I congratulate the Government of Uganda for joining the ILO's International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC). In particular, I want to commend President Museveni and Minister of Gender, Labor and Social Development Janat Mukwaya for their leadership and commitment to the struggle against child labor.

When I accompanied President Clinton to Uganda last March, I said that our mission to Africa was about building stronger ties between our nations and would lead to better understanding that nothing is more integral to a nation's future than its children. By joining IPEC, Uganda today has made a firm commitment in securing those ties. In turn, I would like to note that the United States will make good on the pledge I announced during my initial visit. The U.S. Department of Labor will provide $1.5 million over three years to help underwrite Uganda's participation in IPEC.

Ending abusive child labor is a priority for the United States. In our fiscal year 1999 budget, President Clinton requested and the Congress agreed to a tenfold increase to $30 million to continue work on international child labor issues and funding for IPEC. This is a concrete measure of President Clinton's determination to make the United States the world's leader in the fight to end abusive child labor around the globe. We at the Department of Labor share this determination and look forward to continue working with the ILO to establish and fund innovative, targeted child labor projects.

Our challenge is clear—remove children from exploitative working situations and place them in classrooms. Today's signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the ILO is a tremendous step in addressing this challenge and ensuring the children of Uganda better lives and a brighter future. Congratulations to everyone who has worked to make this possible.