BANGLADESH RESPONSE TO 2008 DOL REQUEST FOR TRADE AND

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 DHAKA 000149 SIPDIS DOL/ILAB FOR: LEYLA STROTKAMP, RACHEL RIGBY AND TINA MCCARTER DRL/ILSCR FOR: SARAH MORGAN G/TIP: LUIS C de BACA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB EIND ETRD PHUM SOCI USAID BG SUBJECT: BANGLADESH RESPONSE TO 2008 DOL REQUEST FOR TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT ACT (GSP) 2008 REPORT REF: A) 08 DHAKA 618, B) 08 DHAKA 745 C) 09 DHAKA 130, D) 09 SECSTATE 131995, SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (U) This cable responds to Ref D request for additional information regarding exploitative child labor in Bangladesh under the Trade and Development Act of 2000 (TDA). As there is no new information on the use of forced labor and/or exploitative child labor in the production of goods, Ref A and B respond to the request for information under the TVPRA. Exploitative child labor was found in a number of industries but largely in the informal sector. The Government of Bangladesh had two separate mechanisms for dealing with crimes against children: one focused on combating labor law violations and the other on dealing with trafficking crimes. While the GOB made efforts to strengthen the capacity of both mechanisms, a lack of resources severely hampered progress. QUESTIONS -------------- ¶2. (U) Responses are keyed to Ref D tasking cable. A) Prevalence and sectoral distribution of exploitative child labor In what sectors (not related to the production of goods) were children involved in exploitative child labor? RESPONSE: Owing to the country's economic conditions, child labor persists in some formal and almost all informal sectors. The country is one of less than 50 nations designed by the United Nations as a "least developed country" (LDC). Labor experts estimate that the informal sector employed approximately 70 percent of working children in urban areas, and another 20 percent of children were employed as domestic workers. According to a 2006 study by the Bangladesh Institute of Labor studies, attacks on children constituted more than 50 percent of the deaths, injuries and sexual assaults reported among domestic workers during the year. In rural areas, most working children were employed in the agriculture sector. Child labor could be found in domestic work, street vending, begging, prostitution, portering, ship-breaking, shoe-shining, shops, restaurants and farming. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics' National Child Labor Survey (2003), nearly 14 percent of all children between the ages 5-14 were engaged in some form of employment. According to the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF),there are an estimated 7.4 million children working in Bangladesh, 1.3 million of whom are considered to be working in hazardous conditions (roughly 17 percent). In almost all instances, children worked out of sheer economic necessity to support themselves and their families. Did the Government collect or publish data on exploitative child labor during the period? If so, would the government provide the data set to DOL for further analysis? RESPONSE: The Government of Bangladesh (GOB) did not collect or publish comprehensive data on exploitative child labor in 2009. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) did collect information on trafficking cases, including trafficking of children. The 2003 NCLS was the last comprehensive study of child labor in the country. There have been no updates since then. In 2006 the International Labor Organization (ILO) released the Baseline Survey for Determining Hazardous Child Labor Sectors in Bangladesh, jointly published by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and the ILO. The report identified 45 sectors along with an estimated number of child workers in each sector. The seven sectors that employed the most children were: restaurant / tea stall; rickshaw/van puller; fishing / fish drying; carpentry; welding works; automobile workshop; rice/ spices milling. The study estimated that a total of 539,403 children were employed in Bangladesh across the 45 listed sectors. Most observers agreed that such studies only provided a small snapshot of the problem. B) Laws and regulations proscribing the worst forms of child labor. What new laws or regulations were enacted in regard to exploitative child labor over the past year? If applicable were the changes improvements in the legal and regulatory framework? RESPONSE: No new laws or regulations were enacted in regard to exploitative child labor over the past year. The government has formulated a National Child Labor Policy that has yet to be DHAKA 00000149 002 OF 010 approved. Child labor concerns were also part of the government's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). See section E below for further details On the National Child Labor Policy and the PRSP. (NOTE: Ref C contains a review of existing laws covering child labor. END NOTE.) Based on the standards in paras 27 and 28, was the country/territory's legal and regulatory framework adequate for addressing exploitative child labor? RESPONSE: Labor rights groups concurred that the country's legal and regulatory framework was mostly adequate for addressing exploitative child labor. Bangladesh has not yet ratified ILO Convention 138 on Minimum Age, but was in line with Recommendation 190, on worst forms of child labor. Most observers agreed that lack of awareness and poverty were key enabling factors, as the latter forced millions of children to work for the survival of themselves and