Efforts by Certain Foreign Countries To Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labor; Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Forced or Indentured Child Labor in the Production of Goods in Foreign Countries; and Business Practices To Reduce the Likelihood of Forced Labor or Child Labor in the Production of Goods, 60200-60202 [2022-21464]
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 191 / Tuesday, October 4, 2022 / Notices
Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability
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9613(g), as amended by the Superfund
Amendments and Reauthorization Act
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covenants not to sue or to take
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and Mo. Rev. Stat. §§ 260.510 and
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[FR Doc. 2022–21467 Filed 10–3–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
[Agency Docket Number DOL–2022–0008]
Efforts by Certain Foreign Countries
To Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child
Labor; Child Labor, Forced Labor, and
Forced or Indentured Child Labor in
the Production of Goods in Foreign
Countries; and Business Practices To
Reduce the Likelihood of Forced Labor
or Child Labor in the Production of
Goods
The Bureau of International
Labor Affairs, United States Department
of Labor.
ACTION: Notice: request for information
and invitation to comment.
AGENCY:
This notice is a request for
information and/or comment on three
reports issued by the Bureau of
International Labor Affairs (ILAB)
regarding child labor and forced labor in
foreign countries. Relevant information
submitted by the public will be used by
the Department of Labor (DOL) in
preparing its ongoing reporting as
required under Congressional mandates
and a Presidential directive. The 2021
Findings on the Worst Forms of Child
Labor report (TDA report), published on
September 28, 2022, assesses efforts of
131 countries to eliminate the worst
forms of child labor in 2021 and
assesses whether countries made
significant, moderate, minimal, or no
advancement during that year. It also
suggests actions foreign countries can
take to eliminate the worst forms of
child labor through legislation,
enforcement, coordination, policies, and
social programs. The 2022 edition of the
List of Goods Produced by Child Labor
or Forced Labor (TVPRA List),
published on September 28, 2022,
makes available to the public a list of
goods from countries that ILAB has
reason to believe are produced by child
labor or forced labor in violation of
international standards, including, to
the extent practicable, goods that are
produced with inputs that are produced
with forced labor or child labor. Finally,
the List of Products Produced by Forced
or Indentured Child Labor (E.O. List),
provides a list of products, identified by
country of origin, that DOL, in
SUMMARY:
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consultation and cooperation with the
Departments of State (DOS) and
Homeland Security (DHS), has a
reasonable basis to believe might have
been mined, produced, or manufactured
with forced or indentured child labor.
Relevant information submitted by the
public will be used by DOL in preparing
the next edition of the TDA report, to be
published in 2023; the next edition of
the TVPRA List, to be published in
2024; and for possible updates to the
E.O. List as needed.
This notice is also a request for
information and/or comment on Comply
Chain: Business Tools for Labor
Compliance in Global Supply Chains
(Comply Chain). ILAB is seeking
information on current practices of
firms, business associations, and other
private sector groups to reduce the
likelihood of child labor and forced
labor in the production of goods. This
information and/or comment is sought
to fulfill ILAB’s mandate under the
Trafficking Victims Protection
Reauthorization Act of 2005 (TVPRA) to
work with persons who are involved in
the production of goods made with
forced labor or child labor. Comply
Chain seeks to address this mandate
through the creation of a standard set of
practices that will reduce the likelihood
that such persons will produce goods
using forced labor or child labor.
Comply Chain also achieves a much
broader purpose by actively supporting
the efforts of companies that seek to
address these issues within their own
supply chains. Relevant information
and/or comment submitted to ILAB will
be used to improve and update Comply
Chain to better meet the mandates of the
TVPRA and help companies and
industry groups seeking to develop
robust social compliance systems for
their global production.
DATES: Submitters of information are
requested to provide their submission to
DOL’s Office of Child Labor, Forced
Labor, and Human Trafficking (OCFT) at
the email or physical address below by
5 p.m. December 16, 2022.
ADDRESSES:
To Submit Information: Information
should be submitted directly to OCFT,
Bureau of International Labor Affairs,
U.S. Department of Labor. Comments,
identified as Docket No. DOL–2022–
0008, may be submitted by any of the
following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: The
portal includes instructions for
submitting comments. Parties
submitting responses electronically are
encouraged not to submit paper copies.
