WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs has awarded a $5 million cooperative agreement to Counterpart International to combat child labor in Burkina Faso. The project will target child labor in cotton production and gold mining, focusing on the northern area of the Haute Bassins, the Boucle de Mouhoun and the northern and central-northern Cascades.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today introduced Reducing Child Labor and Forced Labor: A Toolkit for Responsible Businesses, the first guide developed by the U.S. government to help businesses combat child labor and forced labor in their global supply chains.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced a $6 million cooperative agreement award to Winrock International for a project to combat child labor in geographic areas of Liberia that produce rubber.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced a $10 million cooperative agreement to World Vision for a project to combat child labor in Cambodia's agriculture, fishing, fisheries, aquaculture and domestic service sectors.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs has awarded a $1.5 million cooperative agreement to Tulane University's Payson Center for International Development in New Orleans to carry out research on the prevalence of child labor in cocoa-growing areas of Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs is seeking eligible applicants under a $5 million competitive grant solicitation to reduce child domestic labor by building the capacity of domestic workers organizations in one or more countries in South Asia and/or Southeast Asia.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs is seeking eligible applicants under a $1.5 million competitive grant solicitation to develop centers for workers' rights in Colombia.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs is seeking eligible applicants under two competitive grant solicitations to implement projects that will reduce child labor in Ecuador and Panama.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs is seeking eligible applicants under a $2.2 million competitive grant solicitation to strengthen worker organizations in Haiti and Peru. ILAB intends to award $1.2 million to be used for Haiti and $1 million for Peru.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced the release of three revised reports on global child labor and forced labor that were prepared by the department's Bureau of International Labor Affairs. At an event to release the reports, held at U.S. Department of Labor headquarters, Secretary Solis was joined by Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa; Gayle Smith, special assistant to the president and senior director at the National Security Council; and Ian Solomon, U.S. executive director of the World Bank.

WASHINGTON — A $5 million competitive solicitation for cooperative agreements to combat child labor in Burkina Faso's cotton and artisanal gold mining sectors was announced today by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement in recognition of Labor Rights Week, Aug. 27-31:

"This year's theme, 'Promoting Labor Rights is Everyone's Responsibility,' underscores the importance of partnerships between the Labor Department and other countries to educate migrant workers and their employers about U.S. labor laws.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today issued the following statement regarding an agreement reached by General Motors Colmotores and its current and former workers:

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs has announced a competitive solicitation for one or more cooperative agreements worth up to $10 million to combat child labor in Tanzania's agricultural production and domestic service sectors.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced a $10 million competitive solicitation for cooperative agreements to combat child labor in Cambodia's agriculture, fishing and fisheries/aquaculture, and domestic service sectors.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced a $6 million competitive solicitation for a cooperative agreement to combat child labor in the rubber-producing areas of Liberia.

Qualified applicants should focus on children who are engaged in or at risk of being involved in various forms of child labor in rubber-producing areas. Among other things, applicants must:

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced a competitive solicitation for a $5 million cooperative agreement to pilot test the U.S. Department of Agriculture's guidelines to reduce child labor and forced labor in imported agricultural products.

WASHINGTON — During a ceremony today at U.S. Department of Labor headquarters in Washington, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis signed partnership agreements with ambassadors representing the embassies of Honduras, the Philippines, Peru and Ecuador.

"Migrant workers make important contributions to our economy," said Secretary Solis. "Today's agreements help ensure these workers are aware of the right to safe workplaces and to receive full payment of the wages owed to them under the laws of the United States."

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on data regarding forced labor that have been issued by the International Labor Organization:

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on the election of Guy Ryder as director-general of the International Labor Organization:

"I extend my congratulations to Guy Ryder on his election as the new director-general of the International Labor Organization and wish him the greatest success in his new position. Mr. Ryder has been a great advocate of the world's working people, both as a trade union leader and in his work at the ILO.