their families. Weak enforcement as a result of resource constraints (including manpower shortages and poor compensation for civil servants) and a corrupt and inefficient judicial system were also to blame. C) Institutions and mechanisms for enforcement. Section I: Hazardous Child Labor What agency or agencies was/were responsible for the enforcement of laws relating to hazardous child labor/forced child labor? RESPONSE: The GOB addresses the issue of hazardous child labor/forced child labor as a part of the broader issue of labor law violations. Two labor law enforcement bodies exist within the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MOLE) for this purpose. The Directorate of Labor did not typically use its enforcement capabilities. The Chief Inspector of the Department of Factories and Establishments was the primary enforcer of labor laws and conducted random inspections in factories, shops and other establishments nationwide. The inspections teams also visited tea estates. Inspections cover four broad areas: health, hygiene, safety and general matters - including payment of wages, overtime, and child labor. In practice, child labor was not the main focus of labor inspections, and mostly because of resource constraints the MOLE did not focus on sectors where child labor was more of an issue. The Inspector presents violations (including the illicit use of child labor) to the factory owner for remedy within 21 days. The Inspector checks for compliance and issues a second letter if no remedy has been made. The next step is legal action in the form of a complaint to a labor court. A court enforcement action takes at least 4 to 5 months to implement and can take 2 to 3 years or longer. The Chief Inspector reported that most violations were remedied with a verbal warning at the time of inspection. However, in rare cases the GOB will impose fines of 5,000 taka (approximately $75) per violation. Overall, the Chief Inspector claimed the law was sufficient, but noted his department did not have adequate resources to monitor and enforce labor laws for the entire country. Separately, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) has taken a lead role in the creation of ad hoc institutions to improve labor standards more broadly. For example, a tripartite entity for the ready-made garments (RMG) sector, the Social Compliance Forum (SCF),has existed since June 2005. The SCF deals chiefly with occupational safety and labor welfare issues and includes a monitoring cell. Since its inception the SCF has focused primarily on awareness building and information gathering. It also serves in an advisory capacity for new initiatives in the areas of occupational safety and labor welfare. The MOLE and the International Labor Organization (ILO) have also looked into the possibility of creating a monitoring cell to record child labor violations, as part of a larger unit on child labor. That project is still in its incipient stages. The aim of the Child Labor Unit would be to plan, manage, coordinate, monitor and oversee the implementation of child labor programs across the country. Separately, the GOB has been in the process of creating a Children's Directorate under the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs, which will be responsible for coordinating all activities related to children, functioning in a similar capacity to the Child Labor Unit in the MOLE. UNICEF is working with the Ministry of Social Welfare to design and institute a national monitoring system on child protection. While law enforcement officials did not address child labor issues per se, if a child was a victim of trafficking, the case fell under the purview of the police and was noted by the anti-trafficking DHAKA 00000149 003 OF 010 monitoring cell at the Police Headquarters in Dhaka, which is part of the Home Ministry. Depending on the case, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB),an anti-crime paramilitary unit, also became involved in investigation and enforcement. Sex trafficking and forced labor are among the crimes covered by the monitoring cell. The cell's main aim is to gather information on trafficking cases from local police stations (found in each of the country's 64 districts),publish data on the extent of the problem, apprehend those involved in trafficking crimes, and track and assist local law enforcement authorities with the prosecution of human trafficking cases. The Home Ministry also recently started a special "Trafficking in Human Beings" (THB) project as part of the Police Reform Program supported by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP),Britain's Department for International Development (DFID), the European Commission (EC) and the Government of Bangladesh. The THB project includes an investigation unit looking into all forms of trafficking with 12 police officers who receive training on investigative techniques. The Home Ministry is also working with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to develop a special anti-trafficking course for students at the National Police Academy. If multiple agencies were responsible for enforcement, were there mechanisms for exchanging information? Assess their effectiveness. RESPONSE: Enforcement of labor laws was the responsibility of the MOLE, whereas trafficking-related cases fell under the domain of the police, the anti-trafficking monitoring cell and the Ministry of Home Affairs. Mechanisms for exchanging information between these institutions at the working level were largely ad hoc and informal, and coordination was sometimes weak, resulting in gaps in coverage. On