Facsimile (fax): OCFT at 202–693–
4830.
E:\FR\FM\04OCN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 191 / Tuesday, October 4, 2022 / Notices
Mail, Express Delivery, Hand Delivery,
and Messenger Service (1 copy):
Matthew Fraterman, U.S. Department of
Labor, OCFT, Bureau of International
Labor Affairs, 200 Constitution Avenue
NW, Room S–5315, Washington, DC
20210.
Email: Email submissions should be
addressed to Matthew Fraterman
(Fraterman.matthew@dol.gov).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Matthew Fraterman, (202) 693–4833,
Fraterman.matthew@dol.gov.
508 Compliance: Pursuant to section
508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29
U.S.C. 794d), as amended. Section 508
became enforceable on June 21, 2001,
and the revised 508 standards issued by
the United States Access Board (36 CFR
part 1194) in January 2018 require that
Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) procured, developed,
maintained, and used by Federal
departments and agencies is accessible
to and usable by Federal employees and
members of the public, including people
with disabilities.
All documents received in electronic
format must be accessible using
assistive technologies such as a screen
reader e.g., Job Aid with Speech (JAWS)
Non-Visual Display Access (NVDA),
ZoomText, to name a few. Conversely
the product should also be navigable
using other means such as a Keyboard
or voice commands. Accessible
document formats are either Microsoft
Word or equivalent and Portable
Document Format with OCR.
The Department of Labor requests that
your submissions through the portal
comply with our DOL Policies as well
as the 508 Standards as referred above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. The Trade and Development Act of
2000 (TDA), Public Law 106–200 (2000),
established eligibility criterion for
receipt of trade benefits under the
Generalized System of Preferences
(GSP). The TDA amended the GSP
reporting requirements of section 504 of
the Trade Act of 1974, 19 U.S.C. 2464,
to require that the President’s annual
report on the status of internationally
recognized worker rights include
‘‘findings by the Secretary of Labor with
respect to the beneficiary country’s
implementation of its international
commitments to eliminate the worst
forms of child labor.’’
The TDA Conference Report clarifies
this mandate, indicating that the
President consider the following when
considering whether a country is
complying with its obligations to
eliminate the worst forms of child labor:
(1) whether the country has adequate
laws and regulations proscribing the
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worst forms of child labor; (2) whether
the country has adequate laws and
regulations for the implementation and
enforcement of such measures; (3)
whether the country has established
formal institutional mechanisms to
investigate and address complaints
relating to allegations of the worst forms
of child labor; (4) whether social
programs exist in the country to prevent
the engagement of children in the worst
forms of child labor, and to assist with
the removal of children engaged in the
worst forms of child labor; (5) whether
the country has a comprehensive policy
for the elimination of the worst forms of
child labor; and (6) whether the country
is making continual progress toward
eliminating the worst forms of child
labor.
DOL fulfills this reporting mandate
through annual publication of the U.S.
Department of Labor’s Findings on the
Worst Forms of Child Labor with
respect to countries eligible for GSP. To
access the 2021 TDA report please visit
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/
resources/reports/child-labor/findings.
II. Section 105(b) of the Trafficking
Victims Protection Reauthorization Act
of 2005 (‘‘TVPRA of 2005’’), Public Law
109–164 (2006), 22 U.S.C. 7112(b), as
amended by section 133 of the Frederick
Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention
and Protection Reauthorization Act of
2018, Public Law 115–425 (2019),
directs the Secretary of Labor, acting
through ILAB, to ‘‘develop and make
available to the public a list of goods
from countries that [ILAB] has reason to
believe are produced by forced labor or
child labor in violation of international
standards, including, to the extent
practicable, goods that are produced
with inputs that are produced with
forced labor or child labor.’’ (TVPRA
List).
Pursuant to this mandate, DOL
published in the Federal Register a set
of procedural guidelines that ILAB
follows in developing the TVPRA List.
