[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 57 (Tuesday, March 25, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14164-14165]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-7525]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Bureau of International Labor Affairs; Public Hearings on 
International Child Labor

    This document is a notice of public hearings to be held by the 
Department of Labor for the purpose of gathering information regarding 
the use of abusive or exploitative child labor in the production of 
goods imported into the United States. The hearing will be held on 
April 18, 1997, at the Department of Labor, room N-3437, beginning at 
9:00 a.m. The hearing will be open to the public. The Department of 
Labor is now accepting requests from all interested parties to provide 
oral or written testimony at the hearing. Each presentation will be 
limited to ten minutes. The Department is not able to provide financial 
assistance to those wishing to travel to attend the hearing. Those 
unable to attend the hearing are invited to submit written testimony. 
Parties interested in testifying at the

[[Page 14165]]

international child labor hearing should call Thelma Hackley (202) 219-
7613 ext. 106 to be put on the roster.
    The Department of Labor is currently undertaking a fourth 
Congressionally-mandated review of international child labor practices 
(pursuant to the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and 
Education and Related Agencies Appropriation Bill, 1997, P.L. 104-208). 
Information provided at the hearing will be considered by the 
Department of Labor in preparing its report to Congress. Testimony 
should be confined to the topic of the study. Specifically, the 
International Child Labor Office of the Bureau of International Labor 
Affairs is seeking written and oral testimony on the topics noted 
below:
    1. Efforts initiated in the private sector, including efforts by 
importers, manufacturers, retailers, as well as non-governmental 
organizations, to eliminate exploitative child labor in the following 
industries: hand-knotted carpets, soccer balls, tea, and leather 
footwear. The International Child Labor Office is particularly 
interested in efforts, such as labels or codes of conduct, designed to 
inform customers that no child labor is used in the production of these 
products, and the operation, costs, and effectiveness of such programs.
    2. Factual information regarding the use of child labor in the 
production of hand-knotted carpets, soccer balls, tea, and leather 
footwear in countries that may export such items to the United States.
    3. Other information concerning programs designed to inform the 
public that no child labor was used to produce a consumer product. 
These efforts may be either non-industry specific or in industries 
other than hand-knotted carpets, soccer balls, tea, and leather 
footwear.

DATES: The hearing is scheduled for Friday, April 18, 1997. The 
deadline for being placed on the roster for oral testimony is 5:00 p.m. 
on Friday, April 11, 1997. Presenters will be required to submit five 
(5) written copies of their oral testimony to the International Child 
Labor Office by 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 16, 1997. The record will 
be kept open for additional written testimony until 5:00 p.m., Monday, 
April 28, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The hearing will be held at the Department of Labor, Room N-
3437, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. Written testimony 
should be addressed to the International Child Labor Office, Bureau of 
International Labor Affairs, Room S-5303, U.S. Department of Labor, 
Washington, DC 20210, fax: (202) 219-4923.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thelma Hackley, International Child 
Labor Office, Bureau of International Labor Affairs, Room S-5303, U.S. 
Department of Labor, Washington, D.C. 20210, telephone: (20) 219-7613 
ext. 106; fax (202) 219-5071. Persons with disabilities who need 
special accommodations should contact Thelma Hackley by Monday, April 
14, 1997.
    All written or oral comments submitted pursuant to the public 
hearing will be made part of the record of review referred to above and 
will be available for public inspection.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 19th day of March, 1997.
Andrew J. Samet,
Acting Deputy Under Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-7525 Filed 3-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-28-M