Child Labour and Deterrence Act

Contents: Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Childrens rights. 3. The failure of child labour laws. 4. Development and child labour. 5. Customary international law concerning the unempowered child labourer. 7. Enforcement of international law concerning child civilians. 8. Economic perspective of child labour. Bibliography. Index.

Child labour refers to the employment of children at regular and sustained labour. This practice is considered exploitative by many international organizations and is illegal in many countries. In many developed countries it is considered inappropriate or exploitative if a child below a certain age works. An employer is usually not permitted to hire a child below a certain minimum age. This minimum age depends on the country and the type of work involved. States ratifying the minimum age convention adopted by the International Labour Organization in 1973 have adopted minimum ages varying from 14 to 16.

The child labor deterrence act was created by United States Senator of the Democratic Party Tom Harkin of Iowa and was first proposed in the United States Congress in 1992, with subsequent propositions in 1993, 1995, 1997 and 1999. According to Harkins website. This bill would prohibit the importation of products that have been produced by child labor and included civil and criminal penalties for violators. (jacket)