SA8000

SA8000 is based on the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Convention on the Rights of the Child and various International Labor Organization (ILO) conventions. SA8000 covers the following areas of accountability:

Child labor, Forced labor, Workplace safety and health, The right to organize, Discrimination, Workplace discipline, Working hours, Wages, Management system for Human Resources

Dominic A. Tarantino, Chairman of Price Waterhouse described SA8000 in 1998 as "the first ever universal standard for ethical sourcing. SA8000 is an initiative of the Council On Economic Priorities, a New York based research organization. It provides a common framework for ethical sourcing for companies of any size and any type, anywhere in the world. SA8000 sets out provisions for issues such as trade union rights, the use of child labor, working hours, health and safety at work, and fair pay." However, it does not address broader issues of ecology or bribery or other issues which may require more consumer or executive restraint. Tarantino further argues the need for moral leadership:

"Pricing, products and services are no longer the sole arbiters of commercial success... it is business that must take the lead in taming the global frontier. Business must take the lead in establishing rule of law in emerging markets. Business must take the lead in stopping bribery. Business must take the lead in bringing order to cyberspace. Business must take the lead in ensuring that technology does not split the world into haves and have nots."