Notice of Public Hearing To Collect Information To Assist in the Development of the List of Goods From Countries Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor, 21985-21987 [E8-8709]
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 79 / Wednesday, April 23, 2008 / Notices
No other changes have been made in
either the membership or planned
activity of the group research project.
Membership in this group research
project remains open, and Advanced
Media Workflow Association, Inc.
intends to file additional written
notifications disclosing all changes in
membership.
On March 28, 2000, Advanced Media
Workflow Association, Inc. filed its
original notification pursuant to Section
6(a) of the Act. The Department of
Justice published a notice in the Federal
Register pursuant to Section 6(b) of the
Act on June 29, 2000 (65 FR 40127).
The last notification was filed with
the Department on December 18, 2007.
A notice was published in the Federal
Register pursuant to Section 6(b) of the
Act on January 22, 2008 (73 FR 3755).
Patricia A. Brink,
Deputy Director of Operations, Antitrust
Division.
[FR Doc. E8–8628 Filed 4–22–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410–11–M
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Office of the Secretary
Submission for OMB Review:
Comment Request
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
April 17, 2008.
The Department of Labor (DOL)
hereby announces the submission of the
following public information collection
request (ICR) to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and approval in accordance with
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(Pub. L. 104–13, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35).
A copy of this ICR, with applicable
supporting documentation; including
among other things a description of the
likely respondents, proposed frequency
of response, and estimated total burden
may be obtained from the RegInfo.gov
Web site at https://www.reginfo.gov/
public/do/PRAMain or by contacting
Darrin King on 202–693–4129 (this is
not a toll-free number)/e-mail:
king.darrin@dol.gov.
Interested parties are encouraged to
send comments to the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Attn: OMB Desk Officer for the Bureau
of Labor Statistics (BLS), Office of
Management and Budget, Room 10235,
Washington, DC 20503, Telephone:
202–395–7316/Fax: 202–395–6974
(these are not a toll-free numbers), Email: OIRAlsubmission@omb.eop.gov
within 30 days from the date of this
publication in the Federal Register. In
order to ensure the appropriate
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16:58 Apr 22, 2008
Jkt 214001
consideration, comments should
reference the OMB Control Number (see
below).
The OMB is particularly interested in
comments which:
• Evaluate whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including
whether the information will have
practical utility;
• Evaluate the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
• Enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and
• Minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who
are to respond, including through the
use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology,
e.g., permitting electronic submission of
responses.
Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Type of Review: Extension without
change of a previously approved
collection.
Title: Producer Price Index Survey.
OMB Control Number: 1220–0100.
Affected Public: Business or other forprofits.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
6,400.
Total Estimated Annual Burden
Hours: 12,800.
Total Estimated Annual Costs Burden:
$0.
Description: The Producer Price Index
(PPI), one of the Nation’s leading
economic indicators, is used as a
measure of price movements, as an
indicator of inflationary trends, for
inventory valuation, and as a measure of
purchasing power of the dollar at the
primary market level. It also is used for
market and economic research and as a
basis for escalation in long-term
contracts and purchase agreements. The
purpose of the PPI collection is to
accumulate data for the ongoing
monthly publication of the PPI family of
indexes. For addition information, see
related notice published at 73 FR 15 on
January 23, 2008.
Darrin A. King,
Acting Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. E8–8703 Filed 4–22–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–24–P
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21985
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Office of the Secretary
Notice of Public Hearing To Collect
Information To Assist in the
Development of the List of Goods
From Countries Produced by Child
Labor or Forced Labor
Bureau of International Labor
Affairs, Department of Labor.
ACTION: Notice of public hearing to
collect information to assist in the
development of a list of goods from
countries produced by child labor or
forced labor in violation of international
standards; request for submission of
testimony.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Department of Labor
(‘‘DOL’’) will hold a public hearing for
the purpose of gathering factual
information regarding the use of child
labor and forced labor worldwide in the
production of goods at 10:30 a.m. on
Wednesday, May 28, 2008. The hearing
will take place in the Auditorium of the
Frances Perkins Building, U.S.
