*EPF211 07/16/2002
Text: U.S. Reports on Child Labor in Trade Beneficiary Countries
(Labor Dept. issues first report under Trade Act of 2000) (530)

The U.S. Department of Labor has issued its first annual report on child labor in 143 trade beneficiary countries, as required by the Trade and Development Act of 2000, the department announced.

In a July 12 news release, the department said its 400-page report presents information on the extent of the problem in each of the 143 countries and territories, and on government efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor.

A Labor Department official said the report does not rank countries in order of child labor violations nor does it assess whether countries are meeting their international obligations to eliminate child labor. Rather, the report is one of many sources of information that will be used by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) in determining eligibility for various U.S. trade benefits programs.

The countries covered by the report are primarily those designated as beneficiaries of the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), which provides duty-free entry to certain products.

The full report is available on the Internet at:
http://www.dol.gov/ILAB/reports/iclp/pubs_reports_ilab_iclp.htm

Following is the text of the Labor Department news release:

(begin text)

Labor Department Issues Report on Child Labor in Trade Beneficiary Countries
Report Required by Trade and Development Act

WASHINGTON -- The Labor Department today released the first annual report on the worst forms of child labor in 143 trade beneficiary countries and territories as required under the Trade and Development Act of 2000. The department's Bureau of International Labor Affairs conducted the research and prepared the report.

"This report provides information useful in understanding the phenomenon of child labor around the world. Such understanding is critical in developing policies and programs to address this issue. Awareness raising through research is essential to the global effort to eliminate abusive and exploitative child labor," said Tom Moorhead, deputy under secretary for international affairs.

The Department of Labor's 2001 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor was prepared in response to a new child labor reporting requirement under the Trade and Development Act of 2000. Under this act, trade beneficiary countries and territories are required to implement their international commitments to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The report presents information on the nature and extent of the problem in each of these 143 countries and territories and the efforts being made by their governments to eliminate the worst forms of child labor.

The bureau's International Child Labor Program collected data from a wide variety of sources, including the State Department, U.S. embassies and consulates, foreign governments, nongovernmental organizations and international agencies. In addition, bureau staff conducted field visits to many of the countries covered in the report.

A limited number of printed copies of the report are available from the International Child Labor Program, Bureau of International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor, Room S-5307, 200 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210. Telephone: (202) 693-4843; Fax (202) 693-4830; E-mail: [email protected]

Also, the report will be available by July 15 on the Internet at http://www.dol.gov/ILAB/reports/iclp/pubs_reports_ilab_iclp.htm

(end text)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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