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ILAB News Release: [10/01/2004]
Contact Name: Jane Norris or Mike
Biddle
Phone Number: (202) 693-4676 or x5051
United States Provides over $110 Million in Grants to Fight
Exploitive Child Labor Around the World
WASHINGTON—To emphasize the United States commitment to eliminating
the worst forms of child labor, U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao noted
today that in FY 2004 the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) provided over $110
million in grants to remove young workers from abusive work situations and
improve access to quality basic education in areas with a high incidence
of exploitive child labor.
“The United States is the world leader in funding programs to eliminate
abusive child labor,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “This
Administration is committed to working with our partners around the world
to rescue child soldiers and other children who have been trafficked. We
cannot give them back their childhoods, but we can help them get an education
and build better futures for themselves.”
The Labor Department awarded $67.5 million in grants under its Child Labor
Education Initiative, most through a competitive bidding process. In addition,
the Labor Department contributed approximately $42.7 million to the International
Labor Organization's International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor
(IPEC) for programs to address child labor in Africa, Asia, Latin America
and the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East. The department's Bureau of
International Labor Affairs (ILAB) contributed to the design of these projects
and is responsible for monitoring the progress of all DOL-funded international
child labor projects.
DOL funds five types of projects, including:
- Targeted programs that address exploitive child labor in a specific industry
in a country or region;
- Education programs that focus on child laborers
or children at risk;
- Research and statistical programs to collect
data necessary to define the extent of exploitive child labor in a
country or region and to measure progress made toward the goal of eliminating
child labor;
- Projects to support a country's active participation
in IPEC; and
- Comprehensive national programs to achieve dramatic reductions
in exploitive child labor within a fixed time period.
“The United States remains committed to the global campaign to eliminate
the worst forms of exploitive labor that place children in harm's way while
depriving them of the opportunity to prepare for a better future by attending
school,” said Deputy Under Secretary for International Labor Affairs Arnold
Levine.
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Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.
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