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The Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking (OCFT) plays an active role in research and policy initiatives relating to international child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking. Pursuant to Congressional requests, OCFT has published annual international child labor reports since 1994. In 2002, OCFT's annual report became a legislative mandate under the Trade and Development Act. OCFT is also taking on a new research, monitoring, and reporting role as directed by the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005. In addition, OCFT carries out DOL's responsibilities under Executive Order No. 13126. Finally, OCFT has sponsored numerous public events relating to international child labor issues.
In 2002, OCFT initiated another set of reports mandated by the Trade and
Development Act (TDA), signed into law on May 18, 2000. The TDA establishes a new eligibility
criterion concerning efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor for receipt of trade benefits under the Generalized System of Preferences, Caribbean Basin Initiative, Andean Trade Preference Act, and African Growth and Opportunities Act. The TDA also requires the Secretary of
Labor to issue findings on beneficiary country initiatives to implement their international
commitments to eliminate the worst forms of child labor.
These findings are contained in DOL's Trade and Development Act Annual Reports. To access these and other OCFT reports, see the OCFT publications list.
On January 10, 2006, the President signed into law the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 (TVPRA), H.R. 972. The TVPRA, in addition to reauthorizing the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, includes provisions aimed at preventing trafficking in persons in conjunction with post-conflict and humanitarian emergency assistance. The TVPRA also includes additional activities specifically intended for the Department of Labor (DOL) to monitor and combat forced labor and child labor. To learn more about these DOL mandates, see ILAB's TVPRA page.
Executive Order No.
13126 "Prohibition of Acquisition of Products Produced by Forced or
Indentured Child Labor", signed on June 12, 1999, prohibits federal agencies
from buying products that have been made with forced or indentured child labor.
The Department of Labor, in consultation and cooperation with the Department of
the Treasury and the Department of State, developed a list of products,
identified by country of origin, which they believe might have been made with
forced or indentured child labor. This list is updated periodically based on
new information and according to the Procedural
Guidelines for the Maintenance of the List of Products.
[List of Products]
On June 18, 2008, Congress passed the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (“Farm Bill”). Section 3205 (b) of this law establishes a Consultative Group to Eliminate the Use of Child Labor and Forced Labor in Imported Agricultural Products, to be composed of 13 members and chaired by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The mandate of this Consultative Group is to “develop recommendations relating to guidelines to reduce the likelihood that agricultural products or commodities imported into the United States are produced with the use of forced labor and child labor.” The law assigns specific duties to USDA and the Department of Labor (DOL). DOL has the primary responsibility of identifying members for the Consultative Group from higher education and nongovernmental organizations to serve on the Consultative Group. The Deputy Under Secretary for International Affairs is also an official member of the group.
OCFT has also convened 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. In May 2000, the Department of Labor, in conjunction with
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, Children in the Crossfire: Prevention and Rehabilitation of Child Soldiers conference, to heighten the global response to the exploitation of child soldiers.
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