[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 444 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 444

            Supporting the Global March Against Child Labor.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 21, 1998

 Mr. Gephardt (for himself, Mr. Miller of California, Mr. Boswell, Mr. 
   Sanders, Mr. Visclosky, Mr. Neal of Massachusetts, Mr. Vento, Mr. 
Matsui, Mr. Levin, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, 
 Mr. LaFalce, Mr. Kennedy of Rhode Island, Mr. Olver, Mr. Torres, Mr. 
 Moran of Virginia, Mr. Romero-Barcelo, and Mr. Bonior) submitted the 
     following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on Education 
 and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
            Supporting the Global March Against Child Labor.

Whereas the International Labor Organization estimates that at least 250,000,000 
        children under the age of 15 are working around the world, many of them 
        in dangerous jobs in industry, mining, and plantation agriculture;
Whereas nearly 50 percent of the children in Africa, 21 percent in Asia, and 17 
        percent in Latin America go to work without ever having seen the inside 
        of a classroom;
Whereas the United States Secretary of Labor has conducted 4 detailed studies 
        that document the growing scourge of child labor in the global economy, 
        including children as young as 5 who are making assorted products traded 
        in the global marketplace;
Whereas many of these child laborers work long hours for little or no pay under 
        abominable conditions, sacrificing their childhood, health, and well-
        being;
Whereas the number of children under age 15 who are working under horrible 
        conditions and the scale of their suffering are increasing every year, 
        despite the existence of international and national laws which 
        purportedly bind virtually all national governments to prohibit the 
        commercial exploitation of children;
Whereas Principle 9 of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, proclaimed by 
        the General Assembly of the United Nations on November 20, 1959, states 
        that ``. . . the child shall not be admitted to employment before an 
        appropriate minimum age; he shall in no case be caused or permitted to 
        engage in any occupation or employment which would prejudice his health 
        or education, or interfere with his physical, mental, or moral 
        development . . .'';
Whereas children under the age of 15 in many countries still lack either the 
        legal standing or practical means to protect themselves from 
        exploitation in the workplace;
Whereas the prevalence of child labor in many developing countries is rooted in 
        widespread poverty that is attributable to unemployment and 
        underemployment among adults, precarious family incomes, low living 
        standards, and insufficient education and training opportunities among 
        adult workers and children;
Whereas the exploitative employment of children under the age of 15 deprives 
        children of the opportunity for basic education and a brighter future;
Whereas the exploitative employment of children under the age of 15, often at 
        pitifully low wages, ignores the importance of increasing jobs and 
        purchasing power among adult workers as a catalyst to the development of 
        internal markets and the achievement of broad-based, sustainable 
        economic development, especially in many developing countries;
Whereas the Global March Against Child Labor has been organized by more than 700 
        nongovernmental organizations from all walks of life from the local to 
        the international level as a massive global demonstration of concern and 
        outcry for the eradication of the worst forms of child labor;
Whereas the mission of the Global March Against Child Labor is to ``mobilize 
        worldwide efforts to protect and promote the rights of all children, 
        especially the right to receive a free, meaningful education and to be 
        protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that 
        is likely to be damaging to the child's physical, mental, spiritual, 
        moral, or social development'';
Whereas portions of the Global March Against Child Labor will pass through 92 
        countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, North America, and Europe, 
        reaching Washington, DC, in late May and culminating in Geneva, 
        Switzerland in June; and
Whereas the Global March Against Child Labor promises to be the largest protest 
        ever against the commercial exploitation of children in developed and 
        developing countries alike, involving millions of children and adults: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns child labor exploitation wherever it occurs in 
        the United States and overseas;
            (2) endorses and supports the Global March Against Child 
        Labor and applauds the efforts of the organizers and 
        participants in this historic undertaking; and
            (3) pledges to work for effective international action to 
        eradicate the worst forms of child labor by the year 2000.
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