ARMENIA: PARLIAMENT RATIFIES INTERNATIONAL LABOR

UNCLAS YEREVAN 001795 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN AND DRL/IL LAUREN HOLT DOL/ILAB FOR TINA MCCARTER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB EIND ETRD PHUM SOCI AM USAID GTIP ILO SUBJECT: ARMENIA: PARLIAMENT RATIFIES INTERNATIONAL LABOR CONVENTIONS REF: STATE 143552 YEREVAN 1550 ¶1. Per reftels, Post provides the following update regarding exploitive child labor: -- On October 3, the Armenian National Assembly ratified International Labor Organization (ILO) Minimum Age Convention ¶138. Armenpress News Agency quoted Labor and Social Affairs Minister Aghvan Vardanyan, who described the National Assembly's vote to ratify the convention as a step "to prevent any instances of exploitation of children." ¶2. In the same session, the Armenian National Assembly ratified ILO Conventions 14, 26, 97, 118, 132 and 143. EVANS