[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 158 (Monday, November 10, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2301]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          INTRODUCTION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD ACT OF 1997

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BERNARD SANDERS

                               of vermont

                    in the house of representatives

                        Sunday, November 9, 1997

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, today I am reintroducing legislation 
calling for President Clinton to submit to the U.S. Senate and for the 
U.S. Senate to ratify the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. 
America needs to affirm these fundamental human rights for all 
children. Our Nation remains one of a handful of nations that have not 
seen fit to affirm civil, political, economical, social, and 
humanitarian rights for children.
  Why should we do this? Let me cite just one example.
  It is wrong that at least 200 million defenseless children are 
working around the world today without any hope of ever seeing the 
inside of a classroom. Many of these abused children are making 
products exported for sale in our shopping malls, sporting goods 
stores, and oriental rug shops all across America.
  Consider the plight of millions of child laborers, some as young as 4 
years old, who are sold into virtual slavery; that is, bonded and 
indentured servants, and chained to looms for 14 hours a day hand-
knotting the oriental rugs that grace the foyers and living rooms of 
countless homes and offices all across our country.
  Exploited children toil in factories, mines, fields, at looms, and 
even in brothels, sacrificing their youth, health, and innocence for 
little or no wages.
  They are hand-stitching the Nike and Adidas soccer balls that our 
kids practice with every day. The very same soccer balls that were used 
at the Atlanta Olympics last year.
  They are sewing the blouses and slacks that Kathie Lee Gifford was 
paid $7 million a year to promote for Walmart stores until she was 
embarrassed last year.
  They are making Mattel Barbie Dolls that little girls across America 
play with every day.
  They are even sharpening the surgical instruments used in our 
hospital operating rooms.
  This situation is totally unacceptable and there are actions that 
must be taken to stop this affront to basic human decency. That is why 
I authored the recently enacted law to prohibit the importing of any 
products made by forced or indentured child labor for the first time in 
our Nation's history.
  At the same time, our standing to push for a crackdown on child labor 
around the world would be strengthened if we would ratify the U.N. 
Convention on the Rights of the Child.
  I firmly believe trade is not an end in itself, but a means toward 
attaining more economic justice, social responsibility, and 
environmental sustain ability in the United States and the global 
economy.
  The fact that current trade rules go to great lengths to protect 
property rights, while ignoring the rights of working people--
especially children--says much about the absurd priorities of our 
current trade policies.
  Inside and outside the halls of government, we have the power to 
change this sorry state of affairs. Access to the American marketplace 
and consumer purchasing power are powerful sources of leverage that 
should be used to encourage foreign producers and importers to treat 
defenseless children and all workers with dignity and respect.
  We need a trading system that protects the fundamental rights of 
children and all working people and not just the property rights of 
corporations and financiers. I am especially delighted that some 
Vermont teenagers have already begun to speak out and demand action in 
defense of kids overseas who cannot help themselves. I applaud their 
human rights leadership and I hope this Congress will go beyond the 
recently enacted ban that I authored to cut foreign aid to countries 
that fail to enforce their own child labor laws and to keep any imports 
made by children under 14 who are employed in manufacturing or mining 
out of the U.S. marketplace as has been proposed by Senator Harkin, 
Congressman Frank, and myself.
  Mobilizing the global community against the scourge of child labor is 
critically important. Certainly, this effort will be greatly enhanced 
if America joins 169 other nations that have already ratified the U.N. 
Convention on the Rights of the Child.

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