Department of Labor, 200 Constitution
Ave., NW., Washington DC 20210, and
will be open to the public. This hearing
is conducted pursuant to section
105(b)(1) of the Trafficking Victims
Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005
(‘‘TVPRA of 2005’’), Public Law 109–
164 (2006), and as set forth in the Notice
of Procedural Guidelines for the
Development and Maintenance of the
List of Goods From Countries Produced
by Child Labor or Forced Labor
(‘‘Guidelines’’), 72 FR 73374 (December
27, 2007). All members of the public
attending the hearing must register by
May 14 in order to facilitate building
security. DOL is now accepting requests
from all interested parties to provide
oral and/or written testimony and/or
exhibits at the hearing. Each
presentation will be limited to 10
minutes and must be submitted in
writing to the Office of Child Labor,
Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking
by May 7. The Department is not able
to provide financial assistance to those
wishing to travel to attend the hearing.
Those unable to attend the hearing are
invited to submit written testimony.
Please refer to the DATES, FURTHER
INFORMATION, and ‘‘Scope of Interest’’
sections of this Notice for additional
instructions on registration, notification,
and submission requirements.
The DOL Office of Child Labor,
Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking
(‘‘Office’’) is currently developing a list
of goods (‘‘the List’’) from countries that
the Office has reason to believe are
produced by child labor or forced labor
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 79 / Wednesday, April 23, 2008 / Notices
in violation of international standards.
DOL is required to develop and make
available to the public the List pursuant
to the TVPRA of 2005. Information
provided at the hearing will be
considered by the Office in developing
the List. Testimony should be confined
to the specific topic of the use of child
labor and forced labor in the production
of goods internationally, as well as
information on government, industry, or
third-party actions and initiatives to
address these problems. The Office is
particularly interested in information
tending to demonstrate the presence or
absence of a significant incidence of
child labor or forced labor in the
production of a particular good.
DATES: The hearing is scheduled for
Wednesday, May 28, 2008. Parties who
intend to present testimony at the
hearing must notify DOL of their
intention to appear, in writing, by
5 p.m., April 30. Presenters will be
required to submit four written copies of
their full testimony in English and all
documentary evidence and/or exhibits
to the Office by 5 p.m., May 7. Those
attending but not presenting at the
hearing must register by May 14. The
record will be kept open for additional
written testimony until 5 p.m., June 11,
2008. Information received after that
date may not be taken into
consideration in developing the initial
List, but will be considered by the
Office as the List is maintained and
updated in the future.
To Give Notice of Intention To
Appear, Submit Written Testimony, or
for Further Information, Contact:
Charita Castro, Office of Child Labor,
Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking,
Bureau of International Labor Affairs,
U.S. Department of Labor at (202) 693–
4843 (this is not a toll-free number).
Written testimony and documentary
evidence may be submitted by the
following methods:
• Facsimile (fax): Permitted for
submissions of 10 pages or fewer. ILAB/
Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and
Human Trafficking at 202–693–4830.
• Mail, Express Delivery, Hand
Delivery, and Messenger Service: Charita
Castro/Leyla Strotkamp at U.S.
Department of Labor, ILAB/Office of
Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human
Trafficking, 200 Constitution Ave., NW.,
Room S–5317, Washington, DC 20210.
• E-mail: ilab-tvpra@dol.gov.
Note that security-related problems may
result in significant delays in receiving
materials by mail.
To Register To Attend the Hearing,
Contact: Leyla Strotkamp, Office of
Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human
Trafficking, Bureau of International
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16:58 Apr 22, 2008
Jkt 214001
Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor at
(202) 693–4813 or
Strotkamp.Leyla@dol.gov. Please
provide Ms. Strotkamp with attendees’
contact information, including name,
organization, address, phone number,
and e-mail address.
Opportunity To Appear: The hearing
is open to the public, and all interested
parties are welcome to attend. However,
only a party who files a complete notice
of intention to appear will be able to
present at the hearing. The presiding
official reserves the right to limit oral
statements in the interest of time and to
otherwise keep the hearing focused.
Special Accommodations: Persons
who wish to request any of the
following accommodations should
contact Ms. Strotkamp by April 30: a
presentation that exceeds 10 minutes;
technical assistance for a presentation;
submission of exhibits or other physical
evidence for the record; or
accommodation of a disability.
For presentations that exceed 10
minutes and/or include the submission
of evidence, ILAB will review each
submission and determine if it warrants
the additional time requested. If ILAB
believes the requested additional time is
excessive, it will allocate an appropriate
amount of time to the presentation, and
notify the participant before the hearing.
ILAB may limit to 10 minutes the
presentation of any participant who fails
to comply substantially with these
procedural requirements; ILAB may
request any participant to return for
additional questioning at a later time.
