How widely recognized is the SA8000 standard?
Sufficiently specific to be used to audit companies and contractors alike in multiple industries and countries, SA8000 represents a major breakthrough: it was the first auditable social standard and creates a process that is truly independent (it is neither a government project nor dominated by any single interest group). Representatives of trade unions, human rights organizations, academia, retailers, manufacturers, contractors, as well as consulting, accounting, and certification firms, by consensus, cooperated to develop the SA8000 Standard. Because of its multi-stakeholder input, applicability across industries and countries, emphasis on continuous improvement and use of a management system for implementation, SA8000 is widely recognized as one of the most comprehensive and well-respected human rights social standard available.
