UNICEF Report on Child Labor

Re “Child Labor on the Rise, UNICEF Says,” Dec. 12:

UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children 1997 report reminds us once again of the appalling conditions suffered by millions of children laboring around the world. What happens to children, especially girls, who are sold to labor contractors (ostensibly to work in factories) in order for their parents to afford food is unfit to print in a family newspaper.

Although poverty is a primary cause of child labor, effective actions can be taken in the near term. These include consumer pressure, enforcement of existing child labor laws and increasing children’s access to education. For the longer term a crucial element is providing families with economic alternatives, especially “microcredit” for self-employment, that will help lift them out of poverty.

To its credit Congress has created a special children’s account that includes money for basic education in its 1997 foreign aid appropriation. It is important that this be expanded and protected along with microcredit. Probably even more important is for the president to exert global leadership by committing to attend the Microcredit Summit to be held in February in Washington.

TROY MILLER

Huntington Beach