FOREWORD

Two years ago, the United States joined 173 countries around the world to unanimously adopt International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention No. 182, a groundbreaking agreement to end the worst forms of child labor.  When forwarded to the U.S. Senate for advice and consent, this convention made it through that process in record time with strong bipartisan support.  In addition, this convention is the most rapidly ratified treaty in ILO history.

By adopting Convention 182, the United States and the other ILO member nations made the first step to ensuring that no child engages in forced or bonded labor, is used in armed conflict or illicit activities, is exploited by the commercial sex trade, or is placed in hazardous work.

In this report on the Department of Labor’s 2001 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor, we describe the nature and extent of child labor in 143 countries and territories, the laws and enforcement policies that exist to protect children, and efforts that have been made by governments to meet international commitments to eliminate the worst forms of child labor.

I hope that you will find the information in this report useful to your understanding of the international child labor issue.

Thomas B. Moorhead

Deputy Under Secretary for

International Affairs

U.S. Department of Labor

Washington, D.C.

May 30, 2002