72 FR 73374 (Dec. 27, 2007). The
guidelines set forth the criteria by which
information is evaluated; established
procedures for public submission of
information to be considered by ILAB;
and identified the process ILAB follows
in maintaining and updating the TVPRA
List after its initial publication. DOL
subsequently published an update to the
procedural guidelines to incorporate the
expanded requirement to include ‘‘to
the extent practicable, goods that are
produced with inputs that are produced
with forced labor or child labor.’’ 85 FR
29487 (May 15, 2020).
ILAB published its first TVPRA List
on September 30, 2009, and issued
updates in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013,
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60201
2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022. (In
2014, ILAB began publishing the
TVPRA List every other year, pursuant
to changes in the law. See 22 U.S.C.
7112(b)(3).) The next TVPRA List will
be published in 2024. For a copy of
previous editions of the TVPRA List and
other materials relating to the TVPRA
List, see ILAB’s TVPRA web page.
III. Executive Order No. 13126 (E.O.
13126) declared that it was ‘‘the policy
of the United States Government . . .
that executive agencies shall take
appropriate actions to enforce the laws
prohibiting the manufacture or
importation of goods, wares, articles,
and merchandise mined, produced, or
manufactured wholly or in part by
forced or indentured child labor.’’
Pursuant to E.O. 13126, and following
public notice and comment, DOL
published in the January 18, 2001,
Federal Register, a list of products
(‘‘E.O. List’’), identified by country of
origin, that the Department, in
consultation and cooperation with the
Departments of State (DOS) and
Treasury [relevant responsibilities are
now within the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS)], had a
reasonable basis to believe might have
been mined, produced or manufactured
with forced or indentured child labor.
66 FR 5353 (Jan. 18, 2001). In addition
to the E.O. List, the Department also
published on January 18, 2001,
‘‘Procedural Guidelines for Maintenance
of the List of Products Requiring Federal
Contractor Certification as to Forced or
Indentured Child Labor,’’ which provide
for maintaining, reviewing, and, as
appropriate, revising the E.O. List. 66
FR 5351 (Jan. 18, 2001).
Pursuant to Sections D through G of
the Procedural Guidelines, the E.O. List
may be updated through consideration
of submissions by individuals or
through OCFT’s own initiative. ILAB
has revised the E.O. List seven times,
most recently on March 25, 2019, each
time after public notice and comment as
well as consultation with DOS and DHS.
For access to the current E.O. List,
Procedural Guidelines, and related
information, please visit our website.
Information Requested and Invitation
to Comment: Interested parties are
invited to comment and provide
information regarding these reports.
DOL requests comments on or
information relevant to updating the
findings and suggested government
actions for countries reviewed in the
TDA report, assessing each country’s
individual advancement toward
eliminating the worst forms of child
labor during the current reporting
period compared to previous years, and
maintaining and updating the TVPRA
E:\FR\FM\04OCN1.SGM
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60202
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 191 / Tuesday, October 4, 2022 / Notices
and E.O. Lists. Materials submitted
should be confined to the specific topics
of the TDA report, the TVPRA List, and
the E.O. List. DOL will generally
consider sources with dates up to five
years old (i.e., data not older than
January 1, 2017). DOL appreciates the
extent to which submissions clearly
indicate the time period to which they
apply. In the interest of transparency in
our reporting, classified information
will not be accepted. Where applicable,
information submitted 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. Please
see the TDA report, TVPRA List, and the
E.O. List for a complete explanation of
relevant terms, definitions, and
reporting guidelines employed by DOL.
Per our standard procedures,
submissions will be published on the
ILAB web page.
IV. Section 104(b)(2)(D) of The
Trafficking Victims Protection
Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) of 2005
mandates that ILAB ‘‘work with persons
who are involved in the production of
goods on [ILAB’s List of Goods
Produced by Child Labor or Forced
Labor] to create a standard set of
practices that will reduce the likelihood
that such persons will produce goods
using [forced or child labor].’’
Many firms have policies, activities,
and/or systems in place to monitor labor
rights in their supply chains and
remediate violations. Such policies,
activities and systems vary depending
on location, industry, and many other
factors. ILAB seeks to identify practices
that have been effective in specific
contexts, analyze their replicability, and
disseminate those that have potential to
be effective on a broader scale through
Comply Chain.
