WASHINGTON — In April 1995, on a dusty, rural road in his native Pakistan, 13-year-old Iqbal Masih was riding his bicycle when an unknown gunman shot and killed him. Three years earlier, he had escaped after five years of slavery as a carpet weaver to become an outspoken advocate against child exploitation.

WASHINGTON — For children facing work-filled days — lifting heavy rocks, cutting sugar cane, or weaving carpets — the promise of even a basic education may seem remote. Add the threat of retaliation or violence, under the watchful eye of an employer, and the glimmer of that promise fades even further.

For communities to thrive, children need opportunities to learn and grow. Their families need opportunities to earn a decent living. And everyone needs the freedom of choice to learn and venture as far as their hard work will take them.

WASHINGTON — Safety and health at work is a basic human right, and a necessity for inclusive economic development. The International Labour Organization reports more than 2.3 million people die every year from occupational and work-related injuries and diseases. The human toll of these injuries and diseases is immeasurable. Economic consequences are also substantial, with an estimated annual loss of 4 percent to global gross domestic product.

WASHINGTON — The text of the following statement was released by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry; High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini; U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez; EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility Marianne Thyssen; U.S. Trade Representative Michael B. G. Froman; EU Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström; U.S. Agency for International Development Acting Administrator Alfonso E.

WASHINGTON — In the next decade, six million youth will enter the Central American labor force. They will need job opportunities and the skills to succeed in them. All too often, high poverty and violence rates in El Salvador and Honduras prevent young people from learning the marketable, job-driven skills that can help them forge clear paths to decent jobs and greater economic opportunities. Without access to quality education and good jobs, these youth are vulnerable to exploitation.

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — The U.S. Department of Labor released a report today that raises serious concerns regarding the effective enforcement of labor laws in Honduras under the labor chapter of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR).

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced the award of a $7 million cooperative agreement to World Vision to implement a project to combat exploitative child labor and improve labor rights and working conditions in Honduras. World Vision is "dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice."

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced the award of an $8 million cooperative agreement to the International Labor Organization to implement a technical cooperation project to prevent and reduce child labor in Vietnam. This project will be undertaken in coordination with the Government of Vietnam.

WASHINGTON — With an estimated 215 million children engaged in child labor and nearly 21 million victims of forced labor worldwide, it's critical that investments in projects to improve their lives employ the most effective and efficient interventions. Strong project monitoring and rigorous evaluations are necessary to determine which of many possible approaches will most effectively secure and protect the rights of these children and adults. The U.S.

WASHINGTON — Mexico's Federal Labor Law Reform of 2012 protects workers from various forms of discrimination: female workers fired or never hired for being pregnant; LGBT workers retaliated against for their sexual orientation; and men and women sexually harassed in the workplace.

These and other forms of employment discrimination can cripple economies, denying working men and women economic security and equal opportunity. Freedom from workplace discrimination is also a fundamental human right and a matter of basic human dignity.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced the award of a $10 million cooperative agreement with World Vision to implement a project to address exploitative labor among youth in Ethiopia.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced two grants to help strengthen workers' rights in Peru and the Philippines through technical assistance projects to build capacity at the labor inspectorates in those countries.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez today announced the Honorable Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa as the recipient of the department's 2014 Iqbal Masih Award for the Elimination of Child Labor. Secretary Perez presented the award to Sen. Harkin at a ceremony today at the department.

WASHINGTON — The sixth edition of the "List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor," mandated by the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005, was released today by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor is extending the public comment period on labor capacity-building efforts under the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement until 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, Nov. 28. The original deadline established for receipt of public comments was 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday, Nov. 10.

US Labor Secretary joined by ambassadors of Mexico, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica for signing ceremony

WASHINGTON — During a ceremony today at U.S. Department of Labor headquarters, U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez renewed partnership agreements with ambassadors representing the countries of Mexico, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs announced a $750,000 award for a cooperative agreement with the American Center for International Labor Solidarity, also known as the Solidarity Center, to implement a project to advance worker rights in the country of Georgia.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced a $1 million competitive solicitation for a project to assist the government of the Philippines with improving compliance with labor laws and regulations, including those related to occupational safety and health.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced a $1,389,000 competitive solicitation for a project to assist the government of Mexico to combat labor discrimination by supporting enforcement of the strengthened anti-discrimination provisions in Mexico's Federal Labor Law Reform of 2012.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez today announced the 13th edition of the "Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor" report, prepared annually by the Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs. The report assesses efforts by more than 140 countries to reduce the worst forms of child labor and reports whether countries have made significant, moderate, minimal or no advancement from year to year.