U.S. states might be running awful of international child labor laws – The Washington Post

The April 23 editorial responding to initiatives by Iowa and at least nine other states to undo child-labor protections, “Kids should mow lawns, not pour concrete,” might have mentioned that such legislation would contravene international human rights law to which the United States is a signatory.

Applied to those under 18, the International Labor Organization's Worst Forms of Child Labor Convention of 1999 (No. 182) prohibits, among other things, “work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children” — exactly what these states propose. Moreover, the convention cites trafficking of children and debt bondage, the most egregious violations uncovered by The Post and others.

International law permits teenagers to work nondangerous jobs that will not interfere with their education. Child labor laws of most states recognize the good sense of these distinctions.

Convention 182, the fastest ratified convention in the International Labor Organization's 104-year history, is the only human rights convention confirmed by every member state, and it is one of the few ratified by the United States. In fact, pushed by then-Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), the U.S. government proved one of its biggest advocates.

Though existing child-labor violations already expose the United States to the organization's formal complaint system, child-labor law amendments as considered by Iowa and other states make such a possibility more likely. Ironically, the United States is scheduled to present its triennial compliance report on Convention 182 this year.

Janice Bellace, Philadelphia. The writer was a member of the International Labor Organization's Committee of Experts from 1995 to 2010.

George Dragnich, Washington. The writer, a retired senior Foreign Service officer, was assistant director general of the International Labor Organization from 2009 to 2011.