Information Requested and Invitation
to Comment: In addition to general
comments on the existing publication of
Comply Chain, ILAB is seeking
information on current practices of
firms, business associations, and other
private sector groups to reduce the
likelihood of child labor and forced
labor in the production of goods. ILAB
welcomes all input. Examples of
materials could include, but are not
limited to: (1) Codes of conduct; (2) Sets
of standards used for implementation of
codes in specific industries or locations
or among particular labor populations;
(3) Auditing/monitoring systems, or
components of such systems, as well as
related systems for enforcement of labor
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standards across a supply chain; (4)
Strategies for monitoring sub-tier
suppliers, informal workplaces,
homework, and other challenging
environments; (5) Training modules and
other mechanisms for communicating
expectations to stakeholders which
incorporate worker input; (6)
Traceability models or experiences; (7)
Remediation strategies for children and/
or adults found in conditions of forced
or child labor; (8) Reporting-related
practices and practices related to
independent review; (9) Projects at the
grassroots level which address
underlying issues or root causes of child
labor or forced labor; (10) and/or any
other relevant practices.
In addition, ILAB is seeking
information on current practices of
governments to collaborate with private
sector actors through public-private
partnerships to reduce the likelihood of
child labor and forced labor in the
production of goods. Submissions may
include policy documents, reports,
statistics, case studies, and many other
formats. In addition, ILAB welcomes
submissions of reports, analyses,
guidance, toolkits, and other documents
in which such practices have been
compiled or analyzed by third-party
groups. Information should be
submitted to the addresses and within
the time period set forth above. DOL
seeks information that can be used to
inform the development of tools and
resources to be disseminated publicly
on the DOL website and/or in other
publications. However, in disseminating
information, DOL will maintain
confidential, to the extent permitted by
law, the identity of the submitter and/
or the individual or company using the
practice in question, upon request.
Internal, confidential documents that
cannot be shared with the public will
not be used. Submissions containing
confidential or personal information
may be redacted by DOL before being
made available to the public, in
accordance with applicable laws and
regulations. DOL does not commit to
responding directly to submissions or
returning submissions to the submitters,
but DOL may communicate with the
submitter regarding any matters relating
to the submission.
This notice is a general solicitation of
comments from the public.
Authority: 22 U.S.C. 7112(b)(2)(C) &
(D) and 19 U.S.C. 2464; Executive Order
13126.
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Signed at Washington, DC, on September 8,
2022.
Thea Lee,
Deputy Undersecretary for International
Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2022–21464 Filed 10–3–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–28–P
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Census of Fatal
Occupational Injuries
Notice of availability; request
for comments.
ACTION:
The Department of Labor
(DOL) is submitting this Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS)-sponsored 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
(PRA). Public comments on the ICR are
invited.
DATES: The OMB will consider all
written comments that the agency
receives on or before November 3, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent
within 30 days of publication of this
notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/
PRAMain. Find this particular
information collection by selecting
‘‘Currently under 30-day Review—Open
for Public Comments’’ or by using the
search function.
Comments are invited on: (1) whether
the collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the Department,
including whether the information will
have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of
the agency’s estimates of the burden and
cost of the collection of information,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (3)
ways to enhance the quality, utility and
clarity of the information collection; and
(4) ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who
are to respond, including the use of
automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nicole Bouchet by telephone at 202–
693–0213, or by email at DOL_PRA_
PUBLIC@dol.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries
provides policymakers and the public
with comprehensive, verifiable, and
timely measures of fatal work injuries.
Data are compiled from various sources
including Federal, State, and local
governments, the private sector and
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\04OCN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 191 (Tuesday, October 4, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60200-60202]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-21464]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
[Agency Docket Number DOL-2022-0008]
Efforts by Certain Foreign Countries To Eliminate the Worst Forms
of Child Labor; Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Forced or Indentured
Child Labor in the Production of Goods in Foreign Countries; and
Business Practices To Reduce the Likelihood of Forced Labor or Child
Labor in the Production of Goods
AGENCY: The Bureau of International Labor Affairs, United States
Department of Labor.
ACTION: Notice: request for information and invitation to comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice is a request for information and/or comment on
three reports issued by the Bureau of International Labor Affairs
(ILAB) regarding child labor and forced labor in foreign countries.