trafficking issues, the two Ministries (MOLE and MOHA) met at a high level, during monthly inter-ministerial meetings chaired by the Home Secretary. Did the country/territory maintain a mechanism for making complaints about hazardous and forced child labor violations? If so, how many complaints were received in the reporting period? RESPONSE: Complaints regarding child labor are directed to the MOLE, namely the office of the Chief Inspector of the Department of Factories and Establishments. According to the Chief Inspector and Deputy Chief Inspector, Engineering, the Department did not receive any complaints about hazardous or forced child labor violations in the past year. What amount of funding was provided to agencies responsible for inspections? Was this amount adequate? Did inspectors have sufficient office facilities, transportation, fuel and other necessities to carry out inspections? RESPONSE: According to the Chief Inspector, the budget for the Inspectorate, which has a staff of 198 employees, was roughly 300 million taka ($4.5 million). Of the Inspectorate's 198 employees, 155 are inspectors. There were 87 job vacancies in the entire Inspectorate. The Chief Inspector claimed that the agency was severely under-resourced and unable to properly carry out its functions despite the rapid growth in certain sectors like the ready-made garments industry. For example, there was only one official vehicle available nationwide to the entire Inspectorate. How many inspectors did the government employ? Was the number of inspectors adequate? RESPONSE: The Inspectorate of the Department of Factories and Establishments is the primary entity responsible for enforcing all labor laws (including child labor laws). It has 31 offices throughout the country, including a head office and four divisional offices, as well as regional and branch offices. There are a total of 155 inspectors and 43 support staff involved in the inspections of factories, shops, and establishments, including tea estates. There are currently 87 unfilled positions in the Inspectorate, a number of which are for the position of inspector. Inspectors of different ranks conduct a specific number of factory and shop inspections each month. These inspectors also respond to crisis conditions as they come up. According to the Deputy Chief Inspector, Engineering, in a given month, a senior inspector inspects at least five factories, whereas "first and second class officers" inspect approximately 15 factories per month. A "third class" officer inspects roughly 100 shops and other establishments (banks, other offices, tea estates) per month. This staff is responsible for investigating child labor as part of its broader responsibilities. How many inspections involving child labor were carried out? If DHAKA 00000149 004 OF 010 possible please provide breakdown of compliant driven versus random, government initiated inspections. Were inspections carried out in sectors in which children work? Was the number of inspections adequate? RESPONSE: There were no inspections specifically for child labor; rather child labor was one consideration during general labor inspections. According to the Deputy Chief Inspector, Engineering, between January 2009 and December 2009, the GOB conducted a total of 51,337 inspections relating to violations of labor law across Bangladesh, up from 39,123 inspections the year before. During these inspections, all aspects of applicable labor laws were reviewed, including laws dealing with child labor. According to the Ministry of Labor, approximately 770 cases were filed in 2009. Based on a conversation with the Chief Inspector, in the month of December 2009, 91 cases were filed in labor courts, none of which related to child labor. According to the Chief Inspector and others, very few of the cases filed related to child labor law violations. Representatives from the international wing of the AFL-CIO, the American Center for International Labor Solidarity, also noted that few, if any, of the labor cases filed over the past several years were related to child labor. Moreover, the Chief Inspector claimed that many sectors covered by the inspections regime, including garments and shrimp, were largely free of child labor. Observers agree that child labor was usually found in smaller ancillary industries rather than major ones like garments though doubted whether the government was capable of making such sweeping claims. How many children were removed/assisted as a result of inspections? Were these children actually provided or referred for services as a result? RESPONSE: According to the Chief Inspector, no children were removed as a result of inspection and very few instances of child labor were discovered. How many child labor cases or prosecutions were opened? RESPONSE: The Chief Inspector did not have data on this but there were over 770 cases filed in labor courts in 2009. Both the GOB and NGOs concurred, however, that very few of the cases being heard in labor courts over the past several years involved child labor. How many child labor cases were closed or resolved? RESPONSE: The Chief Inspector was unable to provide a precise figure. Cases in the labor courts were generally resolved in two to three years time. How many violations were found or convictions reached? RESPONSE: The Chief Inspector could not provide an accurate figure of this amount given that very few of the cases over the past several years related to child labor. What is the average length of time it took to resolve child labor cases? RESPONSE: There was no breakdown for child labor cases specifically but in