This changing dynamic has brought all countries: China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, among others, to leveled playing field. For Sri Lanka, fortunately ethical compliance has been a way of life, thanks to stringent labour laws and cultural DNA. This historic emphasis on ethical business practices puts the country to the forefront of this emerging new world order based on responsible commerce.

Sri Lankan Apparel Industry is a shining example of the countrys commitment to responsible commerce and today commands the necessary ethical compliance reputation among the global outsourcing community while their regional counterparts in China, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh continue to grapple with these internal issues.

Sri Lanka's readiness for Ethical Commerce

The Apparel Industry of Sri Lanka is a perfect example of a young industry [only 30 years of existence] that has preached and practiced something that the west is taking cognizance of only now.

The garment industry with its 370-odd big and small manufacturing members have been practicing an unspoken code of conduct on ethical business and manufacturing practices since their inception. A way of doing business that has now been formalized as a single slogan 'Garments without Guilt'.

Garments without Guilt encapsulates the one million-strong Sri Lankan workforces mission and pledge to create world-class apparel products under Globally set ethical business standards. The world-renowned certification agency, SGS, has certified over 100 manufacturing plants in the past year-a rare achievement for any industry-attaining triple digit certification in one go.

This Garments without Guilt resolve has found global support and admiration from some of the prominent international figures like the Hon' US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Robert Blake, and the editor of the worlds biggest online fashion magazine, Ms. Leonie Barie. Western media has applauded these efforts by showcasing the industry at various global platforms-from the BBC World Business Report to online ethical fashion blogs such as JustStyle.com.

The Garments without Guilt movement has been further strengthened by the continuous support and guidance shown by its global business partners such as Marks & Spencer and Gap, among others. The recently launched $1 billion Green Factory project by country's top three apparel manufacturers: Brandix, MAS and Hirdramani is a testimonial of the garment industrys commitment towards partnering their global partner M&S in building a cleaner and greener tomorrow under M&S Plan A CSR program.

Additionally, Gap has partnered with MAS in promoting its Go Beyond programs. This continuous mentorship from global buying houses has helped Sri Lankan manufacturers to step up the momentum for ethical apparel production, slowly and steadily positioning the country as Asias ethical apparel sourcing hub for global brands and labels.

Whilst the Garments without Guilt program builds global recognition for the Sri Lankan Apparel , the industry recently launched the Abhimani program, aimed at building a sense of pride and ownership towards what we do best-and do ethically-among the 1 million direct and indirect workforce members, out of which 80% are women. The program aims to touch garment workers at the grass roots and individual level.

But like all pioneering initiatives this commitment to ethical commerce comes with a cost, a cost to continuously invest in enhancing people skills, processes, machinery and better environmental safety standards. An investment that members of Sri Lanka Apparel and their international buyers are willingly absorbing to gift the world Guilt-free clothing.

No wonder then, in times to come Sri Lanka will emerge as the preferred destination for ethical apparel sourcing in Asia Pacific region. A realization that is inspiring other regional players like Apparel Singapore to follow the league.