Relevant information submitted by the public will be used by the
Department of Labor (DOL) in preparing its ongoing reporting as
required under Congressional mandates and a Presidential directive. The
2021 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor report (TDA report),
published on September 28, 2022, assesses efforts of 131 countries to
eliminate the worst forms of child labor in 2021 and assesses whether
countries made significant, moderate, minimal, or no advancement during
that year. It also suggests actions foreign countries can take to
eliminate the worst forms of child labor through legislation,
enforcement, coordination, policies, and social programs. The 2022
edition of the List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor
(TVPRA List), published on September 28, 2022, makes available to the
public a list of goods from countries that ILAB has reason to believe
are produced by child labor or forced labor in violation of
international standards, including, to the extent practicable, goods
that are produced with inputs that are produced with forced labor or
child labor. Finally, the List of Products Produced by Forced or
Indentured Child Labor (E.O. List), provides a list of products,
identified by country of origin, that DOL, in consultation and
cooperation with the Departments of State (DOS) and Homeland Security
(DHS), has a reasonable basis to believe might have been mined,
produced, or manufactured with forced or indentured child labor.
Relevant information submitted by the public will be used by DOL in
preparing the next edition of the TDA report, to be published in 2023;
the next edition of the TVPRA List, to be published in 2024; and for
possible updates to the E.O. List as needed.
This notice is also a request for information and/or comment on
Comply Chain: Business Tools for Labor Compliance in Global Supply
Chains (Comply Chain). ILAB is seeking information on current practices
of firms, business associations, and other private sector groups to
reduce the likelihood of child labor and forced labor in the production
of goods. This information and/or comment is sought to fulfill ILAB's
mandate under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of
2005 (TVPRA) to work with persons who are involved in the production of
goods made with forced labor or child labor. Comply Chain seeks to
address this mandate through the creation of a standard set of
practices that will reduce the likelihood that such persons will
produce goods using forced labor or child labor. Comply Chain also
achieves a much broader purpose by actively supporting the efforts of
companies that seek to address these issues within their own supply
chains. Relevant information and/or comment submitted to ILAB will be
used to improve and update Comply Chain to better meet the mandates of
the TVPRA and help companies and industry groups seeking to develop
robust social compliance systems for their global production.
DATES: Submitters of information are requested to provide their
submission to DOL's Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human
Trafficking (OCFT) at the email or physical address below by 5 p.m.
December 16, 2022.
ADDRESSES:
To Submit Information: Information should be submitted directly to
OCFT, Bureau of International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor.
Comments, identified as Docket No. DOL-2022-0008, may be submitted by
any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: The portal includes instructions for
submitting comments. Parties submitting responses electronically are
encouraged not to submit paper copies.
Facsimile (fax): OCFT at 202-693-4830.
[[Page 60201]]
Mail, Express Delivery, Hand Delivery, and Messenger Service (1
copy): Matthew Fraterman, U.S. Department of Labor, OCFT, Bureau of
International Labor Affairs, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room S-5315,
Washington, DC 20210.
Email: Email submissions should be addressed to Matthew Fraterman
([email protected]).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Fraterman, (202) 693-4833,
[email protected].
508 Compliance: Pursuant to section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended. Section 508 became enforceable on
June 21, 2001, and the revised 508 standards issued by the United
States Access Board (36 CFR part 1194) in January 2018 require that
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) procured, developed,
maintained, and used by Federal departments and agencies is accessible
to and usable by Federal employees and members of the public, including
people with disabilities.
All documents received in electronic format must be accessible
using assistive technologies such as a screen reader e.g., Job Aid with
Speech (JAWS) Non-Visual Display Access (NVDA), ZoomText, to name a
few. Conversely the product should also be navigable using other means
such as a Keyboard or voice commands. Accessible document formats are
either Microsoft Word or equivalent and Portable Document Format with
OCR.
