[PDF Version]

Volume 62, Number 57, Page 14164-14165

[DOCID:fr25mr97-127]

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR



Office of the Secretary



 

Bureau of International Labor Affairs; Public Hearings on 

International Child Labor



    This document is a notice of public hearings to be held by
the 

Department of Labor for the purpose of gathering information regarding 

the use of abusive or exploitative child labor in the production of 

goods imported into the United States. The hearing will be held on 

April 18, 1997, at the Department of Labor, room N-3437, beginning at 

9:00 a.m. The hearing will be open to the public. The Department of 

Labor is now accepting requests from all interested parties to provide 

oral or written testimony at the hearing. Each presentation will be 

limited to ten minutes. The Department is not able to provide financial 

assistance to those wishing to travel to attend the hearing. Those 

unable to attend the hearing are invited to submit written testimony. 

Parties interested in testifying at the



[[Page 14165]]



international child labor hearing should call Thelma Hackley (202) 219-

7613 ext. 106 to be put on the roster.

    The Department of Labor is currently undertaking a
fourth 

Congressionally-mandated review of international child labor practices 

(pursuant to the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and 

Education and Related Agencies Appropriation Bill, 1997, P.L. 104-208). 

Information provided at the hearing will be considered by the 

Department of Labor in preparing its report to Congress. Testimony 

should be confined to the topic of the study. Specifically, the 

International Child Labor Office of the Bureau of International Labor 

Affairs is seeking written and oral testimony on the topics noted 

below:

    1. Efforts initiated in the private sector, including efforts
by 

importers, manufacturers, retailers, as well as non-governmental 

organizations, to eliminate exploitative child labor in the following 

industries: hand-knotted carpets, soccer balls, tea, and leather 

footwear. The International Child Labor Office is particularly 

interested in efforts, such as labels or codes of conduct, designed to 

inform customers that no child labor is used in the production of these 

products, and the operation, costs, and effectiveness of such programs.

    2. Factual information regarding the use of child labor in
the 

production of hand-knotted carpets, soccer balls, tea, and leather 

footwear in countries that may export such items to the United States.

    3. Other information concerning programs designed to inform
the 

public that no child labor was used to produce a consumer product. 

These efforts may be either non-industry specific or in industries 

other than hand-knotted carpets, soccer balls, tea, and leather 

footwear.



DATES: The hearing is scheduled for Friday, April 18, 1997. The 

deadline for being placed on the roster for oral testimony is 5:00 p.m. 

on Friday, April 11, 1997. Presenters will be required to submit five 

(5) written copies of their oral testimony to the International Child 

Labor Office by 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 16, 1997. The record will 

be kept open for additional written testimony until 5:00 p.m., Monday, 

April 28, 1997.



ADDRESSES: The hearing will be held at the Department of Labor, Room N-

3437, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. Written testimony 

should be addressed to the International Child Labor Office, Bureau of 

International Labor Affairs, Room S-5303, U.S. Department of Labor, 

Washington, DC 20210, fax: (202) 219-4923.



FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thelma Hackley, International Child 

Labor Office, Bureau of International Labor Affairs, Room S-5303, U.S. 

Department of Labor, Washington, D.C. 20210, telephone: (20) 219-7613 

ext. 106; fax (202) 219-5071. Persons with disabilities who need 

special accommodations should contact Thelma Hackley by Monday, April 

14, 1997.

    All written or oral comments submitted pursuant to the
public 

hearing will be made part of the record of review referred to above and 

will be available for public inspection.



    Signed at Washington, DC, this 19th day of March, 1997.

Andrew J. Samet,

Acting Deputy Under Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97-7525 Filed 3-24-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510-28-M