III 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 177 

Recognizing the 10th anniversary of the International Labour Organization’s 

unanimous adoption of Convention 182, ‘‘Concerning the Prohibition 

and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child 

Labour’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 9, 2009 

Mr. HARKIN submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 

agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the 10th anniversary of the International Labour 

Organization’s unanimous adoption of Convention 182, 

‘‘Concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for 

the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour’’. 

Whereas on June 17, 1999, the International Labour Organization (ILO) unanimously adopted Convention 182, 

‘‘Concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for 

the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour’’, 

done at Geneva (T. Doc. 106-5) (in this preamble referred to as the ‘‘Convention’’); 

Whereas on August 5, 1999, President William Jefferson 

Clinton submitted the Convention to the Senate for its 

advice and consent; 


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•SRES 177 ATS 

Whereas on October 21, 1999, the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, under the chairmanship of Senator 

Jesse Helms, considered the Convention, and on November 3, 1999, reported it out of committee; 

Whereas on November 5, 1999, the Senate unanimously 

agreed to the resolution of advice and consent to the ratification of the Convention; 

Whereas on December 2, 1999, President Clinton signed the 

instruments of ratification of the Convention, as the 

United States became the third country to ratify the 

Convention; 

Whereas the terms of the Convention apply to all children 

under 18 years of age and define the worst forms of child 

labor to include slavery and practices similar to slavery 

(including the sale and trafficking of children), forced or 

compulsory labor, debt bondage and serfdom, child prostitution and child pornography, the use of children in illegal activities (including drug production and trafficking), 

and work that is likely to jeopardize the health, safety, 

or morals of children; 

Whereas the stated goals of the Convention include the effective elimination of the worst forms of child labor, ensuring that the parties take into account the importance of 

free basic education, removal of children from all work 

that is in violation of the Convention, and provision of rehabilitation and social integration for children who have 

engaged in work that it is in violation of the Convention; 

Whereas since 1995, the United States has become the largest contributor to the ILO’s International Program for 

the Elimination of Child Labor; 


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•SRES 177 ATS 

Whereas the Department of Labor has funded 220 projects 

through the International Program for the Elimination of 

Child Labor that have affected 1,300,000 children in 82 

countries who were rescued from or prevented from entering the worst forms of child labor; 

Whereas in May 2000, the United States Government enacted the Trade and Development Act of 2000 (Public 

Law 106-200), which included a provision that requires 

countries receiving duty-free access to the United States 

marketplace to take steps to implement the terms of the 

Convention in order to retain such trade privileges; 

Whereas between 2000 and 2004, the worst forms of child 

labor declined worldwide, as the overall number of child 

laborers fell by 11 percent, from 246,000,000 to 

218,000,000, and the number of young child laborers was 

reduced by 33 percent; 

Whereas between 2000 and 2004, the number of children between 5 and 17 years of age who performed hazardous 

work fell by 26 percent, from 171,000,000 to 

126,000,000; and 

Whereas on the 10th anniversary of its adoption, a total of 

183 countries have ratified the Convention: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that— 

2 (1) the worst forms of child labor should not be 

3 tolerated, whether they occur in the United States or 

4 other countries; and 

(2) on the 10th 5 anniversary of its adoption, all 

6 parties to Convention 182, ‘‘Concerning the Prohibi7 tion and Immediate Action for the Elimination of 


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•SRES 177 ATS 

1 the Worst Forms of Child Labour’’, done at Geneva 

2 June 17, 1999 (T. Doc. 106-5), should work toward 

3 its full implementation to realize the goal of elimi4 nating the worst forms of child labor. 

Æ 


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