The Department of Labor requests that your submissions through the
portal comply with our DOL Policies as well as the 508 Standards as
referred above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. The Trade and Development Act of 2000 (TDA), Public Law 106-200
(2000), established eligibility criterion for receipt of trade benefits
under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). The TDA amended the
GSP reporting requirements of section 504 of the Trade Act of 1974, 19
U.S.C. 2464, to require that the President's annual report on the
status of internationally recognized worker rights include ``findings
by the Secretary of Labor with respect to the beneficiary country's
implementation of its international commitments to eliminate the worst
forms of child labor.''
The TDA Conference Report clarifies this mandate, indicating that
the President consider the following when considering whether a country
is complying with its obligations to eliminate the worst forms of child
labor: (1) whether the country has adequate laws and regulations
proscribing the worst forms of child labor; (2) whether the country has
adequate laws and regulations for the implementation and enforcement of
such measures; (3) whether the country has established formal
institutional mechanisms to investigate and address complaints relating
to allegations of the worst forms of child labor; (4) whether social
programs exist in the country to prevent the engagement of children in
the worst forms of child labor, and to assist with the removal of
children engaged in the worst forms of child labor; (5) whether the
country has a comprehensive policy for the elimination of the worst
forms of child labor; and (6) whether the country is making continual
progress toward eliminating the worst forms of child labor.
DOL fulfills this reporting mandate through annual publication of
the U.S. Department of Labor's Findings on the Worst Forms of Child
Labor with respect to countries eligible for GSP. To access the 2021
TDA report please visit https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/findings.
II. Section 105(b) of the Trafficking Victims Protection
Reauthorization Act of 2005 (``TVPRA of 2005''), Public Law 109-164
(2006), 22 U.S.C. 7112(b), as amended by section 133 of the Frederick
Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization
Act of 2018, Public Law 115-425 (2019), directs the Secretary of Labor,
acting through ILAB, to ``develop and make available to the public a
list of goods from countries that [ILAB] has reason to believe are
produced by forced labor or child labor in violation of international
standards, including, to the extent practicable, goods that are
produced with inputs that are produced with forced labor or child
labor.'' (TVPRA List).
Pursuant to this mandate, DOL published in the Federal Register a
set of procedural guidelines that ILAB follows in developing the TVPRA
List. 72 FR 73374 (Dec. 27, 2007). The guidelines set forth the
criteria by which information is evaluated; established procedures for
public submission of information to be considered by ILAB; and
identified the process ILAB follows in maintaining and updating the
TVPRA List after its initial publication. DOL subsequently published an
update to the procedural guidelines to incorporate the expanded
requirement to include ``to the extent practicable, goods that are
produced with inputs that are produced with forced labor or child
labor.'' 85 FR 29487 (May 15, 2020).
ILAB published its first TVPRA List on September 30, 2009, and
issued updates in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, and
2022. (In 2014, ILAB began publishing the TVPRA List every other year,
pursuant to changes in the law. See 22 U.S.C. 7112(b)(3).) The next
TVPRA List will be published in 2024. For a copy of previous editions
of the TVPRA List and other materials relating to the TVPRA List, see
ILAB's TVPRA web page.
III. Executive Order No. 13126 (E.O. 13126) declared that it was
``the policy of the United States Government . . . that executive
agencies shall take appropriate actions to enforce the laws prohibiting
the manufacture or importation of goods, wares, articles, and
merchandise mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part by
forced or indentured child labor.'' Pursuant to E.O. 13126, and
following public notice and comment, DOL published in the January 18,
2001, Federal Register, a list of products (``E.O. List''), identified
by country of origin, that the Department, in consultation and
cooperation with the Departments of State (DOS) and Treasury [relevant
responsibilities are now within the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS)], had a reasonable basis to believe might have been mined,
produced or manufactured with forced or indentured child labor. 66 FR
5353 (Jan. 18, 2001). In addition to the E.O. List, the Department also
published on January 18, 2001, ``Procedural Guidelines for Maintenance
of the List of Products Requiring Federal Contractor Certification as
to Forced or Indentured Child Labor,'' which provide for maintaining,
reviewing, and, as appropriate, revising the E.O. List. 66 FR 5351
(Jan. 18, 2001).
Pursuant to Sections D through G of the Procedural Guidelines, the
E.O. List may be updated through consideration of submissions by
individuals or through OCFT's own initiative. ILAB has revised the E.O.