Scope of Interest: DOL requests
information that is current and directly
addresses the nature and extent of child
labor or forced labor in the production
of goods, or the nature and extent of
actions and initiatives to combat child
labor and forced labor. Governments
that have ratified International Labor
Organization (‘‘ILO’’) Convention 138
(Minimum Age), Convention 182 (Worst
Forms of Child Labor), Convention 29
(Forced Labor) and/or Convention 105
(Abolition of Forced Labor) may wish to
submit relevant copies of their
responses to any Observations or Direct
Requests by the ILO’s Committee of
Experts on the Application of
Conventions and Recommendations.
Exhibits submitted may include studies,
reports, statistics, new articles,
electronic media, or other sources, as set
forth in section ‘‘Information Requested
on Child Labor and Forced Labor’’ of 72
FR 73374 (December 27, 2007).
Submitters of oral or written testimony
should take into consideration the
‘‘Sources of Information and Factors
Considered in the Development and
Maintenance of the List’’ (Section A of
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Sfmt 4703
the Procedural Guidelines), as well as
the definitions of child labor and forced
labor contained in Section C of the
Guidelines. Refer to 72 FR 73374
(December 27, 2007).
Where applicable, testimony
providing factual information should
indicate its source or sources, and
copies of the source material should be
provided. If primary sources are
utilized, such as research studies,
interviews, direct observations, or other
sources of quantitative or qualitative
data, details on the research or datagathering methodology should be
provided.
Written testimony, and written copies
of oral testimony, should be submitted
to the addresses and by the deadlines
set forth above. Submissions made via
fax, mail, express delivery, hand
delivery, or messenger service should
clearly identify the person filing the
submission and should be signed and
dated. Submissions made via mail,
express delivery, hand delivery, or
messenger service should include an
original plus three copies of all
materials and attachments. If possible,
submitters should also provide copies of
such materials and attachments on a
CD–ROM or similar electronic media.
Note that security-related screening may
result in significant delays in receiving
comments and other written materials
submitted by regular mail.
Government classified information
will not be accepted. The Office may
request that classified information
brought to its attention be declassified.
Submissions containing confidential or
personal information may be redacted
by the Office before being made
available to the public, in accordance
with applicable laws and regulations.
The Official Record of this Public
Hearing, including statements submitted
for the record, will be published and
made available to the public on the DOL
Web site.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section
105(b)(1) of the TVPRA of 2005, Public
Law 109–164 (2006), directed the
Secretary of Labor, acting through the
Bureau of International Labor Affairs, to
‘‘carry out additional activities to
monitor and combat forced labor and
child labor in foreign countries.’’
Section 105(b)(2) of the TVPRA, 22
U.S.C. 7112(b)(2), listed these activities
as:
(A) Monitor the use of forced labor
and child labor in violation of
international standards;
(B) Provide information regarding
trafficking in persons for the purpose of
forced labor to the Office to Monitor and
Combat Trafficking of the Department of
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State for inclusion in [the] trafficking in
persons report required by section
110(b) of the Trafficking Victims
Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C.
7107(b));
(C) Develop and make available to the
public a list of goods from countries that
the Bureau of International Labor Affairs
has reason to believe are produced by
forced labor or child labor in violation
of international standards;
(D) Work with persons who are
involved in the production of goods on
the list described in subparagraph (C) to
create a standard set of practices that
will reduce the likelihood that such
persons will produce goods using the
labor described in such subparagraph;
and
(E) Consult with other departments
and agencies of the United States
Government to reduce forced labor and
child labor internationally and ensure
that products made by forced labor and
child labor in violation of international
standards are not imported into the
United States.
The Office carries out the DOL
mandates in the TVPRA. The Guidelines
provide the framework for ILAB’s
implementation of the TVPRA mandate,
and establish procedures for the
submission and review of information
and the process for developing and
maintaining the List. In addition to the
Office’s efforts under the TVPRA, the
Office conducts and publishes research
on child labor and forced labor
worldwide. The Office consults such
sources as DOL’s Findings on the Worst
Forms of Child Labor; the Department of
State’s annual Country Reports on
Human Rights Practices and Trafficking
in Persons Report; reports by
governmental, non-governmental, and
international organizations; and reports
by academic and research institutions
and other sources.
The Office will evaluate all
information received according to the
processes outlined in the published
Guidelines, 72 FR 73374 (December 27,
2007). Goods that meet the criteria
outlined in the Guidelines will be
placed on an initial List, and published
in the Federal Register and on the DOL
Web site. DOL intends to maintain and
update the List over time, through its
own research, interagency
consultations, and additional public
submissions of information.
