored the fact that the primary consideration of customs compliance and for many years the only platform that took customs compliance seriously was WRAP.
Our member firms understand that WRAP is a credible tool for social compliance, with many using factories that are certified by WRAP. Despite being the largest auditing and compliance entity in this industry, WRAP operates on a very hands-on, practical basis where companies get relevant information according to their needs.”
Bob Kirke, Executive Director, Canadian Apparel Federation
“As a family-owned company with nearly 150 years of caring for generations of families around the globe, Jockey is proud to have been an early supporter of what became the Worldwide Accredited Production Program (WRAP), the world’s largest certification program for sewn products. Jockey has worked closely with WRAP over the last 25 years to help ensure best-in-class working conditions for a safe, lawful, and ethical global supply chain. Thank you, WRAP, for your leadership and dedication, and congratulations on your anniversary!”
Mark Fedyk, President and COO, Jockey
“WRAP has set the standard for responsible production. Medline is proud to have partnered with them for the past nine years, starting with the first WRAP-certified facilities in our surgical gloves supply chain. As the first organisation in the medical devices field to enter this strategic relationship with WRAP, we have received comprehensive support with streamlining ethical and responsible manufacturing. This has helped strengthen our commitment to promoting safe, humane, and lawful conditions for workers. The WRAP principles, therefore, continue to shape practices across our wider operations and supply chain.”
Oliver Watts, Sustainability Director, Medline EMEA
A Look Ahead for Social Compliance
Personal insights from Avedis Seferian, WRAP President and CEO
“At WRAP, our mission—promoting safe, lawful, humane, and ethical production facilities—is timeless. What evolves is how we pursue it. As we look ahead, three major forces will shape our strategy: technology, legislation, and consumer awareness.
Technology offers powerful tools for data and communication, but also new risks. AI can streamline processes, yet it also makes it easier to fake compliance. Our challenge is to stay ahead—leveraging innovation while safeguarding integrity.
What are the upcoming developments in WRAP’s future?
Legislation is entering a new phase. We went from voluntary programs to laws requiring reporting, and now governments worldwide are moving to mandatory human rights due diligence regulations. Accountability is no longer optional, and WRAP is ready to support brands and retailers through this shift with credible, independent validation.
Consumers are increasingly more informed. In the long term, they’ll demand transparency and ethical sourcing. WRAP can be a trusted resource not just for businesses, but for end-users seeking assurance.
How does WRAP plan to build on its success?
We also face practical challenges like audit fatigue and the need to shift from short-term thinking to a long-term investment mentality. Many factories and brands still treat sustainability as a cost, not an opportunity. Changing that mindset is key.
Ultimately, it’s about overcoming inertia—moving from ‘how we’ve always done it’ to ‘how we should do it.’ WRAP is here to guide that transition, grounded in the belief that dignified work is a basic right. I’m proud to be part of an organization that lives its values, both in the world and within our own walls.”
