Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao Highlights U.S. Efforts
on Child Labor, HIV/AIDS at International Labor Conference

Stresses Support for Workers to Move up Ladder of Opportunity

GENEVA, Switzerland—Secretary Elaine L. Chao highlighted U.S. programs to help child laborers—particularly child soldiers—and President George W. Bush’s commitment to people imperiled by AIDS in her remarks to the 91st session of the International Labor Conference. She pointed out that these efforts meet the challenge laid out in the International Labor Organization (ILO) Director-General’s report, Working Out of Poverty.

“Since 1995, the United States government has provided more than $313 million to fund international projects aimed at preventing and eliminating child labor,” said Chao. “These projects remove children from hazardous work environments and exploitive conditions, provide educational opportunities for child laborers, and raise awareness about the child labor issue.”

Chao went on to outline two international assistance programs administered by the department’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs: ending of the practice of using children as soldiers and HIV/AIDS prevention education in the workplace.

Chao in particular has paid special attention to the brutal phenomenon of child soldiers. She said, “They are robbed of their innocence, placed in harm’s way on a daily basis and deprived of any hope for a normal life. This is one form of exploitation that no member of the community of civilized nations can ever tolerate.”

The Secretary’s remarks followed up her commitment to raise international awareness of the plight of child soldiers, which she made during an international conference on child soldiers convened by the Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. in May 2003. During that conference, which brought together representatives from 500 agencies and organizations, Secretary Chao announced a new $13 million Labor Department initiative to prevent and rehabilitate child soldiers. This includes a $7 million global initiative funded through the ILO’s International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC), a $3 million project in Uganda and a $3 million project in Afghanistan.

Chao also gave an overview of President Bush’s commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS and the Labor Department’s HIV/AIDS prevention education projects. Chao commented, “I am proud that the United States under the leadership of President George W. Bush, has launched an unprecedented emergency relief effort to fight the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. President Bush has committed $15 billion over the next 5 years to turn the tide against HIV in the most afflicted nations of Africa and the Caribbean.”

Chao concluded, “Both of the initiatives I have outlined today—eliminating the use of children for armed conflict and helping HIV afflicted workers—can make a real difference for the world’s children and for the world’s workers. I thank the member states working with us on these initiatives and encourage my colleagues in the ILO to join us in supporting these worthy goals.”

The International Labor Conference is the annual meeting of the 175 member countries of the ILO, the specialized UN agency that formulates basic labor rights through international conventions and recommendations. Secretary Chao was the chief U.S. representative at the conference.

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Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.