general, cases taken to the labor court can last anywhere from four to five months up to two or three years. In cases in which violations were found, were penalties actually applied, either through fines paid or jail sentences served? Did such sentences meet penalties established in the law? RESPONSE: There were no figures on the child labor cases in labor courts specifically. However, penalties for general labor law violations ranged from fines to administrative punishments and sentences did meet those established in the law. In the case of the shrimp industry, general labor compliance was a key prerequisite in the licensing and registration of factories. Penalties for individuals involved in trafficking case ranged in severity and included life imprisonment. Did the experience regarding the above questions reflect a commitment to combat exploitative child labor? RESPONSE: The GOB was committed to combating exploitative child labor but was constrained by inadequate resources. The current enforcement mechanisms (through the labor inspectors and police) were neither broad enough in scope nor well coordinated enough to DHAKA 00000149 005 OF 010 deal with the complexity of the child labor issue. Given the limited scope of the MOLE's inspections regime, identification of and action against certain types of exploitative child labor, including forced child labor and trafficking, often fell to law enforcement agencies. Did government offer any training for investigators or others responsible for enforcement? If so, what (if any) impact have these trainings had? RESPONSE: The Ministry of Labor (MOL) reported that labor inspectors received general training on labor law, which includes child labor provisions. At the ministry and policy level, officials receive additional training from the ILO. Field staff receive additional training on child labor on an ad-hoc basis, provided by NGOs, the ILO, and during periodic courses at government training institutes. The German Technical Corporation (GTZ),through its PROGRESS project, has worked with the MOLE to offer foundation and refresher training courses for labor inspectors. In 2009, the GTZ trained over 50 inspectors. The training focused on all aspects of Bangladesh labor law but predominantly on occupational health and safety issues such as workplace hazards, measuring noise levels and air pollution, chemical handling and fire and electrical safety. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) sponsored a four-day training program on Child Labor and Education attended by high level officials of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, and the Ministry of Labor and Employment. Section II: Forced Child Labor The answers to questions in this section are the same as that for the section on hazardous child labor. For responses to questions in the context of forced child labor see above. D) Institutional mechanisms for effective enforcement Section I: Child trafficking Did the country/territory have agencies or personnel dedicated to enforcement of child trafficking/CSEC/use of children in illicit activities? How many investigators/social workers/dedicated police officers did the government employ to conduct investigations? If there were no dedicated agencies or personnel, provide an estimate of the number of people who were responsible for such investigations. Was the number of investigators adequate? RESPONSE: There was no single agency dedicated to the enforcement of child trafficking/CSEC/use of children in illicit activities. The main agency responsible for these violations is the Bangladesh police. While law enforcement officials do not address child labor issues per se, if a child was a victim of trafficking, it fell under the purview of the police, RAB and the anti-trafficking monitoring cell at police headquarters in Dhaka. The Home Ministry is also in charge of the THB investigation unit with 12 police officers who are given training on investigative techniques. The number of investigators to tackle such crimes was not adequate. How much funding was provided to agencies responsible for investigating child trafficking/CSEC/use of children in illicit activities? Was this amount adequate? Did investigators have sufficient office facilities, transportation, fuel and other necessities to carry out investigations? RESPONSE: The THB was one component of a $13.3 million Police Reform Program supported by the UNDP, DfID, EC and the Government of Bangladesh. Did the country/territory maintain a hotline or other mechanism for reporting child trafficking/CSEC/use of children in illicit activities violations? If so, how many complaints were received in the reporting period? RESPONSE: There was no such hotline in Bangladesh apart from the regular mechanism used to make complaints to the police and the country's national monitoring cell at police headquarters in Dhaka. How many investigations were opened in regard to child trafficking/CSEC/use of children in illicit activities? Was the number of investigations adequate? RESPONSE: According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, 65 cases were filed with respect to trafficking of women and children from DHAKA 00000149 006 OF 010 February 2009-February 2010. Authorities conducted a total of 26 trafficking investigations. Independent observers concur that the number of cases and investigations probably represented a fraction of the total instances of child trafficking/CSEC/use of children in illicit activities. Civil society groups estimate that roughly 10,000-20,000 women and children are victims of trafficking every year in Bangladesh. A UNICEF