Abusive child labor can be viewed as an abuse of power because it stems from adults exploiting the young, weak, vulnerable and insecure for personal profit, says Juan Somavia, director-general of the International Labor Organization (ILO).

Part of the reason that abusive child labor is tolerated is because it is widely dispersed, keeping it from drawing the attention it deserves, Somavia said May 17 in remarks before a joint ILO-U.S. Labor Department conference on global child labor issues.

"Child labor is lack of opportunity for parents, and it is the biggest failure of development efforts," he said. "Together with the 1.3 billion people living in extreme poverty, it is the dark side of the global economy."

The ILO succeeded in creating Convention 182 against the worst forms of abusive child labor, and to date the United States and 14 other nations have ratified it, Somavia said.

"This must go hand in hand with worldwide advocacy against child labor, focusing on its worst forms. Advocacy that turns yesterday's unchangeable and unchallenged reality into today's unacceptable abuse," he said. "A campaign that creates a climate of moral outrage making it uncomfortable, unprofitable, and ultimately impossible for the exploiters of children to continue in their ways."

Following is the text of Somavia's remarks as prepared for delivery:

(begin text)

Remarks by Mr. Juan Somavia Director General International Labor Organization Advancing the Global Campaign Against Child Labor Washington, D.C.

May 17, 2000

[U.S. Labor] Secretary Herman,

Dear colleagues,

Imagine a country the size of the United States, in which the entire population -- 250 million -- are child laborers. Then imagine, within it, the worst forms. An underclass of children -- some 60 to 80 million at least -- roughly the population of California, Texas and New York combined, working in conditions which cripple their bodies, minds and souls, stunt their growth and shorten their lives.

No one would tolerate such an abomination if it were visibly concentrated in one place. Yet there it is, hidden, dispersed and tolerated throughout the world. An abhorrent legacy of the 20th century, and a huge challenge for the 21st.

Child labor, in many ways, is an abuse of power. It is adults exploiting the young, weak, vulnerable, and insecure for personal profit.

Child labor is lack of opportunity for parents, and it is the biggest failure of development efforts. Together with the 1.3 billion people living in extreme poverty, it is the dark side of the global economy.

Is eradicating child labor from the face of the earth an impossible dream? I believe it is not. It should not be. It cannot be. That is why we are here today.

All of us are committed to this course. We want to act, participate, contribute, and be part of a growing global movement. A movement that will shake to its foundations the indifference of so many people.

We all want to see parents at work and children in school. To make it happen we must begin by understanding local realities, reaching concrete communities, children with names, parents with faces, families in need.

Worldwide, the work has already begun. Today we will hear about the ongoing struggle against child labor on a local level.

It is a very important day for listening and learning. We will hear inspirational stories -- about children now at school instead of making bricks in Peru. About children and their families freed from the scourge of hazardous domestic labor in Tanzania. About children rescued from trafficking and prostitution in Thailand -- prostitution sustained, don't forget, by the affluent sex tourists of the north.

Everyone here today has a special responsibility. Whether we work for government agencies or in legislative offices; whether we work for labor unions or employers associations; whether we work for non-governmental organizations or international organizations; whether we work for religious institutions or in private business. We all have our own responsibilities.

Yet, no matter how deeply we have been involved with child labor, all of us will learn from the speakers who have made long journeys to be here today. They are in the front line of the struggle. They represent a treasure chest of knowledge about how best to move children out of work in highly complex situations -- socially, economically, and culturally.

As director general of the ILO, I am proud that our International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC) is at the center of this cause, working closely with governments, employers and labor unions, NGO's and committed international organizations, especially UNICEF. So I am particularly glad that Carol Bellamy will be joining us.

During the last eight years, some 90 countries have rallied behind IPEC to form an alliance, which has turned the issue into a global cause. From just one donor country (Germany) and six participating states in 1992, IPEC now has more than 20 donors and more than 65 participating countries. The United States has shown outstanding leadership in IPEC and is now its largest single fonder.

IPEC and other field projects are vital. But they are not enough. Alone they will not do away with child labor. They show what can be achieved with resolve and dedication. They show that children can be saved from appalling work situations, rescued, cared for, and rehabilitated.

But, this must go hand in hand with worldwide advocacy against child labor, focusing on its worst forms. Advocacy that turns yesterday's unchangeable and unchallenged reality into today's unacceptable abuse. A campaign that mobilizes by expanding and deepening commitment. A campaign that creates a climate of moral outrage making it uncomfortable, unprofitable, and ultimately impossible for the exploiters of children to continue in their ways.

At the same time opportunities for sustainable development are needed so that children and their families have real alternatives to the vicious circle of poverty and exclusion. Often, a child's pay is the only family income. Experience has shown that education for all is crucial. Schools for children, and decent work for their parents, backed by international cooperation, is the formula. If we want to, we can put an end to child labor in the lifetime of today's children.

And we are moving forward.

One year ago, delegates from the ILO'S member states -- governments, employers, and workers -- voted unanimously to adopt the new convention on the elimination of the worst forms of child labor. That means forced child labor, sexual exploitation of children, their use in illicit activities, and work which is hazardous to their health, welfare and development.

Ratifying governments commit themselves to immediate action to protect children from these horrors and to provide them with education and rehabilitation.

Today 15 countries, including the United States, have already ratified the convention. Many more report that they will be doing so very soon. Our ILO campaign for universal ratification is rolling forward. It has become the most rapidly ratified convention in ILO history.

It was my privilege to be with Secretary Herman and Senator Harkin in Seattle last year, when President Clinton signed the instrument of ratification, a reaffirmation of U.S. commitment and leadership, by government and Congress.

But beyond ratification, we need action.

This convention provides new opportunities. It is the springboard for a new phase in our global campaign. It expresses the will to focus immediately on the worst forms of child labor. Increasingly, societies are no longer willing to countenance the intolerable. They are ready to assume responsibility for the destiny of their children. National policy and international cooperation can be brought together in comprehensive time-bound programmes for the eradication of the worst forms of child labor. This is the key next step. Countries that move in that direction should be recognized and supported. I trust that our conference will put us firmly on that road.

This generation can set a new standard for humanity by banishing the enslavement and exploitation of children to the scrap heap of history. Let's do it.

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(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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