Signed at Washington, DC, this 17th day of
April, 2008.
Charlotte M. Ponticelli,
Deputy Under Secretary for International
Affairs.
[FR Doc. E8–8709 Filed 4–22–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–28–P
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Jkt 214001
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employee Benefits Security
Administration
Proposed Extension of Information
Collection Request Submitted for
Public Comment and
Recommendations; PTE 86–128
ACTION:
Notice.
SUMMARY: The Department of Labor
(Department), as part of its continuing
effort to reduce paperwork and
respondent burden, conducts a
preclearance consultation program to
provide the general public and Federal
agencies with an opportunity to
comment on proposed and continuing
collections of information in accordance
with the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (PRA 95). This program helps to
ensure that requested data can be
provided in the desired format,
reporting burden (time and financial
resources) is minimized, collection
instruments are clearly understood, and
the impact of collection requirements on
respondents can be properly assessed.
Currently, the Employee Benefits
Security Administration is soliciting
comments concerning the proposed
extension of a currently approved
collection of information, Prohibited
Transaction Class Exemption 86–128 for
certain transactions involving employee
benefit plans and securities brokerdealers.
A copy of the proposed information
collection request (ICR) can be obtained
by contacting the office listed below in
the addresses section of this notice.
DATES: Written comments must be
submitted to the office listed in the
addresses section below on or before
June 23, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Interested parties are
invited to submit written comments
regarding the collection of information.
Send comments to Mr. G. Christopher
Cosby, Office of Policy and Research,
U.S. Department of Labor, Employee
Benefits Security Administration, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N–
5718, Washington, DC 20210.
Telephone: (202) 693–8410 Fax: (202)
219–4745 (These are not toll-free
numbers).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Prohibited Transaction Class
Exemption 86–128 permits persons who
serve as fiduciaries for employee benefit
plans to effect or execute securities
transactions on behalf of employee
benefit plans. The exemption also
allows sponsors of pooled separate
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Fmt 4703
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21987
accounts and other pooled investment
funds to use their affiliates to effect or
execute securities transactions for such
accounts in order to recapture brokerage
commissions for benefit of employee
benefit plans whose assets are
maintained in pooled separate accounts
managed by the insurance companies.
This exemption provides relief from
certain prohibitions in section 406(b) of
the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and from
the taxes imposed by section 4975(a)
and (b) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 (the Code) by reason of Code
section 4975(c)(1)(E) or (F).
In order to insure that the exemption
is not abused, that the rights of
participants and beneficiaries are
protected, and that the exemption’s
conditions are being complied with, the
Department has included in the
exemption five information collection
requirements. The first requirement is
written authorization executed in
advance by an independent fiduciary of
the plan whose assets are involved in
the transaction with the brokerfiduciary. The second requirement is,
within three months of the
authorization, the broker-fiduciary
furnish the independent fiduciary with
any reasonably available information
necessary for the independent fiduciary
to determine whether an authorization
should be made. The information must
include a copy of the exemption, a form
for termination, and a description of the
broker-fiduciary’s brokerage placement
practices. The third requirement is that
the broker-fiduciary must provide a
termination form to the independent
fiduciary annually so that the
independent fiduciary may terminate
the authorization without penalty to the
plan; failure to return the form
constitutes continuing authorization.
The fourth requirement is for the brokerfiduciary to report all transactions to the
independent fiduciary, either by
confirmation slips or through quarterly
reports. The fifth requirement calls for
the broker-fiduciary to provide an
annual summary of the transactions.
The annual summary must contain all
security transaction-related charges
incurred by the plan, the brokerage
placement practices, and a portfolio
turnover ratio.
II. Review Focus
The Department is particularly
interested in comments that:
• Evaluate whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including
whether the information will have
practical utility;
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 79 (Wednesday, April 23, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21985-21987]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-8709]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Office of the Secretary
Notice of Public Hearing To Collect Information To Assist in the
Development of the List of Goods From Countries Produced by Child Labor
or Forced Labor
AGENCY: Bureau of International Labor Affairs, Department of Labor.
