WRAP is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the certification of lawful, humane and ethical manufacturing throughout the world.
Recognizing the potential for individual manufacturers to
adopt inconsistent standards and to duplicate monitoring,
several prominent apparel producers approached the
American Apparel Manufacturers Association (AAMA) to
Coordinate the industry’s role in addressing these issues.
In 1998, the industry began an initiative to demonstrate its commitment
to responsible business practices and to ensure that apparel is
produced under lawful, humane and ethical conditions. It reached
beyond the apparel manufacturers and brand managers to retailers,
human rights advocates, public interest organizations, development
agencies, and the licensing community. The first result was the twelve
Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production Principles -- standards of
labor practices, factory conditions, and environmental and customs
compliance. The AAMA Board of Directors publicly endorsed them in
1998. For the next two years, the Association worked with the above
stakeholders to design a process and develop an organization to monitor
and certify factories for compliance—in hundreds of details—with the
principles.