The International Child Labor Program has held public hearings and symposia to raise public awareness and understanding of international child labor issues. From 1994 through 1998, public hearings were held to gather information on international child labor practices. In 1995, a symposium was held in Washington, D.C. that brought together international experts to discuss the problem of child prostitution (symposium proceedings are available from our publication list). In May 2000, the Department of Labor, in conjunction with the ILO's International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC), sponsored "Advancing the Global Campaign Against Child Labor: Progress Made and Future Actions," a conference highlighting innovative approaches to eliminating child labor around the world. In May 2003, United States Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao hosted representatives of the world community as they gathered to participate in a U.S. Department of Labor conference to heighten the global response to the exploitation of child soldiers. For more information on the conference, Children in the Crossfire: Prevention and Reintegration of Child Soldiers, click here.

In addition, in 1999, 2001 and 2002 the International Child Labor Program awarded a limited number of grants and contracts to domestic organizations to increase public awareness in the United States about international child labor. Four of these awards have been completed. The completed projects include grants to the International Labor Rights Fund, the National Consumers’ League, and the American Center for International Labor Solidarity, and a contract to the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs. For information about these projects, please contact ICLP.

The U.S. Department of Labor awarded a contract in 2001 and a grant in 2002 for public education and research on child labor.

1. University of Iowa

Contact: Chivy Sok, tel (319) 335-3900
Project Period: 36 months (contract), 24 months (grant)
Funding: $900,000

The University of Iowa is compiling a database of full texts of child labor legislation from 20 countries around the world, producing a collection of articles on international child labor and conducting public education on the issue for secondary students, college students and other interested parties.

2. Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs

Contact: Jacqueline DeCarlo, (703) 528-4141
Project Period: 12 months, awarded September 2001
Funding: $250,000

The Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs is producing informational resource bulletins on child labor in agriculture, developing a public service announcement on child labor internationally, and conducting public education workshops on the issue for children, parents and growers around the United States.