Efforts by Certain Foreign Countries To Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labor; Identify Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Forced or Indentured Child Labor in the Production of Goods in Foreign Countries; and Share Business Practices To Reduce the Likelihood of Forced Labor or Child Labor in the Production of Goods, 67369-67371 [2023-21416]
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 188 / Friday, September 29, 2023 / Notices
law, no person shall generally be subject
to penalty for failing to comply with a
collection of information that does not
display a valid OMB Control Number.
See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6.
DOL seeks PRA authorization for this
information collection for three (3)
years. OMB authorization for an ICR
cannot be for more than three (3) years
without renewal. The DOL notes that
information collection requirements
submitted to the OMB for existing ICRs
receive a month-to-month extension
while they undergo review.
Agency: DOL–OSHA.
Title of Collection: Formaldehyde
Standard.
OMB Control Number: 1218–0145.
Affected Public: Private sector—
businesses or other for-profits.
Total Estimated Number of
Respondents: 86,575.
Total Estimated Number of
Responses: 990,175.
Total Estimated Annual Time Burden:
263,172 hours.
Total Estimated Annual Other Costs
Burden: $54,153,624.
(Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D))
Nicole Bouchet,
Acting Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2023–21417 Filed 9–28–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–26–P
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
[Agency Docket Number DOL–2023–xxxx]
Efforts by Certain Foreign Countries
To Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child
Labor; Identify Child Labor, Forced
Labor, and Forced or Indentured Child
Labor in the Production of Goods in
Foreign Countries; and Share
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
certain 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.
DATES: Submitters of information are
requested to provide their submission to
DOL’s Office of Child Labor, Forced
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SUMMARY:
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Labor, and Human Trafficking (OCFT) at
the email or physical address below by
December 15, 2023.
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–2023–
xxxx, 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.
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).
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), 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), NonVisual
Desktop Access (NVDA), ZoomText, to
name a few. 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 referenced
above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Matthew Fraterman
(Fraterman.matthew@dol.gov).
Telephone: 202–693–4770.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 2022
Findings on the Worst Forms of Child
Labor (TDA Report), published on
September 26, 2023, assesses efforts of
131 countries to eliminate the worst
forms of child labor in 2022 and
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67369
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 21, 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. DOL
welcomes new information on any of
the goods identified on the TVPRA List.
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 2024; the next edition
of the TVPRA List, which will also 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 for worker-driven social
compliance 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
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67370
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 188 / Friday, September 29, 2023 / Notices
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.
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. To access
the 2022 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
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Jkt 259001
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). It also asks ILAB ‘‘to work with
persons who are involved in the
production of goods on the list . . . to
create a standard set of practices that
will reduce the likelihood that such
persons will produce goods using [child
labor or forced labor]’’ (Comply Chain).
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 List
after its initial publication. DOL
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 will amend the
procedural guidelines as necessary.
ILAB published its first TVPRA List
on September 30, 2009, and has issued
9 updates. 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 the 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, the
Department of Labor 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 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
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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
released its initial E.O. List in 2001, and
has revised it several times since then,
each time after public notice and
comment as well as consultation with
DOS and DHS. As of July 13, 2022, the
E.O. List comprises 34 products from 26
countries. Access to the current E.O.
List, Procedural Guidelines, and related
information is available online.
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
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,
2019). 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 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 105(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
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 188 / Friday, September 29, 2023 / Notices
that such persons will produce goods
using [forced and 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 any and 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
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21:46 Sep 28, 2023
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resources to be disseminated publicly
on the DOL website and/or in other
publications. However, in disseminating
information, DOL will conceal, 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, this 25th day of
September, 2023.
Thea Lee,
Deputy Undersecretary for International
Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2023–21416 Filed 9–28–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–28–P
MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE
CORPORATION
[MCC FR 23–06]
Notice of Entering Into a Compact With
the Republic of Mozambique
Millennium Challenge
Corporation.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Notice.
In accordance with the
provisions of the Millennium Challenge
Act of 2003, as amended, the
Millennium Challenge Corporation
(MCC) is publishing a summary of the
Millennium Challenge Compact
(Compact) between the United States of
America and the Republic of
Mozambique. Representatives of the
United States of America and the
Republic of Mozambique executed the
Compact on September 21, 2023. The
complete text of the Compact has been
posted at: https://assets.mcc.gov/
content/uploads/compact-mozambiqueccr.pdf.
