Washington, D.C.—The Child Labor Coalition applauds President Clinton and Congress for including in the Trade and Development Act of 2000 an important amendment that requires trading partners to meet and effectively enforce international standards to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. Offered by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and co-sponsored by Jesse Helms (R-SC) and Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN), the amendment requires beneficiaries of U.S. trade preferences to meet and effectively enforce the standards established by International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Convention 182, for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor. 

With this action today, ILO Convention 182 has now been codified into U.S. law. For the first time, a country’s progress on eliminating the worst forms of child labor will be a condition to U.S. trade benefits. “President Clinton and the Senate supported the convention and its goal of eliminating the worst forms of child labor worldwide when it ratified the convention last year,” says Linda Golodner, CLC co-chair. “Today’s action is a practical application of our nation’s commitment to this goal. This is the kind of leadership that is needed in the international community and we are proud it is coming from the United States.” 

ILO Convention 182 defines the worst forms of child labor as: all forms of slavery, debt bondage, forced or compulsory labor, or the sale and trafficking of children, including forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict; child prostitution; children producing and trafficking narcotic drugs; or any other work which by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety, or morals of children. The United States was the third nation to ratify the convention.

The trade bill adds a new eligibility criterion to the Generalized System of Preferences. It bars the president from designating a country as eligible for benefits if it has not implemented its obligations to eliminate the worst forms of child labor as called for by ILO Convention 182. The measure sets out factors to be taken into account in determining whether a country has taken steps to carry out the intent of the convention.

This amendment serves to encourage the beneficiaries of the Africa, CBI, and GSP programs to join the U.S. in ratifying ILO Convention 182 and promptly come into compliance with the procedural requirements of that convention. Countries are required to submit the National Action Plans required by the convention to the ILO, to designate a competent authority responsible for implementing the convention, and to submit annual reports to the ILO identifying the steps taken to implement the provisions of the convention.

“This important child labor requirement for beneficiaries of U.S. trade preferences will protect children in 75 countries from the worst forms of child labor,” says Golodner. “Our government can be proud of this effort to help stamp out child slavery, child soldiering, child prostitution, and other horrors of exploitative and abusive child labor. We particularly commend Senator Tom Harkin for his tireless work on behalf of children. The children of the world have never had a better friend and champion.”

The CLC is a national group that works to end child labor exploitation in the U.S. and abroad and to protect the health, education, and safety of working minors. The CLC is comprised of more than 50 organizations, reflecting educators, health groups, religious and women’s groups, human rights groups, consumer groups, labor unions, and child labor advocates. The National Consumers League coordinates the coalition.

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