About IIECL

Overview

About the International Initiative on Exploitative Child Labor (IIECL), also commonly known as the International Initiative to End Child Labor, is a US-based, not-for-profit [US IRS approved 501 (c) (3)] organization, founded in 1998 and incorporated in 1999, that conducts and/or provides education, training, technical assistance, capacity building, research, social accountability auditing, resources, program planning and design, and monitoring and evaluation services to public and private sector, non-governmental organizations, and international research and development institutions that seek to eliminate the worst forms of child labor in the United States and around the world.

Mission

Our mission is to eliminate the worst forms of child labor in the U.S. and around the world.

Defining Terms

Worst forms of child labor are defined as children being involved in slavery and all forms of slavery, trafficking, prostitution, soldiering, illegal activities and hazardous child labor.

Hazardous child labor is defined as labor that, due to its nature, places the child’s health, safety or morals at risk.

A child is defined as an individual who is under the age of 18.

IIECL strongly advocates that education should be the first priority for all children.

IIECL recognizes a difference between child work and child labor. Older youth who are at a legal working age that is engaged in a safe, age and task appropriate and with limited work hours that is properly supervised and protected, can find certain types of work to be educational and productive for their future.

While we view child labor is unacceptable, IIECL acknowledges that there may be some limited work activities that children can perform that does not place their health, safety, morals or education at risk and that are developmentally appropriate for their age and mental and physical capacity. As a child matures, these work activities can appropriately expand with the increased developmental capacity of the child.

IIECL recommends that all work-related activities should be carefully examined for appropriateness and, while such activities are being performed, the child should be carefully trained on how to do the work safely and under the close supervision of their parent or guardian.

IIECL recommends that a task mapping and job risk/ergonomics analysis of the work activities should be conducted before any child enters into work situations outside of the home or into agricultural work environments where tools, machinery and/or agricultural chemicals are present.

Objectives

To promote awareness-raising of the problem of child labor both nationally and internationally;

To study the worst forms of child labor among children working in the following sectors: agriculture; formal industry; informal businesses; trafficking and prostitution; soldiering; domestic servitude; street begging, selling or vendoring; and orphans, other vulnerable children, migrants and refugees.

To develop effective strategies and solutions based on best practices, particularly in areas that promote quality education for children;

To assist with the development and promotion of public awareness and understanding regarding the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the International Labor Organization’s conventions influencing child labor (Convention 182 and 138);

To provide information, education, technical assistance, assessment tools, educational materials, and/or policy guidance to public, private and non-governmental entities seeking to ensure that the programming or operations they support do not contribute, directly or indirectly, to initiating or sustaining conditions that force children and/or their families to continue child labor;

To assist private entities with the development, implementation, evaluation and/or improvement of their Social Accountability Standards and conduct auditing of their labor and production practices;

To work in partnership with local community-based, non-governmental organizations or other interested entities as they seek to identify and/or ameliorate exploitative child labor in their communities and nations and provide technical support to help improve their capacity to provide more effective services; and

To provide assistance with the design and/or evaluation of the impact, success, or failings of child labor, youth, vocational or basic education intervention strategies and programs.

Most Recent Audit

The independent firm of F. S. Taylor & Associates, P.C. Certified Public Accountants, recently completed an audit of IIECL for the years ending December 31, 2005-2007. The audit of IIECL showed sound financial management and resulted in no questioned costs or administrative findings. IIECL is currently undertaking a four year audit covering the years of 2008-2011.

International Initiative on Exploitative Child Labor (IIECL)

“End Child Labor”
1016 South Wayne Street, Suite 702
Arlington, Virginia 22204 USA
703-920-0435 (Phone/Fax)
IIECL@endchildlabor.org (Email)
www.endchildlabor.org