Standards & schemes
Sedex
In brief
SMETA — the Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit — is the most widely used social audit format globally, covering labour, health and safety, environment and business ethics against the ETI Base Code and local law, in 2-pillar (labour + H&S) or 4-pillar versions. SMETA 7.0 is the current edition. Audits are uploaded to the Sedex platform, where buying members view findings and corrective-action plans. Two claim disciplines matter: SMETA is an audit report, not a certificate — Sedex states there is no "SMETA certification," and a completed audit attests to what was found on the day, including non-compliances; and access to the full report is restricted to Sedex members, so external claim verification is limited. A SMETA report lists non-compliances with photographic evidence and a corrective-action plan, which is why buyers treat it as a monitoring instrument rather than a badge. Audit quality is overseen through Sedex's Affiliate Audit Company programme, and the methodology's ETI Base Code foundation ties it to ILO conventions. Performing an engagement under this standard does not by itself guarantee a favourable conclusion, certify performance, or substitute for regulatory compliance.
Conditional relationships
A relationship does not mean that the standard proves or validates every use of a claim.
Recognition & legal context
No reviewed law references are published.
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