[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 155 (Friday, November 5, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S14226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONVENTION (NO. 182) FOR ELIMINATION OF THE WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR

  The resolution of ratification is as follows:

       Resolved (two-thirds of the Senators present concurring 
     therein), That the Senate advise and consent to the 
     ratification of Convention (No. 182) Concerning the 
     Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the 
     Worst Forms of Child Labor, adopted by the International 
     Labor Conference at its 87th Session in Geneva on June 17, 
     1999 (Treaty Doc. 106-5), subject to the understandings of 
     subsection (a), the declaration of subsection (b), and the 
     proviso of subsection (c).
       (a) Understandings.--The Senate's advice and consent is 
     subject to the following understandings, which shall be 
     included in the instrument of ratification:
       Children working on farms.--The United States understands 
     that Article 3(d) of Convention 182 does not encompass 
     situations in which children are employed by a parent or by a 
     person standing in the place of a parent on a farm owned or 
     operated by such parent or person, nor does it change, or is 
     it intended to lead to a change in the agricultural 
     employment provisions or any other provision of the Fair 
     Labor Standards Act in the United States.
       Basic education.--The United States understands that the 
     term ``basic education'' in Article 7 of Convention 182 means 
     primary education plus one year: eight or nine years of 
     schooling, based on curriculum and not age.
       (b) Declaration.--The Senate's advice and consent is 
     subject to the following declaration, which shall be binding 
     on the President.
       Treaty interpretation.--The Senate affirms the 
     applicability to all treaties of the constitutionally based 
     principles of treaty interpretation set forth in Condition 
     (1) of the resolution of ratification of the INF Treaty, 
     approved by the Senate on May 27, 1988, and Condition (8) of 
     the resolution of ratification of the Document Agreed Among 
     the States Parties to the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces 
     in Europe, approved by the Senate on May 14, 1997.
       (c) Proviso.--The resolution of ratification is subject to 
     the following proviso, which shall not be included in the 
     instrument of ratification to be signed by the President.
       Supremacy of the constitution.--Nothing in the Treaty 
     requires or authorizes legislation or other action by the 
     United States of America that is prohibited by the 
     Constitution of the United States as interpreted by the 
     United States.

                          ____________________