Department of Labor announces annual worst forms of child labor report; launches updated, redesigned tools to combat labor abuses
Department of Labor announces annual worst forms of child labor ... US Department of Labor
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U.S. Department of Labor Releases Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor
The U.S. Department of Labor has released the 22nd edition of the “Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor,” which highlights child labor abuses worldwide and assesses the progress made by certain countries in meeting their international commitments to eradicate these abuses.
Overview of Child Labor Situations
The report, prepared and published annually by the department’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs, provides an overview of child labor situations in 131 countries and territories. These situations include trafficking, debt bondage, forced labor, hazardous work, commercial sexual exploitation, and the use of children in armed conflict or illicit activities.
“For more than 25 years, the Bureau of International Labor Affairs has been exposing child labor and forced labor abuses around the world,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “I am confident that this reporting – along with the updated digital tools released today and continued collaboration with domestic and international partners – will bolster our collective efforts to address labor abuses wherever they may be found.”
Global Child Labor Statistics
The International Labor Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund estimate that 160 million children, almost one in 10 children worldwide, were engaged in child labor in 2020. This represents an increase of 8 million children since 2016. Nearly half of these children work in conditions that are likely to harm their safety, health, or morals.
Government Efforts to Eliminate Child Labor
The report also outlines how governments are working to eliminate child labor through legislation, law enforcement, policies, and social programs. It provides more than 2,000 country-specific recommendations for government action in each of these areas.
Updated Online Tools
In its ongoing efforts to end child labor, the Bureau of International Labor Affairs has made updates to the following online tools:
- A redesigned Comply Chain website that offers businesses a comprehensive set of best practices for developing strong, worker-driven social compliance systems to reduce child labor and forced labor in supply chains. The site now offers customized navigation, useful examples of good practices, and content focused on helping businesses’ due diligence efforts.
- An updated Sweat & Toil app with easier access to information on child and forced labor. The app includes the List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor and the latest details on how governments around the world are addressing child labor. Users can also view goods produced with exploitative labor by region and sector, the sectoral distribution of where children work by country, and labor inspectorate information by region.
- An updated Better Trade Tool that includes revamped, dynamic dashboards and custom queries. This allows users to view and analyze U.S. trade data against potential child labor and forced labor risks in U.S. supply chains. The tool now offers a global data dashboard to alert users to the risk of child labor and forced labor in global supply chains.
Learn more about ending child labor and forced labor.
Learn more about the Bureau of International Labor Affairs and the department’s international work.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
The article discusses child labor abuses globally, including trafficking, forced labor, hazardous work, commercial sexual exploitation, and the use of children in armed conflict or illicit activities. These issues are connected to SDG 8, which aims to promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. Additionally, the article mentions how governments are working to eliminate child labor through legislation, law enforcement, policies, and social programs, which aligns with SDG 16’s target of promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development and providing access to justice for all. Lastly, the article emphasizes the importance of collaboration with domestic and international partners to address labor abuses, which relates to SDG 17’s goal of strengthening global partnerships for sustainable development.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor.
- SDG 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against and torture of children.
- SDG 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development by promoting the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensuring equal access to justice for all.
The article highlights the need to eliminate the worst forms of child labor, which aligns with SDG 8.7’s target. It also emphasizes the importance of ending abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and violence against children, which relates to SDG 16.2’s target. Additionally, the article mentions the collaboration between domestic and international partners to address labor abuses, which supports SDG 17.16’s target of enhancing global partnerships for sustainable development and promoting the rule of law.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Number of countries implementing legislation and policies to eradicate child labor
- Number of countries enforcing laws against child labor and prosecuting offenders
- Number of children rescued from forced labor and trafficking
- Number of social programs implemented to support children affected by labor abuses
- Number of partnerships established between governments, NGOs, and international organizations to combat child labor
The article mentions that governments are working to eliminate child labor through legislation, law enforcement, policies, and social programs. These actions can be used as indicators to measure progress towards the identified targets. The number of countries implementing legislation and policies, enforcing laws, rescuing children from forced labor and trafficking, implementing social programs, and establishing partnerships can all be measured to assess progress in eradicating child labor and addressing labor abuses.
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor. |
|
| SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions | 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against and torture of children. |
|
| SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals | 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development by promoting the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensuring equal access to justice for all. |
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Source: dol.gov
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