study however, estimated that there are 4,000 women and children victims of trafficking every month. How many children were rescued as a result? RESPONSE: According to the MOHA, 68 trafficking victims were rescued between February 2009-February 2010, 30 of whom were children. How many arrests were made or other kinds of prosecutions carried out? RESPONSE: According to the MOHA, authorities prosecuted 68 trafficking cases, mostly involving women and children). How many cases were closed or resolved? RESPONSE: According to the MOHA, the GOB closed 66 cases during this period, 28 of which were from 2008. In another 21 cases, the police submitted a final report, which indicated that charges had not been proven. How many convictions? RESPONSE: There were convictions in 19 cases. Did sentences imposed meet standards established in the legal framework? RESPONSE: Yes, 24 individuals received life sentences and another eight received other penalties. Were sentences imposed actually served? RESPONSE: Sentences imposed were generally served, however many cases did not reach the prosecution stage because of lack of evidence or because the trafficker often settled with the families of victims out of court. What is the average length of time it takes to resolve cases of child trafficking/CSEC/use of children in illicit activities? RESPONSE: Of the cases that actually went to trial, most typically took between one to three years to resolve. Did the government offer any training for investigators or others responsible for enforcement of child trafficking/CSEC/use of children in illicit activities? If so, what was the impact (if any) of these trainings? RESPONSE: There were several trafficking related training programs for government officials. Most were sponsored by NGOs and international donors. The Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment conducted a refresher course for nearly 20 labor attaches (working in overseas missions) and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This course included a one-day session on trafficking, led by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Separately, IOM trained 325 government officials from law enforcement agencies and the Ministry of Social Welfare on victim care and support. Lastly, the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA) also conducted training for members of different law enforcement agencies. If the country/territory experienced armed conflict during the reporting period or in the recent past involving the use of child soldiers, what actions were taken to penalize those responsible? Were these actions adequate or meaningful given the situation? RESPONSE: Not applicable. Section II: Commercial Sexual exploitation of Children (CSEC) The answers to questions in this section are the same as that for the section on hazardous child trafficking. For responses to questions in the context of CSEC see above. Section III: Use of Children in illicit activities The answers to questions in this section are the same as that for DHAKA 00000149 007 OF 010 the section on hazardous child trafficking. For responses to questions in the context of the use of children in illicit activities see above. E) GOVERNMENT POLICIES ON CHILD LABOR: Did the government have a policy or plan that specifically addresses exploitive child labor? Please describe. (Please note that DOL will not consider anti-poverty, education or other general child welfare policies to be addressing exploitive child labor unless they have a child labor component.) RESPONSE: A modification of a national child labor policy originally drafted in 2008 has been submitted to the Cabinet for approval. It specifically seeks to eliminate the worst forms of child labor in multiple phases. It also calls for more research into the subject and to set up bodies to coordinate activities in this area. The Third National Plan of Action for Children (2005-2010) includes child labor within broader objectives. Administered by Bangladesh's Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, the plan identifies five areas of action: Food and Nutrition, Health, Education, Protection, and Physical Environment. Child labor is addressed within the Protection area of action. The national action plan employs a rights-based model and seeks to develop district-level child rights monitoring functions. The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs seeks to coordinate with all relevant ministries and district committees to enhance awareness and generate actions in protection of child rights. To implement this plan, the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs is working with UNICEF on a (2006-2010) project entitled Capacity Building for Monitoring Child Rights. The GOB is also in partnership with the ILO on the Urban Informal Economy Project sponsored by the Government of Netherlands to contribute to the elimination and prevention of worst forms of child labor in the urban informal economy of Bangladesh. This will be accomplished through protection, education and preparation for future employment, social and economic development and capacity building. As part of this, at the local government level, Dhaka City Corporation, has (since 2008) been in an agreement with the ILO to implement this program with several local NGOs. Did the country/territory incorporate exploitive child labor specifically as an issue to be addressed in poverty reduction, development, educational or other social policies, such as Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, etc? Please describe. RESPONSE: The Government of Bangladesh's 2005 National