List seven times, most recently on March 25, 2019, each time after
public notice and comment as well as consultation with DOS and DHS. For
access to the current E.O. List, Procedural Guidelines, and related
information, please visit our website.
Information Requested and Invitation to Comment: Interested parties
are invited to comment and provide information regarding these reports.
DOL requests comments on or information relevant to updating the
findings and suggested government actions for countries reviewed in the
TDA report, assessing each country's individual advancement toward
eliminating the worst forms of child labor during the current reporting
period compared to previous years, and maintaining and updating the
TVPRA
[[Page 60202]]
and E.O. Lists. Materials submitted should be confined to the specific
topics of the TDA report, the TVPRA List, and the E.O. List. DOL will
generally consider sources with dates up to five years old (i.e., data
not older than January 1, 2017). DOL appreciates the extent to which
submissions clearly indicate the time period to which they apply. In
the interest of transparency in our reporting, classified information
will not be accepted. Where applicable, information submitted 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. Please see the TDA report,
TVPRA List, and the E.O. List for a complete explanation of relevant
terms, definitions, and reporting guidelines employed by DOL. Per our
standard procedures, submissions will be published on the ILAB web
page.
IV. Section 104(b)(2)(D) of The Trafficking Victims Protection
Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) of 2005 mandates that ILAB ``work with
persons who are involved in the production of goods on [ILAB's List of
Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor] to create a standard set
of practices that will reduce the likelihood that such persons will
produce goods using [forced or child labor].''
Many firms have policies, activities, and/or systems in place to
monitor labor rights in their supply chains and remediate violations.
Such policies, activities and systems vary depending on location,
industry, and many other factors. ILAB seeks to identify practices that
have been effective in specific contexts, analyze their replicability,
and disseminate those that have potential to be effective on a broader
scale through Comply Chain.
Information Requested and Invitation to Comment: In addition to
general comments on the existing publication of Comply Chain, ILAB is
seeking information on current practices of firms, business
associations, and other private sector groups to reduce the likelihood
of child labor and forced labor in the production of goods. ILAB
welcomes all input. Examples of materials could include, but are not
limited to: (1) Codes of conduct; (2) Sets of standards used for
implementation of codes in specific industries or locations or among
particular labor populations; (3) Auditing/monitoring systems, or
components of such systems, as well as related systems for enforcement
of labor standards across a supply chain; (4) Strategies for monitoring
sub-tier suppliers, informal workplaces, homework, and other
challenging environments; (5) Training modules and other mechanisms for
communicating expectations to stakeholders which incorporate worker
input; (6) Traceability models or experiences; (7) Remediation
strategies for children and/or adults found in conditions of forced or
child labor; (8) Reporting-related practices and practices related to
independent review; (9) Projects at the grassroots level which address
underlying issues or root causes of child labor or forced labor; (10)
and/or any other relevant practices.
In addition, ILAB is seeking information on current practices of
governments to collaborate with private sector actors through public-
private partnerships to reduce the likelihood of child labor and forced
labor in the production of goods. Submissions may include policy
documents, reports, statistics, case studies, and many other formats.
In addition, ILAB welcomes submissions of reports, analyses, guidance,
toolkits, and other documents in which such practices have been
compiled or analyzed by third-party groups. Information should be
submitted to the addresses and within the time period set forth above.
DOL seeks information that can be used to inform the development of
tools and resources to be disseminated publicly on the DOL website and/
or in other publications. However, in disseminating information, DOL
will maintain confidential, to the extent permitted by law, the
identity of the submitter and/or the individual or company using the
practice in question, upon request. Internal, confidential documents
that cannot be shared with the public will not be used. Submissions
containing confidential or personal information may be redacted by DOL
before being made available to the public, in accordance with
applicable laws and regulations. DOL does not commit to responding
directly to submissions or returning submissions to the submitters, but
DOL may communicate with the submitter regarding any matters relating
to the submission.
This notice is a general solicitation of comments from the public.
Authority: 22 U.S.C. 7112(b)(2)(C) & (D) and 19 U.S.C. 2464;
Executive Order 13126.
Signed at Washington, DC, on September 8, 2022.
Thea Lee,
Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2022-21464 Filed 10-3-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-28-P
