Bureau of International Labor Affairs

Description

The Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), within the Department of Labor, protects vulnerable people around the world—women, child laborers, people at risk for forced labor and human trafficking, and workers at the bottom of global supply chains. ILAB promotes, monitors, and enforces labor-related provisions in U.S. trade agreements and preference programs, monitors and combats child labor, promotes respect for labor rights and adherence to labor laws, and implements projects in developing countries that fight poverty by improving worker rights and livelihoods.

What does it buy?

ILAB is essential to U.S. efforts to eliminate child labor, human trafficking, and forced labor. It also ensures that countries that trade with the U.S. adhere to their labor rights obligations. ILAB’s program funds enable civil society organizations around the world to implement technical assistance programs that combat child labor and human trafficking, promote labor rights, and support fair trade in complex labor rights environments such as Mexico, Bangladesh, Colombia, and Mauritania.

Why is it important?

• Worldwide, 152 million children are still engaged in child labor—73 million of whom work in hazardous conditions. Of the 152 million, roughly half are under 11 years old.
• The cost of child labor to the global economy is as much as 6.6% of global gross national income.
• 64% of human trafficking victims worldwide are exploited for labor.
• An estimated 25 million people are subject to forced labor globally.
• Since 1995, ILAB has withdrawn nearly 2 million children from labor and provided them with education; it has helped nearly 170,000 families meet basic needs without relying upon child labor.
• ILAB monitors and enforces labor conditions in 131 countries with trade agreements and preference programs with the U.S.—ensuring that U.S. trade partners comply with their labor rights obligations.

Why should Americans care?

• ILAB enforces the labor provisions of U.S. free trade agreements and preference programs so that countries that trade with the U.S. do not exploit child and forced labor, rely on trafficked workers, ignore basic workplace safety measures, or repress worker rights to gain an unfair advantage in trade.
• In developing countries, ILAB builds workers’ capacity to defend their labor rights and advocate for safe working conditions, leveling the playing field for American workers and businesses.
• ILAB provides tools, like the ComplyChain app, to help American businesses navigate the challenges of eliminating child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking in their supply chains by explaining relevant laws, regulations, and policies and modeling strategies for monitoring and remediation.

What more could be done?

• As the U.S. renegotiates several major trade agreements, additional investment would enhance ILAB’s capacity to guarantee that U.S. trading partners are effectively implementing labor standards.
• Additional investment would allow ILAB to partner with more organizations to build the capacity of the private sector to address child labor, forced labor, and worker rights issues, including companies working in tobacco, rubber, tea, cocoa, sugarcane, cotton, and many other industries.
• Robust funding to support programs that combat child labor would help ILAB reach tens of thousands of more children each year.