Strategy for Accelerated Poverty Reduction specifically articulates Child Rights as a priority and addresses child labor. Child-related issues are also detailed elsewhere. In October 2008, the country unveiled a second Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper for three years starting in FY '09 (FY'2009-2011). Section 5.1.2 mentions development of children as one of the overarching strategies to address poverty. One of the government's stated goals is to protect child laborers and eliminate the worst forms of child labor. Specifically it seeks to build greater awareness of the problem of child labor, create a child friendly code of conduct for employers, draft minimum wage and protective standards regulations and improve learning opportunities for working children. The PRSP also notes that alternatives should be created for those children in danger of being trafficked. Did the government provide funding to the plans described above? Please describe the amount and whether it was sufficient to carry out the planned activities. RESPONSE: The government has committed some resources to the joint project with UNICEF entitled "Capacity building for monitoring children's rights." The PRSP will cost an estimated $51 billion to implement, of which roughly $38 billion is expected to come from the government though the government had not yet dedicated the funds to that endeavor. Did the government provide non-monetary support to child labor plans? Please describe. RESPONSE: Apart from dedicating human resources to the drafting of the national plan of action, elements of the PRSP and the joint UNICEF project, the GOB has not provided any non-monetary support. Provide any additional information about the status and effectiveness of the government's policies or plans during the reporting period in regard to exploitive child labor. DHAKA 00000149 008 OF 010 RESPONSE: The government's plans to combat exploitative child labor under the mechanism of dealing with labor issues (as opposed to the law enforcement apparatus) are still in the early stages. The Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs largely plays a coordinating rather than an enforcement role in this regard. Did the government participate in any commissions or task forces regarding exploitive child labor? Was the commission active and/or effective? RESPONSE: The GOB did not participate in any commissions or task forces regarding exploitative child labor Did the government sign a bilateral, regional or international agreement to combat trafficking? RESPONSE: The Government indicated a willingness to modify the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Convention on Trafficking. Changes proposed by civil society would broaden the definition to include male victims of trafficking and trafficking for other exploitative purposes, including forced labor. F) SOCIAL PROGRAMS TO ELIMINATE OR PREVENT CHILD LABOR: Did the government implement any programs specifically to address the worst forms of child labor? Please describe. (Please note that DOL will not consider anti-poverty, education or other general child welfare programs to be addressing exploitive child labor unless they have a child labor component.) RESPONSE: The GOB, under the MOLE, partially funded its own national program entitled Eradication of Hazardous Child Labor in Bangladesh. NGOs implement this program, which covers 21 sectors, including rickshaw pulling, printing, domestic work, welding and fabrication, automotive repair, brick and stone breaking, machine shops, hotels and restaurants, cigarettes, match factories, tanneries, salt factories, daily labor, battery factories, dyeing operations, potters assistance, blacksmith's assistants, minibus assistance, construction, shrimp factories, and saw mills. In its second phase, this program received 298 million taka (USD 4.2 million) for three years. Given prior delays in implementation, the program stretched its funds to a fourth year of operations and expired in June 2009. The primary focus of the program was to provide non-formal education and skills training. Over 30,000 children working in 21 designated hazardous labor categories were trained in the last four years. The program attempted to transition children out of hazardous labor conditions through the provision of additional skills. The program included a micro-credit component that provided the children's families with alternative income generating opportunities. As many as 20,000 families received loans ranging from 5 to 10 thousand taka (USD 75 to 150). The program also had a public information dimension, including anti-child labor pamphlets. NGOs are also developing other areas of mass media messaging. At least one of the implementing NGOs involved in this project conducts parallel non-formal education activities focusing on child workers. For example, ESDO (Eco-Social Development Organization),a local NGO, is conducting a non-formal education program for 35,185 children to eradicate hazardous child labor in northwest Bangladesh. The GOB also permits NGOs to remove children from the worst forms of child labor. UNICEF's Basic Education for Hard to Reach Urban Children (BEHTRUC) provides 351,000 urban working children in six divisional cities with two years of non-formal education, specifically targeting urban children aged 8-14 employed in hazardous working conditions. Did the country/territory incorporate child labor specifically as an issue to be addressed in poverty reduction, development, educational or other social programs, such as conditional cash transfer programs or eligibility for school