ACTION: Notice of public hearing to collect information to assist in
the development of a list of goods from countries produced by child
labor or forced labor in violation of international standards; request
for submission of testimony.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (``DOL'') will hold a public hearing
for the purpose of gathering factual information regarding the use of
child labor and forced labor worldwide in the production of goods at
10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 28, 2008. The hearing will take place in
the Auditorium of the Frances Perkins Building, U.S. Department of
Labor, 200 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington DC 20210, and will be
open to the public. This hearing is conducted pursuant to section
105(b)(1) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of
2005 (``TVPRA of 2005''), Public Law 109-164 (2006), and as set forth
in the Notice of Procedural Guidelines for the Development and
Maintenance of the List of Goods From Countries Produced by Child Labor
or Forced Labor (``Guidelines''), 72 FR 73374 (December 27, 2007). All
members of the public attending the hearing must register by May 14 in
order to facilitate building security. DOL is now accepting requests
from all interested parties to provide oral and/or written testimony
and/or exhibits at the hearing. Each presentation will be limited to 10
minutes and must be submitted in writing to the Office of Child Labor,
Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking by May 7. The Department is not
able to provide financial assistance to those wishing to travel to
attend the hearing. Those unable to attend the hearing are invited to
submit written testimony. Please refer to the DATES, FURTHER
INFORMATION, and ``Scope of Interest'' sections of this Notice for
additional instructions on registration, notification, and submission
requirements.
The DOL Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking
(``Office'') is currently developing a list of goods (``the List'')
from countries that the Office has reason to believe are produced by
child labor or forced labor
[[Page 21986]]
in violation of international standards. DOL is required to develop and
make available to the public the List pursuant to the TVPRA of 2005.
Information provided at the hearing will be considered by the Office in
developing the List. Testimony should be confined to the specific topic
of the use of child labor and forced labor in the production of goods
internationally, as well as information on government, industry, or
third-party actions and initiatives to address these problems. The
Office is particularly interested in information tending to demonstrate
the presence or absence of a significant incidence of child labor or
forced labor in the production of a particular good.
DATES: The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, May 28, 2008. Parties
who intend to present testimony at the hearing must notify DOL of their
intention to appear, in writing, by 5 p.m., April 30. Presenters will
be required to submit four written copies of their full testimony in
English and all documentary evidence and/or exhibits to the Office by 5
p.m., May 7. Those attending but not presenting at the hearing must
register by May 14. The record will be kept open for additional written
testimony until 5 p.m., June 11, 2008. Information received after that
date may not be taken into consideration in developing the initial
List, but will be considered by the Office as the List is maintained
and updated in the future.
To Give Notice of Intention To Appear, Submit Written Testimony, or
for Further Information, Contact: Charita Castro, Office of Child
Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking, Bureau of International
Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor at (202) 693-4843 (this is not
a toll-free number). Written testimony and documentary evidence may be
submitted by the following methods:
Facsimile (fax): Permitted for submissions of 10 pages or
fewer. ILAB/Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking
at 202-693-4830.
Mail, Express Delivery, Hand Delivery, and Messenger
Service: Charita Castro/Leyla Strotkamp at U.S. Department of Labor,
ILAB/Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking, 200
Constitution Ave., NW., Room S-5317, Washington, DC 20210.
E-mail: ilab-tvpra@dol.gov.
Note that security-related problems may result in significant delays in
receiving materials by mail.
To Register To Attend the Hearing, Contact: Leyla Strotkamp, Office
of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking, Bureau of
International Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor at (202) 693-4813 or
Strotkamp.Leyla@dol.gov. Please provide Ms. Strotkamp with attendees'
contact information, including name, organization, address, phone
number, and e-mail address.
Opportunity To Appear: The hearing is open to the public, and all
interested parties are welcome to attend. However, only a party who
files a complete notice of intention to appear will be able to present
at the hearing. The presiding official reserves the right to limit oral
statements in the interest of time and to otherwise keep the hearing
focused.
Special Accommodations: Persons who wish to request any of the
following accommodations should contact Ms. Strotkamp by April 30: a
presentation that exceeds 10 minutes; technical assistance for a
presentation; submission of exhibits or other physical evidence for the
record; or accommodation of a disability.
For presentations that exceed 10 minutes and/or include the
submission of evidence, ILAB will review each submission and determine
if it warrants the additional time requested. If ILAB believes the
requested additional time is excessive, it will allocate an appropriate
amount of time to the presentation, and notify the participant before
the hearing. ILAB may limit to 10 minutes the presentation of any
participant who fails to comply substantially with these procedural
requirements; ILAB may request any participant to return for additional
questioning at a later time.
