On April 24, 2013, Rana Plaza, an eight-story building, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, collapsed, killing more than 1,100 garment workers. It brought international focus on portions of the global supply chain. It also raised the issue of what might be done to improve working conditions, especially for lower-wage workers in developing countries around the world. According to press reports, the day of the building collapse workers arrived and saw cracks in the outside of the building where five manufacturing operations were trying to meet production deadlines on apparel products for the U.S. and European Union (EU) markets. Reportedly, management assured them that the building was safe, and told workers that they would not be paid if they did not work. An hour later, the building collapsed. It has been labeled the deadliest disaster in the history of the garment industry. The Rana Plaza collapse took place five months after a December 17, 2012, fire at another Bangladesh apparel factory, Tazreen Fashions Limited; the Tazreen fire killed 112 workers. Survivors reportedly stated that their managers locked one exit route and told workers that the fire alarms were false, thereby delaying timely evacuation. The combined tragedies brought the six-month total loss of life in Bangladesh in the garment sector to at least 1,200. After the building collapse, reportedly, thousands of workers took to the streets and vandalized vehicles and shops before being dispersed by police. Soon after that, the government shut down a number of apparel factories, for safety reasons, as concerns about industrial safety across the country continued to grow. Bangladesh's major export is apparel, which, along with a small amount of textiles, accounts for more than 80% of the country's $24 billion in exports to the world in 2012, or nearly $20 billion. (See the Text Box , "Bangladesh in Brief.") As a result of the Rana Plaza building collapse, some firms, such as Disney, have indicated they may no longer source production from Bangladesh, largely due to concerns over their brand reputation. If this becomes a major trend, one consequence could be that many women, who constitute 80% of the workers in the apparel sector, could lose their jobs. These women, mostly Muslim, have found new independence and an increased standard of living for their families, and have, in many cases, become primary breadwinners. The effect on the economic structure of Bangladesh could be compounded by an ongoing struggle between a secular Bangladeshi identity and a more fundamental/religious Islamic identity. A number of factors may have led to the recent building collapse. Bangladesh's economy is labor-intensive, which attracts lower-wage and lower-skilled industries such as apparel. Bangladesh is a densely populated country, where a population half the size of the United States is crowded into a geographic area the size of Iowa. To meet increasing global demand for apparel production, primarily by the United States and Europe, certain buildings may have been converted to multi-story manufacturing operations. In many countries, apparel production is generally carried out in one- or two-story buildings because of the inherent fire hazards associated with this production. Three additional floors that reportedly were illegally constructed were added to the Rana Plaza. According to press reports, working conditions in Bangladesh were theoretically addressed, at least in part, by Bangladesh labor laws and building codes, International Labor Organization (ILO) commitments, codes of conduct held by multinational corporations, and GSP trade preferences. Since 1972, Bangladesh has been a member of the International Labor Organization (ILO). The ILO originated in 1919 as a tripartite organization comprised of workers, employers, and governments, to promote "decent work" around the world. Under the 1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work , Bangladesh and all ILO members have an obligation to uphold ILO core labor principles, simply by reason of their status as ILO members, even if they have not ratified the conventions behind the principles. Bangladesh has, however, ratified seven of the eight ILO conventions backing and defining the five core labor principles. These principles are very similar to the U.S. list of internationally recognized worker rights. These rights are the following: 1. freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; 2. the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labor; 3. the effective abolition of child labor, including the worst forms of child labor; and 4. the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. Whether countries do or do not uphold ILO core labor principles, the ILO has no real enforcement powers other than technical assistance, reporting requirements, publication of information, and moral suasion. An example of ILO activities to enhance worker rights is the Better Work Program, a technical support program which recently went into effect in Bangladesh. It is a joint program with the World Bank that works with government officials, factory owners, and labor groups to ensure safe and decent workplace conditions, and is discussed further below. Figure 2 , below, shows that most of the concepts of the ILO core labor principles plus the ILO occupational safety and health principle, are included in many U.S. trade and investment laws and programs, including the Generalized System of Preferences program, mentioned below, and some private sector codes of conduct. Thus, Figure 2 shows graphically the extent to which similar sets of rights extend through all three parts of the international worker rights support system. One area of congressional focus in supporting internationally recognized worker rights has been through provisions in U.S. trade preference programs. These were first introduced in the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program in 1985. GSP provides unilateral U.S. tariff preferences for certain products exported by developing countries, to support their economic development. Under GSP, and later introduced in other trade preference programs, the President or his designee is prohibited from designating certain countries as eligible for GSP benefits, based on different criteria, including that a country "has not taken or is not taking steps to afford internationally recognized worker rights." These worker rights are defined as 1. the right of association; 2. the right to organize and bargain collectively; 3. a prohibition on the use of any form of forced or compulsory labor; 4. a minimum wage for the employment of children; and protection against the worst forms of child labor; and 5. acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages, hours of work, and occupational safety and health. On the basis of these criteria, effective September 3, 2013, the Obama Administration suspended GSP status for Bangladesh, with no timeline for its possible reinstatement. However, that decision was followed by the USTR release of a "Bangladesh Action Plan 2013," outlining a basis for the eventual reinstatement of GSP status for Bangladesh. (For further discussion of the GSP suspension, and Action Plan, see the following section on "U.S. and International Responses to the Bangladesh Tragedy," under "Executive Branch.") Since the 1980s and 1990s, when globalization accelerated and various interest groups began to publicize "bad actors" on worker rights conditions in factories, corporations have increasingly adopted and publicized corporate codes of conduct. Most, if not all, large multinational corporations sourcing apparel from Bangladesh have posted such codes on their websites. These codes may describe the standards to which the business holds its employees, its suppliers under contract, and sometimes its subcontractors. These codes specify worker rights protections and structural and fire hazard standards to varying degrees. A concern raised by some groups is that corporations may contract directly with suppliers, yet have limited knowledge of the conditions under which the products are produced by subcontractors. Corporate codes of conduct are voluntary on the part of corporations. The Rana Plaza collapse has focused greater attention on the worker conditions and laws in Bangladesh, and may impact Bangladesh's continued role as a major supplier of apparel, due to corporate buyer concerns over branding and reputation. Key issues may include whether firms will continue to source apparel from Bangladesh, or whether firms will engage more proactively to improve conditions there, as well as the extent to which corporate codes of conduct have been helpful. A number of interested parties, including parties in Europe and the United States, among them President Obama, and a number of Members of Congress, are calling for U.S. and European companies and other stakeholders to work together to solve the problems. (See section below.) Response to the Bangladesh tragedy has come from Congress, the Administration, the Bangladesh government, the ILO, and the private sector, and continues to evolve. This section briefly describes recent, somewhat overlapping, developments. Congressional interest in the Rana Plaza factory collapse stems from its legislative and oversight responsibilities over trade, and key business and labor constituencies. These concerns intersect with private sector interests, including the viability of their international supply chains, and brand reputation. Soon after the Rana Plaza collapse, some Members of Congress encouraged businesses and other stakeholders to work together to improve conditions for workers in Bangladesh. On May 1, 2013, for example, Representatives Sander Levin, ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, and George Miller, ranking Member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, sent a letter to President Obama, urging the Administration to convene representatives of European and American retailers, the Bangladesh garment industry (including their workers and unions), the Bangladeshi government, the ILO, and nongovernmental organizations, to facilitate development of a "concrete action plan" to address the range of issues relating to working conditions and worker rights in the garment sector. In addition, a group of 8 U.S.