The U.S. Department of Labor works with the United States Trade Representative, Department of State, and other United States government agencies to implement the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), focusing in particular on the labor provisions of the Act.
AGOA authorizes the President to designate countries as eligible to receive its benefits if they are determined to have established, or are making continual progress toward establishing the protection of internationally recognized worker rights and the elimination of certain child labor practices.
At ILAB, we assist in the annual AGOA eligibility review process and fund technical assistance programs to protect and improve workers' rights in AGOA countries. AGOA and Labor As part of the annual AGOA eligibility review process, we examine each country's efforts to implement and enforce internationally recognized worker rights. These rights include the right of association, the right to organize and bargain collectively, prohibitions on forced and compulsory labor, a minimum age for the employment of children, and acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages, hours of work, and occupational safety and health. ILAB also assesses each government's efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor.