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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219-7316
Stating that all nations are measured by the way they treat
their children, Labor Secretary Robert B. Reich today took part in two separate
events aimed at eliminating international child labor in the garment and soccer
ball industries.
Reich opened a hearing on efforts by garment retailers and
manufacturers to monitor international child labor through codes of conduct,
labeling, consumer information campaigns, guidelines for subcontractors or
establishing schools. Testimony from the hearing will be part of a department
report due this fall.
"Child poverty, child slavery, the commercial sexual
exploitation of children and the abuse of children in work are all problems to
be solved -- in some instances growing problems," said Reich. "We know that
educating children is the surest way to reduce child exploitation. The
expanding global economy must have a solid foundation in basic human rights
such as the right to a childhood and the right to be educated."
The report follows two earlier reports, "By the Sweat and
Toil of Children," that documented instances in which child labor was found in
manufactured, mined, agricultural and fisheries products imported into the U.S.
Today's hearing was to gather information on efforts of
U.S. companies and nongovernmental agencies to counter the problem. In addition
to Reich, speakers at today's hearing included Senator Tom Harkin and
Congressmen George Miller, Joseph Kennedy and Chris Smith. Peter Moore, Reebok
vice president for global soccer, also spoke.
Reich today also helped launch a national campaign called
FoulBall which works to see that soccer balls are stitched by Pakistani adults
and not children. The FoulBall campaign is coordinated by the International
Labor Rights Fund in cooperation with a network of labor, consumer, religious,
sports and child advocacy groups.
According to Dan McCurry, coordinator of FoulBall, a large
number of soccer balls sold in the U.S. are made by Pakistani children. They
children work six days a week and never attend school.
FoulBall seeks to replace child soccer ball stitchers with
adults see that children attend school. The campaign is asking the
International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA), the international
governing body of soccer, to require a verifiable "no child labor" clause in
the contract of producers of soccer balls carrying the FIFA stamp of
approval.
"Just as we have asked garment retailers and manufacturers
to monitor their own subcontractors to guard against sweatshops, the soccer
ball industry must assume the responsibility of assuring -- for the sake of
exploited children as well as American consumers -- that soccer balls are not
made illegally by young children," said Reich.
The secretary has listed 10 steps the department is taking
to help eliminate child labor:
- First, to continue reporting on international child labor.
- Second, to fund International Labor Organization projects to reduce
child labor in Bangladesh, Thailand, the Philippines, Africa and Brazil. (The
department last month gave $867,000 to get children in Bangladesh out of
garment shops and into school).
- Third, to continue reviewing International Labor Organization
Conventions on child labor and forced labor with the goal of seeking
ratification.
- Fourth, to continue to raise child labor issues in meetings with
other labor ministers around the world.
- Fifth, to work with the Administration to continue seeking greater
international implementation of child labor protections through international
organizations such as the International Labor Organization, the OECD and
eventually the World Trade Organization.
- Sixth, to ask the director-general of the ILO to call a conference on
child labor so that labor ministers, workers, employers and non-governmental
organizations can discuss strategies for dealing with the problem. (Labor
ministers who attended the ILO conference in Geneva earlier this month spent an
entire day discussing child labor).
- Seventh, work to assure that the child labor criterion for trade
benefits under the Generalized System of Preferences is fully applied by this
Administration.
- Eighth, suggest that the Administration review the new UNICEF
procurement guidelines on exploitative child labor to consider their possible
application to U.S. government international procurement policies.
- Ninth, to encourage further use of consumer information campaigns and
labeling initiatives such as RUGMARK in India.
- Tenth, to continue to work with Senator Harkin to try to pass a
version of his bill that would allow us to reduce the use of exploitative child
labor and ensuring that it is not reflected in U.S. imports.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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