Scope of Interest: DOL requests information that is current and
directly addresses the nature and extent of child labor or forced labor
in the production of goods, or the nature and extent of actions and
initiatives to combat child labor and forced labor. Governments that
have ratified International Labor Organization (``ILO'') Convention 138
(Minimum Age), Convention 182 (Worst Forms of Child Labor), Convention
29 (Forced Labor) and/or Convention 105 (Abolition of Forced Labor) may
wish to submit relevant copies of their responses to any Observations
or Direct Requests by the ILO's Committee of Experts on the Application
of Conventions and Recommendations. Exhibits submitted may include
studies, reports, statistics, new articles, electronic media, or other
sources, as set forth in section ``Information Requested on Child Labor
and Forced Labor'' of 72 FR 73374 (December 27, 2007). Submitters of
oral or written testimony should take into consideration the ``Sources
of Information and Factors Considered in the Development and
Maintenance of the List'' (Section A of the Procedural Guidelines), as
well as the definitions of child labor and forced labor contained in
Section C of the Guidelines. Refer to 72 FR 73374 (December 27, 2007).
Where applicable, testimony providing factual information should
indicate its source or sources, and copies of the source material
should be provided. If primary sources are utilized, such as research
studies, interviews, direct observations, or other sources of
quantitative or qualitative data, details on the research or data-
gathering methodology should be provided.
Written testimony, and written copies of oral testimony, should be
submitted to the addresses and by the deadlines set forth above.
Submissions made via fax, mail, express delivery, hand delivery, or
messenger service should clearly identify the person filing the
submission and should be signed and dated. Submissions made via mail,
express delivery, hand delivery, or messenger service should include an
original plus three copies of all materials and attachments. If
possible, submitters should also provide copies of such materials and
attachments on a CD-ROM or similar electronic media. Note that
security-related screening may result in significant delays in
receiving comments and other written materials submitted by regular
mail.
Government classified information will not be accepted. The Office
may request that classified information brought to its attention be
declassified. Submissions containing confidential or personal
information may be redacted by the Office before being made available
to the public, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. The
Official Record of this Public Hearing, including statements submitted
for the record, will be published and made available to the public on
the DOL Web site.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 105(b)(1) of the TVPRA of 2005,
Public Law 109-164 (2006), directed the Secretary of Labor, acting
through the Bureau of International Labor Affairs, to ``carry out
additional activities to monitor and combat forced labor and child
labor in foreign countries.'' Section 105(b)(2) of the TVPRA, 22 U.S.C.
7112(b)(2), listed these activities as:
(A) Monitor the use of forced labor and child labor in violation of
international standards;
(B) Provide information regarding trafficking in persons for the
purpose of forced labor to the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking
of the Department of
[[Page 21987]]
State for inclusion in [the] trafficking in persons report required by
section 110(b) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22
U.S.C. 7107(b));
(C) Develop and make available to the public a list of goods from
countries that the Bureau of International Labor Affairs has reason to
believe are produced by forced labor or child labor in violation of
international standards;
(D) Work with persons who are involved in the production of goods
on the list described in subparagraph (C) to create a standard set of
practices that will reduce the likelihood that such persons will
produce goods using the labor described in such subparagraph; and
(E) Consult with other departments and agencies of the United
States Government to reduce forced labor and child labor
internationally and ensure that products made by forced labor and child
labor in violation of international standards are not imported into the
United States.
The Office carries out the DOL mandates in the TVPRA. The
Guidelines provide the framework for ILAB's implementation of the TVPRA
mandate, and establish procedures for the submission and review of
information and the process for developing and maintaining the List. In
addition to the Office's efforts under the TVPRA, the Office conducts
and publishes research on child labor and forced labor worldwide. The
Office consults such sources as DOL's Findings on the Worst Forms of
Child Labor; the Department of State's annual Country Reports on Human
Rights Practices and Trafficking in Persons Report; reports by
governmental, non-governmental, and international organizations; and
reports by academic and research institutions and other sources.
The Office will evaluate all information received according to the
processes outlined in the published Guidelines, 72 FR 73374 (December
27, 2007). Goods that meet the criteria outlined in the Guidelines will
be placed on an initial List, and published in the Federal Register and
on the DOL Web site. DOL intends to maintain and update the List over
time, through its own research, interagency consultations, and
additional public submissions of information.
Signed at Washington, DC, this 17th day of April, 2008.
Charlotte M. Ponticelli,
Deputy Under Secretary for International Affairs.
[FR Doc. E8-8709 Filed 4-22-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-28-P