A dozen nations added to U.S. Government child, forced labor list (AP)
WASHINGTON — The Labor Department is adding a dozen countries to the list of nations that use child labor or forced labor*, as officials warn the global economic crisis* could cause an upswing in the exploitation of children and other workers.
From coffee grown in El Salvador to sapphires mined in Madagascar, the agency’s latest reports*, to be released Wednesday, identify 128 goods from 70 countries where child labor, forced labor or both are used in violation of international standards.
“Shining light on these problems is a first step toward motivating governments, the private sector and concerned citizens to take action to end these intolerable abuses that have no place in our modern* world,” said Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.
New to the list are Angola, Central African Republic*, Chad, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
