[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 51 (Thursday, March 16, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 13631]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-3826]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Notice of Intent To Fund the International Labor Organization

AGENCY: Bureau of International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of 
Labor.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to award up to a total of $5 million to the 
International Labor Organization (ILO). Up to $3 million is designated 
for the purpose of supporting a program to benchmark and verify 
progress made in building the capacity of CAFTA-DR countries to 
implement their labor laws consistent with international standards and 
up to $2 million is designated for the purpose of training labor court 
judges, lawyers, court administrators, and others involved in the 
administration of labor justice in CAFTA-DR countries.

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SUMMARY: Benchmarking/verification: The free trade agreement between 
the United States and the CAFTA-DR countries establishes a commitment 
to effectively enforce domestic labor laws. This program will measure 
and evaluate progress by the CAFTA-DR countries as they strive to 
improve implementation of their labor laws consistent with 
international standards.
    Specifically, the program will create a series of benchmarks and 
measurements related to compliance with internationally recognized 
labor rights. These tools will be used to evaluate the implementation 
of the recommendations established in the ``White Paper'' (developed by 
the Trade and Labor Ministry officials of the countries), as well as 
improvements to institutional capacities of government mechanisms for 
the sustainable implementation of labor law. A verification report will 
be produced and made publicly available on a semi-annual basis.
    Labor Justice Training: Increasing knowledge throughout the 
judicial system of core labor standards and the laws and regulations in 
place to support them is critical to success. An efficient and 
effective labor justice system is also of great importance. Training 
needed to assure these outcomes may include:
     Training in internationally recognized labor standards of 
the International Labor Organization, as well as training on the ILO's 
system for overseeing labor rights;
     Training in the national level obligations entailed in 
country ratification of ILO conventions.
     Training in the application of ILO core labor standards 
through domestic legislation and regulation. This includes relevant
    (a) Training in oral litigation procedures, legal writing and 
proper jurisprudence procedures;
    (b) Training and technical assistance to support linkages between 
the formal court system, alternative dispute resolution systems, and 
the enforcement process taking place within labor ministries to ensure 
consistency with international standards; and
    (c) Training and technical assistance to strengthen alternative 
dispute systems, or other arbitration and mediation mechanisms dealing 
with labor issues that are specifically associated with the judicial 
system.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Eric Vogt, E-mail address: 
[email protected]. Grant Officer, U.S Department of Labor, Office of 
the Assistant Secretary, 200 Constitution Ave, DC 20210. Telephone: 
(202) 693-4750.

Eric F. Vogt,
Grant Officer, U.S. Department of Labor.
[FR Doc. E6-3826 Filed 3-15-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-28-P