Under increasing pressure from consumers and faced with intensifying market competition, many European and American multinational corporations have established their own codes of social responsibility. At the same time, various industry-based, regional, national, and even global organizations—both industry groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)—have formulated a variety of different codes.
As early as 1996, a Swiss NGO suggested to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that it develop a set of ISO2100 international standards on social responsibility management for third-party certification, but ISO rejected this proposal. The idea for the SA8000 standard originated from a conversation between Reg Easy, Executive Director of SGS Yarsley ICS (Swiss General Certification Body), and David Wheeler, Senior Manager of the Social Audit Department at The Body Shop. They initially sought to create a socially responsible standard suitable for third-party certification, with SGS actively supporting and sponsoring its development. In June 1996, Jim Keegan, Director of SGS, presided over the first meeting discussing the significance of establishing a social responsibility standard. Participants included companies and NGOs from the United States and Europe, and there was unanimous agreement to develop an internationally applicable social responsibility standard for auditing purposes.
The SAI Advisory Board was responsible for drafting the international standard for social responsibility. It consisted of 20 large business entities, NGOs, trade unions, human rights and children's organizations, academic institutions, accounting firms, and certification bodies from 11 countries. During the SAI’s first meeting in New York, a draft standard was proposed, initially named SA2000, which was later finalized as SA8000. After 18 months of public consultation and in-depth research, SAI published the first revised version of the SA8000 standard, known as SA8000:2001.
The SA8000 standard is the world's first international standard for social responsibility that can be used for third-party certification. Its aim is to improve working conditions globally through ethical procurement activities, ultimately achieving fair and dignified working conditions. The SA8000 standard was developed based on conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Its main content includes nine elements: child labor, forced labor, health and safety, freedom of association and collective bargaining, discrimination, disciplinary practices, working hours, remuneration, and management systems.
The SA8000 standard is a universal standard, not only applicable to developing countries but also to developed countries; not only to various industrial and commercial enterprises but also to public institutions. Additionally, the SA8000 standard can replace corporate or industry-specific codes of social responsibility.
Reference: http://www.scsally.org.cn/sa8000.html sa8000 factory audit sa8000 certification