SUMMARY:
(Authority: 22 U.S.C. 7709 (b)(3))
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67371
Dated: September 25, 2023.
Gina Porto Spiro,
Acting Vice President, General Counsel, and
Corporate Secretary.
Summary of Mozambique Connectivity
and Coastal Resilience Compact
The United States has signed a fiveyear, $500,000,000 Compact with the
Republic of Mozambique aimed at
reducing poverty through economic
growth.
The Compact seeks to assist the
Government of the Republic of
Mozambique (‘‘GRM’’) in addressing
three major constraints to economic
growth: (i) the high cost and
unreliability of road freight and
passenger transport services that
inhibits input and output market
development, farm to market linkages,
and access to basic public services; (ii)
agricultural policy, the legal and
regulatory framework, and
implementation of the existing
framework, which inhibit the equitable
and efficient functioning of input
markets, vertical coordination of value
chains, and input and output market
competitiveness; and (iii) agricultural
policy, the legal and regulatory
framework which has led to an
overexploitation of fisheries and
depleted economic opportunities for
coastal zones.
The Compact will address these
constraints through three primary
projects:
(1) The Connectivity and Rural
Transport Project (using the Portuguese
acronym, the ‘‘CTR Project’’);
(2) The Promoting Reform and
Investment in Agriculture Project (the
‘‘PRIA Project’’); and
(3) The Coastal Livelihoods and
Climate Resilience Project (the ‘‘CLCR
Project’’).
Project Summaries
The Compact’s three projects are
described below:
The objective of the Connectivity and
Rural Transport (CTR) Project is to
reduce the cost of transport in the
province of Zambezia and throughout
Mozambique. The CTR Project will
include a set of investments in arterial
routes, including a major bridge, and
secondary roads through rural areas to
district centers as described below:
• Licungo Bridge and Mocuba Bypass
Activity—The Licungo Bridge and
Mocuba Bypass Activity is the principal
activity under the CTR Project and the
GRM’s highest priority transport project
in Zambezia. The investment will create
a new major, high-level bridge,
replacing a nearly 80-year-old one,
diverting the traffic around the town of
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 188 (Friday, September 29, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67369-67371]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-21416]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
[Agency Docket Number DOL-2023-xxxx]
Efforts by Certain Foreign Countries To Eliminate the Worst Forms
of Child Labor; Identify Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Forced or
Indentured Child Labor in the Production of Goods in Foreign Countries;
and Share 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 certain 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.
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 December
15, 2023.
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-2023-xxxx, 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.
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]).
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), 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), NonVisual Desktop Access
(NVDA), ZoomText, to name a few. 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
referenced above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Fraterman
([email protected]). Telephone: 202-693-4770.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 2022 Findings on the Worst Forms of
Child Labor (TDA Report), published on September 26, 2023, assesses
efforts of 131 countries to eliminate the worst forms of child labor in
2022 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 21, 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. DOL welcomes new information on any of the
goods identified on the TVPRA List. 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
2024; the next edition of the TVPRA List, which will also 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 for worker-driven social compliance 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
[[Page 67370]]
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.
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. To access the 2022 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). It also asks ILAB ``to work with persons who are
involved in the production of goods on the list . . . to create a
standard set of practices that will reduce the likelihood that such
persons will produce goods using [child labor or forced labor]''
(Comply Chain).
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
List after its initial publication. DOL 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 will amend the procedural guidelines as necessary.
ILAB published its first TVPRA List on September 30, 2009, and has
issued 9 updates. 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 the 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, the Department of Labor 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 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 released its initial
E.O. List in 2001, and has revised it several times since then, each
time after public notice and comment as well as consultation with DOS
and DHS. As of July 13, 2022, the E.O. List comprises 34 products from
26 countries. Access to the current E.O. List, Procedural Guidelines,
and related information is available online.
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 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, 2019). 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 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 105(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
[[Page 67371]]
that such persons will produce goods using [forced and 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 any and 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 conceal, 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, this 25th day of September, 2023.
Thea Lee,
Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2023-21416 Filed 9-28-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-28-P