meals, etc? Please describe. RESPONSE: Yes it did in the PRSP, please see discussion above. Did the government provide funding to the programs described above? Please describe amount and whether it was sufficient to carry out the planned activities. RESPONSE: The government provided partial funding to the MOLE project but has not yet dedicated funds to the PRSP. Did the government provide non-monetary support to child labor programs? Please describe. DHAKA 00000149 009 OF 010 RESPONSE: Apart from human resources, the government did not provide any non-monetary support. Provide any additional information about the status and effectiveness of the government's activities during the reporting period in relation to the programs described above. If the programs involved government provision of social services to children at risk of or involved in exploitive child labor, please describe and assess the effectiveness of these services. RESPONSE: See above. The Eradication of Hazardous Child Labor project has been successful in achieving outcomes. Bangladesh incorporates the issue of child labor into its Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, which is described above but is yet to develop these strategies into something more actionable.) If the government signed one or more bilateral, regional or international agreement/s to combat trafficking, what steps did it take to implement such agreement/s? Did the agreement/s result in tangible improvements? If so, please describe. RESPONSE: Please note the discussion above. The government is considering putting forth a modification to the SAARC Convention on Trafficking. G) CONTINUAL PROGRESS: Considering the information provided to the questions above, please provide an assessment of whether, overall, the government made progress in regard to combating exploitive child labor during the reporting period. In making this assessment, please indicate whether there has been an increase or decrease from previous years in inspections/investigations, prosecutions, and convictions; funding for child labor elimination policies and programs; and any other relevant indicators of government commitment. RESPONSE: Child labor has been significantly reduced in the seafood (particularly shrimp) industry, to the extent that most independent analysts agree that the mainstream processing plants are "nearly child labor free." NGOs still contend, however, that the child labor and forced labor exists in shrimp farming, through the use of third party contractors and family farms. Regarding the RMG industry, worker advocacy groups agree that within Export Processing Zones (where many garments are produced),child labor is essentially absent. Major garment producers are also essentially child labor free. However, the groups question the claim that all subcontracting and supply operations serving the garment industry have fully eliminated child labor. For example, children may be involved with assisting their parents in performing garment piece work or in ancillary support roles such as serving tea and making deliveries. Based on GOB efforts, donor funded efforts, buyer requirements, and NGO programs to combat the worst forms of child labor, it appears that progress in addressing child labor is being made in Bangladesh. However, in the absence of reliable or consistent annual surveys it is impossible to provide quantitative analysis to assess the impact of GOB and NGO efforts to combat the worst forms of child labor. COMMENT -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The continued existence of exploitative child labor in Bangladesh is a direct function of the country's low level of economic development. The government's weak enforcement mechanism is only one such contributing factor. The country's per capita GDP is $600 per year and 80% of its population lives on less than $2 a day. Bangladesh's heavy reliance on subsistence agriculture and the high incidence of poverty contribute to child labor practices. In many cases, the opportunity costs of sending a child to school instead of work are insurmountable without monetary incentives. The size and scope of the informal economy, (especially in its linkages to the formal economy) combined with a low capacity for effective legal enforcement of child labor laws are factors that constrain regulatory approaches to the problem of child labor. ¶4. (SBU) The GOB makes a clear distinction between child labor in general and its worst exploitative forms. While the GOB acknowledges child labor is a consequence of Bangladesh's poverty, it focuses its limited resources on specific policy and program steps to ameliorate the worst forms of child labor, in particular DHAKA 00000149 010 OF 010 child trafficking and exploitation. The presence of two separate mechanisms to combat exploitative child labor is a big handicap, however. On one hand, there is a well established though narrowly focused mechanism to deal with violations of labor law, namely the MOLE's inspection team. Most civil society groups agree that the inspections team is under-resourced and far too weak to effectively deal with the problem of child labor against the litany of other labor issues. Separately, the police are narrowly focused on child trafficking from a law enforcement angle. In the future, a specialized entity dedicated to this problem and offering better coordination between the different actors could make significant progress in Bangladesh. Increasing involvement by U.S. retailers who source products directly from Bangladesh will also have a positive impact on continuing efforts to eliminate child labor. MORIARTY